Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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  • ndfarndfar Member Posts: 19
    What are the feelings of buying extended warranties. I got a quote for my 2000 Taurus with 34000 miles for a plan to extend for 4 years or 60000 odometer miles and it covers all but some wear and tear items. Cost $629.00 from Warranty Gold.
    Also what is the proper torque values for the lug nuts? I need to rotate my tires.
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    That is a good price. However, don't forget good maintenence like replacing transmission, brake, and powersteering fluids every 30K, and the radiator fluid regularly. Saves problems later on. Many experiences with problems if you don't maintain properly.
  • srocsroc Member Posts: 15
    I have had a squeaking noise from the engine/spark plugs/injector area. It starts and disappears on its own, and it is irritiatig as hell! It is a sound like a worn belt, except I can't think of a single belt in the area I hear the noise (Had my serpentine belt replaced, but that did not fix it). Any ideas?
  • srocsroc Member Posts: 15
    By the way, I have the 2000 Vulcan V6
  • dtremblaydtremblay Member Posts: 8
    sroc - I have a 2000 SEL with a Vulcan V6 and have a similar squeaking noise under the hood. It is very intermittent and the only time I can reproduce it is when climbing uphill or early morning driving conditions. I agree, the noise is extremely irritating. Unfortunately, I have not been able to have the dealer correctly diagnose the problem. Has anyone else had this problem diagnosed correctly?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Check the serpentine belt's tensioner and pulley.
  • srocsroc Member Posts: 15
    Question for you, alcan. Where do you think the tensioner and pulley for the serpentine belt are located? Is it to the left of the engine when you are looking down? Cos the squeak is somewhere from the engine area or below it. Thanks for the help.

    BTW dtremblay, in my case the squeak happens even when the car is in park. It stops invariably when I take it to the mechanic!!
  • ndfarndfar Member Posts: 19
    What is the proper torque value for the wheels on the Taurus. I need to rotate and will be doing this myself.
  • ccoachccoach Member Posts: 6
    What do you mean by the car is smoking??

    If you are describing smoke coming out from under the front of the engine, and also getting pulled into the cabin through the heater, then I can offer my own experience with my '87 w/ a 3.0 ...

    About 2 years ago (when my car was about the same age as yours is), something fell off as I was driving hat sounded like sheetmetal. Turns out it was a heatshield that was on the manifold pipe (the 'y' pipe connecting the front and rear exhaust manifolds) - didn't think much of it until this smoking stuff started. After much effort, I finally traced it to drops of oil falling onto the now uncovered exhaust pipe where it crosses underneath the front of the engine!!

    Of course this is right where air is pulled into the heater/ac unit.

    Hopefully this may help you towards a fix ...

    Btw, I'm still looking for a junkyard that might have the exhaust shields for my own car ;)
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    85-105 ft/lbs
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    I have the same issue in my Bull (2000 SES Vulcan). It comes up always in mornings after humid or rainy night. If there is no humidity, it is fine. I think Alcan is right. It is the tensioner. I did not address the issue to dealer yet. It disappears itself within a mile. It is irritating though.
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    I see a comment about oil smell in the ventilation system. Does anyone else have this problem? My 2000 SE really pulls in the engine compartment air so that after an oil change (drips on metal) I smell burning oil for weeks. The dealer tried a lame fix, no help. I added a second foam strip inside the air box and more clamps where the two halfs meet all along the firewall under the windshield but that didn't fix it. Any ideas?
  • ndfarndfar Member Posts: 19
    I know what you mean about the oil smell. I change most of my own oil and when the filter comes off it drips down all over, so I place rags under the filter to catch it before removing, and clean up any other oil spots that I find.
  • 1992taurus1992taurus Member Posts: 4
    hi i dont have a volt meter or access to one so i dont think i can get the codes but i did notice a sound when i drove the car last night. It sounded like it was coming from underneath the car and it was a clinking sound. My dad has a ford aerostar also with a 3.8L engine and his made the same sound but when he got his sparkplugs and wires replaced it stopped now we know his check engine light doesnt work at all but could the plugs and wires be why mine is on.
  • CapeCodCapeCod Member Posts: 117
    91 Taurus wagon with 3.0
    Suspect an oil pan leak ???
    oil is dripping down onto the heat shield for exhaust. Some rolls up when I stop !
    Is there anything I can do to stop the leak short of dropping entire pan and replacing gasket $200!
    Exterior sealer? higher weight oil ?
    I tried a prestone sealer...
    I think it actually thinned the oil !
    Oil seems to leak even more now !
    i also need cv axle so i am real tempted to bail !
    Got the car back when my daughter got Outback !
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Are you sure it not the oil level sensor? If I remember right it's just above the drain plug, and can become leaky after a while. I remember having to change it on my 88.
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    and is a common source of leaks in older cars. Some cars need a special tool (deep socket) to change it but both are cheap.
  • ezaircon4jcezaircon4jc Member Posts: 793
    The oil sending unit is elsewhere. There is indeed an oil level sensor in the earlier Taurus/Sables. Amazingly enough, it works pretty well. Go a quart or so low and the oil light lights up. Unfortunately, the sensor became a victim of decontenting. IIRC, 1991 was the last year for that sensor.
  • hutch7hutch7 Member Posts: 88
    I have the same squeak in my '98 Sable (3.0 12V) it's from the right/ctr of the engine and is NOT the belt. I just spent an hour trying to find it..driving me nuts.
    ps...anyone know how to change the coolant???
  • srocsroc Member Posts: 15
    Well - here is an update. I drove to Boston (around 400 miles from where I live) last weekend, and the squeak is gone (fingers crossed). It is probably going to recur, but it has been a week. Mine is definitely not the belt either - probably not even the tensioner.

