Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

tomcat630 · March 2004

It's nice to have a pretty car, but if it's in the shop many times, it get ugly.

I had a 1994 Mustang, got lots of attention, but had so many mechanical problems! Traded on a less pretty Contour, less attenion and less problems!

So looks only go so far, if the mechanics (personality) aren't there to back it up.

dako_tian · March 2004

their is a tendency for car thieves to overlook the less sexy plain janes....

Traffic cops too (this should not be construed as an endorsement of speeding -- though that is only "keeping up with the flow of traffic " in North Texas).

msheets · March 2004

Me lease on my company car expires in November and I will have to choose a new car. Our current choices are the Taurus, Grand Am and Malibu. When will Ford stop manufacturing the Taurus and will it be available in November? I would like stay with the Taurus simply because it has more room that the other two models. I know Ford has the 500 and Futura coming out in the next couple of years that will replace the Taurus.

Any help would be appreciated.

danielj6 · March 2004

I came to the conclusion that I'm quite distressed regarding Ford's not putting more effort into the Taurus/Sable, and instead investing everything into those new models we've been hearing about.

I'd like Ford to keep the Taurus as its family car. I'd also like the manufacturer to improve two things in it: Install head rests on rear seats and improve head lights. This car can compete well with the Japanese. I don't want a different body design or all wheel drive. Just improve on what is there.

If Ford doesn't care about my opinion then let them build a Taurus or Sable according to my specifications.

alpha01 · March 2004

What is there is NOT good enough. Ford smartly recognizes that consumers realize the Taurus is now in its 9th undistinguished model year, and has fallen behind the times in terms of safety features, performance, quiet, refinement, efficiency, interior design, and resale. It is a merely good vehicle competing against too many great ones.

~alpha

badgerfan · March 2004

Taurus will still be around for several more years, based on what I have read, so for sure will be here in November.

badgerfan · March 2004

I agree Ford needs to move on and Ford is moving on. Taurus is a good car with a great price and great value, but the competition is strong. Five hundred and futura are what they are moving to and will likely get them competitive with the best in the affordable sedan arena, but time will tell.

My only regret is that they are abandoning the Taurus name. I would prefer that the upcoming Futura continue the Taurus name, keeping some consistency from a marketing standpoint. Futura is likely to have nearly the same passenger and trunk space available as the current Taurus, but the corporate decision has apparently been made that all Ford cars begin with "F" hence the Futura name (though Mustang will still be the enduring exception). Futura also is a historic Ford name, though hasn't been used for a long time.

shank6 · March 2004

Hey guys, don't get me wrong. I love the lines and styling of the Sable and Taurus. It's just that they make the concept pictures (Merc Montego)look so good (long, sleek and sexy) and when you finally see the end product(the 500) it's short looking, stubby and stinky!

Looked at a nice cinnamon red 2003 Taurus SEL today. All the options. A dealer executive car with 25,000 miles for 13,500.

I'm real tempted!!

pat · March 2004

Hey shank6 - everytime you hit Refresh, your message reposts. The way to redisplay a page after posting a message is to use the "Recent Msgs" link on the page bar.

I'll take care of the multiple messages, but if it happens again you can handle it yourself with the blue delete button that appears to the right of all the messages you post.

shank6 · March 2004

Sorry about that Pat. Too much coffee I guess

alpha01 · March 2004

Id bet that you can get them down another grand, to $12,500, if they really want to move the car.
At that price, its possibly the best deal going. Would only consider a CPO one, though.

~alpha

pat · March 2004

Shank6 - don't worry about it at all. It's a quirk of this software that has probably bitten all of us at one time or another.

:-)

oxx93 · March 2004

Just hit 28,000 on my 01 SES and the brakes are starting to squeak badly. I will be taking it in shortly. Anyone else have/notice this problem?

badgerfan · March 2004

I've got 37K on my 2000 SES and no unusual brake noise yet. I do have just the slightest amount of pulsing when coming off a high speed freeway ramp to a stop, but it is so tiny I can live with it until I need new brakes, which hopefully won't be needed until 50K or so. I imagine the rotors a a bit warped.

