A Lot Of Bad Information About The Taurus
mwt47
12-08-2007, 09:19 AM
Hi,
My name is Mike and I have been driving some version of the Ford Taurus every day since 1995.
I currently own 3 Ford Taurus that operate every day.
Here are their pictures.
This is my DD a 2000 SES with the Duratec.
It currently has 235K miles on it. It lost the factory transmission at 146K mainly due to my "spirited" driving.
The suspension is heavily modified and i personally did every bit of it.
The engine management system is altered from the way Ford designed it.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/7-8-06066.jpg
This is a 2000 SEL Duratec I bought for my daughter. I have done the maint on it myself for the last two years. It is basiclly stock except for the additon of a transmission cooler and spin on external transmission filter.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/IMG_5368.jpg
My name is Mike and I have been driving some version of the Ford Taurus every day since 1995.
I currently own 3 Ford Taurus that operate every day.
Here are their pictures.
This is my DD a 2000 SES with the Duratec.
It currently has 235K miles on it. It lost the factory transmission at 146K mainly due to my "spirited" driving.
The suspension is heavily modified and i personally did every bit of it.
The engine management system is altered from the way Ford designed it.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/7-8-06066.jpg
This is a 2000 SEL Duratec I bought for my daughter. I have done the maint on it myself for the last two years. It is basiclly stock except for the additon of a transmission cooler and spin on external transmission filter.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/IMG_5368.jpg
mwt47
12-08-2007, 09:24 AM
It seems I ran out of room.
This is a 1999 LX which has the FFV (Flex Fuel) that I won in a crap game.
Shortly after I won it
The motor and transmission gave it up.
I fixed all that
The car had basically no options and I have added many.
A drunk driver going north in the southbound lane hit my daughte and since We only had liability insurance and the drunk had none I rebuilt it myself.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/IMG_4068.jpg
This is a 1999 LX which has the FFV (Flex Fuel) that I won in a crap game.
Shortly after I won it
The motor and transmission gave it up.
I fixed all that
The car had basically no options and I have added many.
A drunk driver going north in the southbound lane hit my daughte and since We only had liability insurance and the drunk had none I rebuilt it myself.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/IMG_4068.jpg
mwt47
12-08-2007, 09:26 AM
This is the 1994GL taurus that I bought brand new and drove 246K before the transmission went out on it.
I had a rebuilt unit stuck in it gave it to my daughter and she wrecked it at 276K. If she hadn't wrecked it I am confident it would still be on the road
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/IMG_8748.jpg
I had a rebuilt unit stuck in it gave it to my daughter and she wrecked it at 276K. If she hadn't wrecked it I am confident it would still be on the road
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/mwt60/IMG_8748.jpg
mwt47
12-08-2007, 09:28 AM
Those are the vast majority of the experience that I have with Taurus.
So here we go.
I am not a professional mechanic but I work on a lot of Taurus cars. I do not have any experience with any versions of the SHO and I never comment about things specific to those cars.
My profile shows me as a newbie. I am not. I used to frequent these forums under a different name but I changed ISP's forgot my password and could never get logged back in , so I reregistered.
I have two stickies credited to me at the top of the forum. The downloadable manuals and the solution to the P0171 and PO174 problem.
I frequent another Taurus Forum that has a much larger base and I have helped numerous people with Taurus problems.
The great thing about internet forums is the information shared by a large amount of people
I was reading the thread about the reliability of the Duratec engine and the posts in it.
That is also the bad thing about the internet.
A member said that the Duratec was called a Dura junk.
It was also posted that you had to drop the engine to change the water pump alternator and that you had to take the manifold and cowling off to change the spark plugs.
NONE OF THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT.
I have peformed every one of those maintenance items multiple times and never had to drop a subframe,remove a cowling or pulled the intake manifold.
In that same post the membe said the Duratec got a better transmission than the Vulcan.
He was right about that. So in one thread he was both right and wrong. See what I mean about internet information?
The Duratec is cramped in the Taurus Engine Compartment and you have to work a little hard to get to some things but it is not by any means a hard engine to work on.
You don't have to have specialty tools or be a supermechanic to perform these things but you have to pay attention and realize that you need a good basic selection of tools, some time and an attitude that you want to get it done.
Look in the engine bay and study what you are trying to do before you ever pick up a wrench.
The Duratec is a quality 200HP engine that in my opinion is the best NON SHO engine Ford ever put in a Taurus.
The Vulcan is also a Very good engine and has been out a long time. It has been used in multiple platforms including the Ford Ranger.
It has it's own quirks but it it a damn good engine.
I makes between 50 and 60 less HP than the Duratec depending on the configuartion.
