Looking at a 98 Explorer XLT - advice please

[richard300]

Hi guys (and girls)..... i am interested in a 1998 Explorer XLT Auto that is for sale local to me.
Its an Australian RHD car with the SOHC V6....

I know nothing about these or SUV/4x4's in general.... but i had a look around the car yesterday and it looked to be in nice condition from a bodywork/interior perspectiv

I am going back on Saturday to give her a test drive and look at the car from a mechanical point of view.... i understand the car has recently had new front tyres and brakes and all 4 shocks have been replaced.

I'm strugling to find any kind of definitive buyers guide though, that covers coomon issues to look for, or advice about issues to look for with the engine/transmission/drive train....

Does anyone have any advice or know of any good threads i should read?

Thanks in advance......... Richard

 

[koda2000]

The main thing with the SOHC engine is timing chain rattle. If the engine rattles... don't buy it. Replacing chain cassettes can cost several thousand dollars and even if you do the work yourself it's a lot of work.

 

[Accarguy]

Yes definitely the timing chain rattle. Ignored to fix that the engine must come out.

How Many miles are on it?

Overall though as long as it has been taken care of it is a nice riding truck. With a decent amount of power and good gas milage. I put a magnaflow muffler on my old one and it gave it a nice rumble.

Things to look for would probably be if there are any leaks such as engine or trans, coolant and brake fluid. Diff leaks
Noises in diff, engine or trans. Suspension noises
The Brake line around the rear diff is usually the first one to rust out that is not that hard to replace.
I guess it all depends on how much the previous owner took care of it and how much you are really going to care about it.

 

[ThreeJs]

A common area to check, the upper control arm/ball joints for play/wear.
Also check the transmission fluid/operation. Test drive and check for flashing O/D light, flare between shifts, check all engagement on 4x4 switch.

 

[richard300]

Thanks for the advice chaps - its nice to know there isn't a huge big list of things to look for.... As mentioned i am going to inspect the car from a mechanical point of view on Saturday (although i am no mechanic)

When i viewed the car the other day it was started (i believe from cold) and i could notice was the following (of which may, or may not, be of any significance):

Bearing in mind the car has been standing for perhaps several weeks in warm days and cold nights.... The car has covered 185.000Kilometers.

All the fluids looked fresh (Coolant/oil/transmission fluid)
There was a hint of milky residue on the top of the oil filler cap - which i am inclined to think is from condensation at the top of the rocker cover??

The car started, but the revs dipped and i think it may have cut out if it were not for the salesman giving the car some revs for a couple of moments.
As it started, for a brief moment it was very 'clattery' but withing a second or so the engine sounded very sweet indeed.... Could the clatter be timing chain related?

 

[drdoom]

If only the front tires were replaced you will have trouble with the 4x4 system. Must be replaced in sets of four.

 

[koda2000]

As long as the engine doesn't rattle at cold-start or when idling/driving and the trans shifts ok, everything else found can be easily repaired, but can be used as bargaining points on the price. After all it's a 16 year old truck so it's bound to have a few problems. With help from this forum most problems can be easily identified and repaired.

 

[richard300]

If only the front tires were replaced you will have trouble with the 4x4 system. Must be replaced in sets of four.

Forgive my ignorance.... But how come?
Is it to do with rolling radius? What kind of problems may I face?

Thanks for the information....

 

[richard300]

BTW: This is the car.....

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brighton/cars-vans-utes/1998-ford-explorer-4x4-xlt/1086086739

 

[J_C]

Forgive my ignorance.... But how come?
Is it to do with rolling radius? What kind of problems may I face?

Thanks for the information....

Yes if the rolling radius is much different, on pavement in 4WD when all 4 wheels have good traction it will put a lot of extra stress on the drivetrain, could easily break something prematurely. Actually it's not supposed to operate in 4WD at all on dry pavement/good-traction situations even with matching tires due to differences in travel when turning.

 

[XLTrunner]

To expound on JC's response, it's not just when the truck is in 4WD mode. There is always a small percentage of power directed to the front diff even when in Auto mode...and, because of this, you can still damage the transfer case. Worn ball joints/bad alignment will do the same thing. I just went thru all this on mine this past Spring and did a lot of reading up on these systems.

One other thing, while I had the transfer case rebuilt, I also had the shop look into the howling noise coming from the rear diff. I'd been told it's a common symptom on these trucks. Sure enough, the pinion gears/brgs were worn and needed to be replaced as well. Result...never knew these trucks could run this quiet. So, if you are hearing anything at all in the way of whining/howling noise, you can be sure parts are worn in the driveline.

Truck looks pretty clean in the ad. Good luck!

 

[J_C]

^ Are you sure that there is always a small amount of power going to the front in 4Auto mode? I thought the brown wire had to be energized for that to power the clutch coil, which would only happen if differences in wheel speed were sensed (in 4Auto mode)?

