my new Exploder | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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akirakitten

New Member
Joined
April 19, 2012
Messages
3
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City, State
myrtle Beach, SC
Year, Model & Trim Level
1994 2 door Explorer 4x4
:) it is so called affectionatly, so please no one get mad, lol, i am Chevy girl normally after all, but i do love my new Explorer.
Its a 94 2 door sport 4x4.
im trying to figure a few things out, (dont know much but i love learning and fixing my own stuff so bear with me if some of this seems silly).
my temp gauge doesnt work, i am assuming...either the sensor is bad, or it appears as if someone has had the dash apart before..maybe they forgot to plug it back in? all the other gauges seem to work fine, lights etc in the dash too. but figured i would ask before tearing my dash apart.
also, when i first start it, it idles very high, then finally drops, it does the same thing when going into drive or reverse, but it goes and seems fine, ive been told this is common, and even RPM flares, inconsitencies with gear changing etc, is common, and not a real tranny problem, but more of an annoyance, have been told it will keep running forever like that. but the high idle thingy kinda seems like an unrelated to the gear changing...maybe a vaccum leak?
ive noticed(only a few times) what seems to be a CV axelegoing bad, clicking popping sound, when turning sharply, but after having looked at the truck and all over the net, im pretty sure it doesnt have CV axles? am i right?, so what would this noise be? Cause it sounds very much identical to a CV axle starting to go bad.

ok thanks, thats all that is popping into my head at the moment, i appreciate any tips (yes i have a repair manual on order ;) )
 



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Welcome to the forum! I have also had the clicking/popping sound when cornering before and as it turns out I do believe it has a CV. I took it to the local mechanic (before my do-it-yourself revival) and I think it was $120. Glad to hear you have a 94'. I have a 93' and just love the first gen look!
 






Also, just in case you didn't already realize this, Pick n Pull or any other junk yard is a perfect place to practice tearing into an explorer without messing up your own.
 






:) it is so called affectionatly, so please no one get mad, lol, i am Chevy girl normally after all, but i do love my new Explorer.
Its a 94 2 door sport 4x4.
im trying to figure a few things out, (dont know much but i love learning and fixing my own stuff so bear with me if some of this seems silly).
my temp gauge doesnt work, i am assuming...either the sensor is bad, or it appears as if someone has had the dash apart before..maybe they forgot to plug it back in? all the other gauges seem to work fine, lights etc in the dash too. but figured i would ask before tearing my dash apart.
also, when i first start it, it idles very high, then finally drops, it does the same thing when going into drive or reverse, but it goes and seems fine, ive been told this is common, and even RPM flares, inconsitencies with gear changing etc, is common, and not a real tranny problem, but more of an annoyance, have been told it will keep running forever like that. but the high idle thingy kinda seems like an unrelated to the gear changing...maybe a vaccum leak?
ive noticed(only a few times) what seems to be a CV axelegoing bad, clicking popping sound, when turning sharply, but after having looked at the truck and all over the net, im pretty sure it doesnt have CV axles? am i right?, so what would this noise be? Cause it sounds very much identical to a CV axle starting to go bad.

ok thanks, thats all that is popping into my head at the moment, i appreciate any tips (yes i have a repair manual on order ;) )


You are correct in that your truck doesn't have CV axles.. first gen explorers were made in "the good old days" when they used real axles with U joints.. (much better than CV axles) in trucks :)

the high idle is definitely not a transmission problem, however shfting into gear while the idle is high (over 1,000rpm) is bad for the transmission, and may lead to transmission problems eventually.
Normal would be high idle for up to 30 seconds when you first start the vehicle.. this is normal, just wait for it to come down (under 1000rpm) before shifting into gear.
if it idles high after the first 30 seconds, start by checking for codes (is your check engine light on?) a vacuum leak could certainly lead to high idle, you also might try cleaning your IAC (idle air control) valve.

now if your explorer revs up as it shifts between gears while accelerating (not while you are moving the shift lever), this could mean your transmission needs work (new clutches/bands) i had my exploders transmission gone through a while back for this (shift flare) and it cost about $600. shifts like new now.

as for the popping sounds you hear, first make sure you have it in two wheel drive. driving around on asphalt in dry weather with it in 4x4 is bad.
most likely the popping is either shock bushings, sway bar bushings, radius arm bushings, or ball joints. the good news is, all of those parts are cheap to replace (although the ball joints are a bit of work)
 






thank you, so sorry, so long

i just wanted to sya thank you to everyone who replied, and sooooo sorry for not getting back sooner, but i got locked out of my brand new account almost as soon as i made it, bad memory...geez i am so screwed when i get older, lol....then i just tried getting back in, after all this time, but i did get trhe responces as they were emailed to me, all were very helpful...and I LOVE the idea....suggestion...about the pick n pull, to "explore" Explorer.....and i do have one just a few minutes away......but thank you so much, now that i can get into my account again, lol, hope to talk to you all some more:D
 






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