    A question for hutch7. Have you had the rotors machined recently?
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    I have a 2000 Taurus wagon. Recently, when I make a left hand turn, I hear a clanking noise from the right front wheel. The noise goes away when I straighten out after a turn. I do not hear the noise when making right hand turns. Although the noise happens most of the time, it does not happen all of the time. Any ideas on what it might be? Any ideas on what it might cost to fix? Any and all replies are appreciated. Thanks for your help.
  • hutch7hutch7 Member Posts: 88
    SROC...yes my rotors and pads are new (about 2K on them) I let my car sit for a day and my squeak is gone...I'm sure it will return.
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    I have a 2000 also and had a CV joint replaced because it made that type of noise. In my case I heard it most when making a U-turn because the wheel was turned all the way. The noise was a clunk clunk type that was related to the vehicle speed. When it was bad I could feel it in the steering wheel a little. It was almost always worse when it was cold outside and when the car had been sitting all day but happened at other times too. I took it in under warranty, the first time they said they couldn't reproduce it. The second time I went for a ride with a senior mechanic and as soon as he heard it he knew something was wrong. I was quite sure it was a CV joint and wanted it fixed under warranty because it must be a few hundred to replace although it probably would have worked for years.
  • srocsroc Member Posts: 15
    This is interesting - the squeak turned up in my car soon after I had my rotors machined. I am wondering if there is a connection. Since I believed the noise was coming from some engine component, I did not think so at first. Did you hear the squeak before you had the pads and rotors replaced?
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    Hey, bronsonb & vince4

    How many miles did you have before your CV joint went out?
  • ccoachccoach Member Posts: 6
    I was the one who wrote about the smoking/stinkin' problem w/ the older Taurus / 3.0 - Had someone look at the engine the other day (actually 2 guys) and they both said to fix the leak as neither thought the heat shield would help at all.

    The more mechanical of the 2 studied the engine pretty closely and theorized the source of the leak to be the valve cover gaskets ($17 @ Autozone).

    I've not had the work done yet, but am hopeful - and still haven't written off the idea of finding those heat shields...

    Will let yawl know if it helps ...
  • CapeCodCapeCod Member Posts: 117
    Glad I have not repaired the oil leak or cv axles.
    Now the air bag light is blinking...
    91 Taurus wagon 3.o
    142k miles
    Anyone have suggestions ????
    Can I trouble shoot ?
    Time to look at Elantra or sonata i guess.
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    To mralan, vince4, and others... I took my Taurus to Goodyear on Wednesday to have it checked out. Of course, mechanic could not reproduce the noise, so I went for a long ride with him and was able to get the car to make the noise. Upon hearing it, he said it sounded more like a clinking noise than a clanking...more like something hitting aluminum than a harder metal.

    He took the car back to the shop and pulled the wheel off and checked all of the boots and the joints and said they felt fine. In the end, he pulled out and oiled the pins holding the right brake caliper on. You know what...the noise went away, and I haven't heard it since. The mechanic was a really nice guy, and he said that if it is a CV joint that it will definitely make a louder and harder sounding noise than the one I was hearing. Although I was disappointed that I didn't get to use my extended warranty, I was glad to find out the problem was not that bad.

    That gives me an idea. Why doesn't someone maintain a site with "typical automobile problem sounds" so you can listen and try to match the sound you're hearing with those produced by typical problems? Seems like it might be a decent diagnostic tool for when someone asks, "was it more of a clink or a clank?" Thanks for all your help!
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    OK folks - here's another question... I have had my Taurus wagon for less than two years, and I have had to have it aligned four times already. I have only put 20,000 miles on it since I bought it. That seems like a lot of alignments compared to previous cars. I have had four tires get eaten by poor alignment. The two on the front right now are worn on the inside, and I just had the car aligned less than 5K miles ago at Ford. I had the tired rotated 1500 miles ago, and there was no noticeable wear. I changed the oil myself 1200 miles ago and checked the tired when I had the car jacked up - no noticeable wear.

