need advice to buy a taurus 97 "first car"

[ammar910]

I'm going to buy my first car a ford taurus 97 Gl it has 146,000 km
I think the owner didn't change the timing belt.
some people says timing belt has to be changed every 100,000 to 140,000 km
some others says it is evert 100k mile to 120 k mile
Third party says this model doesn't have timing belt it has a chain which is getting lubricated from the motor oil so it doesn't need to be replaced at all.
The car looks in v. good shape
What should I do and how should I inspect the car before buying? is the safety and etest enough or I should take it to a mechanic

[Pete_Coach]

Here is a website that will tell you everything you need to know about the Fort Taurus timing belt. If the seller does not know whether he had it changed or not you may be in a situation where you have no choice but to get it changed. Sometimes, (rarely but worth a check) dealers use a Ford dealer wide service register/work order program and the dealership may be able to find out if the belt had been changed but it is a real lucky circumstance if this is so.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/us70444.htm

[ammar910]

thank you for the help.
the table indicate that it should be replaced at 100k miles so I have like 15,000 km to replace it.
also I need your feedback regarding this car if it is well maitaned

[Pete_Coach]

thank you for the help.
the table indicate that it should be replaced at 100k miles so I have like 15,000 km to replace it.
also I need your feedback regarding this car if it is well maitaned

I have no idea if the car was well maintained. I am assuming that you are in Ontario so you need to get a safety check anyway (or the seller must), it is part of the used vehicle sales package he must give you.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/used.htm

If you are not in Ontario,I do not know the process but, get a mechanics opinion on the state of the car.The check by your mechanic or a mechanic you both choose should provide you with the info that you need to make a decision.

[Turtle]

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know on a 97 Taurus it either has the 3.0L Vulcan or the 3.0L Duratec engine. Both engines use a Timing Chain. There is no belt.
Unless it is a Taurus SHO which is another story.

[Drthorne]

The Taurus is well known for it's transmission failures, my dad replaced 2 in his and finally ended up junking the car, my buddy bought one with 60k on it, a week later it failed. Guy at work replaced his tranny last year with 100k on his

[ammar910]

thank you guys for the help. I checked the car today at canadian tires they checked the coolant system and hooked the car to the computer to check it. they told me it is ok I asked them to check the transmition they told me that would be by driving test and since I already drove it and checked the transmition I didn't do that test. after that the seller asked them to do the saftey test but they found so many things and they estimated cost to be around $2000 I felt sorry for him and I told him to go to another Mechanic and he got estimation of $950 to fix the brakes and controller rod so that he deducted that amount from the total I paid him and I will pay the Mechanic tommorow. that is the whole story
thank you for the help it was very usefull

[apvm]

No offense, your seller is a lucky guy.

[deep]

Keep your transmission as well maintained as possible! I have a 96 Taurus with 251,000 km on it, and have had no problems (quickly knocks on wood) but I do oil and transmission fluid changes more regularly than the manualsays to, based on the advice of about 30 different mechanics.

You will hear a thousand horror stories about Fords in general and Taurusesesses (Taurii?) specifically, but take heart! They are not all lemons. My neighbour finally gave his up at 260K, and mine will likely go at the same point, neither of them because they stopped running. Ours has had a few minor repairs along the way, but has been the most economical car imaginable compared to my family member's imports.

[hammer]

i second the tranny problem...you need to baby this tranny like hell...I got stranded in the middle of 401 in the middle of a blizzard when the tranny died:mad:

[Turtle]

Yes, I suggest changing the tranny fluid regularly. Especially if it's in stop and go traffic like Toronto...

[myapple]

My dad had over 300k on his old taurus with the original transmission. He installed a tranny cooler and did regular fluid flushes. They're not too bad...you just gotta take good care of them.