hi all, got a few minor problems

[hellhound]

Hi all. Nice to see a forum for the UK explorer owners.
I had a good look through all the posts and its already answered a few of my questions and given me some good info

I have 3 more minor problems that i need sorting out on my 99 explorer.

1. My electric arial will not retract unless i manually give it a small helping hand to start it off, then it retracts properley. This happens all the time. Any ideas as to wether it can be fixed or do I need a new arial ?

2. My central locking works fine until i want to deadlock the doors by double pressing the keyfob. It refuses to deadlock and so the alarm system wont engage. The locks make a clicking sound but fail to engage.
i have tested it by leaving the window open and locking the doors, I can then reach in and open the door without any problem or any alarm going off.
Any Ideas ? or is it another expensive trip to the garage and wait for the sharp intake of breath from the mechanics while they calculate how much money they can take off me

3 I need to remove the rear door inside panel so I can get to the wiper motor But i cannot see any fixing screws or clips. How is the panel held in place ?

Any help would be much appreciated.
thanks

 

[svt2000]

Hi all. Nice to see a forum for the UK explorer owners.
I had a good look through all the posts and its already answered a few of my questions and given me some good info

I have 3 more minor problems that i need sorting out on my 99 explorer.

1. My electric arial will not retract unless i manually give it a small helping hand to start it off, then it retracts properley. This happens all the time. Any ideas as to wether it can be fixed or do I need a new arial ?

2. My central locking works fine until i want to deadlock the doors by double pressing the keyfob. It refuses to deadlock and so the alarm system wont engage. The locks make a clicking sound but fail to engage.
i have tested it by leaving the window open and locking the doors, I can then reach in and open the door without any problem or any alarm going off.
Any Ideas ? or is it another expensive trip to the garage and wait for the sharp intake of breath from the mechanics while they calculate how much money they can take off me

3 I need to remove the rear door inside panel so I can get to the wiper motor But i cannot see any fixing screws or clips. How is the panel held in place ?

Any help would be much appreciated.
thanks

Hi

1 The arial problem I think you would probably need a new one. I take it you have lubicated it with something like vasaline?

2 If your vehicle doesn't double lock that is a sign of one of the door switches not working. If one switch has stopped working then the double locking side will not work. I will get you a price for a switch.

3 Rear panel takes a bit of brute force & ignorence. You will need a trim removing tool which will prise the trim away. It is fixed with plastic clips.

Please pm me your vin (chassis) number.

I hope this helps

If you need any parts let me know.

 

[kands]

Hi hellhound
If you need a new aerial, please see this link http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4616399310&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:PIC

Hope this helps

Keith

 

[Howard]

Hi,

1. The mast may have stripped the plastic teeth on the bottom. You can get new masts but a new Ariel from Fords will cost you. I was quoted £200.

2. I don't think our x's have dead locks. If they do my late 98 doesn't. The alarm is very basic and if you lock the doors with the remote, wait 30 seconds or so, then open a door with the handle it beeps the horn.

3. To remove the rear panel. You will find one screw hiding under a blank plate right by the window and you have to undo the screws holding the close strap on. Then prise the top (around the window) away (clips). Once the window part is free the whole panel lifts up and is free. Do not prise the bottom part as the clips are a tongue type and break easily. (guess who broke one).

What is the problem with the rear wiper ?

Hope that helps.

 

[shytot4x4]

Removing the rear panel is a tricky job the first time, but dead easy once you know what's going on...

The upper half around the window is held on by the same sort of clips that fix the door panels on most cars. You need a wide bladed tool to gently prise them out. ISTR that there are also some screws around the glass hatch (might be hidden behind plastic caps) and maybe 2 or 3 somewhere on the panel near the air vent gizmos and the pull strap. The lower half of the panel is secured by plastic 'hooks' (for want of a better word). To release these you must first make sure that all the other fasteners have 'popped' out and that all the screws are out. Then, push the whole plastic panel upwards towards the top hinges of the tailgate. It needs to go about 1 inch before the hooks disengage from the tailgate.
DO NOT try to prise off the lower half - you will only break the plastic hooks! (I speak from experience...)

Hope this helps,
Simon H

 

[hellhound]

Wow. thanks for the advice guys.
I will be looking at the back panel on saturday. the raer wiper needs a little adjustment as it misses the centre of the screen, it wipes either side but leaves a bare patch in the centre, it just needs pushing up slightly and i cant bend the wiper as it will then rub on the bodywork when it closes. a minor problem but made harder by the lack of access.

the arial works fine going up but when it retracts it makes all the sounds but wont budge until i give it a small nudge just to start it off, then it retracts perfectly, I have oiled it many times to try and solve it. It is a strange one because with a little help to start it off it will work fine. I will have another look and purchase a new one from the link supplied if needed.

Deadlocking. In the handbook it says that if i press the keyfob twice it will deadlock the doors and set the alarm.
When i press it once it locks ok, press it again and it sounds as if it wants to deadlock but something is stopping it. I will have a look at this too on saturday and try to source the fault.
Cheers Guys.

 

[shytot4x4]

Hi! Before you dismantle the tailgate to get at the wiper mech - What you describe is a common problem caused by the 'hinge' bit of the wiper arm getting full of crud. When the arm is in the park position it is held about 1/2 inch away from the bodywork and glass. Because it spends 99.99% of it's life in this position the hinge bit (for want of better words, again) tends to sieze up due to general road grime and the spring in the arm can't overcome the resistance making the wiper miss parts of the glass. I would recommend removing the arm and applying a severe dose of WD40 or similar whilst working the hinge back and forth to free it up. Of course you could do this in situ but you'd get WD40 all over your paint work...
HINT for a quick check on how far the wiper can go towards the glass. 1/ Open the upper glass. 2/ Switch on the ignition and start the rear wiper. 3/ Switch off the ignition when the wiper is in (or near) the vertical position. With the glass out of the way you can fiddle with the wiper arm to your heart's content...

Good luck
Simon H

 

[hellhound]

Hi! Before you dismantle the tailgate to get at the wiper mech - What you describe is a common problem caused by the 'hinge' bit of the wiper arm getting full of crud. When the arm is in the park position it is held about 1/2 inch away from the bodywork and glass. Because it spends 99.99% of it's life in this position the hinge bit (for want of better words, again) tends to sieze up due to general road grime and the spring in the arm can't overcome the resistance making the wiper miss parts of the glass. I would recommend removing the arm and applying a severe dose of WD40 or similar whilst working the hinge back and forth to free it up. Of course you could do this in situ but you'd get WD40 all over your paint work...
HINT for a quick check on how far the wiper can go towards the glass. 1/ Open the upper glass. 2/ Switch on the ignition and start the rear wiper. 3/ Switch off the ignition when the wiper is in (or near) the vertical position. With the glass out of the way you can fiddle with the wiper arm to your heart's content...

Good luck
Simon H

AHHH... I will certainly check that first. could save me a lot of work. Cheers Simon