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Sedans Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair
2935 messages, Last post on Nov 14, 2009 at 7:49 AM
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Replying to: fixitford (Dec 14, 2005 6:29 am) For safety, I completed all of these activities with the ground wire to the battery disconnected. To remove the radio and test the knob for the fan, I had to buy DIN tools to remove the radio ($4 at an auto parts store, including instructions). I bought a 9 volt transistor battery, some wires, alligator clamps, and a test light. (Auto parts store and Radio Shack, total about $10). I totally disconnected the knob and tested to see how it directed the current in each position. The prong of the knob that connected to the orange wire "fed" each of the black, yellow and green wires in turn, as I switched from high to lower to lower. In the lowest position, none of the prongs were connected to any other. It turned out that this is exactly what the knob was supposed to do, so the dealer would have been wrong if he replaced the knob (for $360). Next, I followed the wires from the knob down to below the glove box (on the passenger side) to where they connected to the resistor. To get to the resistor, I had to remove a large plastic panel that was below the glove box, above the area for the passenger's feet. It pulled away from below the dashboard easily (and later re-attached easily, via a couple of plastic prongs). From below, the resistor is a blue rectangle, two and a half inches by one and a half inches, with four wires attached via a single connector. I disconnected the connector to the resistor and used my test light, wires and 9 volt transistor battery to determine that the yellow, green and orange wires from the knob in the radio enter into the resistor. I don't know where the black one went. The resistor has its own black wire. I suppose this all makes sense to an electrician, but not to me. But as they say in college, it is all intuitively obvious and correct. I removed the resistor from the vehicle with a socket wrench. It was attached by two hex bolts. In the resistor there is a small heat sensitive circuit/switch that was always closed. I determined that it was always closed by using my wires, alligator clamps, small battery, and test light to try to send a current through it. I determined that it was a heat sensitive switch because the replacement resistor was printed with 128 degrees C. I found a replacement for the resistor on the web at about $12 plus shipping. Not wanting to wait for shipment, I went to the dealer and got one for about $20. When I hooked it up, I found the the knob now controlled the fan speed, like it should. There were four speeds from slow to fast. There was no "off" speed - One of the other controls in the system is used to turn the entire system off, including the fan. However, I found that the fan sometimes did not come on at all. On some mornings, I found that the fan would have a sluggish start, and througout the day it was unpredictable as to whether it would start at all after it was turned off. I again disconnected the negative wire to the car battery. There are pictures of the replacement fan (blower motor) on the internet, so I looked at those to determine what I would be looking for in the car. The fan/blower motor is located next to the resistor, nearer to the passenger door. It is important to note that none of the repairs required removal of the dash board at all. The blower motor is attached to the car by three bolts the same size as the two connecting the resistor. I removed the 3 and then the entire housing, motor and squirrel cage fell out easily in one piece. The dealer wanted about $170 for a replacement motor. And probably would have wanted a few hundred more for the labor to install it. At an auto parts store, I found a replacement motor and housing by Four Seasons for $40. I had to remove the squirrel cage from the original motor and put it on the replacement. The people in the auto parts store helped - and told me it is called a squirrel cage. To keep the squirrel cage locked on the motor's axle, I got a replacement clamp in Home Depot for $1, made exactly the right size. I assume the axle is a standard size as the old and new clamps were exactly the same diameter. I suppose I could have re-used the old clamp, but I bent it a little when I removed it to remove the squirrel cage. I reattached the new housing/motor to the car, using the 3 bolts and a couple of guiding posts that remained in the car. I reconnected the wiring harness to the motor and re-attached the plastic panel. The entire system now works fine. The original motor/housing has a "gutter" designed to deliver air to the motor to keep it cool. Unfortunately, as water appears in the system from time to time, whether from the weather or from air conditioning condensation, the "gutter" delivers water to the motor instead of the intended air. You can see evidence of the water as stains on the inside of the housing and as rust on the metal motor. The Four Seasons motor/housing design is superior compared to the original. It has separate holes on the inside and outside of the motor to deliver the cooling air. Plus it has a separate hole, nowhere near the motor, for allowing any unwanted moisture to exit the system. The only drawback in this superior design is that you will hear a little more of the motor noise due to the fact that some of the holes open into the passenger compartment. On the original motor/housing the motor was completely sealed away from the passenger compartment via the plastic housing. The added noise is, I think, a small price to pay for a motor that will work. The noise is audible only at the two slow fan speeds, as the air drowns out the noise at higher speeds. And with the CD playing and road noise, it is not much of a factor at all. Happy Motoring to you all. And keep your repairs safe by always disconnecting the car's battery! |
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Replying to: alcan (Jan 01, 2006 9:08 pm)
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Replying to: vince4 (May 11, 2003 8:32 pm) |
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There MUST be an answer for this! I have my car since new! I have always been plagued with a strange humming groaning noise when turning left or right, usually out of parking in AM. Seams to come from the front, others have heard it says rear? Mostly happens when vehicle first is started or wet weather... then after driving it stops! Every Dealer I have spoken to is very aloof with the matter as I usually cant get the car to make the noise for diagnosis. Other than the noise... I love my Car! |
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Replying to: bevc (Jan 12, 2006 5:59 am) |
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My wife's Taurus has about 65k on it, mostly trouble free amazingly enough, but I realized that just about every car I ever owned has been a 4-banger that needed a timing belt change around now. I looked through the documentation and see nothing about a timing belt, but then again, my 95 Escort had a "lifetime" timing belt that left me stranded at 84k miles (thank goodness for positive clearance!) Getting back to the Taurus, it's an 03 with the 3 liter V6. Nothin' special, just the plain jane stock engine. That doesn't have a timing belt, right?
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Replying to: doohickie (Jan 12, 2006 9:05 pm)
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Replying to: alcan (Jan 13, 2006 6:13 am) |
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Does a 2002 Ford Taurus SES sedan with Vulcan engine have struts at all 4 wheels or just front struts and rear shocks? There seems to be a debate on this. Different answers from different people. What is typical life expectancy before need of replacement? Should they be replaced for "wear" or only for failure? Are aftermarket replacements such as Monroe from Sears or Firestone better or worse than the standard OEM struts/shocks?
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I've never changed the fuel filter in my 1997 Mercury Sable, but it's sure in need now. Where is it located and if I've never done it, is it something I could tackle or best left to a shop? I'm not terribly mechanically inclinded, though I'll try it if I think I can do it. I can't drive the vehicle to a place, as it really isn't getting power above 10 mph. I need to pick up the part if possible. Any ideas?
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