[Joe Dirt]

Hi Guys,

Proud '94 SHO owner here, looking at replaceing my '03 Explorer with an '04 SEL. I can drop my payment quite a bit, and get (I think) a lot nicer vehicle for the effort. Is there anything I should know before going into it tomorrow?

What about synthetics- how long would I want to run the break in oil, and still Mobil-1? I don't want to start a flame-war on this one, either!

Thanx!

 

[afi292]

Ok

When i my 03 hit 3,000 miles i put the motorcraft synthetic blend in (5w-20 what our car requires)

then when it hit 6,000 miles i put in amsoil 5w-20 full synthetic motor oil.. amsoil is th eonly brand that makes the 5w-20 viscosity...and i called for and they said as long as the oil is certified and 5w-20 it will not void the warranty.. so there ya go

 

[Joe Dirt]

Thanx for the quick reply! I really need to make the car last as long as I can this time, and I'd like to do it right. The Duratec is such a great plant on it's own, I figure that keeping it right from the start should only make it better.

Any other maintenance tips?

Thanx again!

 

[sfblacksel]

Putting in a different visosity oil will NOT void your warranty. Many of the lube places here do not carry 5w-20, nor do they carry the 10w-20 that ford also used. I am running 0w-30 Amsoil, and I change my filter twice a year and the oil once a year. That is usually 12,000-18,000 miles per year. If you want Amsoil, don't pay list price for it. You can become a member for $10/year and you will more than make up the savings on your first order of 6 quarts.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I hear you about the Amsoil thing- we have a neighbor over here that sells it, so I can get it from him, I use all Amsoil in my '88 Mustang. Do you have any issues with overly noisy operation of the DOHC? I know that if I put thinner oil in my SHO, it clacks like crazy! Then again, it is 10 years old... Do you recommend different viscosities for summer and winter, like everyone does on the SHO? Being from Michigan, the temps are frickin' crazy!

I really know absolutely nothing about the Duratec, except to get one if I have the choice. I'm all about V8 pushrods, and Yamahas. Any advice about fuel grade, fuel brands, oil, cruising speeds for optimum performance/economy on long trips would be greatly appreciated and (most importantly in a forum setting) heeded!

How about ATF? Can I change it when brand new without changing the filter? Should I change it without changing the filter, and should I change it when brand new?

 

[XLSuruaT]

Dont worry about the atf. You dont need to flush it until 30k (I recommend 25k though). From what I have read here, you should be able to get it well under invoice, although I think a mazda6 is a better choice

 

[silvapain]

Where is everyone's manners? Welcome to the TCCA!

Synthetics are MUCH better at adhering to the metal parts in the engine than petroleum based oil, and flows much better; so changing viscosity is not as important.

One thing I would get - a pre-oiler. It is a small pump that will pump engine oil up into the heads when you turn on the key, thus preventing the engine craking over without any oil on it. It will also run for roughly thiry seconds after the engine stops, helping to prevent the heads and block from overheating when the engine shuts off. It's about $300 for the kit, but very worth it, if you consider that most engine wear occurs at cold start-up.

 

[majisto]

Those 3rd Gen Explroers must be a LOT heavier, because my Explorer is just as fast if not faster than a Duratec Taurus. I have the same 4.0 SOHC motor as you too. Maybe you just need some better gears.

I have never been very impressed with those 3rd Gen Explorers though. To be honest though, I would look for a pre-2003 Taurus SEL. The options that were eliminated such as rear air really tick me off.

 

[XLSuruaT]

Originally posted by Majisto@Apr 18 2004, 10:55 PM
I have never been very impressed with those 3rd Gen Explorers though. To be honest though, I would look for a pre-2003 Taurus SEL. The options that were eliminated such as rear air really tick me off.

Honestly, that rear air put the taurus in front of the pack back in 96, but now they castrated that feature from the 04

 

[majisto]

Originally posted by XLSuruaT+Apr 19 2004, 02:00 AM-->QUOTE (XLSuruaT @ Apr 19 2004, 02:00 AM)

<!--QuoteBegin-Majisto

@Apr 18 2004, 10:55 PM
I have never been very impressed with those 3rd Gen Explorers though.  To be honest though, I would look for a pre-2003 Taurus SEL.  The options that were eliminated such as rear air really tick me off.

Honestly, that rear air put the taurus in front of the pack back in 96, but now they castrated that feature from the 04

[/b]

I don't have rear air in the Taurus, but the Explorer does (In fact, it has 3 fan speed settings and an upper/lower setting...it's very nice) and that is why the Explorer sees the road trips with my friends rather than the Taurus.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the deal is with the Exploder, I love the space it has, but performance-wise, it's not great. The trans is not the greatest thing ever, long shifts with insistence from the dealer(s) that everything is fine.

