951 Dollars later, i have new head gaskets, and two new heads. But thats beside the point. I have a few minor problems, that maybe ya'll could help me out with. First is the driver side passenger mirror. Its electrically controlled (on my eddie bauer anyway). it doesnt work right. whenever i move the passenger mirror, the driver mirror will move down also. and when i switch the swith to control the drive side mirror, it will only move downwards when i push "down" or "right". "up" doesnt work at all, and neither does "left". Any help is greatly appreciated. second, the recliner handle on the driver seat broke off. how do i repair this? i dont need a whole new seat do i? third, my air conditioner doesnt work. the blower works fine, and so does the heater. Do i need more R-12 freeon? How much would i need to refill it? and how much does it run? fourth, when i put the truck in reverse, it takes about 2 seconds before the gear will kick in, and move back. is this normal? or a built in safety feature? hopes its not a bad thing. and lastly, if i was to get a new system, like receiver,speakers, and a cd changer, does anyone know of a good place to put a 6 cd changer? i couldnt think of one. Ok, well, those are my questions, thanks for looking, and have a great day!

 

Wow, where to begin. A long post for a "couple of questions"

1. Sounds like you have a bad switch. Might try finding one at the boneyard because Ford will probably be pretty expensive, if they still even carry it.

2. I don't tknow if there is a really good way to repair that handle. It is attached to some linkages inside the seat and if I remember right, it's a plastic handle so it probably can't be welded. Might be stuck with a non-adjustable seat.

3. DO NOT USE FREON!! Freon is up to about $200 a pound and it will take probably 2 1/2 pounds to fill your system. Better off to convert to R-134a which is only about $6 a pound. But if there is no refrigerant in your system, then you must have a leak somewhere. You need to find the leak first before you start filling the system unless you like to hear your money hiss away. Take it to a good A/C shop and they can put some dye in the system and find your leak. Explorers are also known for getting the "Black Death" which pretty much craps out your entire A/C system. Be prepared to spend some $$$ if you want the cool air, regardless.

4. 2 seconds to engage the tranny is not a safety feature. It is more of a comfort thing so the truck doesn't slam into gear. My 92 has done this ever since I got it (does it going into drive, too) and it never slips or gives me any problems. Newer trannysa re made to slip so that they don't give you the jolt in the pants like older cars did.

5. The best place to put a changer is wherever it is convenient for you. I usually put mine in the back because I don't change the CDs very often and usually only when I stop. If you're using it as your primary CD player, you may want it under the seat or under the passenger side dash. Make sure if you have the factory system with the subwoofer that you get the proper harness for your new stereo. These systems have a factory amp and require a special harness for the speakers to work properly. The monkeys at Best Buy and other chain stores don't know this.

Well, I hope I answered your questions because my fingers hurt. Good luck with your ride...

 

I used to have a 92 EB X, so here's some thoughts.


>second, the recliner handle on the driver seat broke off.
>how do i repair this? i dont need a whole new seat do i?

The handle broke off my driver's seat too. I didn't need to get a new seat either. The dealer just put on a new handle. I don't know how they did it but it can obviously be done. And it's made of metal, not plastic. The coating on the part you grab is plastic, though.


fourth, when i put the truck in reverse, it takes
>about 2 seconds before the gear will kick in, and move back.
> is this normal? or a built in safety feature? hopes its
>not a bad thing.

Mine always did this as well. Never had a problem otherwise with the tranny.


and lastly, if i was to get a new system,
>like receiver,speakers, and a cd changer, does anyone know
>of a good place to put a 6 cd changer? i couldnt think of
>one.

I installed my cd changer on the right side panel in the cargo area ahead of the subwoofer (suprisingly, the bass never bothered it). This was about my only choice. It wouldn't fit in the center console, so don't bother taking it apart to try (though I got in it the console of my 98 without a problem, it is bigger though).


I hope this helps. Good luck

 

thanks ya'll for the advise. I can live with the trans, the mirror, and the cd changer. But what the first reply said about Black Death scared the crap out of me. my mother constanly complains that it doesnt have A/C and will refuse to drive it. Without my knowlegde, she makes an apointment with a old semi-truck repair shop guy to fill it up with freon. I asked her the price and she said "ol, about a hundred bucks." well, she must be wrong, cause the first guy (sorry im not saying your name) said up to 200 bucks a pound, so im scared now. I guess the only think i can do now is change over to r-134? how hard is this? how much will it be? is it feesable? can the shop guy mentioned above do this? well, thanks again for the help.

1 last question, who was the original designer of the first explorer? im goin to name my explorer after this person, so, just wandering if anyone knows. Thanks again. catch ya later

 

bad news on the a/c problem. I got black death. The explorer went into the shop today to see if it needed freon, pressure tests, ect, and the compressor is burned up. i called the smae mechanic that did the motor repairs, and he said about 500 for the compreser and dryer, plus labor? is this a good price, or over or what? im goin to end up paying 3356 for this explorer with payments, and repairs. did i get screwed? its a nice truck, but my sister only payed 2000 for it 4 years ago. well, thanks yall again for helping.
-russell

 

If you are paying 500 for a compressor and a dryer, then it must be a NEW compressor vs. a REBUILT one. Ask for a price on a rebuilt one. Also, since you are doing the dryer and compressor you should seriously consider converting to r134. The 500 price might include R12 instead of 134 which is considerably higher. Ask the shop for a price on: dryer bottle, rebuilt compressor, and conversion to r134. Make sure you get at least a 1 yr warranty on the compressor.

Good luck!!

 

I got a good used R-134a compressor fomr the junkyard for $50 and it works great! I converted mine by changing the compressor (which had the Black Death), the dryer, and the orifice tube. Cost about $85 for parts. I then flushed the system ($10) and vaccuumed it ($40). I then filled the system ($30) and it works like new. Total was around $165. I did most of the work myself, but if you don't feel comfortable messing with it, I don't see why a shop couldn't do it for around $300...