High Mileage Escorts

The '88 Mazda 323 and Mercury Tracer (which was almost the same in body size/shape) were both assembled on the same line in Ford's Hermesillo (sp?) Mexico auto complex. Had the same motor and tranny. Not sure about any Escort model being similar.... don't think so.
I've heard the Mazda 323 and the Escort are the same car mechanically. My
'93 Escort was built in Wayne, Michigan.

I've heard the Mazda 323 and the Escort are the same car mechanically. My
'93 Escort was built in Wayne, Michigan.
The same goes with the Mazda MX-3..

My escort has 268,500 miles. gets about 30 mpg, needs a tune up. Its on the original motor and 5 speed trans, runs like a champ. Drive it like ya stole it. :sunglasse

Need to add a 500K catagory. I should be hitting 1/2 milliion in about a month. Maybe I could be the first to post in that catagory.

Sure you didn't convert it to diesel and attach a trailer to that thing ? ;)

Congrats. What are the Winters like in N. Carolina ?

Sure you didn't convert it to diesel and attach a trailer to that thing ? ;)

Congrats. What are the Winters like in N. Carolina ?

In the area where I am the winters aren't too bad. We usually get a couple small snows or an ice storm or two per winter, but other than that they are pretty mild with lows in the teens or single digits.

My 95 Wagon has just past 204,000 and has been doing great...in the past weeks 3 or 4 it has not wanted to idle very well...I have looked 28 pages deep into the tech area and will assume by all the post that its a vacuum leak. But I never see and post of what anyone found that was the actual cause. So I will do my best to check and or change all the lines.

Already installed new plugs, wires, air filter, pcv and still the same...vacuum lines are next.

My 95 Wagon has just past 204,000 and has been doing great...in the past weeks 3 or 4 it has not wanted to idle very well...I have looked 28 pages deep into the tech area and will assume by all the post that its a vacuum leak. But I never see and post of what anyone found that was the actual cause. So I will do my best to check and or change all the lines.

Already installed new plugs, wires, air filter, pcv and still the same...vacuum lines are next.


Check the PVC line. I know lots of people have problems on the 2nd generations with rubber elbow in that line splitting causing a rough idle. If you don't find any vacuum leaks you might try removing the idle air control valve and cleaning it.

My '94 1.9L - charcoal cannister vacuum hose dry-rotted at the charcoal cannister. (length was excessive causing it to sway & jiggle and eventually break) Simply cut the dry-rotted end + excessive length off. Cold engine spark knock under load, that was a problem through all last Fall & Winter is now gone in recent cool weather.

Idle problem that was an issue during the hottest weather, has seemed to disappear in this cool weather though. My running theory is that the PCV valve might've been leaking. (diaphragm could be weak) PCV Valve can be manually opened with a hand-operated vacuum pump. But I never took a chance to test that theory out. But at idle, whenever I allowed the engine to run for a really long time and heat up enough to run that fan for a short time, the idle problem would disappear for the time that the fan was running. Reduced exhaust temperatures may have reduced backpressures against that PCV diaphram and prevented it seeping exhaust back into the intake. I've been told that the PCV is not supposed to open except for at highway speeds. If open or leaking at idle, that extra, unmetered intake may cause rough idle or kill the engine. Problem was kind of intermittent and only occurred when the engine was warmed up. Oh, and the only other change I did beside the vacuum hose, was cleanup the battery terminals. (not dirty before, but worth mentioning anyway)

Thanks for the tips...I will try and work on it this weekend..

I have a '97 with over 150k that I totalled almost a year ago, still drive it every day. These cars are just about indestructible, I like them so much I bought another one, 3rd one I've owned. A few minor issues, but all in all, good, cheap, reliable tansportation that is just about bulletproof.:2cents:

My '88 Pony just crossed the 500,000 mile barrier about a week and a half ago.

First, I want to thank you all for you tips and comments...they gave me great ideas were to look for the problem.

Well here is what the problem was....Intake gasket...leaking..I spent 10 bucks on a new set and couple of hours taking it apart and reinstalling and know that thing runs like a champ again...

So know I get to concentrate on the right front axle that is clicking....found it for 78 + tax and should have it installed either this or next weekend.

Thanks again!

1991 blue escort wagon 1.9L SOHC. bought at 180k, now at over 200k+ best 300 bucks i ever spent... period

1991 blue escort wagon 1.9L SOHC. bought at 180k, now at over 200k+ best 300 bucks i ever spent... period

My '88 Pony is the best $500. automotive value I ever got. Bought it in '93 with 146K miles and now it has 501K and still going. I'm hoping the '88 GL that I bought for $800. back in the summer with 78K actual miles turns out to be as good of a value as the Pony has been. If it is I'll be driving an '88 Escort for many years to come. Too bad they don't have any collector value especially since the GL is near perfect inside and out. At this rate I won't live long enough to wear out my '97 LX wagon that currently has 28K miles and usually gets about 2K miles of driving per year since I usually only drive it on longer trips of 500 miles or more round trip. If I live to be 75-80 years old my son may inherit a one owner garage kept 35+ year old car with only 70-80K original miles on it if I can keep the two '88's up and running. Only one catch he'll have to learn how to drive a straight shift or do like I do and let it sit and look at it. :screwy:

Well guys, I'm getting ready to sell my prized little Escort ('91 Pony). She's got 204,000 miles on it, and acts like she wants to go another 100,000!

