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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Sedans Pre-2008

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Comments

  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    I'm glad your father checked on that. I like the internet, but the info's not always up-to-date. (like an engine guide from '99) :)

    does anyone know if the Vulcan & the Duratec use a timing belt or chain?
  • minnesotaartminnesotaart Member Posts: 52
    To iusecad:
    Both engines use a timing chain.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    minnesotaart - thanks! so, how are things down south? ;)
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    iusecad - are you still debating on buying a Taurus? I think I've overwhelmed myself with too much information. I don't know what I'll wind up with. I went over to my parents house today and my dad said he's really disgusted with GM. I have a cousin that said to go with Ford too. Since I don't know as much about cars, I'll probably take their advice.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    stnel - my debate isn't with the car. It's the whole business of going into a fresh loan. And with all the money I've sunk into my truck, I feel like I should drive it awhile longer to recoup some of it...

    Also, none of the local dealers have a new Taurus with a Duratec... (as of a week ago, anyway)
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    iusecad - That's probably a smart move to get more year(s) out of your truck. I thought with your question on timing chains that you were thinking of buying. I try to get 10 years out of a car before buying a new one. My car is 10 years old now so I'm ready to buy.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    10 years? wow.

    well, I have the bug to get something new. If I could afford one, I'd probably get an F-150 Supercrew. But I figure a Taurus is a good compromise. :)

    I wanted to make sure they had a chain; I don't trust belts...

    I'll probably work up the nerve to buy one sooner or later! lol

    Inserting text; you mean the subject line next to our user names? I think one of the hosts said they're having "Technical Difficulties"; Friday the 13th was a rough one for them...
  • minnesotaartminnesotaart Member Posts: 52
    iusecad: The weather is just fine down here in the Cities! You should check out the web site for the big dealer about 1-1/2 miles from my house, Apple Valley Ford. They have some Duratechs in stock. Also it is a one price dealer. They have pictures of their inventory as well. So, if you see something you like, you can see the price too. Here is the URL: http://www.applevalleyford.com/Main.html


    Enjoy.

  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    minnesotaart - hmm. I wouldn't mind a road trip! Of course I might get sidetracked going through Hinckley...
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    iusecad - my car's 10 years old but I think I'm going to avoid interstate driving until I buy my new car.

    Still unsure whether to go with the Impala or Taurus. I go back and forth. I haven't test driven them yet so that may make a difference right there. And the price, of course.

    My dad is down on GM because of the '90 van he bought. It was brand new and after 100 miles it quit cold on the interstate. I can't remember what the problem was but he's had nothing but problems with that van ever since. He will never buy another GM! I've been pretty happy with my Grand Am though.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    I'm impressed! I couldn't keep a vehicle for 10 years because I get bored with them after about 3 or 4 years... my truck was 4 years old with me back in December; so that's why I've got the bug.

    That's too bad about your father's van. I don't know anyone who's had bad luck with anything they've bought. Except for maybe my truck, which has been expensive to maintain & repair, but it's never left me stranded, or feeling like its not safe to drive; anyway, I'm guessing you'd get a good vehicle out of either the Impala or the Taurus.
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    We put better than 600 miles on my wife's 2001 Taurus SEL this past weekend. The car now has a total of about 2200 miles on it and on the way home we went about 260 miles at all speeds from about 80 to stop and go traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway (expressway, ha!).

    I wanted to check mileage so shortly after we got home I filled the tank and was pleased to see we got just over 25 MPG.

    Its also a great car on the road... lots of power and great comfort features!
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    fdthird - 25mpg sounds good - especially if we're going to be going up to $2/gallon this summer! I guess you've got the Duratec engine.
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    iusecad - getting ready to go to another town to Ford and Chevy dealerships. Hope they offer a price better than sticker price!
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    Stnel,

    You are correct! A darn site better than what we got with the '97 Ford E-150 hi top van with the 5.4 V/8 we traded on this car!!

    For once we seemed to make the right decision at the right time!!

    Gas going here on Long Island for around $1.60 a gallon. Paid $1.55 last night at a discount Exxon near us. Paid the same on Sunday at another Exxon in Ithaca, NY (upstate).

    There are stations in our area charging as high as $1.67 for a gallon on unleaded regular. The price has been going up on a daily basis (last Thursday I paid $1.48 a gallon) so I don't expect those prices to hold.

