What Did You Do To Your Car Today?

[NEW EDG]

From the tales of what in the wild fuck we're driving the kids to the air and space museum today and the whole way my wife and I are talking about replacing the Explorer. At one point I say, "yeah, I just really want to get rid of this thing before something grenades and we're left holding the bag." Not 10 seconds later I hit a bump on the freeway and the motor gets super loud and I have no power. Luckily it was just the intake hose falling off the throttle body, but this car has 27k miles on it and I have never once touched the intake hose. How the hell the thing backed off so much to jump off the throttle body when I have never touched the clamp is baffling. Clearly the car was listening to the conversation and got pissed off at me. Needless to say if anyone is looking for a low miles 2019 Explorer Platinum that might be alive DM me.

 

[weendoggy]

From the tales of what in the wild fuck we're driving the kids to the air and space museum today and the whole way my wife and I are talking about replacing the Explorer. At one point I say, "yeah, I just really want to get rid of this thing before something grenades and we're left holding the bag." Not 10 seconds later I hit a bump on the freeway and the motor gets super loud and I have no power. Luckily it was just the intake hose falling off the throttle body, but this car has 27k miles on it and I have never once touched the intake hose. How the hell the thing backed off so much to jump off the throttle body when I have never touched the clamp is baffling. Clearly the car was listening to the conversation and got pissed off at me. Needless to say if anyone is looking for a low miles 2019 Explorer Platinum that might be alive DM me.

The only thing you really need to pay attention to is the water pump, if it's the 3.5L. It was/is Ford's best idea of putting it behind the timing cover, run by the timing chain, and when it leaks...goes into the oil pan. Oh, and it is a Royal PITA to remove in the car, but can be done. Why do I know this, because I did one on a Mazda CX9, which is owned by Ford. Got into it and asked, WTF and I doing this for, but in the end wasn't too bad. Biggest concern is getting the TC back on and not smearing the silicone sealer, and you won't know until you start it up (all done).

Then we go out and get my sis-in-law a 2018 Explorer because her 2002 Exploder transmission went kaboom in our driveway (3rd time, 256k mi). Got an extra "bumper-to-bumper" policy to cover it until 117k miles (Hertz rental car) and if it doesn't go by then, I'm replacing it for piece of mind. I have my special cam sprocket tool and crank pulley tool to do the job. OK, I'm done.

 

[NEW EDG]

The only thing you really need to pay attention to is the water pump, if it's the 3.5L. It was/is Ford's best idea of putting it behind the timing cover, run by the timing chain, and when it leaks...goes into the oil pan. Oh, and it is a Royal PITA to remove in the car, but can be done. Why do I know this, because I did one on a Mazda CX9, which is owned by Ford. Got into it and asked, WTF and I doing this for, but in the end wasn't too bad. Biggest concern is getting the TC back on and not smearing the silicone sealer, and you won't know until you start it up (all done).

Then we go out and get my sis-in-law a 2018 Explorer because her 2002 Exploder transmission went kaboom in our driveway (3rd time, 256k mi). Got an extra "bumper-to-bumper" policy to cover it until 117k miles (Hertz rental car) and if it doesn't go by then, I'm replacing it for piece of mind. I have my special cam sprocket tool and crank pulley tool to do the job. OK, I'm done.

It's a 3.5 Ecoboost AWD. There are a lot well known issues in these cars. The transmissions are known to go boom quite often, the transfer case was supposed to be a lifetime oil from the factory that is well known not to last the lifetime of the vehicle usually 100k of less and is near impossible to change because they thought you wouldn't have to. All of the piano black plastic pieces on the exterior of the vehicle are brittle and break if you stare at them too hard. To the point where there has been a recall for one of the pieces but when you call the dealership they still have no known fix. Lastly it has electrical gremlins like an old British car. The electrical draw is too much on the stock battery and alternator for short drives around town and won't last unless you take it on the freeway for 30 minutes or more. I put in an AGM battery which helps but I still have to plug it in to a Noco every couple weeks to keep things running well. And don't get me started on the Sync 3 crap house infotainment system that's buggy as all hell. I reported at least 5-6 bugs that never got an update and never will. It's the best ride quality of any vehicle I have every owned and the interior is quite nice for the price but that's about where it stops for me. Definitely will be my last Ford...

So after this glowing review, who wants to buy it lol

 

[07GtS197]

My first patrol car was a 2018 exploder with the 3.7. It was a tank but got horrible mileage. Currently I have 2022 exploder and I don’t like it nearly as much. The 3.3 is so underpowered and the 10 speed is horrible. Everything else is eh. They’re not good police cars.

 

[joemomma]

I thought the police Explorers got the 3.5EB?

 

[NEW EDG]

My first patrol car was a 2018 exploder with the 3.7. It was a tank but got horrible mileage. Currently I have 2022 exploder and I don’t like it nearly as much. The 3.3 is so underpowered and the 10 speed is horrible. Everything else is eh. They’re not good police cars.

They really do get good awful mileage. I don't do much freeway driving just a pound around town pick up and drop off the kids car so probably similar to a patrol vehicle and it gets 13-14 mpg tops. Nothing Eco about the Ecoboost. I think the Coyote and Godzilla would both be far less thirsty and have much better bottom end grunt in these bigger models.

