Various minor issues (99 Explorer Limited)

[morgfarm1]

WEEELLP. The blend doors look like fun. Not liking any of the fixes, Buuuut meh. So far it seems like Air and heat work well enough, at least for now. Just, No automatic control
I'll fiddle around with unplugging/plugging it back in. It sounds like it's just disaligned. Still 'Works' otherwise. Tried to pull the airbag out to see if i can stick a screwdriver in it to manually move it like the mechanic though -- Not my luck

At any rate, AC works enough to call it AC right now, and heat looks like it might later. Not testing it in 100 degree heat though.

Next: Antenna Actuator. Looks like fun! Can't find the motor in a scrap yard yet. Gee, Aint I lucky to have such a classy model? cant find it's parts anywhere.

Plus: Driver's Seat control trim area. Broke that when I got it some how, I wrestled out the trim piece and i'm waiting for one unlucky Explorer to get sent to the yard with The exact color interior and options I had. Might have better luck finding a needle in a Haystack..

 

[RomeovilleIL]

If the blend door actuator is working then the door itself is broken on the top. It is easy enough to manually move the door: drop the glovebox (squeeze in the sides), unplug the wiring, then use a flat bladed screwdriver to carefully pop the 4 corners of the actuator off the base. You can then turn the door with a hex key.

Frankly although cutting the bottom of the plenum does not initially sound real appealing, it is a good permanent fix. Total cost is $15 in parts and maybe 1 hour of your time. The place you make the cut is shown in this picture:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2829788&postcount=227

This the old write-up on how to do it start to finish, but pictures no longer work:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214332

Here is the part you need:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...k=Search_902-202_1354564_2539&keyword=902-202

The Roseburg OR OReilly store carries it in stock.

Antenna Actuator -- that up to you, I replaced the motor in mine a couple years back, could more easily have swapped to a fixed antenna and be more reliable. Power antennas and ice dont play well together here in the winter but to each their own.

 

[morgfarm1]

The ice is probably what killed the antenna. It freezes A Lot here in the winter. I WANT to set it up to where I can control the antenna with a switch, so i can take it to a car wash without worrying about it getting caught. Likely won't be hard at all, but time consuming probably, since I'm no wiring expert

 

[morgfarm1]

Next update.

While I haven't made any progress fixing anything, I have managed to break more stuff.

I've been noticing a coolant leak -- A Massive one -- Since July. It was originally traced to the radiator, which was cracked. After the radiator change, It was still guzzling water for some reason. It seems like the cause is changing every so often but I've found the current known cause of the leak.

Under the intake and throttle body, there is a location where one part bolts to another, now I can't see this location clearly enough to tell you what bolts to what, But, Just fore from the intake manifold, is a bolt, and right along a fault line beside the bolt, when throttle is applied, a water jet blasts out and up towards the Right air Intake loop from the Air box. My Guess is, this may be where the intake bolts to the head, or this may be something totally different. Would this be an early sign of head gasket failure? I have not found any water in the oil as of yet, but occasionally the idle does roughen for just a moment, but returns to normal in a short span of time. I plan on digging into it a little bit (Won't go far into it) to see EXACTLY what is what, and my mechanic has been helping me trace it, but now that we found the location, it's a matter of fixing it up, and I suspect it's a head gasket. Feedback is welcomed

2) Radio lights. Now I'm already a victim of the Mach Display failure, but now it seems that occasionally the entire lighting configuration for the radio goes totally black, where every other light (Except the ones I've burned out) stays lit. The radio still runs, but I figure my head unit is going. I've asked this question about a half dozen times, but I know you guys are the experts here. If I buy an aftermarket radio, Would I End up losing my steering wheel radio controls? Or would I be just as well off trying to fix the radio? Scrap yard radios are hard to find for this vehicle with this package, so I have little hope of finding one. A new head unit would look nice, but With my luck I'd totally lose the steering wheel controls AND my 6-disc changer in the console. And that, is something up with which I will not put.

Edit ( So not to double-post):
coolant leak found and confirmed to be the LOWER thermostat housing. $83 for the parts, but it includes both housings and the thermostat itself, might as well change that too right? Looks like A real pita to do, but I don't have a lot of choice. I'm tired of dumping water into it..

 

[morgfarm1]

Updating again. Two issues fixed.

1) replaced stat housing. It flat rotted into the stat base. Replaced it. The stat. AAAAND a hose from the water Pump to the lower housing. No more leak!

2) Re-soldered radio myself using the website suggested in these forums. 2 hours of work and 3 attempts but I managed to get it for now.

Oh and she got wrecked in November. About a week after That last post. I can partially consider it stock. After market headlamps (sonar projectors w/ halo) plus exchanged to a chrome grille versus the body color one. All at the other drivers expense

 

[intelisevil]

If your solder fails you can replace the power supply board with a Dorman 586-001. I got mine at Amazon (currently $43.95 - Free shipping).

More info: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395093

Good Luck,
Dan

 

[morgfarm1]

Final Update -- Vehicle totalled by Drunk person at 2:30am on the 19th.
This is what's left of it:

This thread may help someone in the future, close/delete/keep alive as needed.

Its at Copart in Eugene. As soon as Insurance gives me an acceptable offer for it, chances are Copart will want to keep it for parts. The body panels for the left doors and RR door were good when I left it, and the back hatch was in good shape. Right Front window motor quit, heated seats quit, and the airbags have deployed. The seats are in decent shape, but the Driver's front seat needs a new plastic trim piece, but i kept the old one in the vehicle. Brand new windshield wipers I installed not 3 days before the wreck. The Radio WORKED until the crash, but it seems the wreck disabled the control face but it did work. I let it run and listened to music while I cleaned it out of my stuff, and smelled burning electronics. The radio MAY or MAY NOT still be good, but it IS a MACH unit. all speakers + Sub were good. Jacking equipment is there, new tires, good wheels. Basically all the little things we like to have in our vehicles IS there. I'm expecting a settlement this week so it may be about 3 weeks before its fair game.