On to the next item
There are multiple threads in which people say
The LX has this or the SES came this way or that Only came in the SEL.
The way Ford made this car a fleet car for so many years the designations while there may be a list showing what they are supposed to be, mean nothing.
Different years got different things.
Ford started Decontenting things in certain years.
A perfect example is the Taurus LX.
In 1996 it was the highest optioned Taurus available. In 1999 it was the base model.
The only true way to see what you car came with other than a generalization is to see the build sheet.
This is true on the later years.
The 1996-2007 Ford Taurus is basically the same car.
The interior was changed. Some sheet metal was changed.
The suspension is basically the same thru all the years.
Some of the body panels will interchange.
Obviously many things changed but nothing really more than cosmetic stuff.
That doesnt mean that the idler pull from a 1996 Duratec will fit a 2007 Flex Fuel but I think you get the point.
One thing that really sticks out in my mind was a thread about rear disc brakes on a 2000 Ford Taurus.
It was never offered on the sedan. The Station Wagon had them available thru 2007 but they were discontinued in first half of 1999 on the taurus and at the end of the 1999 year on the sable.
Someone had an article that said it was offere with rear disc brakes.
A five page thread ,discussion, argument,pissing contest started because you could go out on the internet and find several pieces of official literature that said it did.
There was never a 2000 or newere Ford Taurus sedan built by Ford with rear disc brakes.
Both of my 2000 Sedans have them because I converted them using parts from donor 1996-1999.
Remeber how I previously said the suspension stayed the same?
Anyway the point of this thread is not to take everything that someone writes as gospel.
People can be right and wrong at the same time.
Take into account what everyone says and then use that aloing with your own judgement to determine how you will proceed
Mike
:smokin:
So here we go.
I am not a professional mechanic but I work on a lot of Taurus cars. I do not have any experience with any versions of the SHO and I never comment about things specific to those cars.
My profile shows me as a newbie. I am not. I used to frequent these forums under a different name but I changed ISP's forgot my password and could never get logged back in , so I reregistered.
I have two stickies credited to me at the top of the forum. The downloadable manuals and the solution to the P0171 and PO174 problem.
I frequent another Taurus Forum that has a much larger base and I have helped numerous people with Taurus problems.
The great thing about internet forums is the information shared by a large amount of people
I was reading the thread about the reliability of the Duratec engine and the posts in it.
That is also the bad thing about the internet.
A member said that the Duratec was called a Dura junk.
It was also posted that you had to drop the engine to change the water pump alternator and that you had to take the manifold and cowling off to change the spark plugs.
NONE OF THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT.
I have peformed every one of those maintenance items multiple times and never had to drop a subframe,remove a cowling or pulled the intake manifold.
In that same post the membe said the Duratec got a better transmission than the Vulcan.
He was right about that. So in one thread he was both right and wrong. See what I mean about internet information?
The Duratec is cramped in the Taurus Engine Compartment and you have to work a little hard to get to some things but it is not by any means a hard engine to work on.
You don't have to have specialty tools or be a supermechanic to perform these things but you have to pay attention and realize that you need a good basic selection of tools, some time and an attitude that you want to get it done.
Look in the engine bay and study what you are trying to do before you ever pick up a wrench.
The Duratec is a quality 200HP engine that in my opinion is the best NON SHO engine Ford ever put in a Taurus.
The Vulcan is also a Very good engine and has been out a long time. It has been used in multiple platforms including the Ford Ranger.
It has it's own quirks but it it a damn good engine.
I makes between 50 and 60 less HP than the Duratec depending on the configuartion.
On to the next item
There are multiple threads in which people say
The LX has this or the SES came this way or that Only came in the SEL.
The way Ford made this car a fleet car for so many years the designations while there may be a list showing what they are supposed to be, mean nothing.
Different years got different things.
Ford started Decontenting things in certain years.
A perfect example is the Taurus LX.
In 1996 it was the highest optioned Taurus available. In 1999 it was the base model.
The only true way to see what you car came with other than a generalization is to see the build sheet.
This is true on the later years.
The 1996-2007 Ford Taurus is basically the same car.
The interior was changed. Some sheet metal was changed.
The suspension is basically the same thru all the years.
Some of the body panels will interchange.
Obviously many things changed but nothing really more than cosmetic stuff.
That doesnt mean that the idler pull from a 1996 Duratec will fit a 2007 Flex Fuel but I think you get the point.
One thing that really sticks out in my mind was a thread about rear disc brakes on a 2000 Ford Taurus.
It was never offered on the sedan. The Station Wagon had them available thru 2007 but they were discontinued in first half of 1999 on the taurus and at the end of the 1999 year on the sable.