    $2.00 by Memorial Day??? could be....
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    It seems about 3 weeks ago the gas was $1.29 a gallon for regular unleaded and now it's about $1.49 a gallon. The gas stations I'm talking about are the cheap ones too like Starvin' Marvins. I don't know if Starvin' Marvins is strictly in the South or if you have them up North as well.

    I've about eliminated the Impala as a car to buy. I test drove one today and didn't really like it. It had a bounce to it like loose springs. I'll test drive a Taurus sometimes later this week.
  • tjdeperetjdepere Member Posts: 4
    gas at $1.49 gallon, tell marvin to come to chicagoland and no more starving-----$1.92 gallon today for regular unleaded,premium at 2.22gallon self serve
  • harmarharmar Member Posts: 94
    I took my '99 Sable (Duratec, alum. wheels) for 30K service today. This is a new Merc shop for me, as Ford shut down the one I'd been using. It's a small dealership, but when I interviewed the service and parts managers a few weeks prior to choosing it, their honesty and knowledge impressed me. When I asked how they handled tightening the lug nuts after rotating tires, the service manager told me they use a hand "torque stick" specially made for that purpose, because they are aware that using an air wrench can cause the wheels and/or rotors to warp. Also, at 30K, my residual brake pads are 40 - 50%, which means 40-50K before needing replaced. Secondly, they suggested replacing transmission oil and filter at around 45K. Finally, I asked that they check my AC charge, as summer is coming. Mine was fine, but had it not been, it would have been covered under warranty. Ergo, if this small dealership knows how NOT to warp rotors and wheels and has a special tool for avoiding it, big places ought to, too. Point: not all dealerships are out to get us. From all the news we see, it's easy to start believing scum bags reign. But most people still are honest. Still, I like former Pres. Reagan's attitude. "Trust, but verify!" Best wishes.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    why is gas so expensive in Chicago? it's $1.639 for 87 in my town today...

    is there a lot to the 30k mile service? is it expensive? as a comparison, the 60k service for my 4x4 was over $500...

    stnel - gotta love those test drives! I've eliminated a lot of cars after driving them that I thought I'd love...
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    I guess when they talk about gas being $2 a gallon this summer, Chicago will be closer to $2.50. I don't expect it will hit the $2 mark in the south as we seem to be a little cheaper on gas but we won't be that far behind.

    Talk about cheap gas in Starvin' Marvins--the lines are always pretty long on Saturdays since that's the cheapest place in town to buy and a fight almost broke out between 2 men in there because one was holding up the line. Considering I was standing between those two in line, I was afraid when the first punch was thrown, I'd be the one to get hit. Needless to say, I may start buying gas somewhere else. A fight didn't break out that day, but who knows what kind of hotheads may be in there the next time.
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    Being just over 50, I remember what the gas lines were like back in the early 70s. The prices weren't as high then as they are now but when we had odd even gas days and limited # of gallons you could get there were lots of hot heads.

    The fur could really fly if someone tried to "cut" the line as it went around a corner! They were wonderful days when getting a tank of gas could take you an hour! Lots of reading done in cars in those days!

    And what had I just done?? Switched from a 4 cyl Capri to a big V8 Mercury Montego! Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! This time we may have made the right decision going to the Taurus from the van.
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    Do you remember what gas prices were in 1971. I guess that was shortly before they went up. I remember when my friend and I took her parents other car out driving when they were at a party. (We didn't have our license yet). We stopped at a gas station to get the right amount of gas to get the gas gage back to its original place and asked for 25 cents of gas. The guy that pumped the gas laughed and called us big spenders. We drove around some more and went back to the same place and told him this time we'll take 35 cents!

    That's one of those teenage memories but I always wondered just how much gas we were getting. Could gas have been 25 cents a gallon back then?
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    Hmm..good question.

    I think that when I started driving in 1967 regular gas was around 15 cents a gallon.

    I think that before the Arab Embargo we were paying something like 29 cents??

    I'll have to look it up and see if I can find the prices.
  • ger2138ger2138 Member Posts: 3
    Paid $1.33 on the outskirts of Seattle yesterday for regular
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    fdthird - it would make since that it was around 29 cents a gallon and my friend and I were getting a gallon of gas at a time. It just seems hard to believe that gas was ever that cheap.

    ger2138 - I think you've got the cheapest gas prices yet.
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    I just wonder how the increase is gas prices is going to effect the sales of SUVs? It was last spring (2000) when we were buying gas here in the NE for under $1 a gallon. Now its between 1.55 and 1.70 for a gallon of reg unleaded and still on the way up to who knows where!

