
Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPower Distribution Box
Description
15 15A* Memory (PCM/DEATC/Cluster),
Courtesy lamps
16 15A* Park lamps, Autolamp parklamps,
Front foglamps relay coil
17 5A* Two-speed 4x4 (relay coils)
18 20A* PCM with One-speed
Torque-On-Demand (TOD) or
Two-speed 4x4
19 20A** High beam relay
20 30A** Trailer electric brake module
21 30A** Front wiper motor
22 20A** Low beam, Autolamp
23 30A** Ignition switch
24 — Not used
25 15A* Brake on-off
26 20A* Fuel pump
27 20A* Trailer tow park lamps, Trailer
tow back-up
28 20A* Horn relay
29 60A** PJB #2
30 20A** Rear wiper motor
31 — Not used
32 — Not used
33 30A** Auxiliary blower motor
34 30A** Passenger power seat, Adjustable
pedals (non-memory)
35 — Not used
36 40A** Blower motor
37 15A* A/C clutch relay, Transmission
38 15A* Coil on plug (4.6L engine only),
Ignition coil (4.0L engine only)
39 15A* Injectors, Fuel pump relay coil
40 15A* PCM power
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
191

Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPower Distribution Box
Description
41 15A* HEGO, VMV, CMS, PCM diode,
ESM, CVS
42 10A* Right low beam
43 10A* Left low beam
44 15A* Front foglamps
45 2A* Brake pressure switch
(non-AdvanceTrac vehicles)
46 20A* High beams
47 — Horn relay
48 — Fuel pump relay
49 — High beam relay
50 — Front foglamps relay
51 — DRL relay (Canada)
52 — A/C clutch relay
53 — Trailer tow right turn relay
54 — Trailer tow left turn relay
55 — Blower motor relay
56 — Starter relay
57 — PCM relay
58 — Ignition relay
59 — AdvanceTrac stop lamp relay
60 — PCM diode
61 — A/C clutch diode
62 30A CB Power windows circuit breaker
* Mini Fuses ** Cartridge Fuses
Rear relay box
The relay box is located on the rear passenger side quarter trim panel.
See your dealer or a certified technician for service of this relay box.
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
192

become brittle and crack, especially when mixed with gasoline. Special
materials and procedures have been developed for flexible fuel vehicles
and the dispensers used by ethanol fuel providers.
Flexible fuel components and standard unleaded gasoline fuel
components are not interchangeable. If your vehicle is not
serviced in accordance with flexible fuel vehicles procedures, damage
may occur and your warranty may be invalidated.
When refueling always shut the engine off and never allow
sparks or open flames near the filler neck. Never smoke while
refueling. Fuel vapor is extremely hazardous under certain conditions.
Care should be taken to avoid inhaling excess fumes.
The flow of fuel through a fuel pump nozzle can produce static
electricity, which can cause a fire if fuel is pumped into an
ungrounded fuel container.
Use the following guidelines to avoid static build-up when filling an
ungrounded fuel container:
•Place approved fuel container on the ground.
•DO NOT fill a fuel container while it is in the vehicle (including the
cargo area).
•Keep the fuel pump nozzle in contact with the fuel container while
filling.
•DO NOT use a device that would hold the fuel pump handle in the fill
position.
Choosing the right fuel
Use only UNLEADED FUEL. The use of leaded fuel is prohibited by law
and could damage your vehicle.
If your vehicle is a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV), use only UNLEADED
FUEL and (E85) FUEL ETHANOL. The use of leaded fuel is prohibited
by law and could damage your vehicle.
Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage critical fuel system
components.
Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel additives with metallic
compounds, including manganese-based additives.
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
244

Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for which your vehicle was
not designed may not be covered by your warranty.
Octane recommendations
Do not be concerned if your engine
sometimes knocks lightly. However,
if it knocks heavily under most
driving conditions while you are
using fuel with the recommended
octane rating, see your dealer or a qualified service technician to prevent
any engine damage.
Unleaded Gasoline engines
Your vehicle is designed to use “Regular” unleaded gasoline with an
(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend the use of gasolines
labeled as “Regular” that are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in
high altitude areas.
FFV engine (if equipped)
Your vehicle is designed to use (E85) Fuel Ethanol, “Regular” unleaded
gasoline or any percentage of the two fuels combined.
U.S. government regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to have a small, square, orange and black label with the
common abbreviation or the appropriate percentage for that
region. Use of other fuels such as Fuel Methanol may cause
powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and your
warranty may be invalidated.
Fuel quality
Many of the world’s automakers approved the World-wide Fuel Charter
that recommends gasoline specifications to provide improved
performance and emission control system protection for your vehicle.
Gasolines that meet the World-wide Fuel Charter should be used when
available. Ask your fuel supplier about gasolines that meet the
World-wide Fuel Charter.
It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel
tank if you continue to use high quality fuel of the recommended octane
rating. Aftermarket products could cause damage to the fuel system.
Repairs to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product in your
fuel may not be covered by your warranty.
87(R+M)/2 METHOD
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
245