Sadly, these Michigan roads (salt in the wintertime) has eaten the frame of it to the point of only being safe for a few more years. :(

She's been a real gem of a car, and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat!

Well guys, I'm getting ready to sell my prized little Escort ('91 Pony). She's got 204,000 miles on it, and acts like she wants to go another 100,000!

Sadly, these Michigan roads (salt in the wintertime) has eaten the frame of it to the point of only being safe for a few more years. :(

She's been a real gem of a car, and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat!

If it's been taken care of it would probably make another 100K. My '88 Pony has 503K and still going strong.

I've got a 1995 Escort wagon that I bought in 2005 with 16,000 original miles. Right now I have 82,000, and all I've had fixed was the head gasket at 25,000.
I have to ask FordMan59, are you adhering to any special maintenance schedule, or using special oil or additives? Also, is yours a 1.9?

I've got a 1995 Escort wagon that I bought in 2005 with 16,000 original miles. Right now I have 82,000, and all I've had fixed was the head gasket at 25,000.
I have to ask FordMan59, are you adhering to any special maintenance schedule, or using special oil or additives? Also, is yours a 1.9?


I've been using a bottle of Slick 50 or similar product every 50K miles ever since the car had 150K miles on it. I also use a bottle of STP or similar product in the crankcase at every oil change and for the last 30K miles I've been using http://lubecontrol.com/lube.htm and letting the oil change interval go their recommended 10K miles. I thought a car with 500K miles on it was a good one to test new products on to see how they work. If they don't work as described I haven't lost a lot, if they do I'll use them in my better cars.

Well I just had a wreck with my Escort. It's up to just 82,600 miles and I fell asleep at the wheel going about 65mph. It slid sideways on the highway for a ways, then caught the snow in the ditch and rolled 1 1/2 times, landing on its side. :crying: I was the only one in the car and I don't even have a scratch on me from the incident. There's a few dents here and there, one front quarter panel is pretty smashed, and I have a nice birdbath on the roof. I'll push out the roof, and it's perfectly driveable. I never did take full coverage off it, because liability was only 5 bucks a month cheaper, so I lucked out there. Especially when the insurance company valued the car at $2800, and I got to buy it back from them for $300.

1999 escort se 2.0 sohc..died last week at 165k.number 4 valve seat dropped....now what to do with it?

theresamauser; My advice would be to rebuild it. You would need to dismantle the engine as well as just replacing the head - to check on how much damage there was to the piston (or pistons) that got hammed by the chunks of broken inlet valve. If the pistons are damaged, it can result in a broken con rod in the new few months. I would probably get a JY engine, and rebuild that, then put it into the car.
Or you can put it on craigslist.org, and sell it for a few hundred to someone like me, who will rebuild it and drive it for another decade. Too bad I am so far from you -- Im in N. VA in summers, but can always find cars nearby me, with a dead engine; when I want to fix one up.

Do we get to change the vote once we've reached a different "class" of mileage ? ;)


Update: Found the cause of below some time ago...

My '94 1.9L - charcoal cannister vacuum hose dry-rotted at the charcoal cannister. (length was excessive causing it to sway & jiggle and eventually break) Simply cut the dry-rotted end + excessive length off. Cold engine spark knock under load, that was a problem through all last Fall & Winter is now gone in recent cool weather.

Idle problem that was an issue during the hottest weather, has seemed to disappear in this cool weather though. My running theory is that the PCV valve might've been leaking. (diaphragm could be weak) PCV Valve can be manually opened with a hand-operated vacuum pump. But I never took a chance to test that theory out. But at idle, whenever I allowed the engine to run for a really long time and heat up enough to run that fan for a short time, the idle problem would disappear for the time that the fan was running. Reduced exhaust temperatures may have reduced backpressures against that PCV diaphram and prevented it seeping exhaust back into the intake. I've been told that the PCV is not supposed to open except for at highway speeds. If open or leaking at idle, that extra, unmetered intake may cause rough idle or kill the engine. Problem was kind of intermittent and only occurred when the engine was warmed up. Oh, and the only other change I did beside the vacuum hose, was cleanup the battery terminals. (not dirty before, but worth mentioning anyway)

... simply bought some MAF cleaner (a.k.a. electrical cleaner) and hit both the ACT/IAT + MAF after reading the instructions. Been great ever since. (not that it was bad before) Couldn't sense airflow properly so it had the same or similar affects of having vacuum leak(s).

I think the term PCV in the above quote should be changed to EGR in every instance.

