- Jun 7, 2000
- 9,100
- 13
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LONG post. Cliff's notes at the end.
This was written a few days ago and posted on another forum... so the dates may be slightly off.
I graduated from high school in May 03 (I'm now 19), and received a '99 Ford Explorer XLS (2WD) as a graduation gift from my grandmother. It was purchased from a local dealership, who had promised they just put new brakes on it, and a new serpintine belt, among a list of other things. I had the serpintine belt replaced in mid-November. By early December, my brakes started feeling very weak, so I took the truck by Tuffy. They said they had about 20% remaining on them, and that I would be good to go for a few more months. I took the truck back to them on or about Feb 18th, and got it back around the 21st. They said they had to basically rebuild the entire braking system, as it was all pretty much trashed, and they charged me an outrageous (or so I've heard) $700.
The brakes didn't feel quite right, so I took the truck back on the 27th. They just said to stomp on the brakes very hard a few times from a high speed (cautiously, of course), and the problem should clear up. I left there, and drove to a restaurant to eat w/ my parents. Left about 45 minutes later. A couple of miles away, I noticed that the temperature was starting to climb steadily. Over the course of the next 30 miles, I noticed that if I left the cabin heater turned on, the engine temp returned to near normal range, but if I turned it off, the temp climbed steeply. Solution? Drive with the heat on and windows down. The temp never climbed above normal. I also noticed that nobody would follow me down a rather busy highway - they would always change lanes, even if we were going the same speed. At the time, I found it peculiar, but didn't think much of it.
The next morning, when the sun came up, I checked it and noticed that there was absolutely no coolant in the reservoir, and the radiator had very little in it at all. I filled them both to where they should be, and headed off for a party. Drove the entire way there with the heater off, and the engine temp was fine. Left the party a few hours later and the engine started getting warm within a mile or two. Turned the heater back on for the duration of the 47 mile stretch home.
I noticed that the coolant level in the reservoir has dropped slightly from where it was when I filled it last saturday, but it wasn't a substantial amount. The engine has since then continued to get hot if I turn the heater off. As I have no other vehicles to drive to work some days, I have had to drive it with the heater on.
Tonight I finally had time to pull the truck in the garage (albeit after dark). I checked the dipstick, and I didn't notice any condensation other than oil. I thought the exhaust looked whiter than normal, but it could very well have been the light reflecting off of it since it was after dark and I was using ambient garage lights.
Shortly after I had the serpintine belt changed last fall, I noticed that the coolant tank was empty one day, so I filled it. It was empty the next day, so I filled it again... and the problem didn't recur until now. However, I didn't notice the temperature gauge go up at all last fall.
A couple of people told me that the thermostat is faulty, and I should replace it. My question is... could a faulty thermostat have made ALL of the coolant evacuate the reservoir and about 95% of the coolant evacuate the radiator? If so... great! A thermostat doesn't cost too much. However, quite a few people suggested that it's likely that a head gasket blew. My parents advised me that they don't recommend I spend more than $1000 total to fix all of the problems I have with the Explorer. If it will cost more than that, they said that if it were theirs, they would trade it in. Most of the people I've talked to about it say that it will cost over $1000 to have a head gasket replaced. Furthermore, a few people mentioned that replacing a head gasket on an Explorer's engine is dicey - several engines have completely died within a year of replacing a head gasket. Thus, it wouldn't be worth it to try.
Regardless, I'm wanting to trade it in. It was purchased last May for $10500. A dealership valued it at $5000 last fall. I was looking for a Regal then, but it cost $10500 and I didn't have over $5000 to pay in the balance, so I didn't go ahead with it. However, I was just hired for a full-time job with decent pay that starts April 1. I would be able to make a car payment as of April 1... and am thus thinking that I want to trade in the Explorer for a Regal ASAP. HOWEVER, I have absolutely no credit. No positive, no negative. I thus cannot get a loan from any lenders. My adopted parents can't cosign for me because they have several outstanding loans for vehicles, and my biological parents can't cosign because they have outstanding loans due to vehicle, home, and farm purchases... and that narrows the list to nobody that will cosign for me. I'm *hoping* that I can get a loan from an aunt for whatever the price of a decent car is... but I somehow doubt she'll help me out, even if it was a high interest rate.
Note that throughout this post, I've mentioned a Regal - I'm wanting to buy a 99-01 Buick Regal GS. They get good gas mileage, are sleepers, are fast, are comfortable to drive, and seem to be reliable. My mother drives a Regal and we've had not one problem with it since we got it three years ago. $12,000 seems to be a decent price for that age and type of car. It's relatively hard to find one for sale, but it's not impossible. It would not be hard for me to pay nearly $500 / month for a car payment... the problem is just getting the initial loan.
So... any advice on what I should do about the explorer... repair it or no (assuming it is indeed a head gasket problem - a mechanic will hopefully have time to look at it Monday)? What should I do about the no credit situation and trying to get a loan for a new car? Any other advice? or questions for me?
****Short Version****
Got a 99 Explorer in May 03 for $10500. Just spent $700 to replace the braking system.
Now we think the head gaskets are blown. I am thus looking to buy another car as the parents don't want me to pour over $1000 more into a vehicle that has given us nothing but trouble for the last year. I *really* want to get a 99-01 Buick Regal GS (about $12,000). However, nobody is able to cosign for me, and I haven't got credit to get a loan. See the questions immediately above this.
