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Comments
I was experiencing no power going up hills or moderate throttle.
I finally replaced my motor mounts after letting the front one be broken for a long time (DON'T do this... replace immediately!)
Turned out that the Flex pipe immediatley behind the catalytic converters had a lining of the same wire mesh material that is on the outside of the flex. it had bunch up (because of the motor mount) and only about 3/4" opening was left for exhaust.
The replacement is well over $100 and it doesn't have the mesh lining inside.
My 3.8 - is like brand new! (Just wait till the head gaskets go...)
overall, I felt I got good service for the 13k I bought if for when new--
Don't listen to those people who change their oil any less than every 5,000 miles, they probably also don't take care of other problems that occur, when they happen. Also, use a good quality and well respected name when buying motor oil, and use synthetic oil all the time. My wife left the engine running on a previous car I owned (trying to cool it off in the summer heat), when the radiator hose ruptured and sent the temperature gauge needle soaring. If I had regular oil in the cars engine, the engine would have been destroyed. Luckily, I had Synthetic oil in it. The oil kept the engine from overheating and seizing.
This is the first Ford I have ever owned, and most likely I will buy another Taurus as my next car. Most importantly, the Ford Taurus is a very safe car to be in if one is in an accident. I feel comfortable knowing that I have a much better chance of surviving a serious car accident while in my Taurus, than the vast majority of people who are driving other cars !!!!
It IS your decision, but I can't recommend the Duratec enough (my LS also has the Duratec, although "opened" up a bit ). We had an '86 Sable with the Vulcan. It was adequate, but no more. The first time you have a load in the back and you're trying to climb that hill/mountain, you'll appreciate the extra 50 horses and 50ish lbft of torque!
Enjoy, whatever you decide!
I have found that even at 5,000 miles, the oil still looks clean. Keep the engine clean and you will probably be driving it for a long time. Also, let the engine run for at least 15-20 seconds before putting it in gear, it gives the engine a good lubrication before starting out on the road
I beleive the head gasket is going.
Oil shows up in the coolant, oil is
discolored grey, harder starting etc.
I'm not going to do a gasket job since the car has 135K. Has anyone had
experience with head seal treatments,
additives etc. Would rather put $250
into the car and stagger along for a
year. I had 95 with the 3.8 which
blew and was repaired under the 100000
recall. Car never ran well after that
repair. If anyone knows how well these
gasket treatments work info would be
appreciated.
BTW own a Crown Vic with the 4.6 V8
NO problems. Ford can make a good engine
if they have to. Since CV is sold to
police depts they have to.
Took the car back to the Texas AutoNation Ford dealer where we bought the car. They quickly turned the rotors and said nothing else was needed. I do not understand why there was a problem to begin with. I asked them check out the car carefully expecting them to find a cause for the symptom.
Am I missing something here? We have a second 99 that I have put 46K on (daily 52 mile commute to downtown) that does not have the brake problem. What is considered normal for re surfacing rotors? What are normal wear parameters? Are Ford rotors inferior to others? I have heard they are thinner. Where might I find unbiased written documentation of that to share with the service manager who will acknowledge no shortcomings whatsoever and acts as though I just fell of a turnip truck. I have a history with car dealers and do not trust them and their shops. The service manager acts as though Taurus' have never had rotor problems. He also stated that turning them would not have any negative affect on the problem re-occurring even though they would be thinner and therefore not dissipate heat as well.
My 89 Taurus went through 3 sets of rotors before Ford replaced them a forth time which corrected the problem for good.
That car was traded in at 118K after complete AC replacement @ 90K and transmission rebuild at 68K, paint went bad as well.
Transmission was at least partially my fault. Only had the fluid replaced once during the 68K and that was not a flush, just a drop pan and clean filter. I have since learned better.
So in some cases warped rotors can be corrected by cutting them, yes? Does cutting the rotors reduce the heat dissipation ability of the rotor and increase the potential of warping again?
I have watched when the tires were rotated and balanced and they did use a torque limiting device. Are you thinking the Discount Tire store is contributing to or causing the warping? Even though they are using this limiter? Are you saying that I should not allow someone to use an impact gun on the car? I expect that even the Ford dealer uses impact guns when they change or rotate tires.
How did you learn all about rotors and stuff?
I had my front rotors start to warp around 17K miles in my '90 Sable, so it looks like Ford hasn't solved the problem in later models.
But the front rotors on my '80 Volvo (with 235K miles) have never been turned (or replaced), and the rears have been turned only once (to remove scoring).
BTW, the answers to the questions in your 2nd paragraph are yes and yes, IMHO.
When replacing rotors and brakes, buy the quality, name brand only parts. I like Bendix brand. They have saved me from having the kind of trouble that trebor10 has been having. I used to have the same problems when I put the cheaper parts in my cars. NEVER Again will I use cheap parts.