    It was not unusual to spend $30-40 to fill our '97 E-150 hitop van and we haven't had it for 2-3 months already!

    If you need to put 30-35 gallons of $2 gas into an SUV and that $60-70 only lasts 3 days, how many people are going to still spend 30-40 thousand for one of them??

    Seems to me that if the gov doesn't drive the huge SUVs (Suburbans, Expeditions, Hummers, etc) out of the market some day the gas prices may.
  • iusecadiusecad Member Posts: 287
    I bought almost 29 gallons @ $1.639 tonight... that got me 414 miles... now if I was in a Taurus, 29 gallons would drive me, what, 725 miles? Lucky for me I only drive 1k a month...

    the Ford dealer in Duluth has a beautiful black SEL with everything. I was tempted to go for a test drive, but I prefer the column shifter... At least I know they get some Duratecs from time to time!
  • minnesotaartminnesotaart Member Posts: 52
    I worked in a gas station in New York (Long Island) during the summer of 1971 when I was in high school. I seem to remember a price of 26.9 It was not unusual for someone to ask for $1 worth! We were a low-cost, gas-only, but full service station (Hess was the brand).
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    The place where my friend and I were getting the gas by the gallon was full service. I believe it was a Tenneco. I was living in Florida at the time - don't know how gas prices compared to rest of country in central Florida. It seems like it was in 1973 when they lowered the speed limit to 55 so people would get better gas mileage. Everything was focused on fuel efficiency back then. We've certainly come a long way.

    iusecad - In pricing Tauruses, I saw a new SES priced at the same price as a new LX (no options added on either car). I thought that was really odd. I believe an SES is about $2,000 more. That dealership has a funny way of pricing its cars. I'll be going there later this week to test drive a Taurus. You may wind up buying a Taurus before I do.
  • ezaircon4jcezaircon4jc Member Posts: 793
    Here in San Diego regular is about $1.899. I saw premium at an independant for $2.359! As my LS needs premium, I follow that closer and most places still have it for $1.999. I may be driving the Sable more as it needs regular!
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    BP, Shell, Amoco are about $1.43 a gallon, self serve regular...I commented to my wife that it seemed only a few weeks ago that Racetrac had it for $1.19, but they, too, are about $1.43 a gallon
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    I filled my car up with gas yesterday and the woman working in the station said her son lived in California and he was paying over $2 a gallon. She didn't say if he was getting regular or premium - probably premium.

    I went back to Starvin' Marvin and it looks like Marvin left. They've been bought out.
  • britt52britt52 Member Posts: 1
    I loved my wife's 99 taurus so much i went out and got me a 2001 but it is different than hers so i took it back to my dealer and it was not long that they had me in a 99...we just love the 99 ford taurus se. good hand and they just seem to drive better i don't know what ford did to the 2001 but we are very happy with the 99,s
  • filmstudentfilmstudent Member Posts: 4
    Hi everyone,
    I often drive my dad's 1998 Taurus SE with 24 valves etc... I am wondering if anyone can help me with a question. The whole overdrive issue is very confusing. What is it exactly?
    When the car is started, by default, overdrive is on. Should it be used for highway or city driving? Should it be used for 60km/h and more? Also, I read somewhere that o/d consumes more gas. Since the Taurus is a gas guzzler, will this help save gas?
    I am wondering when overdrive should be used, if it should be left on all the time. I have reviewed the owner's manual but it doesnt shed much light. Frankly, this is very confusing. I really appreciate any time taken to help me out!
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    Just leave it in overdrive all the time. If I remember correctly it is a D with a circle around it on my 97.

    What do you mean by gas guzzler?

    I have a 97 with a Vulcan. Get between 22 to 23 daily use and 28 to 31 fully loaded with 4 passengers and A/C on for trips over 175 miles.

    What are other Taurus owners getting for mileage. Probably be more interest in this topic because gas is only going to increase in price for the next couple of months!
  • L8_ApexL8_Apex Member Posts: 187
    Technically, "overdrive" is any final drive ratio that is taller than 1.00:1.

    Practically, "overdrive" allows the engine to spin at a lower speed at highway speeds; it's a 4th gear. This translates into better mileage.

    Opinions differ on when you should "lock out" overdrive. I think that most would agree that unless you notice the transmission "hunting", or frequently shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th, you can just leave it on all the time. Most of the time, this frequent shifting is caused by a full load of passengers and luggage or mountainous terrain.