If you do a lot of city driving and abrupt starting and stopping, I suppose your pads could be getting worn down.

danielj6 · March 2004

More than 1.3 million Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans will be recalled to correct problems with brake lights and air filters. In the first recall, the 2000-2003 Taurus/Sable will be brought back because the center high-mounted stop lamps have bad switches that could lead to inoperative or always-on lights.

The second recall covers 2003 Taurus/Sable sedans that have air filters that may catch fire. Both repairs will be done at no cost to owners. Ford will be mailing notices to owners immediately.

oxx93 · March 2004

I do drive in the city, roughly 30 miles a day, but it is in Chicago and the brakes get alot of use during rush hour. Do the pads need to be replaced or do they adjust them? Is it costly?

badgerfan · March 2004

There really isn't anything to "adjust" on the front disc brakes. If you need just new pads for the front, it shouldn't be very expensive. You can usually get basic two wheel brake jobs for $100 or less.

Usually you can get a free inspection at some of the franchise places like Car-X or Midas. Of course they are likely to find something wrong so you spend more there, but you are under no obligation. You would at least get an opinion and they usually show you the brakes after the wheels are removed.

I actually have had good luck with a local Car-X franchise, which did a good job on our other vehicle, a 1996 Caravan. Brakes actually stop better than when the car was new. I never did like the feel of the brakes, but now they seem to be better than they ever were.

iusecad · March 2004

In an evident about-face, Ford has decided to keep Taurus and the Mercury Sable in showrooms through 2009. Earlier reports had these cars moving to fleet-only status at mid-decade to make room for the 2006-model Ford Futura and similar Mercury and Lincoln sedans based on the midsize Mazda 6 platform. Ford is also about to launch the Five Hundred and Mercury Montego sedans, which are Volvo-based and slightly larger than Taurus/Sable. So why keep the old home-grown midsizers? We can only guess that Ford planners want to hedge their bets. Regardless, Taurus/Sable production will be cut in half once Ford's Chicago factory is retooled to build the Five Hundred/Montego. The Atlanta Taurus/Sable plant will carry on, though sources say it may drop the slow-selling wagon at some point.

from: http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/- 37568

shank6 · March 2004

Hey all :

Any of you had problems with inner or outer tie rods?. I had both on the drivers side replaced as ther was tire play and groaning coming from that side.

Now I'm getting the same situation on the passenger side when I'm stopped and cut the wheel to the right. This is our 2000 Sable LS with only
74,500 miles on it, and most of those miles are highway.

At $185.00 a rod this is getting expensive.

iexplore2000 · March 2004

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum and wanted to post a message to you all for your feedback concerning the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable.

I purchased a fully loaded 2004 Ford Taurus SEL (with TCS, Mach, Home Link, etc.) back in January primarily to use as a work commuter vehicle. I chose the Merlot exterior with the two-tone parchment leather interior. My other vehicle is a 2003 GMC Envoy XL V-8, so the Taurus helps me save on fuel costs as well. I really like the Taurus because it's very roomy, has a nice look and seems to be ranked fairly high in terms of occupant safety. I looked at some other major competitors to the Taurus, but decided on the Ford based on the incentives and rebates that were available.

As with the good things, come the bad things. There are several items on my Taurus that kind of bother me, but not the the point where it deteriorates my ownership experience.

#1: Sound insulation? I honestly think that either my vehicle left the factory without any sound insulation materials at all OR this is just the nature of the beast? I specifically notice a lot of road noise, especially from the back seat area of the vehicle? It's not that quiet at all. I can really tell the difference when I drive my Envoy as compared to the Taurus, because the Ford is considerably noisier. On my first day of ownership, I checked the windows and sunroof several times because I swore that something had to be open for the vehicle to have that much wind noise? Could a lot of the noise stem from the Continental brand tires? If so, I will yank them and put on something else.