 

[weendoggy]

It's a 3.5 Ecoboost AWD. There are a lot well known issues in these cars. The transmissions are known to go boom quite often, the transfer case was supposed to be a lifetime oil from the factory that is well known not to last the lifetime of the vehicle usually 100k of less and is near impossible to change because they thought you wouldn't have to. All of the piano black plastic pieces on the exterior of the vehicle are brittle and break if you stare at them too hard. To the point where there has been a recall for one of the pieces but when you call the dealership they still have no known fix. Lastly it has electrical gremlins like an old British car. The electrical draw is too much on the stock battery and alternator for short drives around town and won't last unless you take it on the freeway for 30 minutes or more. I put in an AGM battery which helps but I still have to plug it in to a Noco every couple weeks to keep things running well. And don't get me started on the Sync 3 crap house infotainment system that's buggy as all hell. I reported at least 5-6 bugs that never got an update and never will. It's the best ride quality of any vehicle I have every owned and the interior is quite nice for the price but that's about where it stops for me. Definitely will be my last Ford...

So after this glowing review, who wants to buy it lol

I think my sis-in-law had the plastic fantastic piece(s) replaced on hers last year. Something to do with the roof rack. Other than that, she's happy, wife's happy so all is good. Its not a top end model (rental use) but has what she needs. Best of all, I get to take care of it.

 

[NEW EDG]

I think my sis-in-law had the plastic fantastic piece(s) replaced on hers last year. Something to do with the roof rack. Other than that, she's happy, wife's happy so all is good. Its not a top end model (rental use) but has what she needs. Best of all, I get to take care of it.

The roof rack recall was a few years ago the more recent one is the A Pillar trim piece recall which they don't have a fix for yet, at least as of June which was the last time I called in to check.

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/recall/recalls-and-faqs/24s02-explorer-2011-2019-a-pillar-trim-detachment-recall/

The fact that they only recalled the A Pillar when all the piano black trim does the exact same thing is infuriating though.

 

[07GtS197]

I thought the police Explorers got the 3.5EB?

Nope most aren’t. That was just one engine option.

They really do get good awful mileage. I don't do much freeway driving just a pound around town pick up and drop off the kids car so probably similar to a patrol vehicle and it gets 13-14 mpg tops. Nothing Eco about the Ecoboost. I think the Coyote and Godzilla would both be far less thirsty and have much better bottom end grunt in these bigger models.

I agree. Ford needs to offer a v8 in the Explorer if they want to stay competitive. The v6 is junk and doesn’t compare to the competition. And now we can’t get any new explorers until the middle of next year so we’re getting tahoes in the meantime. I’m not a Chevy fan but the Tahoe is a great police car. It’s big and has enough power to get out of its own way.

 

[joemomma]

TN is getting Durangos and Chargers I guess because of supply issues with the Fords.

 

[NEW EDG]

TN is getting Durangos and Chargers I guess because of supply issues with the Fords.

If they go with Hemis it's a way better option anyways. I wanted a Durango Hemi when I got this explorer but at the time the payment was $200 per month more. So I got the Explorer and I won't make that mistake again.

 

[Daryl]

Started a multi-step, multi-day exterior detail project to “attempt” to remove scratches and swirls. Day 2 and the roof and hood are done. Not exactly a deep black sea of used motor oil look, but definitely noticeable improvement. Trunk and rear 1/4’s tomorrow. I’ll be removing the stock rear spoiler for the replacement S281 that’s due to arrive (painted) soon, along with the rear window spoiler.

 

[joemomma]

Looks good dude! Black is very hard to get right.

 

[lwarrior1016]

Started a multi-step, multi-day exterior detail project to “attempt” to remove scratches and swirls. Day 2 and the roof and hood are done. Not exactly a deep black sea of used motor oil look, but definitely noticeable improvement. Trunk and rear 1/4’s tomorrow. I’ll be removing the stock rear spoiler for the replacement S281 that’s due to arrive (painted) soon, along with the rear window spoiler.

That sucker looks pretty good to me!

 

[Bronco2Fan]

Looks good dude! Black is very hard to get right.

I can attest to that for sure. My F150 and Audi are both black and they're the hardest to keep looking good, no matter what.

 

[Daryl]

I know! Black is super tough. It looks good for a short time until the wind blows orchard dust across the driveway, or a trucker kicks up dust while on the hwy, or…. Well you get the idea and I’m sure anyone with a black car or truck can relate. My silver Ram is easy to keep looking nice. White F-150 I had years ago wasn’t bad either.

Note to self: NO MORE BLACK VEHICLES!!!

 

[NEW EDG]

Note to self: NO MORE BLACK VEHICLES!!!

Was never something I thought about until I started doing my own detailing but I agree. Only White and Silver from here on out lol

 

[joemomma]

The wife's Lexus was black. While it looked great clean, it was a real chore to keep it that way. I had to be very particular when detailing it, especially since we have really hard water here. I'd have to blow it off and immediately pull it inside to finish drying. Then, hit it with quick detailer to make sure I got any remaining water/spots off. And it you weren't meticulous with your quick detailer, it would streak like no other.

My white F-150 by comparison is a breeze.

 

[Bronco2Fan]

I started buying those attachable water filters for RV's. They last for a while and help with hard water stains. Just put it on the spigot and then attach the hose. Way cheaper than most products available and work well enough. Bought at WalMart lol.

 

[white95]

Got caught driving it.