Timing belt for Ford Taurus 97 Gl?

Question

I'm going to buy a ford Taurus 97 GL with 90 k miles on it but seems to me that the ex owner hasn't change the timing belt for this car. some people beleive it has to be changed at 60 k miles some other at 100, 000 some people say it has timing chain which doesn't need to be replaced at all. what do u know about it

Answer 1

On average - timing belts should be changed every 60k miles - but I just found some info that I pasted below that says 100k miles with the Taurus! With newer cars, some things are different but this is a 97 - it should have been changed. Depending on the car, some can get serious damage if the belt breaks. Your best bet is to contact Ford - a dealer in your area or off of their website and ask the service dept when it should have beeb changed. That way you will know for sure - or it will be in the car's manual.

Do yourself a favor - search the internet for 97 ford taurus problems and just watch all of the tons of problems that come up - electrical, water pump, this that - tons and tons - 97 was one of the worst years though all of them were very very poor in consumer report ratings. And - go to kelley blue book (.com) kbb.com I think to check the retail or private party value of the car you are planning on buying to see how much it is really worth with that mileage and year - bring that print out to the owner and don't pay more.

But - I wouldn't buy that car - Ford Taurus had tons of problems in that year and escpecially if they neglected taking care of it with something essential like that - cause it is essential. Fords have tons of problems - the older they are the worse they are and 90K is a lot for a Taurus. If the owner neglected that - I am sure a lot of other things were neglected - sometimes people don't want to put $ into older cars and it will show one day or another - he is just getting rid of a problem and trying to sell it to you. I would pay for a carfax or ask the owner to pay for one to see the accident history as well as inspection history, etc - also you can find out the owner history and where it came from - tons of problem cars are flood cars from out of state. Does he have a clean title?

I would look into a Honda, Toyota or Nissan Maxima where that mileage would still be considered low and the car would have over 100K left to go and would not give you many problems - this one will - Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans are the only way to go with cars over 5 years old - almost 10 - I would NOT get a Ford unless it was low in mileage and totally clean - sorry but you will have nothing but problems.

Hondas hold their resale value because they are still excellent cars after 10 years - even close to 15 or 20 - with virtually no problems - worth the extra money if need be cause you will save all of the money you will spend on the repairs with this car - trust me- I know. Accord or Civic - even a CRV - your safest bet.. even a Subaru would be better.

see this article for more info:
Ford Timing Chains and Belts
by Larry Carley c2004

Timing belt and chain replacement is one service that isn't going away any time soon. Most Ford engines with overhead cam timing belts have a recommended replacement interval of 60,000 miles to 120,000 miles depending on the application (see the chart below). So if a customer is driving a vehicle that is more than 5 or 6 years old, he may be driving on borrowed time if the timing belt has not been replaced. The risk of belt failure goes up sharply once a belt surpasses its recommended replacement interval, which for most Ford applications (except the Taurus SHO) is 60,000 miles. The recommended replacement interval for the timing belt in the 3.0L and 3.2L V6 Taurus SHO is 100,000 miles and 120,000 miles for Focus.

The consequences of a timing belt failure on a Ford depend on the application. Fortunately for many Ford owners, there is enough clearance between the valves and the pistons so no harm will come to the engine if the belt snaps. But on older Escorts (up to 1985) with 1.6L engines as well as 1989 and up Probes with 2.0L or 2.2L four cylinder engines, a timing belt failure will usually bend a bunch of valves. The same goes for the Mazda-built 3.0L V6 in the Mercury Villager. On the older cars, the cost to repair the damage may be more than the vehicle is worth, which means customers must make a painful decision either...
http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/eb90428.htm


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FORD OHC TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
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3.2L V6 Taurus SHO - 100,000 miles***********
3.0L V6 Taurus - 100,000 miles **************

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/eb90428.htm

Answer 2

Alright, first of all is it the sho which has the v-8 or the v-6. Timing belts need to be changed at 60000 miles to prevent major engine damage. I got a car sitting in my shop right now that the people thought like one of the other answers and a 400 dollar job turned into a 3000 dollar job. If you dont't have it done and the belt breaks it can bend valves and even worse bust pistons like the one I am currently working on. Take my advice and have it done if it is a belt. If not timing chains reccomend 120000 but that is up to you. They don't tend to break like a belt.

Answer 3

There can be a few different causes here. First off, look for loose wires or connections to the lights or their sockets. Also look for blown bulbs. A sloppy radio installer can do this by improperly connecting power wires, etc. I'd uninstall the radio, trace all wires (power wire, speaker wires, etc) and reinstall them to make sure they're done right. My guess is whoever installed the other radio screwed it up royally and either cut some wrong wires and/or blew some bulbs (which are readily available from a dealer or possibly auto zone, NAPA, etc.) If yo are in over your head or are afraid to try to do it yourself, go to a place that sells/installs car audio, or to a dealer's service dept. for help. Hope this info helped a little.

Answer 4

For any engine with an overhead cam, you MUST follow what the manufacturer says for when to change the timing belt. Sure, you CAN get away with it most of the time, but do you want to risk getting stranded with a ruined engine?

Answer 5

go to a ford house and have them print out the timing belt/chain assembly. ask them when it should be changed. don't ask a service rep, ask the parts guy.

Answer 6

I wouldn't change it AT ALL unless it broke! They meant to last the life of the car. I got two 30 year old cars, and neither have had timing belt changed. They just don't need it. Ask again, when you hit 200,000; MAYBE then, ok. But no need now.