Hey! Newbie here with a few questions...

[1997_5.0]

Hey everyone, My name is Ryan, and I live in Central Texas. I am 16 years old, and looking for a good reliable first car. A good friend of ours is selling his 1997 Ford Explorer, with 123,000 miles. Its a 5.0L. So, Is it ok to buy an Explorer with that many miles? How dependible are they/ how long do they last. It has always been serviced at the Ford dealership, and never abused.

Couple of questions:
On the sides of the back glass, the paint has faded off and is now almost bare metal. What is the best paint for this?
Also, the cruise control buttons are badly worn and cracked, I found a new set on e-bay for a good price, but how hard is it to remove the airbag?
Lastly,
Neither of the power mirrors work, and the fuse is good, so what should I check next?

I will post pictures tommorow if anyone is interested.

Thanks!
Ryan

 

[fenderbender2002]

Welcome. I just bought my explorer a few months ago and it had 198,000 on it. I bought it because of the way it runs. When I looked at it I knew it needed some work but so far it has been a smart buy. It is paid for, if things break there are enough of them in the junk yard that parts are usually pretty easy to find and it gets me where I need to be. So you have to take it for a ride and see if it is one you like and if it is good for what you need.
Not sure about the paint.
The airbag is normally removed very easily. There should be a few screws holding it in from the back side of the steering wheel, take those out and it slips right off. I have always made sure I disconnect the battery when messing with airbags, just to be on the safe side.
Not sure about the mirros one of mine doesn't move but the other one is fine.
Good luck with it!

 

[UKCat123]

In terms of whether it is a good buy or not, I bought a 97 Explorer 3 months back with 93k miles. It is the 4.0 SOHC, so obviously it is not the same as yours, but I have since put 4k miles on it and haven't had a single problem. Really nice ride, great power with the SOHC, so yours will be at least as strong. I think yours cranks out 212hp(?) compared to the SOHC which makes 205hp. Great highway ride as well.

The only real downfall is be ready for 13mpg...give or take a few miles.....but that has been a small price to pay so far.

 

[96eb96]

The V8 is a great catch, especially if it was maintained. Be very careful with the airbag, be sure to look at the service manual before you remove it. Leave the battery disconnected for 15 minutes before you remove it.

 

[1997_5.0]

Ok guys, I just got a carfax for the truck, and its all clean, with no accidents.
I really like this truck, and I hope that I can get it.
Thanks for all your help
Ryan

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome ryan

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

In terms of whether it is a good buy or not, I bought a 97 Explorer 3 months back with 93k miles. It is the 4.0 SOHC, so obviously it is not the same as yours, but I have since put 4k miles on it and haven't had a single problem. Really nice ride, great power with the SOHC, so yours will be at least as strong. I think yours cranks out 212hp(?) compared to the SOHC which makes 205hp. Great highway ride as well.

The only real downfall is be ready for 13mpg...give or take a few miles.....but that has been a small price to pay so far.

Mine is about the same. 1998 XLT with the SOHC and 100K on it but very well cared for and maintained. I bought it as a winter and "gotta haul something somewhere" vehicle to keep my Mustang GT Vert off the roads in winter (lots of salt and sand here). I have been very happy with the truck and really enjoy driving it, especially in the snow and ice. Don't let the HP numbers between the V6 and the 5.0 fool you - the V8 will generate way more torque, and torque is a good thing. The 5.0 has been around since 1967 (and in the 260 and 289 versions even longer) and is Ford's long and strong motor. As long as the motor has been well maintained it should be good for a long time. The only thing to look for is if it has done alot of towing - many of the 5.0's where bought to tow due to the torque. If it has done alot of towing you should have the driveline gone over before you buy it...and enjoy your new truck!

 

[barneyrubble318]

My 5.0L Eddie Bauer has 135,000 miles on it. It's dipped down to 16mpg. I've had no major issues with it. My mirrors don't work either. There is a fuse, but mine is good. It has a huge wire harness plug in the drivers door. My next idea was to clean the contacts in that to see if it helps. The driver's door "L" lock button doesn't work, either.

The paint on my lift gate is all faded down to the metal in places as well. Short term, I clean it and use Black Magic on it. It's a clear gel that can bring some of the black back to it. Works on the black mirrors and around the doors, too.

Look under the doors and the bottom of the doors for rust. Open the lift gate and look for rust on the bottom of it and around the tail lights.

Drive it up hill and accelerate, mine just started knocking or pinging, but just with a load like that.

Carfax was a good idea, you don't want to pay full price for a salvage title.

 

[richreed]

Mine is a 96 5.0 AWD XLT. I bought it 4 years ago after it served its time shuttling kids to soccer practice. It currently has 158,000 miles on it.

The previous owner apparently did not know vacuum cleaners can be used on car interiors, but he DID religiously maintain the truck. It's a keeper. A couple of weeks ago I was hit by a Smash 'N' Grab in downtown Seattle. The futzer used a rock and missed the window the first time, so it was more than replacing glass. Since the body shop had it, I had them do a respray on my nickle.

Now, not only does she run good, she looks good. Next project is to strip the interior carpeting and 700 pounds of cookie crumbs and half-eaten candy, replace with fresh carpeting, and I'm good to go.

The Five-Oh is dead-ass reliable. I think the late 90's Explorer are the best looking of the entire series. Ryan, you'll have yourself a great-looking, fun to drive, highly reliable, fun (and easy) to work on, highly modifiable and practical vehicle.

Enjoy.

Oh, just one thing: the pollution stuff usually starts crapping out at about 120,000 miles, but don't worry. Arm yourself with an inexpensive OBDII code reader (or borrow one from the parts store), get the shop manual (and a Haynes or Clymer manual for quickies) and hang out here and you'll be fine. I got my Explorer for cheap because (I found out later) the Check Engine Light was coming on. The owner would reset it it and it would stay off for 3 start cycles, so before any prospective buyer test drove the truck, he'd reset the light. Of course it came on the 2nd day I owned the truck. A quick check indicated the EGR valve, which admittedly is a bear to replace on the 5.0. Not impossible, but it will take some patience and it helps if you have long skinny fingers. Mine are short and pudgey.

Anyway, for the price of a new EGR valve and an afternoon of creative swearing, it's a motin' gator and has passed the emissions test every year since.

 

[UKCat123]

I made a 900 mile treck to Wisconsin a couple months back so the MPG jumped to the 19mpg range, obviously.

But other than that, I have consistently been in the 13-15mpg range. Is that normal? I figured the SOHC would get at least as good of MPG as the push rod V6. I was hoping for consistent 18mpg....maybe I am just WAY off.

 

[1997_5.0]

Thanks guys, you have really been a big help.

I know the guy selling the Explorer, and he is letting me drive it for a week or so, which is awesome. I am really getting a feel for the vehicle.

Something I noticed, is that around 40-45 mph it makes a howling noise. It sounds kinda like the rear-end, but it only howls when you accelerate. Could this be an alinement problem?

Thanks!
Ryan