tvarghese
Member
- Joined
- September 30, 2021
- Messages
- 25
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Pewaukee, WI
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2015 PIU
Hello All,
I just picked up a 2015 PIU with 96K miles and 6000 idle hours. Located in the western suburbs of Milwaukee and new to the forum. First time buying a Ford so not very familiar with the quirks and resources for information and parts. I'm sure the PIU has its own set of quirks too. In other words, please excuse the stupid questions. Didn't grow up doing car work, something that happened in the last five years, but I'm learning. Already have a lot of gray hair for other reasons.
Also, I'm a cheapskate, so looking to save some money when possible, but don't really want to compromise on quality/lifespan. I'm fine with paying more if I can save time or get more life out of something. Buying tools is also ok, but I'm sure my wife disagrees. Engineer by training, so I can follow instructions but whine a lot.
A few (ha!) questions:
1) Tires/wheels: It does not have a spare and the tires are bald. I was thinking of getting the Nokian WRG4, but I believe it is H rated, is that ok? I have these on my other car and love them. I need to get a wheel though, any suggestions for used places or is it simply not worth it? There is a guy selling Dodge Charger Police wheels, will they work?
2) The two power ports are always on, is that normal? Seems like a good way to kill the battery. Is there a way to change that?
3) Any suggestions on a reasonably priced radio that has Apple Carplay? Don't need nav or any other bells and whistles.
4) The blower fan stopped working after one day of owning it.
I see a lot of people talking about it on Explorers in general. Any suggestions on the preferred brand for replacement? Have to admit, I was aghast when I saw that there are resistors to slow down the fan instead of doing it electronically.
5) Maintenance schedule: Does anyone have a spreadsheet that tracks all the things that need to be done, when, fluid types, torque settings, etc.? I had one for a Subaru that I owned and I have adapted it over the years for various other cars. But if there is one that people already use that would be great! I usually make notes about things that appear out of the ordinary or something I want to remember in the future in here as well.
6) Fluids change. It was fleet maintained so probably just the basics were done. I was going to attempt:
a) Engine Oil - 5W20 and Motorcraft oil filter off of RockAuto.com
b) Transmission Oil - Valvoline MaxLife ATF (I have a bunch left over from previous vehicles)
c) Transfer case and rear diff fluids, any advice on type of fluids and where to buy them? I was thinking Valvoline 75W140 and 75W90 from Autozone in the squeeze packs.
d) Coolant - Is it worthwhile switching to the yellow or stick with the orange?
7) Is it worth doing the water pump right away or wait till I hit 110K? Which will be a year or possibly two. At which point, is it worth changing out the timing chain as well? Anything else while I'm in there?
8) The seats I find very uncomfortable. I'm not a big guy - 5'10" and 180lbs with long limbs. Can't seem to adjust the seat, pedals and steering wheel to a comfortable spot. I tend to sit straight up and can can't get the seat forward enough for my back to touch the seat even. May be that is just the way it is?
9) Tried looking for a center console from a scrap yard, no luck. This is not a big deal, but would be nice to have storage and such. I'm under the impression anything from 2011 - 2019 Explorers will work. Any others or thoughts on what could be used here?
10) Is there anything that would be good, preventatively speaking, that I can do to avoid nasty surprises down the road? I know about the water pump, which really seems like a design flaw.
11) Any upgrades/mods I should consider? Links to sites that have information in general would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
I just picked up a 2015 PIU with 96K miles and 6000 idle hours. Located in the western suburbs of Milwaukee and new to the forum. First time buying a Ford so not very familiar with the quirks and resources for information and parts. I'm sure the PIU has its own set of quirks too. In other words, please excuse the stupid questions. Didn't grow up doing car work, something that happened in the last five years, but I'm learning. Already have a lot of gray hair for other reasons.
Also, I'm a cheapskate, so looking to save some money when possible, but don't really want to compromise on quality/lifespan. I'm fine with paying more if I can save time or get more life out of something. Buying tools is also ok, but I'm sure my wife disagrees. Engineer by training, so I can follow instructions but whine a lot.
A few (ha!) questions:
1) Tires/wheels: It does not have a spare and the tires are bald. I was thinking of getting the Nokian WRG4, but I believe it is H rated, is that ok? I have these on my other car and love them. I need to get a wheel though, any suggestions for used places or is it simply not worth it? There is a guy selling Dodge Charger Police wheels, will they work?
2) The two power ports are always on, is that normal? Seems like a good way to kill the battery. Is there a way to change that?
3) Any suggestions on a reasonably priced radio that has Apple Carplay? Don't need nav or any other bells and whistles.
4) The blower fan stopped working after one day of owning it.
I see a lot of people talking about it on Explorers in general. Any suggestions on the preferred brand for replacement? Have to admit, I was aghast when I saw that there are resistors to slow down the fan instead of doing it electronically.5) Maintenance schedule: Does anyone have a spreadsheet that tracks all the things that need to be done, when, fluid types, torque settings, etc.? I had one for a Subaru that I owned and I have adapted it over the years for various other cars. But if there is one that people already use that would be great! I usually make notes about things that appear out of the ordinary or something I want to remember in the future in here as well.
6) Fluids change. It was fleet maintained so probably just the basics were done. I was going to attempt:
a) Engine Oil - 5W20 and Motorcraft oil filter off of RockAuto.com
b) Transmission Oil - Valvoline MaxLife ATF (I have a bunch left over from previous vehicles)
c) Transfer case and rear diff fluids, any advice on type of fluids and where to buy them? I was thinking Valvoline 75W140 and 75W90 from Autozone in the squeeze packs.
d) Coolant - Is it worthwhile switching to the yellow or stick with the orange?
7) Is it worth doing the water pump right away or wait till I hit 110K? Which will be a year or possibly two. At which point, is it worth changing out the timing chain as well? Anything else while I'm in there?
8) The seats I find very uncomfortable. I'm not a big guy - 5'10" and 180lbs with long limbs. Can't seem to adjust the seat, pedals and steering wheel to a comfortable spot. I tend to sit straight up and can can't get the seat forward enough for my back to touch the seat even. May be that is just the way it is?
9) Tried looking for a center console from a scrap yard, no luck. This is not a big deal, but would be nice to have storage and such. I'm under the impression anything from 2011 - 2019 Explorers will work. Any others or thoughts on what could be used here?
10) Is there anything that would be good, preventatively speaking, that I can do to avoid nasty surprises down the road? I know about the water pump, which really seems like a design flaw.
11) Any upgrades/mods I should consider? Links to sites that have information in general would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
