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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

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Comments

  • sable93sable93 Member Posts: 107
    BTW, mine is a '97 GL.
  • shank6shank6 Member Posts: 64
    Hey everyone :
    Happy to report the the new Sable LS Premium is performing flawlessly. What a difference in the ride between this car and my 99 Taurus SE. On the other side of the coin, my best mileage with the Taurus in mostly highway is about 22 mpg. This figure drops drastically if I get on it a little. Also had to have a second fan blower motor replaced. The same audible chirp noise cropped up again. There is still vibration from the front end at 80 mph even though the tires have just been rotated and balanced.
  • garydaggarydag Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Taurus SES with the 3 liter four-valve per cylinder engine. I've noticed a smell coming from the ventilation system and it sure smells like gasoline. Not overpowering, but definitely there. Wondering if anyone else has a similar problem. I don't smell it on the first start of the day or after the car's been sitting for a long while, but if I drive somewhere and leave the car for 15 - 20 minutes and then get in start it, there's a definite odor. Which goes away after I drive a few blocks.

    I can't be certain but I may have first noticed it after the recall last spring having to do with reprogramming the PCM for the first time. I was hoping the latest recall to once again reprogram the PCM for better drivability (the one where we got the mag lite as a gift) might solve the problem. Didn't.

    Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
  • seldriverseldriver Member Posts: 4
    Thanks guys for the responses on the loaner car issue and PCM recal #0055B.

    My dealer had my new SEL for 8 days after initially saying a day or two. Had to order airbag sensor parts (airbag light always on) that delayed it two extra days, and corrected the wind leak from rear passenger side door. Here's what made me angry... I tell the service advisor the car pulls left. They adjust the toe, switch tires around. I pick up the car after going 30 miles out of my way (and waiting 8 days) and the car now pulls right!!!

    I bought at a dealer farther from my house because of price, but can I go to any dealer with warranty concerns like this alignment problem?
    Should I stick with the same dealer and give 'em hell?

    At least I did get a loaner, an underpowered Contour.

    Does seem like the PCM Recalibration may have given a crisper acceleration too. Hope mpg gets better, the car seems a bit thirstier than I thought a V6 Taurus would be.
  • fordman33fordman33 Member Posts: 32
    Any dealer can (ie: has to) do your warranty service, but it doesn't mean they will want to help you.
  • tcengiatcengia Member Posts: 4
    I had noticed the odor garydag mentioned when we had our 2000 SES the first 5 months. It appeared to be more noticeable on hot days or after long drives. I haven't noticed it recently so I believe that it should go away in time. The dealership could smell it, but couldn't locate the source.

    The new PCM code has made a definite improvement on the performance and pick up. I am currently doing a MPG test over a couple of fill ups and will let you all know of the results in a week or two.
  • hccrobertshccroberts Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a 1999 Taurus Wagon SE. It has regular wheel covers. I would like to purchase 2000 (or prior to 1999) Taurus spoke wheels. Does anyone know what year wheels will fit the 1999 Taurus wagon?
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    tirerack.com

    wheelmart.com
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Hello,

    I found a dealer in a small town near here that will order any new Taurus from the factory for $49 UNDER invoice, plus I would get any rebates in cash (Currently $1,000). Would not bother me to wait for the order, as the 92 Taurus I currently have is running great. It seems I could get a new loaded SES for about $2,770 under list price, plus the $400 college grad rebate.

    Question is, I would assume the 3.0 24V engine would get the same mileage as my 3.8 in the 92, or around 23-24 combined. I am also assuming this recalibration issue mentioned above is a running change on new production vehicles? Also, how is the power in the Duratec engine, and how much better is the five passenger seating over the standard bench seat?

    If mileage or performance is so poor with the Duratec, maybe I'll go for a Crown Victoria instead. Those cars run forever.

    Any feedback would be appreciated, as I really like my 92, hoping the new ones are even better.
  • sable93sable93 Member Posts: 107
    Well everybody, I decided to get my '97 Taurus fixed instead of getting rid of it. It will cost $2311.00 to get a remanufactured transmission put back in, but I feel that if I trade the car in to a dealership, I won't get any money for it. Hopefully this is the last problem I have with this car. I really like the car in every other way, but I'm still not too happy about this. Here is to hopefully years of trouble free driving. :o)
  • 911dan911dan Member Posts: 9
    OK...left the car w/the service manager on Monday. He drove it home
    Monday & Tuesday......

    He insisted on having the gas cap key & assured me there wouldn't be any
    funny business with the quantity of gasoline.

    I spoke with him Wednesday.

    He says he got 24 MPG, including having to drive in bumper-to-bumper
    traffic, but, didn't have any receipt for the gasoline to show me. I
    feel that I lost "control" when I gave him the key to the gas cap lock
    and didn't actually see the mileage and the gasoline going in myself.