Unleaded Gasoline engines
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability
problems during a cold start, try a different brand of “Regular” unleaded
gasoline. “Premium” unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly
in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become
more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
FFV engine (if equipped)
Your FFV will operate well on ordinary “Regular” unleaded gasoline, but
only the highest quality fuel ethanol will provide the same level of
protection and performance. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check
your VIN or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When
checking the VIN, look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If
your vehicle is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a “K.”
If you operate your vehicle 50% or more of the time on ethanol, you
should follow a different maintenance schedule. See theScheduled
Maintenance Guidefor more information.
If you are experiencing a rough or rolling idle after start-up with the
outside temperature above 27° C (80° F), the idle should improve within
10 to 30 seconds. If the problems persist below this temperature, see
your dealer or a qualified service technician.
Cleaner air
Ford endorses the use of reformulated “cleaner-burning” gasolines to
improve air quality.
Running out of fuel
Avoid running out of fuel because this situation may have an adverse
affect on powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
•You may need to cycle the ignition from OFF to ON several times after
refueling, to allow the fuel system to pump the fuel from the tank to
the engine.
Fuel Filler Cap
Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with a 1/8 or a 1/4 turn
on/off feature.
Note:To determine which fuel cap design your vehicle is equipped with,
proceed with steps 1–3. When the cap has been removed, visually
inspect the entire cap.
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
246

ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY
Measuring techniques
Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the
driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as
possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fill-ups or fuel gauge readings are
NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend
taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1,600 km (1,000
miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate
measurement after 3,000 km–5,000 km (2,000 miles-3,000 miles).
Filling the tank
The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to
the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in theRefill capacities
section of this chapter.
The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the
empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the
amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates
empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty.
The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should
not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your
vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be
able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the
fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank.
For consistent results when filling the fuel tank:
•Turn the engine/ignition switch to the off position prior to refueling,
an error in the reading will result if the engine is left running.
•Use the same filling rate setting (low — medium — high) each time
the tank is filled.
•Allow no more than 2 automatic click-offs when filling.
•Always use fuel with the recommended octane rating.
•Use a known quality gasoline, preferably a national brand.
•Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the
same direction each time you fill up.
•Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time.
Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent.
Filling the tank for FFV equipped vehicles
Your vehicle will operate on both unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of 87, or E-85 fuel, or any mixture of these two. For best results it is
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
248

coolant .....................................236
fail-safe coolant ......................240
idle speed control ...................234
lubrication
specifications ..................274, 276
refill capacities ........................272
service points ..................227–228
starting after a collision .........182
Engine block heater .................140
Engine oil ..................................229
checking and adding ..............229
dipstick ....................................229
filter, specifications ........233, 271
recommendations ...................233
refill capacities ........................272
specifications ..................274, 276
Exhaust fumes ..........................140
F
Fail safe cooling ........................240
Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) ....242
Floor mats ...................................77
Fluid capacities .........................272
Foglamps .....................................37
Four-Wheel Drive vehicles .......153
driving off road ...............155, 163
indicator light .........................154
preparing to drive your
vehicle .....................................146
Fuel ............................................242
calculating fuel
economy
............................68, 248
cap ...........................................246
capacity ...................................272
choosing the right fuel ...........244
comparisons with EPA fuel
economy estimates .................251
detergent in fuel .....................246filling your vehicle
with fuel ..................242, 246, 248
filter, specifications ........247, 271
fuel pump shut-off
switch ......................................182
improving fuel economy ........248
octane rating ...........245, 276–277
quality ......................................245
running out of fuel .................246
safety information relating to
automotive fuels .....................242
Fuel - flex fuel vehicle
(FFV) .........................242, 244–245
Fuses ..................................183, 185
G
Garage door opener ....................50
Garage Door Opener
(see Homelink wireless control
system) ........................................60
Gas cap
(see Fuel cap) ...........................246
Gas mileage
(see Fuel economy) .................248
Gauges .........................................15
GAWR
(Gross Axle Weight Rating)
calculating ...............................174
GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
calculating ...............................174
H
Hazard flashers .........................182
Head restraints ...........................94
Headlamps
aiming ........................................39
2004 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Index
287