#2: Sunroof? I think that my sunroof may need adjusting due to the tremendous amount of wind noise that emanates from it while it's closed? Once on the freeway running approximately 80 mph, a cross-wind struck and it felt as if it were gonna rip off the sunroof? I felt (and heard) a big gush of wind come through it? Even when I go through the touchless car washes, the dryer cycle really gets the best of me. I am usually guaranteed to get WET everytime I go through the dryer cycle. I am guessing that the dryer creates enough force to push water from the seals into the vehicle and make it sound as if it's gonna rip off the sunroof? This alarms me because my predecessors did not do this (2002 Chevy Impala LS, 2002 Grand AM GT1, etc.). I thought about purchasing a sunroof deflector in hopes of cutting down on the wind noise. Would anyone suggest a particular brand/style?

#3: Duratec V-6? While this is a very strong engine for the Taurus, I have a wierd vibration that comes from my engine while on the freeway and accelerating? Does anyone else experience this? I can depress the accelerator 1/4 way down to pass a vehicle and I can feel this vibration either from the engine or tires.. but I am assuming it's the engine due to the fact that the vibration quits once I let off of the accelerator. Maybe this is just the nature of the engine, but I just did not think that it was that smooth? I can cruise along the freeway at 80 mph and the ride is as smooth as ever, once again allowing me to rule out any possibility of the tires. The vibration only occurs when I am accelerating. Additionally, I changed the engine oil over to Synthetic at 1K and the vibration seemed to diminish for a few days, now it's back again.

I have approximately 1500 miles on the odometer to date and have plans on possibly addressing these concerns during my first 5k scheduled maintenance appointment. Otherwise, I think that the Taurus is a wonderful vehicle, just wish that it was a little quieter? Oh.. last but not least, I purchased the Ford remote start for the vehicle and it works like a dream! The vehicle is nice and toasty every morning!

Any feedback that you all could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

IExplore2000

badgerfan · March 2004

Taurus is not vault quiet(I have a 2000 SES Duratec) but is certainly a reasonably quiet vehicle, so I do not know if you have an issue related to yours alone. You may want to test drive another Taurus and see if it behaves the same as yours. Road noise is highly dependent on the particular road you are on-I have noticed this issue on my Taurus, and could be influenced much by the tires. I have the OEM Continentals, and have no other basis of comparison, except I know our 1996 Caravan is quieter than the Taurus but that comparison has different tires and completely different vehicles.

One guess-are the fold down back seat cushions fully up? They could be letting noise in from the trunk. Maybe a side window is not fully closing?

I do not have a sunroof, but certainly it appears yours may not be closing/sealing properly and maybe needs adjustment.

There is some vibration feedback through the accelerator pedal under hard acceleration, but I guess I have never felt it to be unusual. Again, I would maybe test drive another Taurus with Duratec to see if the problem is just with your vehicle. Your dealer probably has a demo unit you can test. I cannot imagine how there could be any relationship between synthetic vs conventional oil and vibration levels.

oxx93 · March 2004

I have a 2001 SES with the sunroof and have not noticed any excessive noise or any water coming in. It might be your vehicles roof. I would take it to the dealer right away.

On another issue, has anyone noticed a rough start with your Taurus. I have noticed that after starting the car and shifting to drive, it feels like the engine is jumping/reving hard? It is not smooth and it sounds like it might die. I have noticed this only in the mornings. Any thoughts?

upsetter1 · March 2004

My Sable Premium is definitely more refined and quiet than Olds Alero that I rented. There is no problem with sunroof eigther. You have to check did you really close it, you have to get used how to close it, because if you push button a bit longer it starts to open other way.

About Duratec it depends what you call vibration. When you accelerate it changes gears and revs-up. When you're cruising it overdrives at lower rpms, so at higher rpms it may vibrate more. It is not as silky smooth as Japanese or German V6 for sure.

automan227 · March 2004

You have to make sure that your sunroof is really close, because like upsetter1 said, its very easy to have it open the other way and you get a lot of windnoise.

On my '01 SEL I have not noticed any such vibration when accelerating at all.

Oxx93- I have not noticed any such high revving or anything. On the duratecs, when you start them, they will rev slightly higher for several seconds then idle normally because it warms up the engine. When I shift into drive/reverse, the engine starts revving even lower.

I have not found Road Noise to be excessive at all like anyone is describing. Of course it doesn't have the refinement of a German V6 (passat et al), but for the most part I find it just fine.

