Xploder Anxiety

[sticbow]

Well, I found a good deal on a 1996 Eddie Bauer in solid shape, so I picked it up.

The problem is all of the little nonsense electrical issues... If any of you have had any of these issues and were able to fix them, please feel free to help me. It runs great and shifts great, just the electrical..

Let's start at the drivers door and work our way around the vehicle.

1) My key goes into all 3 door locks (hatch, drivers and passenger doors) however I cannot turn the key in ANY of them not even a hair. Which by reading 2) maybe you can answer ???


2) I was able to get in the car just fine at the dealer (inside handle broke and ordered a new one) Well when I got home the door refused to open so I climed in and out of the passenger door. Today the door lock decided to unlck and allow me to open the door (happy birthday !! lol) So i tear the door to pieces. I sprayed the actuator with WD and tore the electricals from it and cleaned them and sprayed them..seems to be smoother. And now the actuato is working.

Now in relation to 1) While I was in the door I noticed an electrical connector attached to the lock cylinder so I am assuming that all three locks have the same connector, what triggers that connector ?? I am guessing that whatever runs those wires is the reason I cannot turn my key ???? Is the Keypad tied into that connector ???

3) Also while in there I noticed that the outside door handle has a spring that fell down and is laying on the "hinge" The other side is still attached... how do I get the spring put back into place so my exterior door handle is not so floppy ??

4) On the door controls I can lock the doors with the switch but cannot unlock them. (passenger side unlocks and locks the doors fine) Is the switch bad ??? And if so Do I have to replace the whole cluster since it is tied into the same circuit board ???

5) The Heater is stuck on HIGH I do not know if all explorers are the same but mine just has the red and blue buttons that you push on the climate control to adjust the heat setting... the number go up and down but we are still roasting at 90 degrees... I did see a thread from another fella that a coil resistor under the hood may be the culprit but it sounded like he had a different set of controls for his heat (not push button) Would it still be the same for mine ??

And speaking of heater.. mine makes a thumping/flapping sound and gets quite annoying...what is the cause and what kind of work is involved in fixing that ??? Or would it be tied into the same issue of the heat not adjusting ?

Right now we just let it go til we cook then turn it off til we freeze then repeat...

6)The passenger rear window switch will not roll down the window (can still control with the drivers switch) and no the window lock is not activated. Is this switch bad ???

7) Where is the cheapest place to get a replacement console lid ? Mine has a hole in it.

8) The rear passenger door has the child lock stuck on, I sprayed it with WD and moved the lever back and forth but it will not release (kids are annoyed with this one.

9) Doors freeze shut in the cold weather we are having...is there anything I can spray or apply to the weather seal to help it release and not freeze up ??

10) The front washer pump... It only works if I turn the wipers on first then press the button in ?? It will not pump without me turning the wipers on.. is this a faulty multifunction switch ?? If so is it the "arm" or is it in the steering column ?? The rear pump works fine.

11) fog lights will not turn on

12) Tachometer only kicks on after you hit an intial 35-40mph then it will work the rest of your trip, but if you turn the car off then you have to get up to 35-40 for it to start working again.

13) The CD changer skips if you hit the wrong pothole or close the lid wrong on the console... is there any fix for this ??


That's all I can think of for now...

As you can see these little things cause a great deal of torment and anxiety... Not like the old days where the electricals were the least of your worries....

I have done searches here and fixed a few other problems I had alredy but these I can't really find an answer to...

The situation with not being able to use my key in the doors is really bothering me... I have had the batteries go bad in clickers for other cars and it makes me paranoid to think if I am far from home and cannot get a key to turn in the door... And I cannot for the life of me figure out why there is an electrical connection on the lock cylinder ?????

I was afraid to remove the C-clip on the connector to remove it in fear I could not get it back on in there, so I figured I would ask first.

Also does anyone have a picture/diagram of the relays under the hood for 1996 so I can tell what relays are for what ??

