TomB985
Full Access Member
Good morning everyone,
Over the long weekend I picked up an '04 Limited with 133K miles. It's had a somewhat rough history, but it runs well with no CEL, and for $2K I figured it was worth a shot. My intention was to get something good in the snow for the winter, as I traded my AWD Escape on a minivan last spring.
I've already learned a lot from searching and lurking here over the last few days, and I'd like to say thanks to the community for building such a great resource. I've gone through it pretty well, and I think I've got a handle on its needs.
First up was front brakes...the previous owner purchased front pads but didn't find the time to put them on. The right front was completely worn to the backing plate, so I drove it home with a really awful grinding noise that will haunt me for years. New pads and rotor and she stops well. Next up were spark plugs and fluid changes...the plugs looked all original, so I replaced with Autolite platinums and she seems to run noticeably smoother. I also changed the front and rear diffs, transfer case, engine oil, and coolant. I'm quite surprised the previous owner bothered to change the transmission fluid, as he neglected just about everything else but oil changes. I'm fairly sure all of the fluids I changed were original.
On the way home with my boys yesterday the front passenger window fell down. I took the door apart to discover the regulator gave up the ghost. I've got a new one on order, and in the meantime I drilled the regulator and pinned the window shut with a screw. :favorites68:
I've got a few other things on my list. I'm getting a ratchet-like sound whenever the wheels are turned in 4WD, as well as a driveshaft-ish noise at highway speeds that's worse in 4WD. I think one of the front driveshaft CV joints is failing, so that'll be coming down to check in the next few days. Both front speakers are blown, and I've got a speaker repair kit from Amazon.com on the way...I figure it's better to fix than mess around replacing the OEM Infinity speakers and their attached amplifiers. One of the rear defroster tabs has broken off the windshield, so I've also ordered some adhesive that should hopefully get that working again.
I get some gear whine from the rear differential above 65 MPH that quieted down a bit after the new fluid. I get a similar noise from the front end at 55 MPH in 4WD, but at this point I'm not worried about either. Both pinion shafts look tight, and the oil didn't have any noticeable shavings, so without further cause for concern I'll just continue to monitor.
I'm a bit disappointed with fuel economy, but otherwise it seems to run well for a 13-year-old car. I'm looking forward to learning more and getting her in shape for the winter!
Over the long weekend I picked up an '04 Limited with 133K miles. It's had a somewhat rough history, but it runs well with no CEL, and for $2K I figured it was worth a shot. My intention was to get something good in the snow for the winter, as I traded my AWD Escape on a minivan last spring.
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I've already learned a lot from searching and lurking here over the last few days, and I'd like to say thanks to the community for building such a great resource. I've gone through it pretty well, and I think I've got a handle on its needs.
First up was front brakes...the previous owner purchased front pads but didn't find the time to put them on. The right front was completely worn to the backing plate, so I drove it home with a really awful grinding noise that will haunt me for years. New pads and rotor and she stops well. Next up were spark plugs and fluid changes...the plugs looked all original, so I replaced with Autolite platinums and she seems to run noticeably smoother. I also changed the front and rear diffs, transfer case, engine oil, and coolant. I'm quite surprised the previous owner bothered to change the transmission fluid, as he neglected just about everything else but oil changes. I'm fairly sure all of the fluids I changed were original.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
On the way home with my boys yesterday the front passenger window fell down. I took the door apart to discover the regulator gave up the ghost. I've got a new one on order, and in the meantime I drilled the regulator and pinned the window shut with a screw. :favorites68:
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
I've got a few other things on my list. I'm getting a ratchet-like sound whenever the wheels are turned in 4WD, as well as a driveshaft-ish noise at highway speeds that's worse in 4WD. I think one of the front driveshaft CV joints is failing, so that'll be coming down to check in the next few days. Both front speakers are blown, and I've got a speaker repair kit from Amazon.com on the way...I figure it's better to fix than mess around replacing the OEM Infinity speakers and their attached amplifiers. One of the rear defroster tabs has broken off the windshield, so I've also ordered some adhesive that should hopefully get that working again.
I get some gear whine from the rear differential above 65 MPH that quieted down a bit after the new fluid. I get a similar noise from the front end at 55 MPH in 4WD, but at this point I'm not worried about either. Both pinion shafts look tight, and the oil didn't have any noticeable shavings, so without further cause for concern I'll just continue to monitor.
I'm a bit disappointed with fuel economy, but otherwise it seems to run well for a 13-year-old car. I'm looking forward to learning more and getting her in shape for the winter!