AS

oxx93 · March 2004

Sorry-I do not have the Duratec, just the base V6. It feels like the car wants to lunge forward, it is very strange. I have to have it checked out.

danielj6 · March 2004

"I have not noticed any such high revving or anything. On the duratec, when you start them, they will rev slightly higher for several seconds then idle normally because it warms up the engine. When I shift into drive/reverse, the engine starts revving even lower."

I've noticed the same with my Sable. Regarding the road noise, I hear the Duratech growling under the hood, but I don't find it to be excessively noisy to the point of annoyance. I just enjoy hearing the motor though.

In Camries and Accords you probably have to pull over, pop the hood open to check if there is a motor in there or it fell out somewhere;). The growly engine is part of the Taurus/Sable personality.

snowman · March 2004

The vibration might be related to universal joint angle. Mentioned this to your dealer, they should know...
And also defective motor mounts...

chicagosky · March 2004

Hey All,

Thanks for your advice on my 30K tune-up question. Also, way back in mid-January, message #2643, I brought up a vibration issue I was dealing with-- more felt than heard, under the gas pedal, particularly at highway speeds. After two visits it was diagnosed as the half-shafts in the axles. I hope that makes sense because I don't know much about cars, so I am just writing it from the mechanic's write-up. They were completely replaced under warranty. Just a heads-up to all of you, especially if you're still under warranty-- vibration seems to be a concern for some lately, and it would be an expensive repair outside of warranty.

Also, keep an eye on your clocks. Mine is slow--to the tune of maybe 5-10 minutes a week-- and they are completely replacing the unit for me. This is one of those things that I would never pay to replace outside of warranty, but it can be slightly irritating not to have an accurate clock, so I am glad I noticed!

Other than that, all's well. The replacement of the axles made the car a lot quieter and smoother. For reference in terms of these repairs--I don't know if they might vary between model year-- I have an '02 SES.

alpha01 · March 2004

Now now, no need for cheap Camcord shots! The Camry and Accord both use gas struts, not prop rods, for the hood.

~alpha

shank6 · March 2004

Hey iexplore. If you close your interior sun shield that will cut down on your noise level a ton. I haven't had an leakage problems with my 2000 Sable at all, so as the other guys have said make sure it's closed all the way.

Those OEM Continentals aren't the greatest for cutting down on road noise either. I switched to Cooper All Season radials and that made a big difference in noise levels and handling.

You will get some vibration from the Duratech when you stand on it, but that seems to be just a bit of the engines personality coming through!. Don't worry it's a good engine, and you made a good decision.

ohio7 · March 2004

I have a 2000 SEL and have never experienced any of your problems. I agree with the others about the engine "noise" - I like the soft "growl" sound when I punch the gas pedal. Maybe because I'm a product of the 50's and 60's when muscle cars were everywhere and a good growl was a head turner.

You must remember what is stated here continuously if you become a regular reader and that is you didn't pay the over-inflated price for a German car. That money can be banked for retirement or your kids education. You got a good looking roomy bread and butter car. I haven't had any mechanical problems except a recall that has continued twice. I saw in the paper that we are recalled again for the same problem. I guess I'll be getting a letter. I did call an 800 number and placed my complaint a couple of years ago. It has to do with the adjustable pedals and the brake light switch being placed just above the pedal. Somehow grease gets in there and causes havoc one way or another. Maybe this time they'll get it right. I'll keep everyone posted.

iexplore2000 · March 2004

I read through everyone's response to me and checked out everything which seems to be okay, however I did notice something.

Since it has been starting to warm up here in the midwest, I had a chance to fully open my sunroof the other day. In my moment of enjoying the roof being open, I stuck my hand out there while driving just to "play" in the wind. Well.. I accidentally (and very lightly) bumped the wind deflector piece to which it immediately became dislodged on the left side from it's originating location. I immediately pulled over and got out of the vehicle to see what had happened. Don't know what happened, but I had to POP that piece back into place again and it had almost seemed as if that particular piece had never been "seated" correctly to begin with?

Anyhow, it seems as if the sunroof now closes with a more solid THUNK as if the deflector gives it an extra push into the correct sealed position. Although the winds have been relatively LOW here, it does seem to be much more quieter on the freeway than before?