This was written a few days ago and posted on another forum... so the dates may be slightly off.
I graduated from high school in May 03 (I'm now 19), and received a '99 Ford Explorer XLS (2WD) as a graduation gift from my grandmother. It was purchased from a local dealership, who had promised they just put new brakes on it, and a new serpintine belt, among a list of other things. I had the serpintine belt replaced in mid-November. By early December, my brakes started feeling very weak, so I took the truck by Tuffy. They said they had about 20% remaining on them, and that I would be good to go for a few more months. I took the truck back to them on or about Feb 18th, and got it back around the 21st. They said they had to basically rebuild the entire braking system, as it was all pretty much trashed, and they charged me an outrageous (or so I've heard) $700.
The brakes didn't feel quite right, so I took the truck back on the 27th. They just said to stomp on the brakes very hard a few times from a high speed (cautiously, of course), and the problem should clear up. I left there, and drove to a restaurant to eat w/ my parents. Left about 45 minutes later. A couple of miles away, I noticed that the temperature was starting to climb steadily. Over the course of the next 30 miles, I noticed that if I left the cabin heater turned on, the engine temp returned to near normal range, but if I turned it off, the temp climbed steeply. Solution? Drive with the heat on and windows down. The temp never climbed above normal. I also noticed that nobody would follow me down a rather busy highway - they would always change lanes, even if we were going the same speed. At the time, I found it peculiar, but didn't think much of it.
The next morning, when the sun came up, I checked it and noticed that there was absolutely no coolant in the reservoir, and the radiator had very little in it at all. I filled them both to where they should be, and headed off for a party. Drove the entire way there with the heater off, and the engine temp was fine. Left the party a few hours later and the engine started getting warm within a mile or two. Turned the heater back on for the duration of the 47 mile stretch home.
I noticed that the coolant level in the reservoir has dropped slightly from where it was when I filled it last saturday, but it wasn't a substantial amount. The engine has since then continued to get hot if I turn the heater off. As I have no other vehicles to drive to work some days, I have had to drive it with the heater on.
Tonight I finally had time to pull the truck in the garage (albeit after dark). I checked the dipstick, and I didn't notice any condensation other than oil. I thought the exhaust looked whiter than normal, but it could very well have been the light reflecting off of it since it was after dark and I was using ambient garage lights.
Shortly after I had the serpintine belt changed last fall, I noticed that the coolant tank was empty one day, so I filled it. It was empty the next day, so I filled it again... and the problem didn't recur until now. However, I didn't notice the temperature gauge go up at all last fall.
A couple of people told me that the thermostat is faulty, and I should replace it. My question is... could a faulty thermostat have made ALL of the coolant evacuate the reservoir and about 95% of the coolant evacuate the radiator? If so... great! A thermostat doesn't cost too much. However, quite a few people suggested that it's likely that a head gasket blew. My parents advised me that they don't recommend I spend more than $1000 total to fix all of the problems I have with the Explorer. If it will cost more than that, they said that if it were theirs, they would trade it in. Most of the people I've talked to about it say that it will cost over $1000 to have a head gasket replaced. Furthermore, a few people mentioned that replacing a head gasket on an Explorer's engine is dicey - several engines have completely died within a year of replacing a head gasket. Thus, it wouldn't be worth it to try.
Regardless, I'm wanting to trade it in. It was purchased last May for $10500. A dealership valued it at $5000 last fall. I was looking for a Regal then, but it cost $10500 and I didn't have over $5000 to pay in the balance, so I didn't go ahead with it. However, I was just hired for a full-time job with decent pay that starts April 1. I would be able to make a car payment as of April 1... and am thus thinking that I want to trade in the Explorer for a Regal ASAP. HOWEVER, I have absolutely no credit. No positive, no negative. I thus cannot get a loan from any lenders. My adopted parents can't cosign for me because they have several outstanding loans for vehicles, and my biological parents can't cosign because they have outstanding loans due to vehicle, home, and farm purchases... and that narrows the list to nobody that will cosign for me. I'm *hoping* that I can get a loan from an aunt for whatever the price of a decent car is... but I somehow doubt she'll help me out, even if it was a high interest rate.
Note that throughout this post, I've mentioned a Regal - I'm wanting to buy a 99-01 Buick Regal GS. They get good gas mileage, are sleepers, are fast, are comfortable to drive, and seem to be reliable. My mother drives a Regal and we've had not one problem with it since we got it three years ago. $12,000 seems to be a decent price for that age and type of car. It's relatively hard to find one for sale, but it's not impossible. It would not be hard for me to pay nearly $500 / month for a car payment... the problem is just getting the initial loan.
So... any advice on what I should do about the explorer... repair it or no (assuming it is indeed a head gasket problem - a mechanic will hopefully have time to look at it Monday)? What should I do about the no credit situation and trying to get a loan for a new car? Any other advice? or questions for me?
****Short Version****
Got a 99 Explorer in May 03 for $10500. Just spent $700 to replace the braking system.
Now we think the head gaskets are blown. I am thus looking to buy another car as the parents don't want me to pour over $1000 more into a vehicle that has given us nothing but trouble for the last year. I *really* want to get a 99-01 Buick Regal GS (about $12,000). However, nobody is able to cosign for me, and I haven't got credit to get a loan. See the questions immediately above this.
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