1999 lx reliability=?

[jamesmetairie]

do all 1999 lx,s have the 200 h.p. duratec with the upgraded transmission? looking at a used car for sale with 95,000 miles on it for about $2400.

[mwt47]

No

By 1999 the LX was the base car.

It used to be a loaded up option car


You only have the option of U,S or 2


The 8th digit of the Vehicle Identification Number indicates what engine the car has.


S= Duratec (3.0 DOHC)U= Vulcan (3.0 OHV)N= V8 SHO (3.4 DOHC)1= Flex Fuel Vulcan (3.0 OHV)2= Flex Fuel Vulcan (3.0 OHV)4= Essex (3.8 OHV)Y= V6 SHO Manual (3.0 DOHC)P= V6 SHO Auto (3.2 DOHC)D= 4 cylinder (2.5L OHV)Mike

[UsedtobeSmart]

Originally Posted by jamesmetairie

do all 1999 lx,s have the 200 h.p. duratec with the upgraded transmission? looking at a used car for sale with 95,000 miles on it for about $2400.

The Duratec was an option for both SE and LX trim levels in 1999 for both the sedan and the wagon.

If you're looking at one online, punch the VIN into Ford's VIN Decoder tool here.

However, if you have the VIN in-hand, mwt47's post should give you all the info you wanted if you can count to 8.

If you're looking at it in person, pop the hood. If the intake valve is cast aluminum and the valve cover says "3.0 V6" or something like that, it's the Vulcan. If you see (I think the intake was plastic, but don't quote me on that) DURATEC V6 24 VALVE DOHC on the intake, you have the Duratec. If you can't pop the hood (car's locked, owner's not home, whatever), look for a 24V DOHC badge on the side. They're pretty obvious.

As for reliability, I posted something here a couple weeks ago with a listing from the Parts America's website as to some potential and known troublespots on the 1999 Taurus. As shorod would say, "use the search feature and see what comes up".

[wafrederick]

The duratec is very expensive to repair,shaking your wallet out for repairs and is often called a "Durajunk" by some.The vulcan 3.0 engine is a better engine and they do not die,most yards put them in scrap pile since they do not sell.Fords do not sell very well and have no resale at all.Believe me,my father has an used car lot and cannot sell Ford products losing money on them pouring money into them.

[mwt47]

Originally Posted by wafrederick

The duratec is very expensive to repair,shaking your wallet out for repairs and is often called a "Durajunk" by some.The vulcan 3.0 engine is a better engine and they do not die,most yards put them in scrap pile since they do not sell.Fords do not sell very well and have no resale at all.Believe me,my father has an used car lot and cannot sell Ford products losing money on them pouring money into them.

Never heard of a Duratec called a Durajunk.

What is expensive to repair about them?

THey are a DOHC I guess since they have four cams it would be more expensive to change them instead of 1 cam on a pushrod engine.

I have a 2000 Durajunk with 232k on it and no problems so far.

The Vulcan has its own problems wit the VSS,CPS and Blowing the head gasket at number one cylinder.

I have owned 2 Vulcans,2 Duratecs and one FFV Vulcan.


And in 99 the LX was a Vulcan engine and after the first half of the year they didn't even have a rear swaybar.

Mike

[drdisque]

All Non-SHO Gen 3 Tauri didn't have a rear sway bar.

The duratec is more expensive to repair because accessory (alternator, A/C condensor, water pump, etc) changes require that the engine be dropped and to change the spark plugs you have to remove the dash cowl or the intake manifold.

However, the duratec has a much better transmission than the vulcan. I would never buy a vulcan with over 100k miles unless you already budget in a tranny rebuild.

[mwt47]

Originally Posted by drdisque

All Non-SHO Gen 3 Tauri didn't have a rear sway bar.

The duratec is more expensive to repair because accessory (alternator, A/C condensor, water pump, etc) changes require that the engine be dropped and to change the spark plugs you have to remove the dash cowl or the intake manifold.

However, the duratec has a much better transmission than the vulcan. I would never buy a vulcan with over 100k miles unless you already budget in a tranny rebuild.

THIS INFORMATION IS TOTALLY INCORRECT AND I AM GOING TO START ANOTHER THREAD ADDRESSING IT