Advice on buying used 99 Eddie Bauer.

[Huney1]

1999 Eddie Bauer LOADED with 51K miles on it. Former owner senior citizens and she did the driving, garage kept and it is mint looks new inside and out. Has 5.0 ltr 302 engine 4 speed auto tranny with OD and gas mileage suppose to be 15 mpg in town and 20 hwy. OK, I can live with that and I want it for safety and a big vehicle for a change. Price is definitely right and thought I'd ask for you input and experience with that vehicle and engine. If it's the same old 5.0 Ford used before the 4.6 then the 5.0 is almost bulletproof. Thanks and have a nice week end.

[shorod]

Huney1, yep, that 5.0L engine is the same that was in the Thunderbirds, Crown Vics, and other Fords for many years, derived from the 289 (and I think the 260 before that). I have a 2000 Mountaineer with the same engine and trans. I'm just about to 100k and it still runs and shifts great.

My Mountaineer has AWD and I'm happy when I get 13 mpg in all city driving and 18 with all highway driving. Unless that Explorer has 2wd, I'm not sure you should expect 15 and 20 mpg.

-Rod

[Huney1]

It has excellent owner reviews and they say it is a gas hog but they love it. Well, wouldn't you kinow, . . . Toyota just announced zero apr for 72 months on the Corolla and with a deal like that buying used is not an option for me. My ride is paid for and should bring a decent trade in so tomorrow morning I'm going to Toyota and see if I can get a good deal on a Corolla. They're all hurting Shorod and Toyota sales fell some 28% last month so they have to do something to bring the number back up. Besides, the dealers are sitting on cars paying floor plan and need to do something. Toyota is sort'a 'bailing them out' and that's a good thing.

Bought a new house moving to the mainland and I forgot just what a pain in the rear moving is. AARRGGHH! Some really good buys out there but you have to go beat the bricks and look.

Hope you & way2old have been doing well and I'm a lot better than I was some time ago. Thanks for the advice and I'll se you around the campus. I'll let you know if Toyota wants to dance.

[Huney1]

Payments for 72 months are scary because mine is paid for and if I get the explorer I can pay cash difference much more comfortable for an old fart like me. I read about xmission problems but 'prolly 'cause the owners don't change the fluid like thsy should. Well, . . . what's new in LaLa land ? ?

[shorod]

The transmission problems you read about may have been the 5-speed automatic transmission which is used with some of the V6 Explorers. This is the same transmission used in the new Thunderbird and Lincoln LS which has had shift solenoid issues.

-Rod

[Huney1]

The sticker says "4-speed automatic transmission w/OD". I don't know if it's the problematic 5 speed you refer to. Having oil change, tranny fluid changed/flushed w/Mercon V, cooling system flush and pick it up today. When I test drove it the fuel computer showed 20 mpg @ 60 mph. Maybe that's hog wash. New Dunlop tires and it looks mint, so what the heck, I'm getting old(er) and we only go around once.

I HATE MOVING AS MUCH AS I HATED THE KNEE REPLACEMENT! Moving pain not nearly as long as the knee pain, but still a big pain. Friday we are in the new house then to get everything unpacked and in it's place.

[shorod]

Congrats on the new house. I can't (fortunately) relate to the knee pain, but can relate to the moving pains. But you're right, those pains dissipate quickly.

The 5-speed I was referring to is only available with the 6-cylinder, I don't expect you'll have issues with the 4-sp w/ OD in your Explorer if it was maintained. Actually, my wife has the 5-speed in her 2002 LS and we've had no problems with it. I suspect that's because we bought the extended warranty since I was aware of the potential issues when we bought the car.

-Rod

[Huney1]

Took delivery yesterady and drove it 25 miles home runs like a champ. Fuel computer averaged 18.5 mpg so not that bad. Question for ya: The temp gauge barely moves from cold and thjey did a flush job on the cooling system. I wonder if there's a way to purge air caught in the cooling system that might be causing the temp sensor to not make contact with the coolant?

Enmark has gas for $2.38 and I have one of their pre-pay cards and it knocks .03 cents off so I get it for $2.35. Glad to see gas coming down now that I have a gas hog. Only drive 8 to 10K mi a year so gas is not a terribly traumatic expensive thing for me.

[shorod]

I'm not aware of a purge valve on the V8. I recently replaced all the hoses, coolant, and thermostat on my V8 Mountaineer. After every drive I would check the level and top it off. After about 3 times of doing this, it appeared to have the trapped air out of the system.

-Rod