1996 FORD CONTOUR Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

CAR STALLS WHEN PARALLEL PARKING, ESPECIALLY IN REVERSE, OR WHEN PARKING SLOPES. CAR STALLED WHEN STARTING UP FROM RED LIGHT IN CENTER CITY PHILADELPHIA INTERSECTIONS. HEADLAMPS OUT OF ALIGNMENT (DON'T SHINE DOWN ONTO ROAD, BEAMS NOT CENTERED). AIR BAG LIGHT ON CONTROL PANELS BLINKS SPORADICALLY, FREQUENTLY; ANXIETY THAT AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING. DEALER COMMENT ON STALLING: "PROBABLY SOMETHING STUPID" AND WASN'T ABLE TO FIX PROBLEM, MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A VACUUM TUBE. DEALER CHARGED $95 TO TELL ME THAT THE MEMORY IN THE VEHICLE DIDN'T GIVE ANY CODES FOR THE STALLING OR AIR BAG PROBLEMS, THEN ADDED THAT THE MEMORY IS WIPED CLEAN EVERY TIME THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. QUESTION: IF THEY KNOW THAT ABOUT THE CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHY CHARGE THE CUSTOMER FOR A POINTLESS DIAGNOSTIC? HEADLIGHTS STILL OUT OF ALIGNMENT AFTER HAVING BEEN "ADJUSTED" BY DEALER IN JANUARY 2005. *NM

I BOUGHT IT ON 07/01/04. ON 07/02/04 MY ON WAS DRIVING IT, AND COUPLE OF TIMES, WHEM HE STOPPED ON STOP SIGNED, THE CAR WOULDN'T START. EVENTUALLY, IN THE EVENING, THERE WAS WHITE THICK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND CAR WAS STOPPED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOWED IT TO THE MECHANIC SHOP. IT HAPPENED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL AND COOLANT AND ENDINE HAS GONE BAD. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PAY COMPLETELY FOR THE REPAIR, AND WE SPLIT IT 20/80% WHERE I'M TO PAY 80%. IT'S BEEN 2 WEEKS AND CAR IS STILL IN SHOP. I DIDN'T BUY IT TO SIT IN SHOP. IS THERE A WAY TO CORRECT THE SITUATION SOMEHOW?*AK

HEAD GASKET AND ENGINE FAILURE ON MY 1996 FORD CONTOUR AT 64,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS IN A PASSING ZONE AND THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE. FROM WHAT I CAN SEE OVER THE INTERNET, THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH FORD.*AK

ALSO THE TIMING BELT IS BROKEN AND THERE'S NOTHING ON OWNER'S GUIDE THAT TELLS YOU TO CHANGE TIMING BELT AFTER 60,000 MILES. ENGINE LIGHT ON AFTER ONE MONTH OF BUYING THIS CAR I CALL THE DEALER MADE APPOINTMENTS FEW TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM NEVER WENT AWAY, FEW TIMES I HAD TO PAY FOR THEM TO CHECK ON THE WAY HOME THE LIGHT IS BACK ON , I CALL THEM BACK AND ASK WHAT'S THE PROBLEM , WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF ME TAKING A DAY OFF TO BRING THE CAR TO BE FIX AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST., THEIR REMARK WAS THERE'S 23 SENSOR AND THEY COULD'NT TELL WHICH ONE IT WAS. NOW I'M STUCK PAYING 1 1/2 YRS ON A CAR THAT I DON'T HAVE , STILL HAVE TO CAME UP WITH MONEY TO GET A NEW ENGINE IN WHICH I DON'T HAVE , BUMPING RIDE TO AND FROM WORK,...

PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND THE SERVICING DEPT AT THE FORD DEALER AND OTHER AUTO SERVICING CENTER COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY TO THIS DAY IT IS ON. AT ONE TIME THE ENTIRE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND REAR BRAKES LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT CURRENTLY SHUT ITS SELF OFF ( STALLS) AND GET HOT. THE ENGINE SOUNDS REVVED UP AND SHORTLY AFTER THE AC UNIT WENT OUT.EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CHECKED OUT/ THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT WAS REPLACED SOME WIRING HAD TO BE REPLACED ALL THE FLUIDS ARE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AND IT STILL STALLS AND OVERHEATS FOR NO REASON. BOTH FRONT WINDOWS ELECTRICAL MOTORS HAVE GONE OUT.