Someone had an article that said it was offere with rear disc brakes.
A five page thread ,discussion, argument,pissing contest started because you could go out on the internet and find several pieces of official literature that said it did.
There was never a 2000 or newere Ford Taurus sedan built by Ford with rear disc brakes.
Both of my 2000 Sedans have them because I converted them using parts from donor 1996-1999.
Remeber how I previously said the suspension stayed the same?
Anyway the point of this thread is not to take everything that someone writes as gospel.
People can be right and wrong at the same time.
Take into account what everyone says and then use that aloing with your own judgement to determine how you will proceed
Mike
:smokin:
mwt47
12-08-2007, 10:09 AM
I didn't post any of this to brag. I just wanted to point out that you can't believe everything on the internet and instead of just saying it I wanted to show you that I do have some experience with the Taurus to back up what I said.
Plus that 2000 Chestnut SES is a fun car in the turns.
Mike
:smokin:
Plus that 2000 Chestnut SES is a fun car in the turns.
Mike
:smokin:
DistanceGuy1
12-08-2007, 08:30 PM
I am not posting this to "rack up" post #s, but you are right on target with all that you said Mike.
Reading posts like yours, Sherod's, Way2Old's, TarusGuy's and and at least 1/2 dozen other regular forum contributors has clued me in to my car's ills over the years and saved me a ton of coin.
These forums (regardless of your car's make) are awesome and I for one thank you all!
Reading posts like yours, Sherod's, Way2Old's, TarusGuy's and and at least 1/2 dozen other regular forum contributors has clued me in to my car's ills over the years and saved me a ton of coin.
These forums (regardless of your car's make) are awesome and I for one thank you all!
way2old
12-08-2007, 09:40 PM
Hey Mike. I thought your id was familiar. Glad to have you back.
drdisque
12-09-2007, 12:05 AM
I owned a duratec gen 3 taurus for 5 years.
everything I posted was MY information from what I had to do with that car. I take offense that you call my personal experience "bad information". That car blew 2 power steering pumps (which according to a friend of mine who is an engineer for Ford were bad units from Visteon) and both times to get the high pressure line off they had to disconnect the rear engine mount. I've heard people claim they can get the rear spark plugs out without removing the dash cowl or the intake manifold. I don't know what's up with you, but I tried and I couldn't and from talking to most people I know who have tried, they can't either.
From my experience the Duratec is a difficult engine to work on, but it is so well designed and requires so little work that it didn't stop me from buying another one (I now own a Mazda 6 with what is basically a VVT Duratec).
Also, I've personally seen a gen 3 SEDAN with rear discs and I'm 100% sure it wasn't a conversion as the owner bought it new and didn't know crap about cars.
My main complaint about the Taurus was how it handled though. It handles like a minivan compared to newer mid-size sedans.
everything I posted was MY information from what I had to do with that car. I take offense that you call my personal experience "bad information". That car blew 2 power steering pumps (which according to a friend of mine who is an engineer for Ford were bad units from Visteon) and both times to get the high pressure line off they had to disconnect the rear engine mount. I've heard people claim they can get the rear spark plugs out without removing the dash cowl or the intake manifold. I don't know what's up with you, but I tried and I couldn't and from talking to most people I know who have tried, they can't either.
From my experience the Duratec is a difficult engine to work on, but it is so well designed and requires so little work that it didn't stop me from buying another one (I now own a Mazda 6 with what is basically a VVT Duratec).
Also, I've personally seen a gen 3 SEDAN with rear discs and I'm 100% sure it wasn't a conversion as the owner bought it new and didn't know crap about cars.
My main complaint about the Taurus was how it handled though. It handles like a minivan compared to newer mid-size sedans.
mwt47
12-09-2007, 02:07 AM
You and I have had disagreements before.
I never said the GenIII sedan didn't come with the rear disc brakes.
I said they quit installing them half way thru the 1999 models on the Taurus and at the end of the 99 model on the sable.
I said that the GenIV sedan which is the 2000 and newer never came with rear disc brakes.
Also the first day we owned the silver DURATEC I changed the sparkplus in about 15 minutes without removing anything because I had already changed them two times in my 2000 Duratec.
The Rack may be a differnt story but the Power steering Pump but you can take the line off without removing the rear engine mount. I did it to friends car.
I didn't pay someone to do it and then have them tell me that they said they had to do it.
I haven't had to change one out on mine.
It wasn't a fun or easy job and I did have to put the car on jacks and pull the wheel and the fender liner but I was able to get it out.
I also changed the alternator by jacking it up taking the wheel and the inner fender liner out and going at it from the side.
I have also changed plugs in a GenIII Duratec (96-99) and didn't have to take anything off the car.
