Desperately seeking Purchasing Advice!

[smtippin]

Hey all,
I've owned Ford vehicles all my life. With a positive experience, I'm looking to keep the Blue Oval in my corral.

I'm currently looking at a 1997 AWD (I don't know the difference between AWD and 4WD on this vehicle including which is better and how to determine which I have by looking) Explorer. I don't know much else about it since I haven't yet seen it, but what I do know is that it has Pwer Steering, a power driver's seat, Auto trans, and a meger 63k miles. The owners are an 80 year old couple and their son is sellign the vehicle. He doesn't even know what trim package it is, but what he does know is that it has cloth interior, their are controls on the dash to set the awd in High or Low, and it is a V6 (he doesn't know which engine).

I need your help. He is asking $4300 for it and I don't know anything about the history of explorers to know what to look out for (e.g., common issues). So, what Explorer specific questions should I ask? How do I recognize whether it is AWD or 4WD? Which is better? Which engine is better and why? what concerns should I look out for? How do I check if the 4wd is working (I've never owned a 4wd vehicle before)?

Since the vehicle was owned by an elderly couple, I'd imagine that it is completely stock. Although I'm not looking to go rock crawling, I need a vehicle with excelent 4wd as I will be taking this out in very snowy and windy wyoming conditions. I will also be going well off the beaten path on the never ending hunt for the perfect fly fishing water. What should I know about the explorer that is specific to my intended use? How much are aftermarket parts? I'm definitely looking for a nice grill guard.

I'm going to look at the Explorer Monday (11/24) afternoon so any immediate advice is greatly appreciated. I will continue to scour this forum's threads to answer these questions, but any help is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[James909]

Since it has the V6 drivetrain it is an auto 4wd system, not AWD. Auto 4wd is rear wheel drive most of the time but engages 4wd when wheelspin is detected. An advantage of the auto 4wd over AWD is the prescence of low range which is very beneficial when offroading. Since you plan on using the vehicle offroad I feel that the 4wd will better suit your needs than the AWD. When you go to look at the vehicle you should determine if it has the OHV or SOHC engine. You can do this by either looking at the 8th digit of the VIN (E-SOHC and X-OHV) or you could pop the hood and look for SOHC on the upper intake. Both engines have advantages and disadvantages and it is hard to determine a clear winner out of the two. The SOHC is more efficient and makes more power. But there was a TSB on timing chain rattle as there was an issue with the timing chain tensioners. The OHV is far simpler and more reliable but at the cost of quite a few horsepower. If the vehicle has the SOHC then when test driving it listen very carefully for a noise that sounds like pinging. If you hear this it's very likely the timing chain rattle. Keep in mind that this would cost about $1,500 to fix. When checking 4x4 make sure that the lights on the dash stay solid and don't flash. To test find an area with loose terrain. Do not do this on pavement. And put it in 4x4, when you take a turn you will feel it if the truck is in 4x4. Then with the truck in neutral and the brake depressed put it in 4 low. This will be evident whether it's working or not as it will cause a very low gear ratio. I think that you will find that the truck is very capable even in stock form. But parts are pretty readily available and aren't super expensive as long as your not building a rock crawler. Good luck.

 

[96eb96]

Hey all,
I've owned Ford vehicles all my life. With a positive experience, I'm looking to keep the Blue Oval in my corral.

I'm currently looking at a 1997 AWD (I don't know the difference between AWD and 4WD on this vehicle including which is better and how to determine which I have by looking) Explorer. I don't know much else about it since I haven't yet seen it, but what I do know is that it has Pwer Steering, a power driver's seat, Auto trans, and a meger 63k miles. The owners are an 80 year old couple and their son is sellign the vehicle. He doesn't even know what trim package it is, but what he does know is that it has cloth interior, their are controls on the dash to set the awd in High or Low, and it is a V6 (he doesn't know which engine).

I need your help. He is asking $4300 for it and I don't know anything about the history of explorers to know what to look out for (e.g., common issues). So, what Explorer specific questions should I ask? How do I recognize whether it is AWD or 4WD? Which is better? Which engine is better and why? what concerns should I look out for? How do I check if the 4wd is working (I've never owned a 4wd vehicle before)?

Since the vehicle was owned by an elderly couple, I'd imagine that it is completely stock. Although I'm not looking to go rock crawling, I need a vehicle with excelent 4wd as I will be taking this out in very snowy and windy wyoming conditions. I will also be going well off the beaten path on the never ending hunt for the perfect fly fishing water. What should I know about the explorer that is specific to my intended use? How much are aftermarket parts? I'm definitely looking for a nice grill guard.

I'm going to look at the Explorer Monday (11/24) afternoon so any immediate advice is greatly appreciated. I will continue to scour this forum's threads to answer these questions, but any help is GREATLY appreciated.