    So my question is...do the rest of you experience this? I have even had Ford check to see if the components that control the alignment are out of whack. They say No... Right now my plan is to get two new tires to replace the bad ones and then get an alignment at NTB or someplace that warrants its alignments for 6 months/5K miles (Ford does not). Then I will take the darn car back once or twice to get the alignment checked and adjusted as needed, but that seems like a colossal waste of time. Any other ideas? Thanks!
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    This probably is not your problem, but I once had an '85 Caravan that wore one tire on the inside edge a few thousand miles after I bought new tires and had an alignment. Took it to an independent garage and had a new alignment done and tires rotated. A little later, same thing happened again. Took it back to the same garage and they "realigned" (at no charge, and couldn't explain why first alignment was off). A few hundred miles later, same inside edge wear again, on a different tire but same front wheel location. This time I took it to a CAR-X and they found I had a bad wheel bearing. I had no steering, noise, vibration, or handling symptoms, but the bad wheel bearing was the cause, and one place "realigned" it twice, never catching the wheel bearing. After replacement, everything was fine.

    I think your move to go to a different shop is a good idea. They might find a problem that another shop completely misses. Make sure they know the history, so they check every possible source.

    I have gone very long between alignments on my old '90 Taurus (beyond 30,000 miles) and am at 19,000 on my 2000 with very even wear. However, I watch my treadwear patterns very closely, and at the first sign of uneven wear, I get it checked out, and of course, get a rotation. I usually stretch tire rotations to 10,000 also.

    My wife's newer 96 Caravan went to 50,000+ miles before having an alignment when we bought new tires!
  • 2litl2late2litl2late Member Posts: 4
    Hi,
    Just a comment...I have owned 6 Fords since 1972 and have never had one that would stay in alignment.
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    I have a 97 Taurus with 78k and I've never aligned it. Still have two original tires.
    Yeah, the tires that every one complains about have gone 78k. Will replace them in a month because snow is coming. Otherwise I would run them another 10k or more!
  • tdibenedettotdibenedetto Member Posts: 1
    Hi, my name is tony, me and my wife are deciding purchasing a 1995 4 door ford taurus with 95,000 miles $2,995.00. I have heard problems with transmissions, is this true and what do you think, i do have a option to purchase a warranty with it, i would appreciate your input.
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    If it has the 3.8 liter engine run away from it.
  • vince4vince4 Member Posts: 1,268
    My 2000 had less than 20k miles when the CV joint started making noise.

    I have over 26k now and have never had an alignment done. Tire wear is fine. Cars shouldn't need alignment unless a part is damaged or worn, like 100k miles worn at least.
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    Thanks to everyone for the alignment tips and advice. Right now, I haven't addressed the alignment issue. I plan to stop by a tire shop in the next week or so and get two new tires and an alignment for the front. I'll tell them that the car has been aligned an inordinate number of times and hope that they might possibly find something wrong somewhere. If not, I will keep a close eye on those tires and have the alignment checked every three months either way.

    I was looking through my own personal service notes and saw that I did take the car to National Tire and Battery about two months ago because it looked like the front tires were wearing. They checked the alignment and said it was fine and suggested that the tires had been underinflated. Of course, I didn't get a receipt from them to verify, but I will in the future...
  • flyingmouseflyingmouse Member Posts: 3
    Hi Guys, I just bought a 1999 Taurus SE (145 hp) with 39000 miles on it. I like the car very much except one thing: I found that the MPG is only a little less than 20 Miles per Gallon, while I noticed that the specs says it can go to 20/28 MPG. I used it for commuting to work and the traffic is local/highway mixed.
    So is the 20- mpg abnormal? Anything I should do to check it out?
    Thanks!
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    I have a 97 with the same engine. I get between 20 and 25. The mileage is definately affected by the number of short trips I take. If I was to pick a figure I'd say mine averages 23. I drive fairly conservatively in the city.I generally travel betwen 70 to 75 on the interstate.