As far as other road noise, vibration, etc. I had a chance to check out the rear sear pass through and it appears to be closed correctly, all windows seal tightly and all door seals are in place. I am planning on test driving another Taurus this week just to compare, but I just think that the noise level I am hearing is just the nature of the vehicle.

I am still feeling that vibration from the drive-train when accelerating. I am going to follow snowman's advice and have the dealer search to see if there is anything out there relating to defective motor mounts or universal joint angle.

Otherwise, the car has been relatively flawless, however my DIC shows that I am averaging only 20 mpg, but I am getting nearly 400 miles from a tank of gas? Seems as if the system is not calculating the mileage correctly?

Last but not least, anyone have any suggestions out there on what type of sunroof deflector to purchase? I am thinking about adding one to my vehicle ASAP. Also, any suggestion about swapping out the original Conti tires? I have really been debating about switching out the tires to something better and perhaps even switching out the factory wheels for the 2001-2003 SEL 5-spoke version. They seem a heck of a lot more sportier looking than the multi-spoke design I have on my 2004. Ugggg.... :-)

Thanks everyone!

IExplore2000

eng6ine · March 2004

Your right about those 7 or 8 spoke wheels they are ugly, but the newer 5 spoke wheels on the SES are pretty sporty. Maybe try to swap out at the dealer, you never know until you ask.
Sounds like you had a bit of quality control issues with your Taurus, if your dealer wont look into your problems go to another dealer. I take my Taurus to a Lincoln-Mercury dealer, the service "seems" to be just a little better.

chicagosky · March 2004

Has anybody installed mudflaps on their Taurus? I have an '02 SES, and I'm considering doing it--or rather, paying to have it done. I would be doing this to protect the paint, not for any appearance-type reason (I imagine, in fact, that the Taurus would be more aesthetically pleasing without the mudflaps). I've noticed periodic sandblasting on the underside of the car when I'm washing it, and I have concerns about paint wear over time. Even though I'm in a climate largely absent of snow, mudflaps seem to be a good idea. Thoughts/comments/experiences? Suggestions for places to get it done? It seems like I would pay a premium at the dealership.

badgerfan · March 2004

I put some plain black rubber ones on my back wheel wells mostly just to keep the back area a little cleaner. I just bought inexpensive ones from one of the chain auto parts stores. Make sure you buy flexible rubber ones, not the plastic ones that can get very brittle and break off in the winter when you back into a snow bank.
These are not the fancy coutoured ones, they are just flat rubber.

It is quite easy to do yourself as the area behind the wheel well is part of the rear bumper and it is plastic and easy to get a starter hole for the screw through, though the tire can get in the way a bit. I don't remember having a problem, though and I did not remove the wheels to do it.

I did not put any mud guards in the front, as the black plastic trim panel that covers the lower rocker panel also forms an abbreviated mud guard, and I haven't seen a lot of crud get on the car from that area.

chicagosky · March 2004

Thanks for your advice and suggestions. I don't have to worry as much about snow here (South Carolina) as you probably due (I'm assuming by your nickname that you live in or around Wisconsin). My best friend lives in Wisconsin and every time I visit her, I'm amazed by the ability of people to negotiate snow conditions in their cars. Thanks for your advice!

badgerfan · March 2004

Yes I do live in Wisconsin in a suburb of Milwaukee and am a UW-Madison alum. With your nickname I wrongly assumed you were in the Chicago area. You know, that little Milwaukee suburb south of us! :-)

Yes we muddle through snow and icy roads some, but the highway and street departments have the equipment to deal with it, and if you live here a while, you soon learn how to drive in those conditions or you visit the auto body shops often. We actually probably don't get shutdown due to weather nearly as often as some of the southern states that get hit with snow and ice rarely, but don't have the equipment to deal with it, and people do not develop the driving skills either. On the down side, my Taurus is mostly dirty for half the year! Just as soon as you get it clean in the winter, you can count on another snow storm and resulting salt baths to turn your car white no matter what it's original color.

beancounter · April 2004

In response to #2831 iexplore2000: I have 103,000 miles on my '00 Sable. My parents bought a twin (same color & everything). Mine came with the Conti tires. My parents' came w/ Firestones. They complained about the road noise in theirs, & how quiet mine was. When it came time to replace mine at 70,000, I ordered another set of Contis. I've also had a lot of experience w/ Coopers and liked them very much.

