1996 Ford Explorer XLT - 4 DOOR - RECENTLY PURCHASED

NUTHIN' LIKE 2nd/ 3rd/ 4th OPINIONS!

AS FAR AS THE OIL (AND COOLANT) YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CHECK THEM WEEKLY ANYWAY! YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL WILL CONFIRM THIS!

SATURDAY IS WHEN I CHECK THE FOUR IN MY MOTOR POOL

TO ME, ALL OF IT SEEMS SORTA HIGH

REMEMBER, THE STEALERSHIP IS NOT THE ONLY QUALIFIED GAME IN TOWN

I'M GIVING YOU LEGITIMATE INFO WHICH MIGHT HELP YOU FIND JUST THE RIGHT SHOP YOU MIGHT CONTINUE TO USE. IT'LL WORK IN MOST ANY TOWN

THE TRICK IS FINDING A SHOP THAT IS DEPENDABLE AND FAIR. SOME ARE A LOT FAIRER THAN OTHERS

. THE STEALERSHIP IS PROBABLY ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM

MAYBE THIS LINK BELOW, WOULD HELP YOU DECIDE WHO TO TAKE IT TO----THIS MAY BE YOUR GUY "FOREVER"---SO LETS NOT JUST HAVE A 20 SECOND CONVERSATION DURING THE SELECTION PROCESS. TAKE YOUR SILVER TONGUED FRIEND ALONG, TO TAKE UP YOUR SLACK! REALLY DRILL THE POOR GUY!

TRY DIFFERENT PLACES THAT I MENTION---WE WANT A COLLAGE OF CANDIDATES---NOT JUST FROM ONE STORE

GO TO YOUR POPULAR AUTO PARTS STORES (MORE THAN ONE MIGHT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER) ASK TO SPEAK TO THE "COMMERCIAL SALES MANAGER".

HE'S THE PROFESSIONAL ONE SENDING PARTS TO THE LOCAL AUTO SHOPS----SOMETIMES THESE SHOPS ARE ALL OVER, AND ARE SORTA IN THE "TURF" OF ANOTHER PARTS STORE. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO INVESTIGATE OTHER PARTS STORES

FOR A WHILE THERE, I DELIVERED PARTS, SOMETIMES IT'S PRETTY PLAIN WHICH ONES NOT TO RELY ON

MOST LIKELY AS THE "MANAGER" HAS MADE IT THRU THE RANKS, HE HAS VISITED MANY OF THE LOCAL SHOPS AND HAS DELIVERED PARTS TO THEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME. JUST FROM SEEING THESE OPERATIONS, HE MOST LIKELY WILL KNOW WHO DOES GREAT WORK, IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND POSSIBLY AT WONDERFUL RATES.

"I". MAYBE "YOU" ALSO, WANT CORRECT WORK PERFORMED----NOT NECESSARILY THE CHEAPEST!

YOUR KEY QUESTION TO ASK, JUST BEFORE YOUR CONVERSATION IS OVER: "WOULD YOU SEND YOUR OWN MAMA THERE?"

IF YOU HAPPEN TO INTERROGATE ANOTHER STORE. SEE IF THE SAME NAME(S) COME UP

PERSONALLY, I LIKE THOSE DECENT-WAY OUT-RURAL SHOPS, BUT THAT'S JUST ME

DO LET US KNOW YOUR OUTCOME

THE MEDIC

1. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 1ST WEEK I PURCHASED IT.

DID YOU HAVE IT CODED? WHAT WERE THE CODE LETTERS/ NUMBERS? MANY POPULAR AUTO PARTS STORES WILL SCAN FOR CODES FOR FREE! WHAT A DEAL!
LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY IS WRONG (CODES CAN BE INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY) SO GET THE ACTUAL LETTERS/ NUMBERS. A FICTITIOUS EXAMPLE IS "P0171"

2. OIL CHANGE AND WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT TO START WITH ($344.00). SPARK PLUGS STILL GOOD.

NOT A DEALER PART, BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NUTHIN' WRONG WITH THIS ONE, IT'S NEW, NOT A REMANUFACTURED ONE

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/carquest-water-pump-new-t4167/3130355-P?searchTerm=waterpump

SAME WITH THIS/ THIS IS A PREMIUM ONE!

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/stant-superstat-153-super-premium-thermostat-195-degrees-fahrenheit-45369/5482283-P?searchTerm=thermostats

RADIATOR JUICE/ SEALER/ MISC AND MAYBE 1 HOUR-1-1/2 HOURS TAKING MY TIME

THEN THE $30 OIL CHANGE

3. SMALL OIL LEAK - NEEDS TOP VALVE COVER GASKET (COVER) QUOTE: $263.00
(NEED DONE BY MID THIS YEAR) CHECK OIL EVERY WEEK AND BUY HIGH MILEAGE OIL - TOLD.

1-1/2 HOURS MAX

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/felpro-valve-cover-gasket-set-vs-50368-t/19783648-P?searchTerm=valve+cover+gasket

AS FAR AS THE OIL (AND COOLANT) YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CHECK THEM WEEKLY ANYWAY! YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL WILL CONFIRM THIS!

4. CAT-CONVERTER - (NEED DONE IN 2 YEARS) WHEN SMOG IS DUE AGAIN. TOLD.
$600.00-$700.00 (QUOTE) **I WAS TOLD THAT **ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OUT** UNTIL I HAVE THIS FIXED. **VEHICLE PASSED SMOG, NO PROBLEM.**

AGAIN/ WHAT ARE THE CODES THAT ARE MAKING THE LIGHT COME ON? IS IT THE O2 SENSORS OR WHAT (BRING US THE CODES)

5. BACK DOOR - HANDLE JUST TURNS - IS THIS COMMON PROBLEM? HOW/WHERE TO HAVE FIXED?

NO CLUE - USE MY "FIND A SHOP TECHNIQUE" FOR THAT ONE

I'M NOT USING A FLAT-RATE BOOK FOR PRICES, THE LITTLE GUYS AROUND HERE MIGHT GET $50-$75 AN HOUR AND SELDOM USE FLAT-RATE, THEY ARE WELL QUALIFIED. I'M BASING MY "TIMES" ON HAVING REPLACED THE WATER PUMP AND VALVE COVER GASKETS ON MY STEP-DAUGHTER'S '96 EXPLORER ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO (YOU CAN SEE THE EVIL THING, SORTA BACK BEHIND MY BEAUTIFUL JEEP CJ-5 IN THE 2ND PIC!)

MY "FIND A SHOP TECHNIQUE" WILL MAYBE GET YOU SOME BETTER DEALS/ SEE IF YOU ARE BEING BLOWN SOME "SMOKE" FROM THE OTHER GUYS/ WILL SORTA GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA(S) OF THE RATES CHARGED IN YOUR REGION

YOUR TURN

THE MEDIC

EXPLORER HAD TOO MANY TRANNY PROBLEMS - STEP DAUGHTER SOLD IT- IT'S NOW SOMEBODY ELSES PROBLEM

THANK GOODNESS - THAT PUPPY WAS EATING UP TOO MUCH OF MY TIME!

YOU'RE SPOSTA BE GLORIFYING MY JEEPS!

LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING SOME GOOD NEWS FROM YOUR END

THERE IS ALWAYS THE OLE DEPENDABLE JEEP OPTION!

MY YOUNGEST ("MR. JEEP") IS 38 YEARS OLD, MY BABY ("WILLY") IS 69. BOTH ARE DAILY DRIVERS!

LET'S HEAR HOW MUCH MORE REASONABLE YOU GET THEM PRICES DOWN!

THE MEDIC