WATER PUMP INSIDE THE ENGINE

COMMON CONCERNS: Coolant You Keep Topping Up, A Gauge That Climbs On A Hot Day, A Small Drip You Have Watched For Months.

You keep topping the coolant, and the driveway stays dry. On the 3.5-liter V6 in 2011 to 2019 Explorers, the water pump sits inside the engine, turned by the timing chain. When that seal wears, coolant can escape through the pump's drain path or reach the engine oil, so the level may fall without an obvious puddle.

We pressure-test the cooling system, then read the oil on the dipstick. A change in color and texture is easy to see. Reaching the pump requires major timing-system access, so we inspect the chain, guides and tensioner and replace them only when their condition or the repair procedure calls for it. A loaner car or rideshare keeps you driving while the engine is open. Catching the loss early reduces the risk that contaminated oil or overheating will damage the engine.

TRANSMISSION SHUDDER AND HARSH SHIFTS

COMMON CONCERNS: A Rumble-Strip Shudder At Light Throttle, A Thump Into Gear, Hesitation Pulling Away From A Stop.

On 2011 to 2019 Explorers with the six-speed automatic, the usual complaint is a shudder at light throttle around 35 to 50 miles per hour. Owners describe it as driving over a rumble strip. The part that lets the engine and transmission slip smoothly at cruise carries a clutch, and as it ages that slip becomes a vibration.

On 2020 and newer trucks with the ten-speed, it is usually harsh low-speed shifts or hesitation. We road-test either one with the scan tool recording, so the symptom is captured against gear and lock-up data. From that data we can name the gear and the lock-up state the shudder lives in, and the repair is written to that.

THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE TRANSFER UNIT

COMMON CONCERNS: A Hot Gear-Oil Smell After Driving, A Whine That Rises With Road Speed, Fluid That Has Never Been Changed.

A hot gear-oil smell after a drive shows up on 2011 to 2019 Explorers with all-wheel drive. A front-wheel-drive Explorer doesn't carry the part at all. The box that sends power to the rear wheels is small, runs hot, and holds very little fluid. Ford built the early units without a drain plug or a dipstick. The fluid was never treated as a routine service item, so many are still on their original fill.

On the lift we look for a wet seam and check the fluid. We drive it and listen for what the whine follows, road speed or engine speed. Those two point at different parts. When the fluid comes out dark and burnt while the gears stay quiet, we service the unit and set a change interval.

SPARK PLUGS AND COILS

COMMON CONCERNS: A Misfire That Came Back After A New Coil, A Stumble Under Load, Oil Found Down The Plug Tube.

A coil that failed twice in the same cylinder usually has a wet tube underneath it. The plug sits at the bottom of a deep tube. Oil that gets past the valve cover seal runs down that tube and soaks the coil from below. A new coil dropped into the same wet tube fails the same way.

The plug comes out and we look down the tube before any new coil goes in. A dry tube points at the coil itself, and one swap between cylinders confirms it. A wet tube turns a coil job into a coil plus the leak that soaked it.

WHEEL BEARINGS AND FRONT-END WEAR

COMMON CONCERNS: A Growl That Changes When You Change Lanes, A Clunk Over Bumps, A Noise That Grew With The Miles.

A wheel bearing carries the weight of the truck while it spins, and an Explorer is heavy. When the bearing surfaces wear, they hum, and that hum rises and falls as the load shifts in a lane change. This shows up sooner on high-mileage trucks and on trucks that tow.

The joints and links that hold the front end wear the same way, and that clunk over bumps is what most owners notice first. On the lift we check the wheel for play and pry each front-end joint. A hum you notice at 45 miles per hour is worth a road test you can start on the way in.