I have a '96 Limited Explorer 4X4 with 137,000 miles on it. It runs pretty darn well and haven't really had any problems until the past year or so but nothing yet that has kept it off the road. Here are a couple problems I have had with it though that I really need to get fixed and could use help:

1. My fog lights and passenger side low beam do not work. I noticed the low beam out the other day, decided to go pick up a bulb. Before I could, I noticed it was back on again, I figured I shouldn't worry about it. The other day, it went out and has not come back on. I went to Carquest, picked up bulbs for the low beam and fog lights, replaced them and still nothing. I also checked all the fuses and still nothing. Any ideas? I read somewhere about a Lamp Out Module issue. If this is the problem could someone expand on how to fix it.

2. When in idle, and particularly now that it is cold outside, the car vibrates. I noticed it when in a drive-thru today and I had the car in park there was this vibrating almost like a rumbling or a shudder.

3. The rear drivers side door cannot be opened from the inside, but can from the outside. I checked the child lock and it is off. The handle on the inside does not seem to "catch" anything when trying to open.

4. The rear passenger door can be opened inside and out but the problem is with the lock. When locking and unlocking the door, there is a loud whirring noise (People reffer to it as my car farting when I unlock/lock it). Any ideas?

5. I couple months ago, I started my car and the 4X4 Auto and 4X4 Low lights began blinking and making a clicking noise. Sometimes it happened, sometimes it did it the entire time I was driving, sometimes it never happened. It has since stopped but I still think about it. I sometimes hear a clicking noise when I start my car up but no lights. I'm still worried even though it hasn't happened in the past few weeks.

I'd like to try to fix some of this stuff on my own if I can. I really don't trust the dealship nor mechanics. I'm not increadible car knowledgable but am handy and learn quick. If I have to bring in to a mechanic any idea on costs for these problems. BY THE WAY, I wish I had visited this site before I payed $850 to get my Blend Door problem fixed. I had no idea and I feel really cheated by Ford for a problem I could have done myself. Thank you so much.

 

Sorry if any of these q's have been answered in previous threads. As you can see I'm new to the site but have explored it pretty thuroughly still. I guess I just have quite a few problems I was hope could be addressed at the same time.

 

I'll try and answer a few of your questions. Number 1, yes it sounds like your LOM. Search this forum. It's been discussed a number of times. Number 2 sounds like it might be a heat shield on your exhaust system. The drive-thru tests usually works pretty well. Pull up alongside a wall, like a drive-thru, and leave the car in gear while stepping on the brake. If you hear a rattle sound, check your heat shields. Repair using a large stainless steel hose clamp.

Number 3, you need to remove your inside door panel and replace your door handle assembly. This has also been discussed a number of times. Search this forum for additional info and instructions.

Can't help you on 4 and 5.

Good luck,

Mason

 

Thanks for the response Mason. I searched the FTE threads for Lamp Outage Module and came up with a really good set of directions by Bubbaboy. Here is the link to that thread http://www.fordtruckenthusiasts.com/...+Outage+Module+ . Hopefully that link works. I found his directions pretty clear and really quite helpful. I also found a link to a site that has about 12 pictures of someone actually doing the operation. It can be found here -- http://www.esysdev.com/FordExplorerLOM

Hopefully that can help anyone else with this problem find answers quicker

Took the LOM out, soldered a couple points that looked bad, reinstalled, I HAVE LIGHTS....Thanks for the help, now I have only a couple more problems to tackle with this car. If anyone else can give me more information on the other problems and how to fix them I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Kuhawk06, reading your post sounded exactly like I was writing it even down to which door has which problem. I have a 96 EB 4x4 (137K) which I believe shares the same fancy gadgets and therefore expensive problems as the Limited.

The answer to #4 is the door lock actuator. It is mounted inside the door on the curve just under the latch. I checked with dealer today...$90. It seems to me any aftermarket might work---I'm certainly going to try. I am actually tearing into it tonight. I will try to f/u if I have any success. The brilliant folks at Ford mounted it with rivets...I am so happy about that.

My LR door handle had the same problem. Once you see the problem, it is obvious Ford took the cheapest door handle option. A little tab breaks off (the whole thing is plastic) that basically re***** the handle for the next opening. I replaced today for $19.60+ttl from dealer (only found GM etc at parts stores). Easy fix you can do. To remove door panel, remove 2 screws above handle, remove the little trim around the handle, there are nine plastic keepers to pry out (the upholestry tool really makes it easier with less damage for less than $10), lift up out of top channel by window. For more working space, you can remove the two screws for the elec window control. Do not attempt to remove the button...pry/pull the bottom 1/4" black part away (it is the female end of a 7-pin connector---talk about over engineering). Remove the two screws holding from the door handle and gently push the door handle forward. Once loose, just tilt the front of the handle down to get it off the rod. Just be careful installing the new one. Make sure all the little tabs are lined up before you slide it gentle back into place.

You've really got me worried. Of the five problems, the only one I have not seen is #5. Could it be fluid? I am checking mine tomorrow!

Had the same weirdness as #1. I do not want to be a downer, but I followed the recom for resoldering the pathetic piece of poor engineering. It worked for about a year. A couple of weeks ago (you may have seen my post about the phone s-e-x numbers on the LOM module) mine started melting where I made the repair. Dealerships act as if they did not know that TSB 98-1-26 describes the dumb thing melting. "We've never replaced one of those." Yeah, right! Now, I will either wire around the LOM or cough up the $90.