    Your mileage could be acceptable; think it is dependent on your driving habits and style.
  • flyingmouseflyingmouse Member Posts: 3
    Hi Guys, I just bought a 1999 Taurus SE (145 hp) with 39000 miles on it. I like the car very much except one thing: I found that the MPG is only a little less than 20 Miles per Gallon, while I noticed that the specs says it can go to 20/28 MPG. I used it for commuting to work and the traffic is local/highway mixed.
    So is the 20- mpg abnormal? Anything I should do to check it out?
    Thanks!
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Ours gets 27-28 on the highway, but drops closer to 19 around town. Needless to say, when we have short trips another vehicle with better city mileage is often used.
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    what engine do you have? In this board you state 145 horsepower in the other board you state 200 horses which is the DOHC. From what I've read and discussed with owners the Duratec is not as fuel efficent.
  • felixc1976felixc1976 Member Posts: 31
    Read the latest auto article on cnnfn.com - it states that EPA calculations are well off, usually higher than actual numbers. The technique they use in calculating the EPA milage is 17 yrs old, and the test is done inhouse on a dyno machine, not on the road as you would expect. For example, Civic Hybrid EPA is 47/49, reality for many people is low 40's.
    My 97 Vulcan Taurus, 145hp avergaes 20mpg city with AC on (short 5mi trips to work). Long hwy trips are 28 with no AC, and 26 with AC.
    I really don't know how the industry meets CAFE requirements of 27mpg. If more than 50% of automobiles are trucks and SUV - there is no way they can meet 27mpg.
  • rplallyrplally Member Posts: 1
    I have a '97 LX sedan. Anyone know how to change bulb in rear light? Do I need to disaasemble the whole light?
  • ehennessehenness Member Posts: 92
    You have to remove the plastic cover at the back edge of the trunk. Then you remove the whole taillight and get at the connector and bulb that way. Here's the process from my '98 Taurus service manual:

    Removal

    1. Open luggage compartment door [trunk lid] and remove quarter trim panel. [remove 4 pushpins, two in lower center, one on each end.]

    2. Remove three retaining nuts from rear lamp mounting studs.

    3. Note: To avoid damaging the vehicle paint, carefully pull the rear lamp straight out. Pull rear lamp away from vehicle.

    4. Remove electrical connector.

    5. Twist bulb socket counterclockwise approximately 1/4 turn and remove from rear lamp.

    6. Note: Do not rotate bulb to remove. Carefully remove old bulb from socket by gently pulling it straight out of socket.

    Installation

    1. Install new bulb by pushing straight into socket until it snaps and locks into position.

    2. Align indexing tab on socket and install bulb/socket into rear lamp and twist clockwise until it locks into position.

    3. Align indexing tab and install electrical connector into socket base until it snaps and locks into place.

    4. Carefully install rear lamp to quarter panel.

    5. Install three retaining nuts and tighten to 5-7 Nm (45-61 lb-in).
  • stantontstantont Member Posts: 148
    My '90 Taurus SHO (now my son's car) has 145,000 miles on it. It has been aligned only once, when the tie rod ends were replaced at 100,000. Tire wear is normal (about 40,000 miles per set, depending on brand); we do pay attention to tire pressure and regular rotation.

    If you are needing an alignment every 5,000 miles, either there is someting seriously loose/worn/broken, or you should stop running over curbs and speed bumps at 40 mph (VBG)!
  • relampicorelampico Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 Taurus SE with the small (Vulcan) V6 and have been getting upwards of 30 MPG between 60-65 mph. This is a very efficient engine/transmission and the same combination I had on my '86 Aerostar which got upwards of 25 mpg on Florida trips. I bought mine used in Wichita KS & they used to courtesy-drive me to work in a 96 Taurus with 130,000 miles . It rode just as nicely as my '98 with 85,000 miles.
  • ndfarndfar Member Posts: 19
    What is the best recommended way to chang transmission oil?? Most shops offer a fluid exchange for $60-$80 but it doesn't change the filter. Then for about $60 I found one that chaged the filter but then the oil in the torque converter doesn't get changed. I also heard that the fluid exchange puts pressure on all the seals and can cause them to leak. So what do I do?
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    the fluid exchange (Wynn's Machine I believe) done twice. Once at 30k and the last time at 60k. I've had no problems with seals and to be honest have never heard that. My mechanic states the filter should be changed at 90k. Don't know where he came up with that.

    I have been getting the Service Engine Soon Light go on and off for a couple of months. Gave an excessive slippage in torque converter code last time. Tranny seems to be fine and the service engine soon light has gone off by itself at least three times. I'm not doing a thing until I get some type of sign of a problem.

    I just replaced original front tires tonight. Got 78.6 out of originals. Checked my brake pads in the front and still have considerable pad left, they are original.

    How is everyone else doing with their brakes. Mine is a 97 GL with 4 wheel disc.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Taurus automatic transaxle oil pressure:

    - all ranges except reverse = 48-77 psi @ idle, 168-217 psi @ wide open throttle
    - reverse = 61-99 psi @ idle, 252-316 psi @ wide open throttle

    Typically, shop air pressure is about 150 psi maximum. Anybody who tells you that a flushing machine will cause seal damage due to high pressure has no idea what they're talking about.
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    What type/brand tires do most state police cars use? Would that be good for my Taurus?
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