I have been having some problems as of lately with my 93 Explorer and am looking for some solutions.
93 For Explorer XLT, 4x4, 4.0l V6, 126k miles

1. My fuel gage has been acting up, when I get down to about 1/4 tank my gage fluctuates all over and usually pegs out as full. I changed the fuel pump inside the tank and the problem persists. Also when it is down around 1/4 tank, it usually doesnt start on the first crank, have to wait a second and it fires right up.

2. When I am towing a trailer - any trailer, has done the same thing on several trailers - I have a jet ski with a small trailer and while towing my turn signals flash more rapidly, about twice the normal speed. They usually work for a while and just randomly blow the 15 amp fuse under the dash just left of the steering column.

3. I have had a gradual decrease in fuel economy, I was getting around 20 mpg and now am only getting about 13-16 mpg, fuel filter replaced, tires inflated to 35 psi, plugs changed, new plug wires, oil changed, tranny fluid full, recently changed the exhaust.

4. my biggest concern, is overheating, weither i am towing or not, the vehicle tends to overheat. I have changed the thermostat in the past and it seemed to fix the problem for a short while but then the problem returns.

any help in finding a reasonable inexpensive solution would be great.

I might be able to help you out with problems 2 & 3.

Problem #2: The signal light problem might be due to the flasher (a relay that turns the signal lights on and off repeatedly) which is also in the under-dash fuse box. These tend to go after a many years, and when you tow a trailer, the stock one may not be able to handle the extra load. You can usually get heavy-duty replacements that can handle a larger load.

Problem #3: You might be suffering from lowered cylinder compression, and you might want to take it to an auto shop to have that tested. Older vehicles often have problems in that area. You can get oil and fuel additives that can increase your compression back to normal. One product I know of, called Engine Restore, is an oil additive that restores the scratches in your cylinder walls and increases your compression.

As for the overheating problem check your water pump and definitely have your cooling system flushed and topped off.

Good luck and hopefully this helps out!

Forewarning on the fuel gauge problem...

My brother has a 94 Explorer and his was having similiar problems with the gas gauge. After a while it fixed the fluxing flying needle problem on its own, It just stopped moving... He didn't have the starting problem though. He just has to watch his mileage and refill before hes over his limit.

Thanks for the info., am having the cylinder compression checked, replacing the water pump and installing a HD flasher relay, having the fuel system flushed and checked as well as a tune up. As far as the fuel gage, great.. hopefully just a faulty ground somewhere.

If flushing radiator doesn't work, it may be time for new radiator. Do you know if it's every been replaced? It can be 11 yrs old.

Can someone help me here I have two problems with my 1992 Explorer.
1) I just changed the master cylinder on my brakes bench bled it but now my brakes seem to be slowly hanging up and as the heat increases they hang up more not sure what casues this to happen. After a while 30 minutes or so the vehicle will start to shimmy and shake until the brakes have not been touched for a while.

2) It appears my heating core is starting to leak what is the best way to get at it? Also are they hard to find in the junk yard

I have been having some problems as of lately with my 93 Explorer and am looking for some solutions.
93 For Explorer XLT, 4x4, 4.0l V6, 126k miles

1. My fuel gage has been acting up, when I get down to about 1/4 tank my gage fluctuates all over and usually pegs out as full. I changed the fuel pump inside the tank and the problem persists. Also when it is down around 1/4 tank, it usually doesnt start on the first crank, have to wait a second and it fires right up.

2. When I am towing a trailer - any trailer, has done the same thing on several trailers - I have a jet ski with a small trailer and while towing my turn signals flash more rapidly, about twice the normal speed. They usually work for a while and just randomly blow the 15 amp fuse under the dash just left of the steering column.

3. I have had a gradual decrease in fuel economy, I was getting around 20 mpg and now am only getting about 13-16 mpg, fuel filter replaced, tires inflated to 35 psi, plugs changed, new plug wires, oil changed, tranny fluid full, recently changed the exhaust.

4. my biggest concern, is overheating, weither i am towing or not, the vehicle tends to overheat. I have changed the thermostat in the past and it seemed to fix the problem for a short while but then the problem returns.

any help in finding a reasonable inexpensive solution would be great.

#1 sounds like a short circuit (intermittent) somewhere in your fuel indication circuits. When you changed the fuel pump, did you change the fuel level sensor also? I forget, but they may be all one unit. My '91 Explorer fuel gauge went bad and generally just read "E" - once in a while "1/4". I can't remember if I changed the pump with the unit. The level sensor is just a slider attached to a float, which changes the resistance of a circuit as the float moves. Usual failure mode is an open circuit (bad continuity on the slider).

#2 is definately a short circuit to ground on a "hot" wire. The turn signals flashing rapidly are usually a symptom of a blown bulb - in your case sounds like a short. Check the trailer attachment wiring for chafing/frayed connections, particulary near metal surfaces.

#3 Not sure. I have crappier gas mileage in the winter, particularly now that the Gov't banned MTBE and we now have ethanol added in winter months. Colder ambient air temps will also reduce your gas mileage a couple mpg. However, since it's summer, not sure what your issue is. Could be EGR/PCV/bad vacuum? Tough one. Engine compression issue is possible, but less likely.

#4 Engine overheating could be a number of things. Is it happening at idle only, or while driving, or both? Thermostat is possible, but not first choice since you just had it replaced. Unless you put it in backwards, don't recall if that's possible on this vehicle. I've seen it elsewhere. You could check it by removing it and putting it in a pan of hot water and see if the spring/bellows expands properly. You could also overheat if you are low on coolant. Water pump not pumping enough is not likely, as its failure mode is usually just leakage - it'll still circulate fluid - until your empty...I haven't seen this in a while but you could also have fouled heat transfer surfaces - radiator and/or engine block, particularly if you've run the motor with straight water or insufficient anti-freeze for an extended period. You'd have notice this though be seeing a lot of junk in your fluid if you drain the radiator. If fluid looks normal this is not likely the case. Look for something simple - did you put the thermostat in correctly?

Just to throw something out there that I haven't seen anybody mention, a stretched timing chain.
My neighbor who is a diehard Ford mechanic has told me that getting over 110k on any timing chain made by Ford results in the overheating missing and gas mileage problems. He was right on my 83 Mustang GT it was a loose as a goose.

My 93 Explorer's (150 k) gas mileage has dropped especailly during the winter. I can see the temp climb above normal on hill climbs even though I have the trailer towing package with the larger radiator. I stopped towing my boat for this reason. I'm planning to replace if my water pump ever goes bad.