New potential purchase w/ issues

[topdeadcenter]

Hey everyone,

I have been searching and reading this forum for the past couple of days. Tons of great info out there! Thanks to everyone for posting.

I am about to get what I think is a steal on an 01 Sport, but it has a couple of issues that I am wondering if they are common and if there are easy solutions to. BTW, I am a hobby mechanic, in other words I know which end of the screwdriver to use, but may not know everything that you are talking about. Oh yeah, and electrical problems send me into a panic.

So on with the show:
2001 Explorer Sport XLT 4x4 116K miles

1. 4x4 does not work. No click of relays. No light on dash. My guess is that the Transfer Case Motor is shot. Your thoughts?

2. ABS light is on. Unsure of reason. The trucks been parked for 5 months and the previous owner (a woman I work with) said it was not on when the truck got parked. Are there any common problems with these vehicles?

3. Needs front wheel bearing (the reason it got parked) This is a second vehicle for her and she doesn't have the money to fix it. So she is going to sell it to me for CHEAP. (don't ask, you will be sad)

4. Now for the strange one that I don't even know where to start. I had to jump start it the other night when I went to look at it. (again parked 5 months ago). It runs perfect. After running for about 5 mins, I shut it off and pulled out the key. A relay started clicking like crazy from somewhere under the steering column. Didn't matter if the door was open or closed. Or is the key was in or out of the ignition. If I turned the key to "run" the clicking stopped. WTF is it?

Any and all help would be appreciated. The reason I am asking before I buy it is that I don't want to get a good deal on the front end and then sink more than it is worth into it to get it working right. This will be my winter car because my Mustang convertible doesn't like Wisconsin winters. So the 4x4 needs to work.

Sorry so long!
Mike

 

[Dan Whitaker]

A front wheel bearing hub assembly will run you close to $200. You will need a torque wrench that goes to at least 200 ft lb plus the socket you need for the nut. I forget what size it is.

The ABS light is posibly due to the pump being bad.

The 4x4 not engaging sounds like the motor is shot on the transfer case.

My opinion. Pass on it. Sounds like it needs quite a bit of work for the cheap price.

 

[safn1949]

Sent you an email.

 

[topdeadcenter]

Dan: The brakes work, so yeah I am not worried about the ABS light. I was just wondering if there was a common problem on that era of Explorer. My dad had a couple of explorers through the 90s and 2000s. He actually has the socket that is necessary to do the wheel bearing, but I already have a guy that is going to do it for me (if I buy it) for $300. Then I don't have to dick around with it right away.

I am wondering what the cost is going to be and how crazy it is going to be to do the Transfer Case Motor... I am betting that it will be a tough job, but not impossible for me to tackle myself. Looking for a good online "how to"...

Got a heads up on the relay in the dash that it could be related to the low voltage situation. (stone dead battery) That thought ran through my head when it was happening. I bet it was the security feature freaking out.

It only has 116,000 miles on it and I am getting it for less than $2,000, if I buy it. It has brand new tires, upper and lower ball joints, and rotors/pads. All were put on 1 month before the wheel bearing went out and it got parked. The tires are $500 alone. I really think that I could be in this for less than $2700 including tax/license. I think that would be good. What do you think?

 

[jrp267]

Wheel bearing can be had for 125 takes an hour to put in very simple. Abs light is possibly associated witht he bearing since the sensor is in the hub.

 

[topdeadcenter]

@Jrp good to know! Now I am in it even less and I was wondering if the ABS could somehow be related to the bad bearing. But I wasn't sure how it could be. Thanks for that knowledge. I just might have to buy this thing now...

 

[safn1949]

Here is the thread on the transfer case shift motor.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123542

 

[my pos mounty]

Dan: The brakes work, so yeah I am not worried about the ABS light. I was just wondering if there was a common problem on that era of Explorer. My dad had a couple of explorers through the 90s and 2000s. He actually has the socket that is necessary to do the wheel bearing, but I already have a guy that is going to do it for me (if I buy it) for $300. Then I don't have to dick around with it right away.

I am wondering what the cost is going to be and how crazy it is going to be to do the Transfer Case Motor... I am betting that it will be a tough job, but not impossible for me to tackle myself. Looking for a good online "how to"...

Got a heads up on the relay in the dash that it could be related to the low voltage situation. (stone dead battery) That thought ran through my head when it was happening. I bet it was the security feature freaking out.

It only has 116,000 miles on it and I am getting it for less than $2,000, if I buy it. It has brand new tires, upper and lower ball joints, and rotors/pads. All were put on 1 month before the wheel bearing went out and it got parked. The tires are $500 alone. I really think that I could be in this for less than $2700 including tax/license. I think that would be good. What do you think?

Tell your guy you want a Timken (or Ford) bearing as a replacement. Quality parts last a heck of alot longer here.
You could do the wheelbearing/hub yourself as well. Theres a good "How-to" on this site.
The wheelbearing failure more than likely triggered the ABS light. The sensor gets crud on it from the bearings getting chewed up and fails. Your new bearing will have a new ABS sensor in it.
Replace the bearing and see if the light goes off, if it does not check the ABS sensor in the rear axle houising. It is the only electrical connection on the housing so it is rather easy to find/tighten or replace.

The relay noise was likely related to the low battery/low voltage. My truck did the same after being parked for 6 months while I was out of town. It went away with a battery/alternator change.

Safn1949 already posted the "How-to" for your T/case issue.

I would buy it for the 2grand for sure. Sounds as though it could be a great deal.

 

[jremington59]

1. It could be a number of things. Fuse, switch, motor, the list goes on.

2. the abs sensors get rotted and stay on. Not a biggie.

3. Don't buy the cheapest bearing or you'll be doing it again in a year or tw.

4. Most likely just a bad relay. When it's clicking feel them and you'll know which one. Switch it with one of the others and see what happens.

Offer them 1500 for it.