99 Explorer 2dr- Jim Warman?

I have stumbled upon what I belive to be a decent deal. The vehicle is a 99 Explorer 2dr. 4.0 SOHC, 5R55E transmission. All options except leather.

125,000 miles. The owner is asking $2k because the fuel pump is out and a mechanic told him the transmission might last "1 mile or 50,000 miles". It's got a few other minor problems as well that I'm hoping for some help identifyng.

The truck still runs and drives, you just have to keep the rpms over 1000 or it will stall. It starts back up easily. I have never heard of this happening with a bad fuel pump (which was apparently diagnosed by his mechanic). The only way I could see this happening would be if the fuel pressure was too high, but it runs fine above idle. As far as my experiance and research shows, this is an IAC problem not a fuel pump. What else could it be?

I understand the 5R55E is not known for being a long-lasting transmission. It shifted decent, the fluid looked good, and the O/D light did not flash. From what I understand, these tranmissions set a code when they start slipping and this causes the O/D light to flash. Correct? I priced a rebuilt unit at $1500.

The air bag light flashes for a while and then becomes solid. I'm not that concerned about air bags, but besides the air bags not working, what does this usually mean? I will not attempt to repair the air bag system myself.

Also, the rear wiper doesn't work. It appears that the arm has become slightly dislodged from the tailgate and could potentially allow water to enter the tail gate. Common?

Other than that, the truck is in decent shape. A few dents and dings, very clean interior. It will need new tires, but the glass is good. I'm looking at it because I will need a 4wd in the winter to get to my job sites. Unless the roads are snowy, it will probably just sit, because my car (which I will be keeping) gets 36mpg.

Thanks,

Carl

Reply to
Carl
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Hi, Carl.... looks like you've done your homework pretty well.... especially in regards to the possibility of trans repairs in the future...

For the stalling concern.... you might consider having the current owner pay to fix the concern - if the charge isn't way out in left field, go for it...If the repair charges amount to a significant cash outlay... well he needed to fix it, anyway. This would protect you if it turned out that the repair was more than an IAC....

As for the trans... yes, if there is internal slippage, there will be an "shift error" code set and there will be a visual indication. FWIW, I got my son a 97 Ranger with the 5R55E and it recently set a trans code - IIRC, it was a shift error code. With no identifiable shifting concerns (though my heart was in my throat... rebuilding a trans isn't in my timetable) we cleared the code... no return, as yet (insert icon for crossed fingers and sound of knocking on wood here). Like your vehicle of choice, his has a significant amount of miles on it and, if anything in the trans failed, a full rebuild would be the sane thing to do...

A malfunctioning airbag system wont affect any other systems... my own preference is to have the system working (you know how I feel about safety items) and it is worth having the concern investigated.

For the rear wiper... what we usually see up here is that the pivot on the wiper arm corrodes... As a result, the blade can't touch the glass, let alone exert any pressure.... Caught early enough, some WD40 or penetrant can free them up - worst case is a new arm.... I don't recall seeing that many concerns with the pivot itself.

At any rate, it may be worthwhile having the car checked out by a disinterested party just to be sure...

HTH.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Jim,

Thanks for the advice. The price is so low because of the repairs needed. I'm sure the owner won't be willing to let me throw some parts on it before I buy it. I offered him $1500 and he refused, so that's where we stand as of now.

In regard to your son's ranger, I seem to remember a common failure on the

5R55E being the valve body to seperator plate gasket blowing out. I recall a TSB that changed one of the valve body plugs to a valve.

Check here for more information on the 5R55E upgrades:

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I recently had a 97 Ranger Splash Xtd cab 4x4. It had the 4.0/5R55E combination. It was a very nice truck, but I was deathly afraid of the transmission failing. I did install a very large cooler. That's the same reason I sold my 99 'Stang. I was deathly afraid of the AODE pooping out on me.

How did the fluid look on your son's truck? Does he have a cooler? Several companies offer an upgrade valve body for the time-pressed, though I'm sure it wouldn't be an issue for you to put the Ford valve and a trans-go/superior in.

Carl

Reply to
Carl

Doesn't work or skips the middle part on the glass???

Doesn't work can usually be fixed by turning it on, walk to rear and " help" the arm move left to right

Caused by dirty contacts and this will "clean" them.

Use it more often

Reply to
JohanB

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