05 Aug 15 13:39, you wrote to me:   
      
    ml>> i almost dread getting started on the front end rebuild of my   
    ml>> Chrysler 300 to remove the deer damaged sections and replace them...   
    ml>> have also just taken posession of a 2000 Eddie Bauer Ford Expedition   
    ml>> that has had some problems in the past... first ford i've owned,   
    ml>> ever... haven't had any problems with it in the ~300 miles i've   
    ml>> driven it since saturday... the difference between the two vehicles   
    ml>> is profound... not only handling but fuel mileage, too... this thing   
    ml>> is like driving a semi-truck which i hope to get to, too, in the next   
    ml>> month as well... things appear to be looking up!   
      
    MH> I have heard those Ford SUVs have spark plug / ignition coil problems   
    MH> often, but have never owned one, myself.   
      
   this is my first f.o.r.d. vehicle... a lot of vehicles have problems with   
   spark plugs and ignition coils but everything i've run into in the past has   
   been due to aluminum blocks and (in one case) i suspect a dealership mechanic   
   either broke something or swapped out the original coil for a known bad one...   
   in that particular case, the vehicle was in for them to replace a suspension   
   bolt in the front that holds one of the sway bars... when i went back for the   
   ignition problem, they told me that they always raise the hood and check all   
   the spark wires and such... i was so livid because their instructions were to   
   raise the vehicle and replace the one bolt that i already knew was missing and   
   they were to do nothing else to the vehicle... someone was lieing and trying   
   to scrape more $$$ out of me... i passed the word on and they lost a lot of   
   business but i never got any more satisfaction than that from them...   
      
    MH> Probably one of my biggest battles which you never know when you are   
    MH> going to run into, it the "stuck bolt".  Happens often on suspension   
    MH> areas of the car - especially up north in the snow/salt areas.   
      
   i've run into that numerous times... the worst i've ever dealt with is exhaust   
   stuff and i refuse to do any exhaust work any more... anything like that goes   
   to a mechanic and i'm not paying for any broken drills they may run into ;)   
      
    MH> I swear, I could have taken a spin down the road in the Durango with   
    MH> no lug nuts on any of the wheels.  It was that stuck - due to rust.   
      
   i hear that!   
      
    MH> I have started using anti-seize stuff on those trouble spots to   
    MH> prevent that from happening again.   
      
   that's a good plan... that and locktight... antiseize to protect the threads   
   and locktight to prevent them from coming loose during normal operation...   
      
   i had to change a tire on this beast the other day, too... got a bencil sized   
   stick shoved into the left rear tire somehow... i forgot how much these things   
   weigh! as it turns out, the original spare was on the vehicle... yeah, 15   
   years old... it needed some air and i was stuck waiting for someone to bring   
   me a tank of air to fill it back up... i could have made it a little ways but   
   i was not going to back up the highway entrance ramp and i certainly wasn't   
   going to pay $0.50 to $1.00 for some air... that's just totally insane...   
   anyway, i got it home and took it to a shop the next day for an $8.50 plug   
   when i went and got the title switched and the plate swapped from the 300 to   
   the expedition... all in all, it was a good day and has been since then... i   
   still keep finding little things here and there but for the cost, they are   
   more than acceptable... on that, let's just say that the cost was as minimal   
   as you can get... it would have been given to me scott free if it weren't for   
   the BoS requiring a $$ amount ;) i love karma! i'm always helping others and   
   it does come back to help when least expected! ;)   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   ... Hard work is the yeast that raises the dough.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)