If you guys know the answers to any of the above please post..... It would help me out a ton...

 

[sticbow]

Ohhh Yeah forgot one more...

The 4wd selector will go into 4x4 high but will not go into 4x4 low...am I doing something wrong ???

 

[99ex22]

does the key pad unlock the door? the dealer should have reset it so punch in the first 3 buttons twice...hit 1 2 3 1 2 3 and it should unlock the drivers door. to unlock the other doors press 1 2 after you hit 1 2 3 make sense? as for your other questions I am no help other than your heater my first guess would be your blend door. (common problem)

 

[99ex22]

Ohhh Yeah forgot one more...

The 4wd selector will go into 4x4 high but will not go into 4x4 low...am I doing something wrong ???

To put the vehicle in 4lo you have to be in nuetral with your foot on the brake.

 

[sticbow]

99- Thanks for the input. I will try this stuff tomorrow (below zero outside right now)

I will keep you posted to the results.. I haven't tried the keypad as of yet.. I found a thread on here that said where the code was, so I am also going to be tracking down the code as well and trying them along with yours.

Thanks

 

[Lacky01]

I've got a similar problem.

my drivers side door will not unlock from the outside. I replaced the door handle (I recommend that, the stock ones suck) and it didn't fix the problem. it turns out the actuator is just old and tired and needs to be replaced, even though it still clicks back and forth.
my locks also didn't turn with the key so i sprayed corrosionX directly in them and that broke it loose. CorrosionX is pretty much the same as WD40.

I still need to replace the actuator, but thats $100 from the stealership.

 

[sticbow]

I can't believe I forgot another one... The power mirrors. The drivers only goes out up and down...will not come in towards the door. The Passenger only goes down will not adjust any other direction... What is up with this ???

 

[sticbow]

Lacky- My actuator is working great now that I cleaned the terminals on the plug, and I sprayed WD down inside the rubber boot (filled it right up) and the manually pushed the lock up and down a million times and then used the remote to lock and unlock another million...it seems to be fine now.. It may help you as well and save a 100 bucks.

But it is not the actuator that is hindering the lock cylinder... that is why I was wondering what ties the lock cylinder in??? There is electrical wires on the lock cylinder it self for some reason.

 

[bcburlette]

I can't believe I forgot another one... The power mirrors. The drivers only goes out up and down...will not come in towards the door. The Passenger only goes down will not adjust any other direction... What is up with this ???

I had a similar problem and just said whatever(the mirrors were in a good enough position) then later when pulling my door panel apart to install some new speakers, my mirror switch popped apart, it turns out one of the switch contacts was mysteriously missing.

So I replaced the switch and all is good now, not sure if you have the same prob, but its worth taking a look at.

 

[99ex22]

any news?

 

[sticbow]

99- I did a vehicle search and with the advice of other threads I found the keypad code in the Jack compartment. And I got the door to unlock with the code... But I would still like to know what the electronics attached to the lock cylinder is for.. because I feel that is what is keeping me from using my key in the doors and hatch, whatever feeds the cylinders is blocking access with the key...

I picked up a blend door kit today and will be installing it tomorrow (weather permitting)

I was in the explorer off and on all day and I never once thought about trying the 4wd lo until I turned on my laptop, then it hit me. So later tonight when Ipick my daughter up from her dance I will try the 4wd lo (I wrote it on my hand so I don't forget..lol)

So that is where I am at today....atleast now when I lock my keys in the car I can get in (common problem for me... I seem to bump the lock switches on the way out..form of habit I guess)

 

[sticbow]

I couldn't wait til later. I went out and tried the 4wd low. As 99 directed... The first time I tried it I heard the dash clicking near the switch. So I put it back to 2wd and tried again. This time it clicked 2-3 times and dropped into 4wd low. I took it back out and then to 4wd high.. it went in. then back to 2wd and the 4wd lights started flashing on the dash.

