1997 Ford Taurus Questions

yonkerse · 02-04-2008, 05:22 PM

Hey guys,

First of all, im looking buying a 1997 Ford Taurus LX ( i think, it has all the power options, sunroof, climate control, heated mirrors) with 120,000 miles and is asking 1800. First of all, are these cars known for any problems? The only issue it has, is the alarm randomly goes off. The guy says he leaves it sometimes and the alarm will start going off. He has had it go off when hes standing there so he knows its not cats or something jumping on it. Does anyone know of what this could be? Is there a fuse i could remove to only disable the alarm? Does this seem like a good buy?

Have you guys had good luck with Taurus's? I have never owned a Taurus and would like some information on them. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Eric

ABE · 02-04-2008, 06:20 PM

Hi Eric, welcome to the forum.

I expect that you have the 3.0 liter OHV engine. It is good and you should not have any particular problems with it. As a general guide check the oil dipstick to ensure the oil is correct level and not black (indication that it has not been changed in a very long time). If you can get a compression test, since low pressures or significantly varying pressures are a sign of a worn engine. Less than 100 psi dry is unacceptable. Check the coolant level and condition. Coolant that has not been changed in a long time will be brown and opaque and quickly eating away at every part of the cooling system.

The transmission is not particularly strong. Check the oil level when hot in park and engine running. Should be in the crosshatched area. The colour is important, it needs to be clear red and not smell burnt. If orange or brown and smells burnt then it needs a new (or rebuilt) trans which will be $2,000 or so. You should be able to feel the trans move the car a bit abruptly if clutches are good. Too smooth a trans is not particularly good either.

Check the body, particularly under the rocker panels, for rust.

Good luck.

yonkerse · 02-05-2008, 08:24 AM

I was talking to the guy last night and he is pretty knowledgeable with cars. He said he changed the oil religiously every 3-5000 miles. The car seemed to run really well, but turned close to 2600 RPM on the highway. This seemed kinda high to me, but this would be my first car with a Tach in it. Should this be a concern or no? Have you ever heard of the alarm situation this car is having? Could i just unhook a wire to disable the alarm? Its not real critical if it has an alarm or not, i just want something thats dependable and i can drive for awhile. I'm tired of having issues with my current car.

Does the price seem reasonable? I was going to offer 1500....Or should i offer less? I really appreciate your quick reply and help.

It is the 3.0 OHV engine.

Thanks again,
Eric

jonmark1985 · 02-05-2008, 09:22 AM

I just took a 100 mile trip in our family's 98' Taurus. If I remember correctly at 55 MPH the engine was turning around 2000 RPM in overdrive.

ABE · 02-05-2008, 10:33 AM

Hi Eric,

So the engine oil is up to level and clear yellow colour? And the coolant, how does that look? Don't buy someones junk because they say they looked after it. You be the judge, while you are holding the money; you will not see them afterward. Also, get some expert help, it doesn't cost much, but more on that later.

I don't know much about perimeter alarms. Is it a factory setup or after market. Perhaps the current owner will turn it off. After market units can be problematic due to poor installation compromising the car's electrical system.

The engine rpm is a function of gear, torque converter lockup and road speed. My 2000 Taurus does 2,000 rpm at about 60 mph, so 2,600 rpm would be about 78 mph. When the transmission oil is cold my engine will do 2,400 rpm at 60 mph because the torque converter is not locked up. Takes me about 15 minutes driving for trans to warm up enough in the cold for the PCM to lock the torque converter.

I don't know what the car would be worth, but at that age it is not much. Condition will be critical to price. Where I live in Canada the vehicle must be safety checked and emission tested before it can be licensed to a new owner. This does not cost very much (about $60 for safety and $40 for a tail pipe emission test), and you would get a very good appreciation of the condition of the car. I would recommend you get these tests done, even if your state does not require them, to ensure the main systems are working correctly and are not worn out. Repairing rusted out floors, changing suspension components, steering and brake parts and tires can get very expensive, as much as the asking price of the car if there is a lot of wear. A vehicle that cannot pass a safety and emission test is completely worthless. If the owner refuses, look for another vehicle.

Hope this helps.

4sho · 03-12-2008, 12:00 PM

I have a 97 Taurus GL with disk brakes in the rear. They are very noisy. I inspected them and the pads are worn very little. It look like there was a few glased spots on one. The rotors looked good. The car stops normal. I expected to find the pads worned out and the rotor needing replaced. Any idea why they sound like they are grinding?
Thanks

jonmark1985 · 03-12-2008, 02:34 PM

Take a look at the backing of your brake pads, nicer pads will have a strip of thin metal either riveted on, or glued to the pads. This is the part that absorbs the vibration of the pads and keeps em quiet. Cheap pads will have the dampener riveted on, and they will make more noise.

jdennie · 03-28-2008, 10:03 PM

Hey there, I've had the same problem a few times, as was told to you in another post, the better quality pads will have what is sometimes referd to as a chatter strip, if you have the cheaper pads you can simply go to your local auto store and pic up some goop, goes under several names but basically it's brake quiet, and works pretty good.