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Inside+Out: The 1999 Ford Explorer
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| Inside+Out: The 1999 Ford Explorer |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 16 ( -2 -12.5% ) |
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Description:
performance features
Why Does It Do That?
The jumping brake pedal &150; Your Explorer is equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), and you may notice that in a hard stop, or when stopping on wet, snowy or icy pavement, the brake pedal thumps under your foot. You might also notice a moaning sound coming from under the hood. When these two things happen in tandem, it&146;s a signal that the ABS is doing its job.
The thumping in the brake pedal is the ABS rapidly pumping the brakes so the tires won&146;t skid. The accompanying sound is the hydraulic system rapidly applying and releasing brake pressure. All you need to do is keep your foot firmly on the pedal &150; the ABS will do the rest.
This sound and sensation can also serve as a reminder that the road you&146;re traveling on is slippery, and it&146;s a good indication that it&146;s time to slow down.
My automatic transmission has a mind of its own &150; The Explorer has a unique transmission with several features you may not be familiar with. First, this is a "thinking" transmission that&146;s in constant electronic communication with the engine. What this means to you is that every time the transmission gets ready to shift, it tells the engine to pause for a brief moment while it changes gears, which in turn reduces wear-and-tear and provides much smoother performance.
Secondly, this is a five-speed automatic, meaning the transmission has five forward gears to choose from, rather than four like you would find in an ordinary automatic. The additional gear means that first gear can be lower for quick acceleration from a stop sign, and fifth gear, or overdrive,
can be higher for better fuel economy.
In fact, the Explorer is the only sport utility vehicle (with the exception of the Mercedes-Benz ML) with such a sophisticated transmission.
Thirdly, you have the option to switch overdrive (fifth gear) off. By pressing the button at the end of the gear-shift lever, the transmission will only shift as high as fourth gear (this will be signaled by a O/D OFF light on the lower right of the instrument panel).
Why would you want to do this? If you&146;re climbing a long grade, fifth gear might cause the engine to labor, and when coming down a long hill, fourth gear will help spare the brakes and maintain a safer speed.
Think of it this way: climbing a steep hill on a bicycle will cause you to sweat and strain, while using a lower gear makes the hill a whole lot easier. The exact same logic applies to your Explorer.
(If your Explorer has the V-8 engine, it has a heavy-duty four-speed automatic rather than the five-speed)
Self-leveling rear suspension &150; There you are, loading your Explorer with passengers and cargo, and suddenly a strange humming sound starts coming from under the car. Don&146;t worry, because what you&146;re hearing is not an automotive poltergeist. This is just the normal sound of an air pump sending additional pressure to the rear suspension.
And this in turn keeps it from sagging under the weight of heavy cargo. Not only will this self-leveling rear suspension keep the Explorer stable and smooth with a big load, but your headlights won&146;t point towards the sky when the car is packed. (This optional feature is only found on XLT, Limited and Eddie Bauer models with four-wheel drive)
What about maintenance?
The 100,000-mile tune up &150; Depending on how you use your Explorer, you may be able to drive up to 100,000 miles before you need a tune up. But please, don&146;t confuse this with other periodic maintenance procedures that still need to be done. Oil changes, air filters, coolant flushes, brake services and front-end alignments are all still periodically required.
If you tow a trailer or use your Explorer in harsh conditions, the transmission may occasionally need a fresh serving of transmission fluid. Your owner&146;s manual will tell you what needs to be done and when, and you can schedule periodic reminders to be sent via email to see your Accredited Autobytel.com Dealer. |
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