The gearing is terrible. I have to run the thing with O/D off constantly or it can't ever find the right gear. And OD on the highway is not much better- the slightest hint of a hill and the car (with only me in it) has to downshift to keep up with traffic.

In all, after 1 1/2 years with it, I'm not nearly as impressed with it as much as I was the week after I got it. The seats are like bleachers, and never softened up.

My 2-door Sport with the same motor and gears blew this one away... The OD was still a problem, but overall, I liked the 2-door better.

I may be picking up the Taurus this evening, but we'll see how the t-drive goes first.

Many thanks for the info!

 

[afi292]

Originally posted by sfblacksel@Apr 18 2004, 07:29 PM
Putting in a different visosity oil will NOT void your warranty. Many of the lube places here do not carry 5w-20, nor do they carry the 10w-20 that ford also used. I am running 0w-30 Amsoil, and I change my filter twice a year and the oil once a year. That is usually 12,000-18,000 miles per year. If you want Amsoil, don't pay list price for it. You can become a member for $10/year and you will more than make up the savings on your first order of 6 quarts.

I bet you anything if your engine needs anything major done on it for warranty work and you don't have the right type of oil... they'll give you enough problems for you to have to hire a lawyer

 

[Joe Dirt]

Okay- picked the car up today, to sign papers tomorrow. Told them I wanted to take it overnight first... I was surprised they said yes.

I really looked it over, drove it, and have some questions.

1. It has the "wood trim" on the front doors, and the console/dash. (no on the wheel and knob) but nothing surrounding the rear door window controls. It looks really stupid to have them up front, but not in the rear. Is this right? <_<

2. Is there supposed to be insulator carpeted pad on the underside of the trunk lid? The trunk doesn't look like it was painted to finish, like there was supposed to be something there.

Other than that, I love it! Great, quiet, nice riding car.

Can anyone verify the above two things for the 2004 model year?

Thanx!

 

[Damon]

Originally posted by Joe Dirt@Apr 19 2004, 07:29 PM
Okay- picked the car up today, to sign papers tomorrow. Told them I wanted to take it overnight first... I was surprised they said yes.

I really looked it over, drove it, and have some questions.

1. It has the "wood trim" on the front doors, and the console/dash. (no on the wheel and knob) but nothing surrounding the rear door window controls. It looks really stupid to have them up front, but not in the rear. Is this right? <_<

2. Is there supposed to be insulator carpeted pad on the underside of the trunk lid? The trunk doesn't look like it was painted to finish, like there was supposed to be something there.

Other than that, I love it! Great, quiet, nice riding car.

Can anyone verify the above two things for the 2004 model year?

Thanx!

Hmmm, well for what its worth my gen 4 yr 2000 has a insulation pad underneath the hood.

Make them put one on there

-DC

 

[qwertz9586]

Do you need insulation pad on the decklid? And it's suppose to be a flat, dull color. They wouldn't bother detailing the underside of the trunk lid.

Wood trim on the front doors? That must be new. The only other Taurus I've see with wood trim on the front doors was an old '86-'89.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I'll clarify, as it seems I've created some confusion.

The wood trim is simply the wood applique's around the window switches, the gear selector, and the radio/hvac module.

I looked at pictures of the SEL's on Ford's website, and they show no trim on the rear doors.

The insulator I thought would have been inside, on the underside of the trunk.

It's flat gray, but every car I've had at least painted the underside of the trunk to match the rest of the car. That's the only reason I asked. It's not like I need a pad under the decklid, it just looked to me like they intended to put something in there but didn't...

I guess she's normal, though...

BUT- where can I get some of the chrome interior door handles like 2002's, I think? the black plastic ones look out of place in this great leather SEL interior!

 

[majisto]

I'll trade you my chrome ones for the plastic. I think the chrome looks cheap and out of place. I also don't like it on the air vents. If there was more chrome in the car, it would be better, but I think black plastic would fit better.

 

[Joe Dirt]

As soon as I for sure have the car, and can figure out how to get them off without destroying the door panels, I'll take you up on it!

 

[majisto]

Originally posted by Joe Dirt@Apr 19 2004, 11:38 PM
As soon as I for sure have the car, and can figure out how to get them off without destroying the door panels, I'll take you up on it!

I was kinda joking...I haven't seen the black plastic handles at all. They might not be too bad though.

 

[afi292]

Originally posted by Majisto+Apr 19 2004, 11:59 PM-->QUOTE (Majisto @ Apr 19 2004, 11:59 PM)

<!--QuoteBegin-Joe Dirt

@Apr 19 2004, 11:38 PM
As soon as I for sure have the car, and can figure out how to get them off without destroying the door panels, I'll take you up on it! 

I was kinda joking...I haven't seen the black plastic handles at all. They might not be too bad though. [/b]

my car has black plastic handles