I figure the contacts need cleaned. I also saw somewhere here on the forums that the relay under the dash may cause this problem. Can someone tell me exactly which relay it is and the exact location ???

Tomorrow after tackling the blend door, I think I will clean the contacts on the 4wd and replace the relay.

BTW...Thanks 99.......

 

[Lacky01]

Lacky- My actuator is working great now that I cleaned the terminals on the plug, and I sprayed WD down inside the rubber boot (filled it right up) and the manually pushed the lock up and down a million times and then used the remote to lock and unlock another million...it seems to be fine now.. It may help you as well and save a 100 bucks.

But it is not the actuator that is hindering the lock cylinder... that is why I was wondering what ties the lock cylinder in??? There is electrical wires on the lock cylinder it self for some reason.

Thanks for that reply, I'll have to give it a shot. worst that can happen is I still need to fix it :

 

[sticbow]

Anyone..out there ???

 

[96eb96]

Anyone..out there ???

Hi I have the exact same ex as you do.

The heater with the EATC system (yes its an option) stuck on high fan speed is likely a problem with the fan speed controller. If the blower wheel does not change the speed you will have to change that part. It is in the same place as the resistor but cost about $100 and its a dealer only part.

THe center console you can match up in a craft store/walmart with vinyl fabric, and unscrew it and do it yourself. Otherwise there are kits on Ebay.

Honestly, do you really need 2wd low? Its probably good for launching a boat or something like that. Don't ever drive in that mode on dry pavement. There is a risk of getting stuck in that mode if the system is old and flaky. If that happens turn the truck off and turn it back on. Otherwise you have to take off the shift motor and manually rotate something.

The problem could be as simple as cleaning contacts or very worn parts in the transfer case.

Silicon Spray is great for rubber door mouldings.

The multi function switch includes the black control stick and a semi circle unit on the column. Sometimes I will hit the stick head on with moderate force to get the fluid to spray. If you are ambitious you can overhaul that switch, you may get lucky and save $60 bucks.

 

[Cobraguy]

(1) All your locks may be gummed up...but what is more likely is someone replaced the ignition cylinder and that's the only key you have...and it won't fit the doors. Try all the keys you have in the doors just to be sure. But if none will move in the slightest, then I'm betting you don't have a key to fit them.

The connector you are talking about is either the one to the door lock actuator, or the one to the door latch indicator which turns on and off the interior lights...among other things.

(5) Sounds like you have your arms around the problem there. Don't be surprised if you need a blend door actuator too though.

(7) Usually eBay is the best place to find those. They are spendy though.

(10) I believe that is normal. I guess I could run out and see for sure on one of mine, but someone here should be able to confirm if I'm right or not.

(13) I'm surprised the darn thing even works still! Those things have come a long ways since 1996. I had one brand new in the day...and it would skip.

 

[96eb96]

Oh and here are other things I would change/check ASAP if I were you, all this failed on mine: You are near western ny where they salt roads.

Check the power steering rack hard line fittings (the ones that go on the rack) for any seepage. Eventually they rot out and you loose power steering. They are under $10 at the dealer. You need a flare wrench or cut them off and use a socket. Do not use a regular wrench- they are soft brass and will round out.

Check the hard brake lines around the differential and in the frame. Also in the front too. If they are flaking with rust its a matter of time before they go and they lose brakes.

Change your idler and tensioner pulleys. Don't bother inspecting them. They are maybe $15 bucks or so each. I had them fail with no warning and there are always cases here and there where they seize up and you loose all belt accessories (overheat, loss of power steering). I would do this ASAP, the next trip should be to the parts store to get them.

Check your rear shackles for rustout.

My CD player skips too, but usually with major bumps. Its probably an older design that does not buffer the music and read ahead.

 

[sticbow]

Thanks for the replies guys... I will be checking into all suggestions and keep you guys posted... my door handle just came in today... so back to work...lol....