Need Help with 2002 Ford Explorer

Hi, I have a 2002 ford explore 2 door sport. i have 500 miles left on my

36,000 mile warrenty. Within this time my check engine light has come on 3 seperate times, and when I am ideling (sp?) there is a clicking noise in the engine. The ford co. has had it twice, three weeks once, and can not find the problem. They tell me that it will have to get worse so they can find the problem. I know this is a run around from them, but I am running out of time on my warrenty. So if anyone has had this problem or knows what may be wrong please, please, respond. Thank you in advance for any information.
Reply to
forddrivr
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... Glad to see that you automatically KNOW you are getting the run-around. You're car is an extremely complicated electronic device and intermittent problems occur. If it ain't gonna act broken, what on earth is someone going to fix? If the information you are giving your dealer is anything like the information you have posted here, there is little wonder you are not finding any satisfaction.

If the noise at idle is constant, make sure that it is listed on the work order as one of your concerns. We are not supposed to upsell warranty. Fords position is that if you don't complain about it, it isn't bothering you and if it isn't bothering you they wont fix it. If the noise at idle is intermittent, make sure that you supply the tech with enough information so that he/she can recreate the problem... remember that your car is the single most complicated device you will encounter in your life. Ditto the CEL (check engine light).... without knowing what code(s) is being set, I can offer little advice nor can I offer any diagnostic opinions.

I can't speak for other dealerships... ours tries to be sure that we form some sort of continuity with a vehicle... that is, if I am the first to work on a new vehicle, they try their utmost to assign any subsequent repairs on that vehicle to me... doesn't always work out but if I am familiar with the vehicle, it can help with diagnosing any concerns. Additionally, I know nothing of your dealer nor their techs... whether they are availing themselves of the resources tha manufacturer has supplied them... the technical hotline is not the magic bullet some seem to imagine but they can usually offer up something that should help a semi-talented tech find the right track. For some repeat concerns that are difficult to recreate, I have been known to replace the most likely component - bear in mind that this has been known to backfire on techs.... how do you spell CHARGEBACK?

Bottom line.... when you take your car in for service, supply the dealership with enough information that will allow them to recreate your concern(s). Like I said, if it ain't going to act broken we can't act like we're fixing it. Be courteous dealing with the dealerships staff... these people are human beings... they are doing their best to serve you at a time when you may be frustrated or distraught..... they didn't build the damned thing and they certainly didn't break it..... the staff that deals with the public have a very stressful job and if you give them attitude, you will likely get attitude right back. Like any other business there are good places to deal and places we don't like. If you don't like the place you are dealing with, find a place that you do like. Even bad employees would like to fix your problem and I don't know of anyone (other than government employees) that can hope to get paid by offering "the run around" as a service.

HTH

Oh, yeah..... some codes would help if I am to offer any diagnostic advice..... As for the noise at idle, I can only say that your 2000 should have the updated tensioner for the timing chain. A little more info about what happens when we rev the motor, if it happens cold/hot/all the time, service history, type and weight of motor oil *might* help...

Reply to
Jim Warman

Thank you for your comments. I have been very courteous to the maintence staff. I take my car out of town because they are better. I posted so maybe someone else has had the same problems and can tell me what their cause was. So maybe I can past it on to them. They have heard the noise while ideling but just can't pinpoint it. It will rattle when it is hot, cold or warm, but not all the time. My explorer also started making a humming sound like it is straining, this happens when it is going 45 mph or any other speed usually when it is cold outside, but not just then and not all the time. The transmission seams to be changing just fine. My oil gets changed every 3000 miles. I use 5-30 valvoline oil. Hope this helps in the more info department.

Reply to
forddrivr

While some noises may telegraph horribly, constant noises should be relatively easy to pinpoint (relatively being the catch phrase). While it may be inconvenient, I can only suggest allowing the dealer to keep the car long enough to resolve the problem so as to have an RO open in case it does go beyond the warranty period. If you have a history of ROs regarding the problem , you *should* be able to get the repair AWA'd.

Your dealership should... let's change that to "must" avail themselves to OASIS and hotline for any concerns they can reproduce but not diagnose. Neither is a cure all, but one or the other can set the tech in a direction that may lead to resolution of the concern. I'll temper that with the indication that your servicing dealer may not be your selling dealer.

Here comes a real cruncher.... this isn't supposed to happen but it does... and it happens everywhere. If you are having your car repaired at anything other than your selling dealer, you will not get service as good as if you had. Many dealerships can't make their shops pay their own way.... the only way they can survive is to increase sales volume and the only way they can do that is give better deals. Dealerships with good service departments offer red carpet treatment - this costs money - the money has to ome from somewhere. The dealer with the good service department has spent the money to hire good people..... I am well recompensed.... there are many other techs out there making half what I do (this is not a boast... this is a wake-up call). Why is there a difference in pay scale? For the same reason that the french fry kid at McDonalds earns 6 bucks an hour and Bobby Flay makes a wee bit more than that.

There are ever so many gloats over a cheap purchase price displayed on any automotive NG.... these are usually followed by a "shitty service" tirade when a problem happens. The selling dealer couldn't fix his way out of a wet paper bag and the other dealers don't appear to care. If our warranty costs are out of line with our sales, we get stuck under a microscope.

The only advice I can offer to anyone is to find a dealer that rates high in after sales service, bite the bullet and buy from him. In most cases, customers are their own worst enemy...

Reply to
Jim Warman

I have bought all my vehicles from this dealership, and given a loaner car when mine has been in the shop, even for the 3 weeks they kept it. They just can't find the problem, soo I will take it back and hopefully we can find the solution together. Thanks for the help.

Reply to
forddrivr

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