My wife has a 05' Ford Explorer 4.0 V6 and I have tried to find a fuel filter for it at NAPA and Advanced Auto Parts and neither one of them had it in their computer. Is this a dealer item only? One more question, does anyone know if and how you can change the automatic transmision fluid on it because there is no dipstick. Is this a dealer option only? Thanks for the help!

 

OK... 2002-2004 explorer fuel filters is mounted under the passenger side of the firewall.. There is a metal shield with three bolts curved at an angle. Remove this shield. You will see a plastic cover with two bolts behind it... remove them and the cover and the fuel filter is behind it. There are 3 lines going to the fuel pump... to remove the lines you have to flip up the clips and press them outward (hard to explain) then pull off the lines. It's a little tight to get in there, especially if you're on the ground but it's do-able.

Now the 2005's I'm not even sure have a serviceable filter... they may have started building it into the fuel pump that year.. I just don't know.

As far as ATF changes... to drain just simply remove the drain plug in the transmission pan. If you look the drain plug has a drain plug built into it as well. (T30? torx bit?) This smaller hole is for filling... filling is much more difficult than draining. Easiest way to do it is to remove the large plug... drain.. reinstall large plug... remove pan... replace filter... fill pan with fluid (while off car)... balance it carefully and reinstall pan while full of fluid... start engine run through gears.. park on level surface.. run until engine is normal temperature.. while running in PARK remove the SMALL plug (inside the large plug).. some fluid will trickle out... when it is down to a drip reinstall the small plug and you're done.

If you want to fill it through this plug you'll need either a special tool.. or a hand pump with a very small hose to push fluid UP INTO that hole...


Good luck.

**EDIT** Make sure you use ONLY "MERCON V" fluid for your transmission. Do NOT use dexron III or regular mercon. Also do NOT use any kind of "multi-purpose" fluid. I recommend MOTORCRAFT MERCON V non-synthetic.

 

Thanks Mazda