<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/" rel="tag">SUV</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/videos/" rel="tag">Videos</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/design-style/" rel="tag">Design/Style</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/01/video-ford-shows-off-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#continued"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/explorer-630.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Explorer goes through air leak testing - Click above to watch video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/01/video-ford-shows-off-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#continued">after the jump</a></small></strong></em></div>
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Today's vehicles are quieter than ever, and while that's partially thanks to new computer modeling techniques, it also has plenty to do with repeated testing of each and every vehicle seal. For every door, hatch and window, some engineer has slaved tirelessly to make sure everything fits together just as it should. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has been kind enough to roll out a couple of videos showing that exact process on its forthcoming 2011 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Explorer</a>. The company uses some pretty high-tech equipment to take accurate measurements on panel gaps and detect potential air leak issues before the vehicle even goes through paint.<br />
<br />
Watching the engineers play with their toys is entertaining and all, but we were most interested in what engineer Matt Machala had to say about just how much more stringent Ford's standards have grown over the past three years. It may mean boatloads of extra work for the company's employees, but from what we've seen of their product of late, there's no denying the impact those hours have had on the company's finished product. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/01/video-ford-shows-off-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#continued">Hit the jump</a> to see the videos for yourself. <em>Hot tip, Sam!</em><br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/">2011 Ford Explorer Teasers</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059875"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290357660038180975160047602551349064n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059873"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290355160038180975160047602533750279n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059872"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290353660038180975160047602524338561n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059874"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290356660038180975160047602545260881n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3095456"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/explorer-facebook-cargo-1276876180_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/">Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19538874/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Explorer goes through air leak testing - Click above to watch video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/01/video-ford-shows-off-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#continued">after the jump</a></small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Today's vehicles are quieter than ever, and while that's partially thanks to new computer modeling techniques, it also has plenty to do with repeated testing of each and every vehicle seal. For every door, hatch and window, some engineer has slaved tirelessly to make sure everything fits together just as it should. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has been kind enough to roll out a couple of videos showing that exact process on its forthcoming 2011 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Explorer</a>. The company uses some pretty high-tech equipment to take accurate measurements on panel gaps and detect potential air leak issues before the vehicle even goes through paint.<br />
<br />
Watching the engineers play with their toys is entertaining and all, but we were most interested in what engineer Matt Machala had to say about just how much more stringent Ford's standards have grown over the past three years. It may mean boatloads of extra work for the company's employees, but from what we've seen of their product of late, there's no denying the impact those hours have had on the company's finished product. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/01/video-ford-shows-off-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#continued">Hit the jump</a> to see the videos for yourself. <em>Hot tip, Sam!</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/">2011 Ford Explorer Teasers</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059875"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290357660038180975160047602551349064n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059873"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290355160038180975160047602533750279n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059872"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290353660038180975160047602524338561n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3059874"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/3128741290356660038180975160047602545260881n_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-explorer-teasers/#3095456"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/06/explorer-facebook-cargo-1276876180_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/">Video: Ford shows off 2011 Explorer air leak and panel gap tests</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19538874/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/02/video-ford-shows-off-2011-explorer-air-leak-and-panel-gap-tests/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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