    Thanks,

    L8_Apex
    Host
    Sedans Message Board
  • harmarharmar Member Posts: 94
    My mileage ('99 Sable w/Duratec) closely approximates riswami's. And I agree that leaving the transmission in OD meets most conditions. If you're descending some mountain, though, shifting into 3rd could provide some extra braking. Best wishes.
  • larryn2larryn2 Member Posts: 18
    READ OWNERS MANUAL !!!!! ON OVERDRIVE IT WILL TELL YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.

    GAS IS 1.84 A GALLON IN CHICGO ILL.
  • woodgewoodge Member Posts: 11
    I came upon this chat group yesterday and thought I should share our last 14 months of owning a "Lemon". I wish I could share all of the stories I have about this car, but here are some highlights:

    For those of you who have a 3.0FFV engine that pings. The problem will not go away by chaning octane levels or running cleaners through the injectors. Our car has been into the service department no less that 11 times for this problem. The dealership and Ford have exhausted all means to come up with a fix. THERE IS NO FIX! (The Ford factory engineering group know about the problem but can not come up with a fix!)

    Just last week for example they finally installed a new processor (computer). My wife picked up the car at dealership last Friday and drove home, no ping (yet). Saturday she did shopping and normal errands, no ping (yet). Sunday car was in garage all day. Monday off to work, no ping (yet). On way home (18 miles), she stopped she for groceries, then continued home whereby the check engine light was on and the car was pinging more than ever!

    After she arrived home and was now in "orbit", I immediately called the customer service representitive at the dealer (caught him just before he left for home), whom took our case from the their service writter several months ago. To say the least he was shocked and very disappointed that the processor had not corrected the problem. He arranged for another loaner car to be ready upon my arrival that evening (our eighth or ninth), my wife and I have been there so often we can find it in our sleep!

    While the car was in last week for the "ping" they also made their eighth or ninth try at resolving an on-going problem with wet moisture forming on the passenger side windshield. This has only occurred when the car is parked outside, at night, after being driven for more than 20 minutes.
    Once we came out to the car in our daughter's driveway to find every window covered in wet dew. We had to dry the windows with towels because there was no way the defroster could could handle it! The car has been soaked in water looking for leaks, interior torn apart several times, the carpet is dry, the truck is dry, doors are dry.

    Through a close friend in California whom works for Ford he found TSB from 1999 that address the smell/order coming from the heater in vehicles in California and Arizona. The problem stated in TSB was that condensation was forming in the heater box and forming mildew. Solution found was Ford installed small electric fans in the heater box that seem to disipate the condensation.
    On the cars they installed the fan on they have had no further complaints about odor. Thus this is what the dealership installed on the car last week. However we don't know if fixed our problem with moisture on the windows as the car is still at the dealership.

    In closing the dealership and Ford have some to us with an offer to purchase back the vehicle and place us into a new 2001 SES. We are still working out the trade off and details today, but it looks like they are standing behind their product and are willing to find a equitable solution.

    I will stop back and give you an up-date.....
  • 99taurus99taurus Member Posts: 20
    I'll agree first about the 99's. I love my 99 SE with the Duratech. I have found in the last couple of years that the overdrive seems to drift a bit. When in Overdrive my car will coast a lot longer than I would like it to. Doing mainly city and driving, I find that I leave my car in drive witch keeps it from shifting into 4th gear and coasting away. On the highway I leave it in overdrive. My wife always leaves it in OD and just uses the breaks a bit more. Leaving the car in Drive vrs OD will probrably cut down on the mileage a little, but saves the brakes and rotors! If you don't mind the coasting just leave it in OD. My whole way to work is a slight down hill, My car will not slow down when I let off the gas at all. Other that that and not being able to choose when the AC is on or off, I love my Taurus. I average 18-20 mixed driving, and 25-26 on freeway. Regular fuel.
  • fdthirdfdthird Member Posts: 352
    Sorry that you've had so many problems but at least it seems like Ford and the dealer are behind you!

    I know having a lemon is a pain (I've had 2 - a '79 Capri and an '84 Toyota Van)but the treatment you are getting sounds great! We were out on our own with our two and spent lots of money and time in the process.