    When I picked up the car Wednesday afternoon, I spead out MY gasoline
    receipts on his desk!!

    Two more calls to the FORD 800# and the district mgr will be "notified"
    when she goes to the dealership next week. They asked that I be patient
    until then.

    Is it REALLY REASONABLE that two different drivers can have a 9 MPG
    difference?!? My best mileage in that car (it has 12,400 now) was going
    from Los Angeles to San Diego on the interstate, and I only got 22!

    Anyone from FORD also care to comment?
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    With our old car, a 88 Taurus, in city traffic, my wife consistently gets almost two-fold better mileage than I. She starts slow from lights and drives very smooth, while I am accelerating.

    We did not measure the difference in mileage with the newer cars, but have impression it is also substantial. On the other hand, the mileage on highways, at least when the traffic is light, is more or less the same (about 10 percent difference).
  • raaizinraaizin Member Posts: 31
    I have just learned I can purchase a new Ford or LM under the X-Plan since my company is a supplier of Ford. Has anyone ever purchased a vehicle under the X-Plan If the MSRP is 22,000 what will my price be. Can I do better on my own.
  • shank6shank6 Member Posts: 64
    Hey Dan: Don't know if this will help but I track my mileage evry week. If i do mostly highway driving ( 3 out of five days ) I'm up around 22 per gallon. But, if Im in the city (Boston and surrounding suburbs )and do alot of stop and go it drops between 17 to 19. Gonna have the ties high speed balanced this weekend to try to get to get rid of the slight vibration. Good Luck !
  • badtz_bbadtz_b Member Posts: 6
    Hi,
    Does anyone know about the new ford mondeo sold in UK this november? Will it ever come to US? Its exterior looks a lot like our cool "focus." Also, its old mondeo looks like Taurus.
    You can go to below website for the picture
    http://www.ford.co.uk/

    Thanks,
    B
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    I have seen many photos of the new Mondeo. It is quite a nice car and I feel would be a huge Passat killer in the US. Again, however, as clueless as US auto exec's always are (and I really mean that in a huge way) they have decided not to bring it over, afraid they would harm Taurus sales. I feel it would be a nice supplement to the Taurus, as the Taurus is very US traditional and the Mondeo would be attractive to the usually import only crowd. This car would steal many passat sales if available here.

    The interior is very German, almost more so than any Audi or BMW. The wagon to me is especially attractive.

    I saw many Mondeo photos on www.wieck.com

    click on public and then search for mondeo.

    FORD pull your head out of the butt and bring this car here. Look at the success of the Focus! You will have the same with the Modeo if you bring it over!!!!!
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    We had the previous generation Mondeo, it was the Contour/Mystique. Priced similar or even higher than the Taurus with less room.

    Only those who valued the European driving experience seem to enjoy and know what the car was all about. What killed the Contour/Mystique was threefold

    1. The price of the car vs the Taurus.
    2. Poor marketing.
    3. SUV euphoria.

    I'm a Contour owner and would consider a Mondeo, but if Ford doesn't produce a performance sedan with a manual transmission, then I'll look to the German offerings such as BMW, Audi, or VW.

    Cheers,

    TB
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    but...

    it was small
    and costly as you say.

    But he big thing was that it wasn't a good looking car.

    Last I checked, most people still buy cars on looks. Why else would anyone buy a 24,000 dollar Jetta? Or a 30,000 dollar Passat? The Contour did nothing as far as looks. This Mondeo looks very Jetta-like and could sell for much less and has the space of a Passat.

    here's an interior shot.....

    http://www.wieck.com/public/*PV_018204.jpg

    here's an exterior shot....

    http://www.wieck.com/public/*PV_018184.jpg
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    Obviously GM forget that axiom when designing the Aztek.

    TB
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    the contour was good looking....

    just not a stunner like some toher cars on the market at the time.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    oh and i thought the aztek was just another typical GM styling job.


    hehehehe
  • JeramieJeramie Member Posts: 7
    Anybody still here. I would hate for this topic to close. It was active before the new format.
  • tjdeperetjdepere Member Posts: 4
    ford dealer says will install ford cd player for $550approx/best buy says pioneercd for 200approx/whats the difference?
  • grimaldigrimaldi Member Posts: 1
    I recently got a '98 Taurus SE, and finagled the Aluminum wheels out of the seller. They look nice, but the rear drums show through the spokes, and the outer casing of the Drums are rusted. Has anyone ever painted their drums with hi-temp sealer, like rust-oleum or something? It just looks bad, and I need to do something.
  • fordman33fordman33 Member Posts: 32
    My 2000 SE (3.0 Vulcan) now has 15,000 miles on it. I took a trip this weekend - about 1100 miles, mostly interstate, and got between 22.5 and 27 mpg. I had the cruise set at 80 a good part of the time.
  • sable93sable93 Member Posts: 107
    tjdepere,