THIS ENGINE SITUATION WAS INTRACTABLE BECAUSE THE FORD BULLETIN ADVISES THAT HEAD GASKET REMOVAL WARRANTS REPLACEMENT, THEREFORE EVEN FORD TECHNICIANS HAVE TO ?!@#$% FOOT AROUND TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM IS ELSEWHERE RATHER THAN GOING RIGHT TO THE SOURCE. I BORROWED $10,000 TO FINISH SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND MUCH OF THAT MONEY WAS SPENT ON THIS CAR. IT DESTROYED MY ACADEMIC YEAR AND I BARELY GRADUATED THANKS TO THIS MAJOR HEADACHE. THE WAS ONLY AT 49,000 MILES WHEN IT FINALLY WENT CAPUT. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED IT WAS TOTALLY WARPED AND BLOWN. I BOUGHT A FORD REBUILT ENGINE BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD THE EXTRA $700 FOR A JASPER REBUILT ENGINE... SEE THEY REBUILD THE SAME ENGINE AND MAKE A 7 YEAR 100,000 WARRANTY ON THE REBUILT ENGINE BECAUSE THEY USE A GRAPHITE HEAD GASKET AND MAKE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT FORD DOESN'T MAKE. FORD NOT ONLY SELLS THEIR WEAKER REBUILT...

WHEN THE WATER PUMP FAILED TH HEAD GASKET ALSO FAILED . AND POSSIBLY A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD.*AK

WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 70MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING ALL LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD AND THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE . VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. *AK *JB

CONSUME R WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING LIGHT AT ALL. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN OUT. *AK

THE CAR OVERHEATED SEVERLY WHILE ON THE FREEWAY, I HAD IT TOWED AND SPENT 2 WEEKS AT 2 DIFFERENT AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES (INCLUDING THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN BURIEN, WA) TRYING TO GET IT FIX BEFORE DISCOVERING IT HAD CRACKED THE BLOCK OF THE ENGINE. I SPENT ABOUT $1,300 AND HAD TO SALVAGE THE CAR. IS THERE A POSSIBLE WAY TO GET SOME COMPENSATION BACK FROM FORD? I HAVE ALL MY PAPER WORK SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP. GAIL BOWMAN*AK

PISTONS AND RINGS WERE BOTH SHOT IN THE MOTOR, BUT THE MOTOR HAD OIL AND FULL COMPRESSION. *AK

CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER. SHE WENT OUTSIDE THAT MORNING TO START IT UP HER VEHICLE AND SHE NOTICED A KNOCKING NOISE COMMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE DEALER REPLACED STARTER AND WATER PUMP BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST.

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS HAS BLOWN OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

PAPER GASKET IS CAUSING OIL LEAKS WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO BLOW. MANUFACTURER HAS REDESIGNED THE PAPER GASKET TO A METAL GASKET. *AK

CONSUMER SMELLED BURNING OIL WHILE DRIVING, PULLED OVER AND NOTICED OIL DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SYSTEM WHICH IS CAUSING THE SYSTEM TO SMOKE. *AK

GASKETS AND OIL PUMP FAILED RESULTING IN OIL LEAKS.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID DUE TO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED CLAMPS DURING OIL PUMP REPLACEMENT.

TRANSMISSION/TORQUE CONVERTER, AND ENGINE VALVE FAILURE.

OIL FILTER LOOSE CAUSING FUMES TO ENTER VEHICLE.

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO FAULTY CALIBRATION PROCESSOR.

UPON PARKING, MOMENTS LATER DRIVER WAS ALERTED THAT VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FIRE DEPT SUSPECTED EXPLOSION IN OIL CRANKCASE.*AK