Ford TaurusAlong the way, Ford has made some 500 changes to the Taurus, changes that were already scheduled for the mid-cycle freshening of the Five Hundred. The general body shape of the new Taurus is the same as that of the previous Five Hundred, a large, front-wheel-drive family sedan, but almost everything else has changed for the better.
Presently my taurus has a misfire in the no. 1 cylinder which I have been told will cause unburnt fuel to get to the cat and damage it. Fixing the misfire is to expensive, so I was wondering how long can the cat last with this mifire before it becomes ineffective and at some point causing the car not to operate? I have already that I am aware put almost 3000 miles on the cat with this condition.
Depends on how bad the misfire is.You could unplug the injector for that cylinder for now.(not a real big fan of that tho)Why would the rpair be so expensive ?What did they say was wrong/what codes etc. ? What motor do you have also ?
I bought the car back in mid july at the local goodwill auction. I only paid $450 for it and only use it to drive back and forth to work (30 miles total) and around town. I have had it to 3 different places and all said that due to the low compression and misfire I am looking at over $1000 eaisly to tear it down and rebuild it. I can go buy another car for that. I am just using it till it dies. It is running real well for it's problems as I am getting almost 20 mpg in the city and it is starting and running. I was told the engine itself will probably last longer then the cat. I don't know how bad the misfire is, and not even sure how you can tell. Is there a way to tell how bad the misfire is? The code I got was if I remember right was a P301 I think, it was that the number 1 cylinder had a misfire and a 02 sensor was showing a lean indicator.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantom_smack
Depends on how bad the misfire is.You could unplug the injector for that cylinder for now.(not a real big fan of that tho)Why would the rpair be so expensive ?What did they say was wrong/what codes etc. ? What motor do you have also ?
The code I got was if I remember right was a P301 I think, it was that the number 1 cylinder had a misfire and a 02 sensor was showing a lean indicator.
Could you give us some more info about the poor compression?
Is it in all cylinders? or just cyl#1 ?
A lean indicator could be just a vacuum leak, and a vacuum leak at the #1 injector could give you a missfire for cyl #1, and a lean condition on Bank#1.
Its possible that a $3 O ring is leaking and causing your problem.
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BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
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I have low compression all cylinders according to the people I have taken it to. They did a leak down test on Number 1 cylinder and got air out the tailpipe and the radiator reservior. The compression was around 70-80 according to the mechanics and I probably have a burnt exhaust valve. But I have been wondering since I am getting a lean code if not that much fuel is getting to the cat and not damaging it that fast.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BroncoJoe19
The code I got was if I remember right was a P301 I think, it was that the number 1 cylinder had a misfire and a 02 sensor was showing a lean indicator.
Could you give us some more info about the poor compression?
Is it in all cylinders? or just cyl#1 ?
A lean indicator could be just a vacuum leak, and a vacuum leak at the #1 injector could give you a missfire for cyl #1, and a lean condition on Bank#1.
Its possible that a $3 O ring is leaking and causing your problem.
Sounds like cat longevity should be the least of your worries with that car.
The mechanics who looked over the engine said it could last anywhere from 6 months to a year if I monitor the oil and keep it clean, and make sure the engine doesn't overheat. right now I am going through about a gallon of anti freeze every month but the car is not overheating. I figured the cat would go first but if I can get 6 months to a year usage out of a $450 that to me that is a plus since I was paying $400 a month on my other car.
I have low compression all cylinders according to the people I have taken it to. They did a leak down test on Number 1 cylinder and got air out the tailpipe and the radiator reservior. The compression was around 70-80 according to the mechanics and I probably have a burnt exhaust valve. But I have been wondering since I am getting a lean code if not that much fuel is getting to the cat and not damaging it that fast.
You have a blown head gasket if the reservoir is pressurizing.
Since you seem to think it runs OK maybe a second opinion is needed. For $450 I maybe you should just drive it till it dies....however there is an additive you can install in the cooling system that may or may not sure the head gasket leak. I've seen some pretty amazing results with this stuff. I use it in all my high performance engine builds right from birth.
It doesn't cost much, $15, if you reuse the coolant but it's labor intensive to install. CLICK---> Moroso Block Sealer
You have a blown head gasket if the reservoir is pressurizing.
Since you seem to think it runs OK maybe a second opinion is needed. For $450 I maybe you should just drive it till it dies....however there is an additive you can install in the cooling system that may or may not sure the head gasket leak. I've seen some pretty amazing results with this stuff. I use it in all my high performance engine builds right from birth.
It doesn't cost much, $15, if you reuse the coolant but it's labor intensive to install. CLICK---> Moroso Block Sealer
You might be right, but basically my goal is just get the most out of the car. I was told that any unburnt fuels would damage the cat and that could shut down the car sooner then the engine failing. right now I am getting almost 20 mpg in the city it runs pretty well (except if I turn on the AC or heat and then it struggles) outside of the misfire. I just wasn't sure how long the cat might last or if there was a way a mufflaor shop could tell if it was shot or not? I live in a state with no emission laws or test so I am fine from that area, just worried that it will clog it up and that will stop me. But I was also told that the cat could just burn up the inside to dust and such and go out via the tail pipe, so I don't know.
The blown head gasket could be the source of the misfire (coolant in the cylinder). Check your oil often for coolant mixing with the oil, it will look like a chocolate milkshake if it happens. Myself, I wouldn't worry too much about the cats.
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