Its a good choice for what you want to do with it. But there are a lot of issues on these trucks to look out for.

Make sure the suspension is in good shape. Bring it to a mechanic if you don't know how to check. It is common to have ball joint failure.

Make sure that 5R55E trans shifts perfectly. There are issues with shift flaring and delayed shifts. I guess they are ok units but they have glitches.

Like James said, if it is an SOHC, the SOHC tensioner issue is very serious, if you hear any funny noises at startup or while driving be aware that its a pretty major repair. I wouldn't buy an SOHC in those years, because there is a chance for the rear chain to need work and the engine has to come out. It is an issue acknowledged by Ford, and they extended the warranty to 7/70 I believe.

Don't let all this discourage you though, they are pretty good vehicles overall.

 

[marragtop]

Make sure the heat and AC work properly and all the vent controls work properly. Explorers are know for the 'blend door problem'.

 

[gijoecam]

Typical suspension components would not be a deal-breaker for me... Tie rods, ball joints, and hub/bearing assemblies are all readily available and plentiful aftermarket.

As has been mentioned, there are some common engine issues... Yes, the timing chain rattle can be an issue for some, and might never be an issue for others. Not all of the engines experience the timing chain issue. Lower Intake Manifold Gaskets were prone to failure, causing a rolling idle when it's cold... Simple fix for $35 in parts and a Sunday afternoon under the hood. I would personally prefer the power of the SOHC to the anemic power of the OHV any day.

Trans-wise, yes, as mentioned, it has its flaws. With regular fluid and filter changes, and assuming you don't plan to regularly tow large heavy loads with it, there's no reason it shouldn't last several hundred-thousand miles. Again, kits are available with numerous improvements over the stock trans components... Unless it's ready for a rebuild today, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Transfer case has its share of failures... The 44-05 in stock form is generally quite reliable. Shift motor failures on a 95-03 Explorer are notoriously rare (when compared to the first-gen motor issues). The control system for the t-case is fairly reliable (again, compared to the first-gens), but the case itself is known to wear over time. Again, assuming it hasn't been abused, there's no reason it shouldn't last a couple hundred K. Also, being a 97, should the t-case ever fail, your only replacement option is one out of another 97. They made some changes for 97, and again for 98, so earlier and later models aren't compatible.

On the test drive, check that 4high and 4low work. To shift to 4low, you must be stopped, in neutral, with your foot on the brakes, then flip the switch to 4low. Do the same to get back into high range. I'd also see about connecting a diagnostic scanner to it (like at AutoZone) and see if a P1000 code comes up. That would indicate that it has not completed the system diagnostics yet.... It would indicate the possibility that someone had reset the ECU in an attempt to clear a check-engine light or trouble code... It's unlikely, but worth checking out.

Good luck!

 

[96eb96]

Make sure the heat and AC work properly and all the vent controls work properly. Explorers are know for the 'blend door problem'.

Good one! Turn the heat controls from hot to cold and back a few times, listen for any creaking/banging noises and make sure it goes from cold A/C to HOT air. I would negotiate $800-$1000 off the price if there is an issue here.

 

[Reach]

I'm sorry to jump in on the negative side here, but I would suggest you walk away from this vehicle, at least at the price above.

I recently purchased a 97 4wd XLT myself (OHV V6 engine, with the reliability as mentioned above), but at 1/3 the price you're looking at. Why? Mileage. That low-mileage vehicle is commanding an unrealistic value. As mentioned above, parts for this vehicle are cheap! Any issues with ball joints and hubs can be handled for minimal dollars, or most other issues for that matter. I purchased mine with 100k more miles, no heat working and a busted driver's door handle. The handle was $17 at Ford, and the Doorman 'blend door repair kit' was $11+shipping from rock auto. At under $50 I solved the 2 major problems the vehicle had and scored a great deal for it. I've invested about $80 more dollars in tune-up items (clean the maf, new air filter, oil change, plugs, sea foam treatment) and its running like a champ!

So, my conclusion: if you want a perfect working truck, you have to pay top dollar. I couldn't justify doing this when I was looking myself, with the knowledge that any problems that might arise otherwise could be solved with a few dollars and searching this forum. So, there is no reason you couldn't pay 1/2 that price to get one with a few issues that just needs a little TLC, and you'll have far greater value for money. Don't let me dissuade you too much though! My wife already likes our new 'beater' more than my BMW!

 

[Joe Dirt]

I don't think you should walk away simply becasue the truck is priced 'high' for the year. He has every right to try to get what he can for the sale- and we don't know what shape it is in. Look at the truck, take some pics, post them up, and you'll get some good opinions with some good advice...

One reason Reach's truck sold for less is possibly becasue it is a 5-speed. Manual trucks are hard to sell anymore for normal cruisers. He starts high, you barter down if you like it. That's how cars are sold.