I have a 92 LX Escort. One of its nice features is Not Having any EGR setup at all. Its kind of a mystery to me, since the 91's and the 93's did have EGR systems.

Yep, you're right. PCV valves don't have diaphrams hehehe. Should've noticed that but didn't really reread it.

Well I just had a wreck with my Escort. It's up to just 82,600 miles and I fell asleep at the wheel going about 65mph. It slid sideways on the highway for a ways, then caught the snow in the ditch and rolled 1 1/2 times, landing on its side. :crying: I was the only one in the car and I don't even have a scratch on me from the incident. There's a few dents here and there, one front quarter panel is pretty smashed, and I have a nice birdbath on the roof.

Pics?

I have a 1998 Ford Escort 5 spd with 189,500 miles and running strong.Very reliable 31-35 mpg.:iceslolan

I have a 1998 Ford Escort LX 5speed with 189,600 miles. Runs like a top:iceslolan

Only 78,000 on my 02 Escort S.E, starts up fine everytime, only thing is that it idle's a little rough and shakes a bit at idle and cold start.

............ Cold engine spark knock under load, that was a problem through all last Fall & Winter is now gone in recent cool weather. ...........

Idle issue when warm was dirty MAF sensor.

Cold engine spark knock was bad heated O2 sensor. (suspect that it's heater went bad) Picked up a Motorcraft part.

Since I love reading these stories of escorts that seem to last forever I thought I'd share.

Just crossed 200k a few days ago. I swear this car is going to last forever. It still runs great. A/C blows out ice cold. No transmission problems (manual). I even had a check engine light that fixed itself recently. The error code was EGR pressure sensor related, but I wasn't going to fix it. Then all of the sudden out of the clear blue the light shut off. Haven't seen it in a couple weeks.

Ohh, by the way, I've been getting 37-38 mpg consistently in the summer. This car has forever spoiled me. I know I'll never have something this good again.

If it's still running great in November, I'm going to put quick struts all the way around and a few other odds and ends. I'm wearing out tires faster than usual, but I don't really need new ones until winter.

When I started this thread I had 257,000 on my '93 Wagon. Now I have over 320,000! It runs perfect!:tongue:

Mine went over 200,000 mile a couple of months ago. Still has the original automatic transmission.

I have a 97 sedan with 2.0L. I only have 165k. I have owned it since April of 1999. I have never had such a reliable vehicle in my life. It has been great. Unfortunatly, I live in WI, so the salt is eating it up. Five speed manual, no A/C. I consistantly get low 30's M.P.G. in town driving back and forth to work. What a shame they quit making them. I would love to find a low mileage Escort with little to no rust to replace mine.

I bought my 5 speed 97 LX Sport with 207k on it from someone on Craigslist for $800. Body is in great shape (for an upstate NY car). Had to invest a couple of things in it though.

First off, the guy selling it said that the egnine started making a funny noise which pushed him to sell it (it was a 2nd car for them that they didn't need). I go give it a test drive and itdrives and runs perefectly fine. I take a look under the hood and sure enough I hear the noise coming from around the serpentine belt. It begins to get worse and worse and suddenly I see a litte puff of smoke poof out from the alternator. Shut the engine off and see the bearing cap on the alternator is gone with the bearings exposed. With that problem diagnosed, I buy it from him, go and buy an alternator, swap it out, and crank it up. Works like a champ! So I get it home and over the next few weeks I do the following:

-All new strut assemblies (quick-struts)
-New pads/rotors, calipers
-New drums/shoes
-New lower ball joints
-New front and rear sway bar endlinks
-New shifter link bushings and shifter stabilizer bushings
-New blower motor and resistor
-New stereo (had broken Sony XPLOD, replaced with new Alpine CDE-HD137BT)
-New speakers and install 10" Alpine sub w/ amp.

I also "Kemanized" the intake since the snorkel section of the housing was broken anyway. I have also been working on cleaning out the intake mani as I have take the TB off and found it coated with carbon.

It doesn't have the same pick up or punch that my ZX2 S/R did, but it works great and I would trust it on a road trip.

It is a swell little engine and will last "forever" with regular maintenance ...IF, it never sees an "overheat" event. If you lose the coolant, or whatever, ... you can expect a valve insert to work itself loose and cream the piston or worse.

Too bad we can't really update our vote.

Too bad we can't really update our vote.
Yeah I'd like to change mine. I'm at 262k now. Just had an issue with the A/C.

>310k now. Idles, accelerates and cruises perfectly but power has been gradually fading over the past 9-12 months. Guessing output may be 55-70hp (62-80%) at this point. No evidence of blowby via the crankcase breather element (a.k.a. air cleaner sponge) and doesn't consume significant amounts of oil but plan to run a compression test before checking for t-belt slippage. (suspect piston compression rings) Intake seems louder which is usually a sign of belt slippage; but could simply be that I'm flooring and near-flooring it far more often. A/C is unmolested and works fine but is rarely used. (not a fan of A/C -- have seven+ months out of the year to be cold)