Is this where I start? I'm currently from Iowa. We own a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer Premier. I would think it is close enough to an Explorer. I am not very computer techy so I don't really know what I am doing or how to use this thing. What else should I put in here? I do have a number of questions regarding our Mountaineer.
Hi, David! I am new here, too. Rather, I have been reading posts on this forum for some time, but I finally registered for an account today, because I just bought an Explorer Sport Trac this week. Many years ago, I drove what I believe was a 1996 Explorer XLT V8 in high school, sharing it and eventually relinquishing it to my brother. That was a fun little SUV. He had lowered it a bit, with bigger wheels, upgraded sway bars and exhaust, with a great stereo and big subwoofer box in the back. Good times, great oldies.
Anyway. Welcome, and thanks for joining this forum! In this particular thread, why don't you share a little more about your vehicle and your history with it and any other cars, just as a friendly introduction? As I said, I'm new, so I don't have all the answers, but I've got some initial tips for you to help you find your way around.
For your 2004 Mountaineer, this is probably the most relevant forum:
Stock 2002 - 2005 Explorers
In many categories, you might find a "stickied" thread at the top, with a list of useful and relevant threads from the past. For example, here is such a list for that board:
List of Useful Threads - Stock 3rd Gen Forum's Best How To Threads
And here is just the top level of the site, with a list of all of the available forum categories, should you want to poke around and
explore (see what I did there?) all of the information this site has to offer:
Ford Explorer and Ford Ranger Forums - Serious Explorations
You can click the "Post New Thread" button at the upper right in any of the message boards when you are logged in, but here is a direct link to start a thread if you want to ask a new question for the Third-Generation (2002-2005) Explorer/Mountaineer owners & readers:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?forums/stock-2002-2005-explorers.101/create-thread
I'm not always quick with a reply, and being relatively new to the Explorer world, I likely won't have much to offer initially, but I know there are lots of really smart and helpful folks here who probably have the answers you're looking for, so ask away! Just be sure to keep things organized, typically with a new thread for each main topic/question that you have; a relevant and descriptive title for your threads so we know what you're asking at a glance; and any information specific to your vehicle and situation that will help others to identify the problem or find the right answer for you.
Finally, not relevant to your Mountaineer at all, but I'd encourage you to avoid sharing too much personal information on this or any other public forums online. Things like your name, precise location, and contact information just aren't necessary and can lead to unwanted problems. For example, don't include your email address in any posts here (you should edit your previous comment if possible to remove it); robots can scan these pages, find that information, and then send you spam and other trash that you don't need in your inbox.
Anyway, as I get more involved here, you'll find that I ramble on entirely too long with most of my posts, so consider this my lengthy introduction. Cheers!