I didn't have any brake noise until I replaced the rears @ 72K. Since then, they have had to be cleaned every 10 or 15,000 miles to keep them quiet. I'm taking it in again this Fri. My mech suggested different pads. May try that. Also, the rears had to be replaced before the fronts. Had the frnts done @ 90K.

Also just had the sway bar links replaced. Was getting a faint tapping sound at low speeds. They took it for a drive and said "sway bar links". The tapping has been going on for about 30 or 40K. Just thought it was something loose.

Had an Octane Adjstmt done @ the dealer for excessive pinging @ 28K. It was a TSB (Tech Serv Bulletin). Ran better, but it runs best on higher octane fuels. At 10 cents a gal more, that's only $1.35/tank and it pays for itself w/ better mileage and performance.

Been a great car so far. Plan on going 200K before selling.

beancounter · April 2004

I mentioned my parents' car in my previous message because they were experiencing the same problems as me: rear brakes worn out before the fronts (this seemed strange to me when it happened on my car, but now theirs too), bad pinging on 87 octane (but being in their late 70's, they don't hear it. Even if they did, they wouldn't pay that extra $2 a tankful for prem despite better mpg.) Could someone give me a little feedback on this? I always thought any kind of pinging was bad for an engine. Yet, the Merc manual says some pinging is normal in this engine. (Neither of us has the 24V.) Any response to this claim?

As for their tires, they went w/ Michelins and say it's quieter now.

beancounter · April 2004

I also experienced the brk lite sw prob. Had it replaced first on a recall @ 24K. Then it went out @ 78K. Had to call the dealer for instructions on how to start the car. No probs since. 103K now.

I ignored the pedal spacing recall.

snowman · April 2004

As a concept, pinging is very harmful to engine, however majority of Vulcan engines ping with 87 octane gas. It is something with 12V OHV engine of Ford. Mine was pinging too. But I switched to 93 octane. There are some reasons
1. Depending on mileage, carbon built up in upper intake manifold,
2. Defective EGR valve, DFPS sensor or corbon built up on these components,
3. Bad MAF sensor,
4. Bad or worn ignition wires and plugs,
5. bad O2 sensors (Taurus has 4 of them)

My extensive testing (I tested majority of my sensors with multimeter) revealed that none of my sensors at fault.
So, there is one reason left, that is combustion chamber temperature is higher than normal, it could be related to carbon too but upper intake manifold was very clean, even shiny. So I tend to rule out carbon...
I don't now why temperature is higher but I no how to lower it. I'll install 180 degree t-stat. Stock t-stat is 195 degree, even though Haynes manual say 185 degree. I called dealer on this...
This is $10 material, if it cures the pinging I'll be happy, if doesn't I'll just keep using 93 octane.
Many G3 Taurus owners have resolved their pinging issue by installing 180 degree t-stat.

beancounter · April 2004

Thanks. Just had my mech do a minor tune-up (plugs, timing ck, & fuel filter). Everything else they thought was OK. They also cleaned the fuel injectors, but not the in-manifold. Told me to bring it back if it was no better, and they would clean that. It's over there today for a clean & adjst on the rear brakes (noisy). I will mention your suggestions, especially the 180 therm. Are the ign wires something that wears out over time or miles or both? Would an eng diag reveal a problem, or could something like that sneak in under the radar? Thanks for your many responses in this forum. I have read quite a bit of your stuff.

setzer · April 2004

I almost bought a top line Taurus when I realized that they were going to be dropped in a while. Instead I went for a nice Impala. Both cars are great, ecspecially the Taurus for it's price. If you are looking for a cheaper car, but still a nice midsize, Taurus is the way to go.

beancounter · April 2004

Snowman: s/w my mech. His only concern with the 180 t-stat is triggering an engine code for low temp. Your thoughts? Also, what effect if any does a lower t-stat have on heater output during the winter months?

