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Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

2996 messages,  Last post on Dec 01, 2012 at 9:47 AM

You are in the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 265 of 300

#2636 of 2996 Re: What price was a 2001 SEL when new? Still negotiating! [whitall] by jasmith52

Apr 11, 2007 (1:33 pm)

Replying to: whitall (Apr 11, 2007 12:39 pm)
here's the estimate (using my zip code) right out of Edmunds
Note that they give it a Private Party value of just under $5k...">
 
2001 Ford Taurus SEL 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 4A)
Trade-In Private Party Dealer Retail
National Base Price $3,994 $4,993 $5,915
Optional Equipment $0 $0 $0
Color Adjustment
Dark Blue $-16 $-21 $-24
Regional Adjustment
for Zip Code 92604 $21 $26 $31
Mileage Adjustment
84,700 miles $-54 $-54 $-54
Condition Adjustment
Clean $0 $0 $0
Total $3,945 $4,944 $5,868
 
By the way, one trick that many sellers use is to add money for alloy wheels and a stereo as if they really are Premium wheels and a Premium Stereo which they are not. They are just the stock wheels and stereo for that trim line. Don't fall for that game.
 
Also for what it's worth, I don't believe that cars in my area sell for what Edmunds says they do. My experience is that Edmunds is accurate for cars up to maybe three years old or so. Beyond that their prices are too high. So judging this car by edmunds I'd say that I would be a buyer at $4500 or so. I'd pass at $5700.
 
keep looking, that's my advice. Look at 10 or more cars that are equivalent. Look at some Tauruses and also maybe some Grand Prix's and some Regals. You get the idea ... Keep your options open and don't be too specific as to make and model. For a car of this vintage the way that the owner cared for it is much more important than the make.
 
Per the price of the car new... It doesn't matter, it only matters what the market for the car is now, when it's used.
 
Per the car not having leather. Well that's a plus in my opinion. For a car of this vintage the leather probably wouldn't look that great by now. The cloth seats seem to age more gracefully than leather. And regardless of the condition of the leather seats sellers always seem to want more money for a car with leather.

#2637 of 2996 Re: What price was a 2001 SEL when new? Still negotiating! [jasmith52] by whitall

Apr 11, 2007 (3:18 pm)

Replying to: jasmith52 (Apr 11, 2007 1:33 pm)
Problem is that sellers use kelley blue book (kbb.com) which is much higher than Edmunds. This car does also have moonroof and spoiler, which Ed's does add for I believe.
 
I agree that 5700 is too high. Will look some more tomorrow. This one was well cared for (at least the past 3 years) and I see so much junk at the dealerships. I can't get over how some people trash their cars.
 
 Point on leather is valid too, many of them are torn. I have leather in my 06 Murano. Hoping conditioning now and then will help it stay good.
 
Thanks again for your help.

#2638 of 2996 2001, keyless entry pad doesn't work by whitall

Apr 14, 2007 (3:36 pm)

Well, bought the "new" used Taurus...2001 SEL, paid more than I wanted, but it works because everybody is happy and I really won't miss the $200.
 
I did forget to check the keypad for keyless entry. Have the code in the owners manual, but it doesn't work. THe seller said he never used it (he was 2nd owner). The buttons do not light up when I push them like the instruction say.
 
COuld this be as simple as a fuse? Please give me guidance. I don't want to put $$ into this, but would like to know if there is an easy fix possible.

#2639 of 2996 UPDATE Re: 2001, keyless entry pad doesn't work [whitall] by whitall

Apr 14, 2007 (7:58 pm)

Replying to: whitall (Apr 14, 2007 3:36 pm)
WEll, tried it tonight and it turns out that it does light up, and the inside lights turn on when pressed. However, the code that is in the ownesr manual folder does not work. Guess I'll have to look around and see what I can find. Didn't see anything in the trunk. Is it UNDER the trunk carpet, or a label stuck to it (which would be long gone)? I'll read more posts on this.