 

[koda2000]

BTW: This is the car.....

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brighton/cars-vans-utes/1998-ford-explorer-4x4-xlt/1086086739

Wow, that's a lot of money for a '98 SOHC w/175,000 miles on it. You can probably find several on craigslist for $1200-$1500. I bought a pretty nice 2001 V8 XLT for $1500 last fall and a '98 Sport SOHC for $1400 a year ago this past spring. I'd keep looking if I were you.

 

[J_C]

Wow, that's a lot of money for a '98 SOHC w/175,000 miles on it.

Well it is Austrailia, I'd imagine they start out more expensive then there's the $1.00 AUD to $0.70 USD conversion rate ($2999 AUD = $2109 USD) and 175,439 km = 109,013 mi.

 

[koda2000]

Well it is Austrailia, I'd imagine they start out more expensive then there's the $1.00 AUD to $0.70 USD conversion rate ($2999 AUD = $2109 USD) and 175,439 km = 109,013 mi.

I didn't notice it was Australia. Still seems a bit high to me, but it's a dealership so you're gonna pay top dollar. 109,000 miles isn't bad for a '98. It looks clean.

 

[J_C]

^ Different locations command a different price. Mine is still sitting around 100K mi. and I couldn't replace it with something equivalent, locally, for $2000. I could probably get something which needed addt'l $500+ parts plus labor and had faded paint and rust for $2000.

 

[Flash]

^ Are you sure that there is always a small amount of power going to the front in 4Auto mode? I thought the brown wire had to be energized for that to power the clutch coil, which would only happen if differences in wheel speed were sensed (in 4Auto mode)?

That's correct. The only time drive to the front wheels kicks in is when there's slippage and different tyre size doesn't matter then.
I have different pairs front to back on mine and it makes absolutely no difference.
I do have some history in the tyre industry too.

 

[Flash]

I didn't notice it was Australia. Still seems a bit high to me, but it's a dealership so you're gonna pay top dollar. 109,000 miles isn't bad for a '98. It looks clean.

These things were top dollar when new but haven't held their value very well.
They do tend to be cheap and aren't well regarded as an off road vehicle here.

For that price though, I'd be looking a mid 2000 V8.

 

[Flash]

BTW: This is the car.....

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brighton/cars-vans-utes/1998-ford-explorer-4x4-xlt/1086086739

As mentioned earlier, the health of the timing chain is of utmost importance.
For that price you would want the engine to be perfect and this one isn't.

When I looked at the Gumtree ad there were 2 more in Adelaide that were cheaper and had lower Ks that were worth checking out.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/poor...orer-xlt-automatic-4x4-140kms-4450/1086494225

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/clea...lt-4x4-5-speed-automatic-4x4-wagon/1088285055

There should be NO noise from the timing chain at start up. None.
If you already owned the car and it rattled up bit at start up only, you could fix it by replacing the timing chain tensioners before any damage occurred.
By there's no point buying trouble.

Also as mentioned earlier; check for slippage or flare in the gear change between 2-3.
Also check the colour and condition of the trans fluid.

 

[XLTrunner]

Believe what you will regarding the Auto function as there is a lot of misinformation floating around...but, here is one member's explanation as to how the system works. I've read there is as little as 4% power dedicated at any one time...and, as much as 10%. Regardless, it is always "live" to some extent. Only on the pre-'96's could you opt to switch to 2WD and completely lock out the 4WD.

Regarding mismatched tires front to rear, it only stands to reason that would cause the front axle to turn at a different speed than the rear; thus putting undue stress on the transfer case.

Quote: "The Control Trac transfer case uses an electronically activated clutch mechanism (Borg-Warner design, same as used on a Hummer) that engages the power to the font axle by increasing the "on" time something like 60 times a second. Normally it is supplying around 10% of the power to the front driveshaft in the Auto position, but when the speed sensors in the transfer case (not the ABS) report the rear driveshaft is turning faster than the front, it increases the pulse duration in 10% increments until the rear is no faster than the front, then it starts to ramp back down. If it gets to 100% engagement and the rear still seems to be faster, it disconnects and flashes the 4WD indicators as that is not possible, so something is wrong...typically a failed or dirty speed sensor. In the 4WD-Hi and 4WD-Lo positions, the transfer case is locked on 100%, but that means you will get significant driveline binding if you attempt to turn on dry pavement, which is not a good thing. For typical snow conditions, with dry and icy patches on pavement, the Auto position is fine and takes care of everything, but since you actually have to start slipping for the system to shift power, locking the t-case in -Hi or -Lo will give a more sure-footed start as long as you aren't turning.

Incidentally, the later AWD versions from Ford were the same system, without the option to lock the t-case except going down into the system menu. The older versions used a viscous coupling in the t-case which worked like a differential and were fine until you started to slip, and then one wheel spinning could just about stop everything."