307web · April 2004

The latest is that the Taurus may be in production past 2008. The Impala may be dropped or replaced by that time.

snowman · April 2004

I know many gen4 taurus owners have this AS performance upgrade. B/C 180 t-stat increases HP along with other upgrades like super chip, cold intake, special air filters etc. And no one has ever complained in forums.
It doesn't affect your heat output at all. You won't be able to feel lower combustion chamber temp. T-stat will open @ around 180-185 degree instead of 190-195 degree. However, this much coolness is very important for engine to operate in efficiently. PCM should not throw any code. However the engine will be operating close to optimum temperature, since it will be sligtly lower than optimum PCM will adjust air/fuel ratio and you will be spending slightly more fuel. This may create a 0.5 or 1 mpg difference.
Some gen3 owners change their t-stats during spring and chang it again before the winter (it is extremely easy to change it). But my taurus pings winter time too unless outside temp is lower than 30 degree.

So you might want to try it. Cost of the -stat is around $10. Labor should not more than $30 or $40 for that.

ssartori · April 2004

As for the sound, My 1999 Sable had Continentals on it... I just replaced them with Michelins X's BJ's wholesale club (34K miles on the OEM Continentals) and it did quite the ride down quit a bit... I thought the same thing when I first got my Sable with Continentals on it..

ssartori · April 2004

Ok folks the 1999 Sable Saga continues... If you remember I had the Sable that blew oil filters off the engine.. Bad oil Pump relief valve... New engine installed a year ago, 5K miles on new engine (Durotec) car now has 33K on it.. Also ping problem Havent tried the 180 thermostat yet, but will do as soon as the new oil leak is fixed.. Oh BTW this car is now covered on the ESP plan... Except now one wants to work on it.. Here is the e-mail I just sent to Ford Customer Relations via their web site..

>>>Why Doesn't Ford Stand behind their products?

After a new/remanufactured engine being installed in my car about one year ago, (less then 5,000 miles ago I have developed another oil leak.. Why after my dealers service manager contacted Ford for advice, the service manager told me that Ford said its "Normal" to experience some oil leak.. Ya right Maybe in a 1964 Ford Why won't another Ford Dealer that I purchased 96 Windstar from wont work on my Sables oil leak, after printing out the cars service history? Why don't I ever get a customer survey when there is a major issue involved like engine replacement. When I do get a survey, the survey never asks about quality of product, only quality of service.

Our family is about to make a new van purchase in the next 3- 4 months to replace our 96 Windstar. We have been interested in the Freestar/Montery but unless something is done about my oil leak issue in my Sable, (WITH ESP PROTECTION), I will not, and I repeat NOT, bother even looking at another Ford product again ever, as I know they care less about customer satisfaction, quality of their product, and most of all service!

Lets see if someone from Ford actually takes the initiative to take care of this ongoing issue thats been on going for nearly 1.5 years and started when the car was still under new car warrantee.<<<

Oh I cant wait to see what happens now Nothing, probably Im very close to closing the book on Ford Products!

I sure hope someone from Ford monitors this web site.. No, probibly not makes to much sense!

Take Care

Steve

ssartori · April 2004

BTW if you like to read the saga... The post #'s are 2258 & 2270...

Hmmmm Oh yaaa when I filled out my complaint on the web I got a web survey from Ford on how their web service was.. I wrote back, Forget the damn PR if you wand real public relations, FIX MY CAR!!!

It's a small leak looks like its coming from either the oil pan or I have a feeling the main lower bearing seal between the tranny and engine.. Dealer did a dye test but couldn't pin point the leak.. They did tighten down the pan bolts.. That's when dealer called Ford and that's when Ford said some oil leaks are normal... Yaaa right.. It's a small leak but it's a leak! Few drops in garage very few days.. Maybe it's like it's "normal" for an engine to burn a quart of oil every 1000 miles.. Who are they kidding... Are we idiots to except this bull!

OK, Done Venting For Now

Steve

badgerfan · April 2004

I think you need to find a new dealer for repairs.
No reason you have to stay with the one who sold it to you if you are unhappy with them.

My 2000 Taurus Duratec is still dry as a bone underneath and on my garage floor, now at about 37K miles, though this is not much consolation to you that mine is doing fine. Good Luck!

Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

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