#2640 of 2996 Re: UPDATE Re: 2001, keyless entry pad doesn't work [whitall] by azu

Apr 14, 2007 (8:48 pm)

Replying to: whitall (Apr 14, 2007 7:58 pm)
I bought a 2006 last year with keyless entry. I have yet to use it. The dealer never gave me the code as it was missing from the owners book. They told me the keyless entry code is marked on the outside of the ECM(computer). Since I really don't need it I have not looked, but I would start there.

#2641 of 2996 can't believe it. "new" car won't start today! by whitall

Apr 15, 2007 (11:59 am)

Brought home the Taurus with 85000 purchsed yesterday from a nice older man. No problems. My son spent 2 or 3 fifteen minute (approx) sessions playing with the stereo yesterday. THis morning it won't start. Headlights seem a little dim (it's a cloudy day, and they didn't seem as bright as they should). Radio turns on, but doesn't work properly-cuts in and out.
 
THis guy has driven the car only 3,000 miles since August. The registration expired in Jan and he barely has driven it due to that. Could it just be dead from sitting? SHould I get a new one? How much for a low end battery? PLEASE tell me you think that is the problem!!

#2642 of 2996 Re: can't believe it. "new" car won't start today! [whitall] by jaxs1

Apr 15, 2007 (12:19 pm)

Replying to: whitall (Apr 15, 2007 11:59 am)
Maybe it is just the battery. They commonly have to be replaced every few years. You can call Sears and any auto parts store for battery prices. Maybe your son drained the battery playing with the stereo and it just needs to be recharged.
If it is just the battery, it is not a big deal, but it could be something worse. A battery recharge is cheap.
 
It would have been a good idea to have been firmer about the price since it had 85,000 miles and you did not have have it thoroughly checked out at a mechanic's service center and you knew it had some problems you could see and hear yourself already (suspension noises, keypad etc.).
For $5700, it should have been a cream puff with zero problems.

#2643 of 2996 Re: can't believe it. "new" car won't start today! [jaxs1] by whitall

Apr 15, 2007 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: jaxs1 (Apr 15, 2007 12:19 pm)
I hear what you're saying. Thought I had checked enough on it. It started fine the 3 times we drove it....The keypad does light up after all, so maybe it's just the wrong code. Can't look around due to the rain. I'll take the battery tomorrow--it's pouring here, has been for hours and hours.A new battery might not be a bad idea anyway since we don't know how old it was. A set of jumper cables is surely going in the trunk!
 
I appreciate that you are frank with me, just keep giving me guidance. I hope that this works out. I just couldn't keep shopping anymore, my kid loved the car and I was wasting so much time, effort and gas. I figured it was worth the extra just to be done. I hope the old man didn't $^*^$ us! (I might even call him!)

#2644 of 2996 Re: can't believe it. "new" car won't start today! [whitall] by jasmith52

Apr 16, 2007 (8:28 am)

Replying to: whitall (Apr 15, 2007 12:35 pm)
Well I have had a few older cars with the exact problem that you ran into. That is that the car won't start after sitting for a day or two.
 
The battery may be old and can't hold a charge anymore. If however the battery is not the original equipment (ie. it's an after market battery) then it has already been swapped out and I would suspect that you have another problem.
 
The only way to be certain is to check the voltage of the (fully charged battery) with a multi-meter. If the battery is any good then it should read just under 12 volts.
 
If you have a problem with the charging system, then that can be checked with the multi-meter also. When the car is running the voltage (accross the battery terminals) should now read between 12 to 14 volts. If it's lower than that then you probably have a bad alternator.
 
Sometimes, like when you give someone a jump start and have some sparking, the (electrical) diodes in the alternator get damaged. In that case the battery can slow-short accross the diodes causing the dead battery symptoms you describe. The cure for that is usually a new alternator.
 
The other potential problem is that you have a slow short somewhere in the car that drains the battery. Those are a real pain to find. You just might need some professional help to solve that problem.
 
... Used cars, they can save you alot of money. Buy they can be a real pain also.
 
Keep us posted as to what the problem turned out to be.

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