    I had a 10 disk cd changer added to my '97 Taurus a few weeks ago for $450 ( I took it to a local Ford dealership and they had someone else install it.)
  • bubbie15bubbie15 Member Posts: 6
    My 2000 SEL is great. It does seem that the engine and road noise should be a little less bothersome. Is there anything that I can do?
  • taurus2taurus2 Member Posts: 63
    I drive a '99 Camry and I like it very much. How ever I was going to check out the taurus because I heard it was a great car and I wanted to try it out. How ever when I took the test drive I thought the pedals were really hard to press. I felt like I had to have a lead foot to make the car go. I was a really weird feeling. The size of the engine had nothing to do with it. I also thought the car was hard to turn. I had to the turn the wheel 2 times to make the car turn as apposed to 1 time in my Toyota. Was this a problem with me or what? I asked the dealer guy and he gave me a look like " what??" It was really weird. Does anyone else feel this way? I do like the styling though.
  • dkowasicdkowasic Member Posts: 13
    I just bought the GL today w/ 72k on it. Runs great. My question is about the timing belt/chain. Does it have a timing belt/chain that has to be replaced a 60k like most other cars?

    Thanks
    Don
  • weslwesl Member Posts: 53
    Both 3.0 engines in the Taurus have timing chains. They should last the life of the engine. Later, Wes.
  • seansesseanses Member Posts: 2
    Just for curiosity, what's the difference between timing belt and timing chains, and which is better ? I have a 2000 Taurus SES 24 V, and used to have a 1989 Mazda 626, I looked at the engine compartment, it seems to me they all have the same timing belt.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    What you see under the hood is just a serpentine belt. The timing belt or timing chain are within the engine enclosure. You cannot see them without disassembling the engine, or at least without removing some covers.
  • 911dan911dan Member Posts: 9
    Dumped my 99 Taurus and its 14 MPG today...bought an 01 Taurus SES. Will keep the group posted on its mileage
  • shank6shank6 Member Posts: 64
    Hi everyone: Just wanted to throw this out here. My 99 Taurus had some wheel shimmy. I took it to the dealer and they said warped rotors. They can only be turned not replaced. I had this done at 15,000 miles but the problem has returned at 18,000. The dealer says since asbestos brake pads were replaced this is common. I said at this rate I'll be dragging my feet in 6 months. Has anyone else had this frequency of warping ?
  • seansesseanses Member Posts: 2
    Hi, 911Dan
    How come your Taurus is only 14MPG, I used to have a 1996 Taurus GL, I use regular, it is like 18MPG for local. I think Ford does not change the engine until 2000.
    Now I own a 2000 Taurus SES 24V.
    When I use regular, the gas milage is like 16-17 MPG for local, now I use plus, that improves to 18MPG, I guess when I upgrade to premium, it will fianlly meet the 20MPG which Ford claimed.
  • dkowasicdkowasic Member Posts: 13
    I purchased a GL that has the DJ (CD) face plate. I installed a Kenwood CD Changer which sounds pretty good w/ the factory head head unit. Does anyone know how many watts the factory non-JBL amp puts out. My assumption is that its probably 10-12 watts per channel? Any thoughts?

    Thanks,
    Don
  • 99taurus99taurus Member Posts: 20
    I was wondering if any one has added the CD changer them self. I have looked into it, but found that there are limited changers that will work with the factory wiring, and most require a separate wiring harness. I am not interested in FM modulated changers, I would like to use the controls on the current radio face. Can any one help me?
    Mileage check: Still getting 18-19 in city and 25-26 highway on 99 SE Duratech with 28,000 miles.
    I don't care what people say about the Maxima, and Camry, I have Heat and A/C to the rear seats. I don't know about Camry, but my friends 2000 SE Maxima didn't have that option.
  • bubbie15bubbie15 Member Posts: 6
    I had asked about aftermarket sound insulation for my 00' SEL and all I hear about is stereos, CD changers, and wiring harnesses. I guess that you all have indirectly answered my question. I can't hear the road and engine noise with the factory installed MACH stereo with the CD changer at a higher volume. Anyone know anything about aftermarket sound insulation or suspension upgrades that may muffle these mildly irritating sounds?
  • dkowasicdkowasic Member Posts: 13
    I bought a Kenwood Six disk changer KDC-C665 for 189.00 and a wire harness adapter for 89.00. It took 20 minutes to install and works great. I drilled 4 holes to mount the changer in the trunk and pluged it in, no wires to splice. By far the easiest aftermarket upgrade I've done. I also upgraded all my factory speakers to Polk EX572a's (in front doors and rear deck). I'm tempted to add a 25-45 watt per channel kenwood amp for a tighter sound, but it sounds pretty good now. That would require more time and energy to install.