    We have a 2001 Taurus SEL and love the car. Hope you have better luck with your new 2001!
  • 99taurus99taurus Member Posts: 20
    We also had this problem last year. We took it to Ford and they deoderized it with some stuff they spayed in the ventilation system that killed the mildew. I don't live in either Cal or ARZ but is nice to know about the fix if it happens again. Thanks for the SB post, sorry about your unfortunate trouble, hope your 2001 is better.
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    What is the FFV engine? I was looking at my Taurus brochure and it has the automatic overdrive transmission (which I assume is the Vulcan), Duratec, and a 3.0 V6 flexible fuel. Is the FFV the flexible fuel? I'm curious as I'm looking into buying a Taurus. Will Ford buy back your car due to lemon laws in your state or is it a Ford policy.

    I don't know about the lemon laws in Louisiana, where I live, but I imagine Louisiana would protect the dealerships over the consumer.
  • 99taurus99taurus Member Posts: 20
    We also had this problem last year. We took it to Ford and they deoderized it with some stuff they spayed in the ventilation system that killed the mildew. I don't live in either Cal or ARZ but is nice to know about the fix if it happens again. Thanks for the SB post, sorry about your unfortunate trouble, hope your 2001 is better.
  • 99taurus99taurus Member Posts: 20
    Sorry for the Double Post.

    Yes the FFV is the Flexible Fuel. Unless you can use this feature a lot, I would recomend to not get it. I have not heard very good things.
  • woodgewoodge Member Posts: 11
    Yes, the FFV stands for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (3.0 Vulcan). This same application was offered on the Ford Ranger (3.0L) and it to had "pinging" problems. However I understand from my two thousand conversations with the service writers, mechanics, and tech reps that Ford did solve the ping on the Ranger.

    These vehicles are designed to operate very lean on fuel, by adding the special FFV fuel system Ford created a whole new problem to deal with. You will note that the FFV system is no longer available, I wonder why?

    Still waiting for the dealer to call with final details/delivery of the 2001 SES. Sale price seems fair at $19,300 for 3.0 Vulcan, side airbags, ABS, Traction, CD, 60/40 rear seat, floor mats,
    adjustable pedals. Ford is buying/taking back the old car, plus giving me $$$ for my hazzles towards the new car. I am dealing with the "Internet Sales Person" (via Edmunds) whom I bought the 2000 SE from. He is great, and I found that I got a better deal than walking through the doors and spending 5 hours haggling a deal out. Do your home work first.

    My wife loves driving the Taurus. She likes the way it handles, comfort level, and safety. We looked very closely at the 2000 Honda Accord, however when she test drove the car she didin't like the ride/feel.

    Cheers,
    Woodge in Oregon
  • stnelstnel Member Posts: 338
    I've been looking at the LX's which would have the 3.0 Vulcan. (I was curious if the FFV was on the standard engine - evidently not.)

    woodge - I've seen ads in paper for $3000 off sticker price. A salesman at one of the dealerships told me I should get more than $3000 off the sticker price. (He could afford to give me the advice since they didn't have any LX's.) I don't know if I would be pushing it to try for $4000 off. It sounds like you got more than $3000 off the sticker price. Once you start adding all the goodies on to the car, the price goes up in a hurry!
  • filmstudentfilmstudent Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for everyone's advise!
    I am a fairly new, young driver and I really enjoy this message board, it's very helpful. By the way, by gas guzzler, I meant that it consumes alot of gas. I dont know the precise miles/kilometers it gets on a full tank but I will be sure to monitor it and post it. With gas prices so high, (here in Montreal it's reached $0.879 per liter, almost $2/gallon!) it is difficult to keep up.
    Actually, I have another concern if anyone has any info. When my dad bought this car from a Ford dealer in 99, it was used. It is the SE trim and in the manual, it says that it should have a cd changer or somekind of cd player. On the radio console itself there is a "CD" key. I am just wondering if this model is supposed to come with the cd player because we did not get one.
    Thanks again for your time and patience!
  • mrl11777mrl11777 Member Posts: 154
    If the radio has the CD button, it controls a CD changer. You can very easily install one in the trunk of the car. The radio head unit is in the trunk (same side as the antenna) and you will have to buy a control cable that goes between the CD changer and the radio unit. Contact Crutchfiled and you can get set up for under $300.

    And, no, you did not get ripped off. The CD changer was an option. Be happy that you can just plug a unit in, rather than have to use an FM modulated one.
  • minnesotaartminnesotaart Member Posts: 52
    You can get the factory CD changer (made by Aiwa) for $265 (no sales tax, no shipping - at least in U.S. - not sure about Canada) from www.radiosandmore.com It comes complete with the factory wiring - just mount it in the trunk, plug it in and it works with the controls on your radio! 3 hour install max!
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