New Owner 0- 1998 Exp. Sport - Any Advice

[Mscanon99]

Hi all,

This site has been very helpful...based on feedback...advice...I purchased a 1998 Explorer Sport today. I have another post regarding towing, but lets leave that aside for a few...

My questions are regarding what to watch out for on this truck. I purchased it from a dealer with 63K on it, one owner, 4x4, auto (auto 4x4 / 4x4 high / 4x4 low), I think they called it comand trac or somthing like that. It has the higher power SOHC engine and checked out well.

I have a 3 month/4.5k warranty, so if its going to go, I want it to go now. Any advice on what to be looking for? It has 4.10 gears, and I plan on towing a 2900 lb boat (all in with trailer/motor/gear).

Like I said, I want it to break now if it has any weak spots. I am not sure what to look for, so any advice would be appreciated.

BTW, I like this truck, owned many others, first Ford, but really like the test drive.

Best,

MS

 

[96eb96]

Hi all,

This site has been very helpful...based on feedback...advice...I purchased a 1998 Explorer Sport today. I have another post regarding towing, but lets leave that aside for a few...

My questions are regarding what to watch out for on this truck. I purchased it from a dealer with 63K on it, one owner, 4x4, auto (auto 4x4 / 4x4 high / 4x4 low), I think they called it comand trac or somthing like that. It has the higher power SOHC engine and checked out well.

I have a 3 month/4.5k warranty, so if its going to go, I want it to go now. Any advice on what to be looking for? It has 4.10 gears, and I plan on towing a 2900 lb boat (all in with trailer/motor/gear).

Like I said, I want it to break now if it has any weak spots. I am not sure what to look for, so any advice would be appreciated.

BTW, I like this truck, owned many others, first Ford, but really like the test drive.

Best,

MS

Not sure if they fixed it in 98 but make sure the heat and a/c works perfectly and there are no blend door issues. As you adjust the temperature make sure there are no clicks or erratic temperatures.

 

[Mscanon99]

Not sure I am following you, what is a blend door issue? I want to double check this when I pick it up tomorrow.

I ran the AC, seemed to work fine, however I really did not work all the settings.

Thanks for your help/advice.

MS

 

[Gator Jeff]

Sounds like you have a good truck. I love my 00' Sport, even with the OHV. The Command Trac is 2WD that kicks into 4WD when the wheels slip. Not too intrusive and I like it. Even so, I did do the Brown Wire Mod which blocks the signal to your transfer case thus making it a true 2WD. It's a switch though, so when it gets wet out, you're able to put it back into AUTO, which comes in handy. Here's the link... http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149388&highlight=brown+wire+mod

You mentioned towing a trailer. While that's a fairly light combination, I'd advise a few things. Install an auxiliary transmission cooler. While you're at it, install a secondary filter and temp gauge. The other thing I'd suggest is swapping out the mono-leafs for 4-door leaf packs. It will help with keeping the back-end level when towing. New shackles might be in order if you see a lot of rust down there. There are a few threads here about that and the transmission cooler.

Finally, since we are seeing the north side of $4/gal for gas, check out this link as well. We have a member who routinely gets over 30 miles/gal. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44372&highlight=quest

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome aboard

 

[gijoecam]

Regular transmission fluid and filter CHANGES are necessary (Do not let them FLUSH the system). Every 30,000 miles is the OEM recommendation. Do them religiously and you won't have an issue.

 

[JimM_PA]

Another newbie here...why not flush the transmission system? The reason I ask is because a fellow at the tire shop where I took the vehicle said to take it to a shop that will flush the system. I haven't done anything yet, although the vehicle has 59,000 miles on it, and I am working on some of these maintenance issues.

 

[zonianbrat]

It does sound like you got a good truck, 98 with only 63k miles is pretty darn good. Have fun with it! I too want to know why the tranny can not be flushed. Is it something to do with pressure issues of the machine that flushes it?

 

[gijoecam]

Do some reading on this forum... You'll find that, more often than not, flushes cause more issues than they solve. If your transmission is working fine now, simply change the fluid and filter regularly and it'll all be fine. There are enough detergents and additives in the fresh trans fluid to slowly dissolve any accumulations that might cause issues in the future. Flushes strip the gunk right now, and those particles tend to get caught in places like servos and valves where they wreak havoc.

I went 52,000 miles before my first fluid and filter change, and now do it every 30k. With 156k on the odometer, the trans is the only thing that hasn't given me fits in the last decade.
(knocking on wood)

-Joe

 

[96eb96]

Another newbie here...why not flush the transmission system? The reason I ask is because a fellow at the tire shop where I took the vehicle said to take it to a shop that will flush the system. I haven't done anything yet, although the vehicle has 59,000 miles on it, and I am working on some of these maintenance issues.

Flushing can involve chemicals and pressures that may dislodge dirt and sediment in the transmission. A local trans shop showed me a valve body 1000 miles after a BG flush, and it wasn't a pretty sight. It is not a certain way to kill the transmission, but why take a chance? Also, flushing alone does not replace the filter.

If you search the site, there are threads that teach you how to drop the pan and manually exchange all the fluid in the transmission thru the cooler lines. If you must bring it to a shop, insist on just a pan drop and filter change. Do not flush.