Good luck with your repairs. I still like the thing, I just keep reminding myself that I don't have to pay car notes.

 

Hopefully others can learn from my mistake. The door lock actuator is held in place by a u-shaped. The bottom of the u is riveted to the door (looks like a button). The sides of the u look like they are riveted but they are not. The actuator is held in the u by pressure and studs. You can easily pry the actuator out without drilling out the one rivet that holds it all to the door.

The actuator itself is a total feat of over engineering and poor implementation. There is a small motor with a gear connected to a gear with a sort of flywheel connected to another gear then another gear. This last gear has a small gear attached that runs across the middle of the actuator along the axle for that gear. This smaller gear along the axle is what drives the flat-geared end of the locking rod. It is all plastic and it looks like the weakest point is that small, gear along the axle that does the actual work. Amazing. Ford could really learn a lot from looking at a simple Mercedes solenoid door lock mechanism. Then again, Ford probably has some sort of quota to keep for these stupid parts.

Well, since getting a gear is highly improbable, I'm off to give Ford $100.

 

kuhawk06,
#5 might be the 4WD/t-case shift motor. Happened to me. The armature gets dirty and it hangs up between settings. The computer doesn't know what position it's in and the light will flash. You can remove the motor and clean it. There was a post on it with step by step direx and pics here somewhere. You can search this forum for "transfer case motor" or "4WD light blinking". I know it's here somewhere but I forget where.

 

Thanks for all who responded so far, especially EXPL4X4. I took apart my rear drivers side door today to tackle the broken handle problem. I went up to Ford and bought a new handle ($16) and installed it according to EXPL's directions as well as a couple other directions on different threads. It was exactly the problem that you specified it was. Just the little internal plastic tab had broken off causing the handle not to operate the door. It's amazing how such a small cheap piece can be the cause of such a problem. I reinstalled the new handle and it worked like a charm. Now people can get out of that door again. Out of curiousity, I asked the technician at the Ford dealership how much it would cost for them to do it. He said $150-$200. Thanks for helping me save that money.

On a seperate note, do you think that it is the actuator on the other door even though the door can still be locked and unlocked using the power locks? They still lock/unlock, there is just a buzzing noise when I do it. And the door works fine otherwise. If it is the actuator, do I have to buy an entirely new acutator for that door? Where was the actuator located. I didn't take of the plastic when doing the other project so I didn't really look in the door further. I don't suppose you took pictures. Thanks again.

 

Sorry kuhawk06, my camera is not working. If the door lock is moving automatically but you are stilling getting the whirring/buzzing sound, I believe the actuator is on it's last cog. Ours began making the noise while still working; then it started working intermittently. Finally, it never worked again. When I cracked it open, all was revealed. I could see how the progression from bad to worse was possible. Hard to explain, but it then made sense. There is nothing you can do to prevent what is already happening (you are powerless to control it's fate ). I would just let it go until it no longer works unless you cannot stand the noise or you are concerned it may not lock for you. The one I bought today and installed (30 min) was right at $90.

The actuator location: Open the door and look at the latch on the door. The latch is on the vertical flat part, right? Then the rear of the door starts to go down and forward (to make room for the wheel well). If you have child safety locks, the switch is located just below the latch were the forward slant begins. Eight inches down from the start of the slant, you should see a black button looking device. That is the rivet for the U-shaped actuator bracket...the one you DO NOT want to remove. The rivet is in the bottom of the U with the bracket pointing in toward the hollow of the door; the sides of the U run parallel with the sides of the door. Now, using your x-ray vision, you will see the actuator positioned in the same direction as the slant. The electrical plug is toward the bottom; the armature for the actuator comes out of the top. The actuator box is about 1 inch wide (between the U), 2 inches high, and 5.5 inches long. The armature is about 5 inches long and is about double the diameter of a regular wire shirt hanger.

R/R: Getting the old actuator out seemed harder than installing the new one or it may have been that I knew more of what I needed to do. Remove upholestry and peel back plastic sheeting. Pry the old actuator from the U-shaped bracket. The tricky part is getting the little crook in the armature end out of the door latch tab. You need to remove the three screws that hold the latch to the door. (I was worried, but nothing fell apart.) Then you have to force the latch to turn counter clockwise while lifting the actuator way up and toward the door. It is difficult to with all the stuff in the way, but it can be done. I was not sure what parts I would get (and Ford does not take anything back that is electrical), so I struggled a lot with the removal. In hindsight, I would just snip the armature to make it all easier. You will still need to do the twisting of the latch thing to replace. It may be a bit difficult to pry apart the still riveted U-shaped bracket to install the new actuator, but it is less difficult that trying to drill out the old one and secure the new one.

If they charge $175 for the handle job, they must charge $300 for the actuator job. Well worth the effort, in my opinion.

Congrats on the door handle. You may now advance to the next realm where the prizes really add up (really, $90 vs. $300 and you're good for another 137K, on that door anyway).

 

I know this is an old thread but it feels like a great place to vent...

I have a 91 and a 2000 Explorer and they BOTH have the same weak, poorly designed, often replaced door handle!!! They kept using the thing for 10 years!!!

And they wonder why they're loosing market share?