Unless the brake parts are covered under a recall, warranty, or other, take the car to a shop that will install your pre-purchased quality parts, or one that purchases quality parts and installs them automatically.
On another note, I finally got my new SEL wagon. Love it so far. One thing did happen though that I'd like to ask you all about. AFter an hour on the hi-way, I stopped for a bit. Then started up again, and the ABS light stayed on. Went to a Ford dealer, but they were getting ready to close up, so left there, and the light went out. Hasn't happened since. Car only had a couple hundred miles on it when this happened. Any ideas? If it doesn't happen again, I won't bother taking it in, but I am curious about it. Wonky sensor? Something sticking?
Happy holidays everybody!
10-12 miles/gal(city) and 18-20 miles/gal(hwy) fuel consumption?
Recently, I put new tune-up parts and check all sensors on a shop computer. Still no improvements. I also did state emission test and car passed it with NO PROBLEMS.
What else?
I didn't touch OXygene Sensor. Should I try a new one($60 + my labor)?
Thanks
Synthetic transmission and engine oils can also help reduce mileage a little.
My Dad's 3.0 Taurus gets great mileage on the road, but not good at all around town.
I've read post on this message board suggesting that models later than 2000 are much improved from a reliablity stand point.
miles on it. The engine will turn over but
won't start, then all of a sudden for no apparent
reason it will start up. She had one mechanic look at
it, scratched his head for a couple of hours
then it just started up all of a sudden. The next
time it happened she brought it to the dealer
and it started up for them and they couldn't
find anything wrong.
I haven't been able to determine under what
conditions it happens, but I think each time
the engine was cold (Minnesota cold not just
room temp).
Any ideas would be appreciated
I wonder if the switch in your mom's car is working intermittently in the cold and causing the problem? The dealer ought to have been able to find some of the other stuff under the hood (though intermittent problems can be tough to find conclusively).
The switch is explained in the owner's manual, and it also has a sticker near it on the right side wall of the trunk. The next time the car does this, have your mom press the switch in and try starting the car again. If it starts, the switch is the problem. If not, then something else would obviously be wrong. But it's easy enough to try it.
depleted. So I refilled the coolant, ran the engine and checked again. I found the coolant
had turned to a brownish color.
After doing a bit of research, I found that there was a general recall issued to install a
cooling system by-pass installation kit (TSB 98B23). Being the second owner of this car, I was never notified. I'm going to flush the radiator, but I'm starting to worry that there might be a head
gasket problem.
Have any other of you Taurus/Sable owners experienced this problem? Did you get the
recall work performed?
I learned that this is a problem only on 96 & 97 Taurus/Sables. They probably changed
the design beginning in 98.
Any help/experiences would be appreciated.
Symptoms of a blown head gasket
-white smoke from the tail pipe
-acrid burnt smell to the radiator and fluid
-foam on the engine oil dipstick
Someone at work had that radiator recall done on his. He said it always ran hotter after that. Unfortunately his engine "blew" like 10 or 20k miles later. I don't know what blew but he replaced the whole engine. Probably just a head gasket. I don't know if the recall had anything to do with it but I'd find out what they are doing and keep an eye on the temperature. Maybe a cooler thermostat would be in order.
http://www.lemonaidcars.com/
Anyone heard of this before?
use the search function to zero in on the model and its alleged problems. This site has been sued by Ford more than any other! Some how they get hold of internal docs and reports. FYI:
"Well past the average of 4.51, the #8 position went to the Atlanta Assembly Plant, which makes the Taurus, Sable and all SHO models. It's interesting that the two Taurus/Sable assembly plants have such a high difference in paint quality - especially considering the assembly processes are the same. The Atlanta assembled Taurus/Sables experience 3.2 times the paint quality problems than do Chicago assembled models"
"On 30 August 1999, Ford issued a statement saying that it planned to ask U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds to ban the site (BlueOvalNews.com) permanently at hearing in Detroit's Federal Court. BlueOvalNews attorney Mark Pickrell successfully argues that Ford's proposal would be Unconstitutional. On 07 September 1999, Judge Edmunds ruled against Ford. "
Oh, I have an 01 SES with ABS.
What could it be?
The car is under warranty, let the dealer look at it. Of course odds are they will say they can't hear it. Mine would anyway.
dmarabella,
First thing that comes to mind is something tire or wheel related. Maybe a bad tire, less likely a wheel bearing etc. How about some loose trim flapping in the wind? If your tires are worn out anyway then maybe give that a shot. I'd put it on a jack and rotate each wheel by hand. You can't get the same speed but maybe it's there quietly at slower speeds. Other than that think about what turns at vehicle speed, not engine speed. Really the only thing left is the transaxle after the transmission. Check the CV joint boots on the both front axles, make sure they aren't cracked or leaking grease.
I wasn't sure if the brake problem would be covered under warranty. They may claim it's a wearable part. I guess your right though, I can have them look at it.