What's up with me is I have worked on a lot of these cars and can do it.
Plain and simple.
You can take offense all you want. I wasn't hammering on you in particular but you were the inspiration for my thread.
I stand behind everything I said.
Mike
:smokin:
I never said the GenIII sedan didn't come with the rear disc brakes.
I said they quit installing them half way thru the 1999 models on the Taurus and at the end of the 99 model on the sable.
I said that the GenIV sedan which is the 2000 and newer never came with rear disc brakes.
Also the first day we owned the silver DURATEC I changed the sparkplus in about 15 minutes without removing anything because I had already changed them two times in my 2000 Duratec.
The Rack may be a differnt story but the Power steering Pump but you can take the line off without removing the rear engine mount. I did it to friends car.
I didn't pay someone to do it and then have them tell me that they said they had to do it.
I haven't had to change one out on mine.
It wasn't a fun or easy job and I did have to put the car on jacks and pull the wheel and the fender liner but I was able to get it out.
I also changed the alternator by jacking it up taking the wheel and the inner fender liner out and going at it from the side.
I have also changed plugs in a GenIII Duratec (96-99) and didn't have to take anything off the car.
What's up with me is I have worked on a lot of these cars and can do it.
Plain and simple.
You can take offense all you want. I wasn't hammering on you in particular but you were the inspiration for my thread.
I stand behind everything I said.
Mike
:smokin:
bruker
12-12-2007, 05:20 PM
I have an `04 Duratec SEL that I've had since June of last year. It had 28,000 miles on it when I got it and it has 78,000 on it now. I have had absolutly no issues with it. mwt47, is there a secret to changing the rear plugs or do you just go by feel?
worthirt_99
12-12-2007, 05:52 PM
mwt47, I almost feel bad for asking. Is your daughter accident prone or something?
robroy55
12-12-2007, 08:36 PM
Hi Mike !!
This forum has been a GREAT PLACE to get good advice and has saved my a TON of $$ over the past two years. Its GREAT to have yourself and folks like
Sherod's, Way2Old's here to help us Tauras owners. Welcome back and thanks for your informative post and introduction!!
Take Care,
This forum has been a GREAT PLACE to get good advice and has saved my a TON of $$ over the past two years. Its GREAT to have yourself and folks like
Sherod's, Way2Old's here to help us Tauras owners. Welcome back and thanks for your informative post and introduction!!
Take Care,
robroy55
12-12-2007, 08:38 PM
Hi Mike !!
This forum has been a GREAT PLACE to get good advice and has saved my a TON of $$ over the past two years. Its GREAT to have yourself and folks like
Sherod's, Way2Old's here to help us Tauras owners. Welcome back and thanks for your informative post and introduction!!
Take Care,
Rob Roy
This forum has been a GREAT PLACE to get good advice and has saved my a TON of $$ over the past two years. Its GREAT to have yourself and folks like
Sherod's, Way2Old's here to help us Tauras owners. Welcome back and thanks for your informative post and introduction!!
Take Care,
Rob Roy
mwt47
12-13-2007, 03:38 PM
mwt47, I almost feel bad for asking. Is your daughter accident prone or something?
The GenII (the Blue one) was her fault.
The GenIII (white 99) was not her fault in any way shape or form.
It was a drunk/drugged/physcotic driver
After I made her buy and make the payments on the GenIV (silver one) she hasn't had anymore wrecks
Mike
:smokin:
The GenII (the Blue one) was her fault.
The GenIII (white 99) was not her fault in any way shape or form.
It was a drunk/drugged/physcotic driver
After I made her buy and make the payments on the GenIV (silver one) she hasn't had anymore wrecks
Mike
:smokin:
mwt47
12-13-2007, 03:41 PM
I have an `04 Duratec SEL that I've had since June of last year. It had 28,000 miles on it when I got it and it has 78,000 on it now. I have had absolutly no issues with it. mwt47, is there a secret to changing the rear plugs or do you just go by feel?
Exactly.
The back side of the engine is exactly the same as the front.
You just can't see what you are doing in the back. If you just visual what you are doing by looking at the front while you are doing it, that seems to help.
I take all 3 plugs on the back bank out while standing on the passenger side.
A 3/8" drive stubby ratchet is essential and they cost less than 20 bucks.
Mike
:smokin:
Exactly.
The back side of the engine is exactly the same as the front.
You just can't see what you are doing in the back. If you just visual what you are doing by looking at the front while you are doing it, that seems to help.
I take all 3 plugs on the back bank out while standing on the passenger side.
A 3/8" drive stubby ratchet is essential and they cost less than 20 bucks.
Mike
:smokin:
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