    later,
    Don
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    did you have to go through any major hassle to swap out the speakers?
  • jumboideasjumboideas Member Posts: 1
    Go figure! A friend just arrived from the bay area with her new taurus, and guess what? Half way here, her brake lights would not go out. I looked around the electrical and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then I came here through a search on yahoo and found there seems to be a consistent issue. I hope Ford reads this and does the right thing.
    I would not own one of these cars unless someone paid me!
  • 2k_impala_ls2k_impala_ls Member Posts: 311
    JUST watched a CNN report on new cars from Kiplingers Magazine and the editor rated the Impala best in its class. No mention of Taurus ANYWHERE, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE.
  • impressedimpressed Member Posts: 1
    My wife's car, a 1999 ford taurus se with 17,000 miles really impresses me. Something just doen't seem right, why does it feel blazingly fast? The standard vulcan engine that puts out a mere 145 horses is very responsise to the slightest touch of the throttle. Believe me I know, I own a 1994 seville sts putting out 300 hp, and sometimes I really believe the ford is faster. That darn thing just flies on the highway. The throttle and fuel delivery to the engine must be intergrated with the speed of the car. This car does one weird thing, while at any cruising speed if you throw it in to neutral, the idle will not drop to set idle speed of 1000 rpm,s it will rise to about 5000 rpm's. It will only decrease to normal idle when you slow down and come to complete stop. Overall this is one great car, at any speed the transmission quickly down shifts and power is instantaneous. This car feels like it has 300 hp and and my caddilac 145 hp. The Acceleration of my seville on a slight upgrade is so sllugish that the throttle is practically down to floor before it down shifts and picks up speed. This taurus v6 is amazing and should be given that honor like the v6 nissan brags about. Sometimes it is a little annoying in bumper to bumper traffic, because when hit the gas a little it lunges slightly on its own when your about to hit the breaks. Very evident on the highway, the gas pedal resistance is effortless. I have no problems to report unlike the oil leaking and jollopy bouncing suspensions of GM cars.
  • dkowasicdkowasic Member Posts: 13
    I found it easy. I also bought the wire harness adapters from Best buy to adapt the ford speaker connector to the standard speaker connectors so I didn't have to splice the wires. Each pair was $4.95.

    The grilles in the back deck pull up with some force. They are clipped around the deck lining. Pull from the top out. Take out the screws, that easy.

    The front door panel comes off after you remove the screw in the arm rest finger hole. If you have the tweeters in the front corners remove the two screws to loosen. The panel is held in place with push fasteners. Pry away with a long screw driver or a prying tool. It just pops away. Remove the electrical plugs and set the panel to the side. Take out the speakers. If you purchase your speakers from crutchfield.com they will provide you with instructions and diagrams.
  • wilson25wilson25 Member Posts: 5
    It's a common misconception that higher octane fuel will provide better gas mileage. The engine in your Taurus was designed to run regular unleaded fuel. If you are buying the higher octane stuff, I'm afraid you're just wasting your money. If you want higher mileage from your Taurus (or any other car for that matter)try keeping the tires inflated to their proper pressure and make linear starts and stops, i.e., no jackrabbit stuff.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    thanks

    BTW, I have the mach audio, is that what you had also?
  • ezaircon4jcezaircon4jc Member Posts: 793
    Remember, those MPG claims are EPA numbers, your mileage may vary. Living in So. Cal. I have NEVER achieved the MPG stated on the window. My '96 Sable with the 24V, DOHC, V6 gets, at best 22 in mixed driving. On our recent summer trip, 4500 mi round trip, the best freeway mpg I got was 27. That was climbing the mountains in Colorado, go figure. Other than that my average was about 25, well short of the EPA's 28.
  • dkowasicdkowasic Member Posts: 13
    Sorry, I don't catch the meaning..."mach audio"...
    It must be too late at night . :)

    Don
  • 2k_impala_ls2k_impala_ls Member Posts: 311
    On a recent 500 mile trip I averaged 29.1 mpg @ 70 with a/c on. not to bad huh
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    the mach audio system was the uplevel audio system that came with my taurus. I do not have the jbl system that was initially offered on the SHO in 96-97. The mach audio has additional speakers up high by the mirrors on the doors (in addition to to on the rear deck and two in the lower door panels), but does not have the sub woofer like the jbl setup did.
This discussion has been closed.