A few questions. Would like to know whats going on.

[HardTech]

Wow this has been a bad two weeks over all. 3 people have hit my back bumper, thank god for chrome. And I had to lift a scratch out of the side from an unknown source. And finely was almost involved in 2 accidents and almost hit by a guy running from the cops. Which now leads into the problem 1.

So the other night (Friday) I was coming home, and i was sitting at a intersection. In my rear view mirror I see cops, and a whole line of them. But they where 5+ miles away (easy). So I am wondering why there is a line of cops, because I don’t see anything wrong ahead of me, and nothing in front of the cops. Well this road I am on is under construction for miles, with a drop off side, no way to simply pull over. Well I could, but I wouldn’t be able to get out without some help. And at this point its 11:30 at night

So I look up and the cops are closing fast... I am like WTF! So I start to speed up, and I notice while looking back, a reflection off a light bounce off something. The more I stare at it, the more I notice its a damn vehicle, and its coming at high high speed. This guy in what ever vehicle is driving trying to get away from the cops with no headlights!!!! I would assume to try and lose the cops. Well at this point I realize I need off this road, and ASAP.

Knowing a place where I can pull over is about 3 or so miles up the road I gun it. This guy keeps getting closer and closer trying to run me off the damn road. When I see the break down lane re-appear I get off and he fly’s by. This is when I notice he’s driving a semi new explorer and it was red.

I noticed when getting off the gas and applying the breaks smoothly this shake I have never felt (25-5 mph). It didn’t come from the steering wheels or the breaks. So the tires, engine or the breaks were not the issue. It was a quick deep shake. Kind of felt like the vibrate option in those chairs at the mall. It came from what seemed to be the mid point of the truck. There seems to be no noticeable issues at all. It goes into all gears just the same as it did. So any clue what happened? I have never treated my truck that hard, but had I done that I would have been stuck or rolled it (very steep angle on the side) or the guy would have hit me. (I could tell he/she would have done that when they kept getting closer and closer and didn’t think about slowing down. It’s creepy when there car is ever so slightly faster, and they wont back off. I swear they where a few inches or so away when I swerved to the break down lane).

Secondly, I know something is wrong with the thermostat now. It’s always been kind of weird of the past 3 years. If it was cooler than 40 it never got past the very start of the normal. You could run it all day, and it would just sit at the beginning.

But lately I have noticed it’s been staying even cooler. And now the heat coming out doesn’t seem to be hot. Granted it’s very warm and toasty, but I will not get hot in the terms of driving for an hour should do. So this was new. Today it was 67 degrees outside, warm by any standard. Yet my truck did not even hit the normal range at all. It stayed around 1mm or less from the start cold. Drove it for a half hour at 70+ mph and it stayed that way. And about another 20 mins in bumper to bumper traffic (takes longer to get into or out of my small city than it does anywhere else in Dallas). Only when I sat in at home and rev it a bit (trying to see if something was stuck) did it move. And after about 20 mins of idle with a little rev did it ever get to the start of the normal range.

I checked fluids, and all that fun stuff. All appears well, and the engine its self isn’t overly warm at all. I’m on a budget so I was wondering what you guys thought it was, and what it could do in harming the truck.

Now I only am bringing this up, because it’s only slightly different from normal. It normally has never even seen the middle of the temp gauge. Only time it did it was 108 degrees outside and having 5 people in the car pulling stuck in traffic from hell for 3 hours. And like I said, only reached the middle of the normal.

As for the explorer running from the cops… pitted and landed on its side. I got to see the very fresh scene when I passed it going home.

 

[HardTech]

Interestly enough i found a lifted truck basicly sitting on my front bumper when i left to go home today. I dont know whats up with this truck, but dang...

Anyways i checked all the fluids and all seemed to be fine. I had to fill the over flow again, but im expecting it has a leak. But what ever it is, it doesnt reach the bottom. And theres no smells from anything.

Well no comments yet i see, oh well.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Hardtech, that's the most entertaining story I've read in a while. Sounds like lady luck has been riding along with you, as things could have been much worse. Especially with the cops and robbers chase; that was scary.

You definitely have a thermostat stuck open. That's very common with the German-made Motorcrafts that come stock. Mine went out at about 45K miles, and I replaced it with a Stant. Same symptoms as yours. Piece of cake to install.

As for the low speed shudder you described, I haven't a clue. Maybe it was a one-time thing and won't recur....

ROE

 

[HardTech]

yeah well, like I said, this is not the week for my explorer. Because of the x-mas traffic, and having to punch it for that chase, i got a wonderfull 12 mpg

So i guess atleast its stuck in the full open then, so I assume it should be ok untill spring. But I still plan to keep an eye on it.

Oh well, it starts as a $5 part, but i never seem to make it out with it that cheap. Somehow it always turns to 50+. Oh well so is the life of now a near 11 year old car.

Thanks for your reply, someone else that may have a clue as to what the shake was im interested. The tranny will be checked in the spring time as well.

PS: I have a questions about something.

The past few years I guess ive been lucky enough not to have cold winters (but I like them). Well ive noticed on cold mornings (40 or lower) it doesnt go into overdrive untill the tranny warms up then it goes in with no issue. Also if i hit 65+ it will shift. The shift is very smooth. But normaly I get it up to 47 then lay off the gas so i trick it into the final gear. On cold mornings I cant seem to do this. Is this normal?

I mean if I do highway speed no matter how cold it is, it will shift. But if i try to trick it into the final gear at lower speed i cant. Well thats the summery

 

[DeRocha]

You should plan on replacing your thermostat asap...Normally the thermostat will open and close constantly during driving (it just doesn't let the car warm up and stay open, rather it keeps cycling open and close based on temp). So if it is stuck partly opened then it will continually allow the engine to be cooled which will result in very low engine temps (bad for gas mileage) with lower heat output into the cabin. I understand you can live with it working this way and consider it an inconvenience, but if the thermostat should get jolted free it could get stuck in the closed position... You would have a major overheat condition on your hand... So please replace it asap so you don't end up broken down by the side of the road... Never operate the engine if the temp spikes above the normal range as it is a sure way to warp the block or heads...

 

[HardTech]

Anyone got a link to the part. This way I can kinda see what people suggest. Theres like 7 of them on rockauto's site.

Secondly any other suggestion of what i might as well do when i replace this, if anything?

FYI I guess i had good luck with mine. 126k miles and it gave out. its an orginal part, or so it seems.