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common problems w/ Zetec's

95_Mystique

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
3,970
Location
Middletown, Pa
The other day i was talking to someone i work with that has a 98 Mystique w/ the same engine and color car as me and he says that the Zetecs have nothing but problems... just bad luck for him or do Zetecs have a lot of problems....

What are some common problems you've noticed with the Zetecs, just so i can stay on top of things.

Thanks,
Mark
 
with regular maintainance there are very few problems with the zetecs. the most common is probably the temp gauge reading high or maybe noise from the lifters or injectors (both of which is fairly normal especially with high mileage vehicles). the gauge can easily be fixed with a new sending unit. same with the injectors. the lifters are more in depth as you have to remove the camshafts.

oil leaks are common with higher mileage vehicles (thats every vehicle not just the zetec) as well
 
Not sure what this guy you know is smoking, but zetecs have the reputation of being bulletproof. If his car has problems, it's because he sucks at maintaining it. With regular tune-ups and fluid/filter changes, a zetec longblock should last pretty much forever (a quarter million miles, at the very least). Contours have lots of other issues, especially the ATX ones, but that's beside the point. If you're thinking about buying a Contour and you're most concerned about reliability, the Zetec is the way to go.
 
Please elaborate :eek:

4 years and 40K miles (77K total) I have never had one single problem with the engine/transmition (ATX). The timing belt broke last week, but I don't consider that a problem as that is just regular maintenance. Its been a great car.
 
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Sorry, you're right I should have elaborated. Earlier CD4E transmissions (the one in ATX contours) had a defect in the valve body that caused runaway line pressures as well as slippage in the torque converter clutch, a problem that can rapidly fry a transmission. This was mostly corrected by 1999, I believe, but the fluid cooler is inadequate on all of them and can lead to premature failure from overheating. Many guys on here have installed auxiliary fluid coolers. If you're interested, check out my write up on the topic. http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=1600
 
93,345 miles all put on by me on my 4 banger contour and no big problems at all. I love this car. Just keep up with the maintenance and change the tranny fluid every 40,000 miles and you should be okay. The key is staying on top of things. Good luck!
 
Sorry, you're right I should have elaborated. Earlier CD4E transmissions (the one in ATX contours) had a defect in the valve body that caused runaway line pressures as well as slippage in the torque converter clutch, a problem that can rapidly fry a transmission. This was mostly corrected by 1999, I believe, but the fluid cooler is inadequate on all of them and can lead to premature failure from overheating. Many guys on here have installed auxiliary fluid coolers. If you're interested, check out my write up on the topic. http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=1600

would this work?
http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-404-HAYDEN-T...ryZ33727QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

it says 404 and 1404...:shrug::shrug::shrug: I just asked him for clarification.....what do you think?
 
Yep, thats the one. Bulkpart.com might be cheaper. Also, look into an inline filter since the CD4E lacks a servicable screen or filter.
 
it's around three quarts of atf to change the oil in the atx, change it every oil change and you'll never have a problem, i'm pushing 190,000 miles in the original atx and it feels like brand new.
 
My niece's '99 'Tour has over 100,000 miles on it now. It's been in her family since at least 65,000 (I think a lot longer than that, actually) and I've done most of the work on it. Other than the "usual" things that are common in a coastal environment, like rusted brake lines, exhaust pipes, etc, it's been very little trouble. I've changed the transaxle fluid at least 4 times and kept after the rest of the maintenance at proper intervals.
 
The only problems I've had besides normal wear and tear are from the original owner (specifically the clutch). After that, The alternator, audio system to blame for that one. Once I replaced the clutch and later the alternator, the car hasn't had any major malfunctions that I can remember. currently, the seal needs replacing on the mtx/driver halfshaft and I want to rebuild to mtx (upgrade is more like it with performance goodies) so I'm holding off on the seal because it isn't leaking a lot and it'd be better to get it comletely rebuilt and done up at the same time to save time and money.
 
Yep, thats the one. Bulkpart.com might be cheaper. Also, look into an inline filter since the CD4E lacks a servicable screen or filter.

how difficult would it be to add this and add a cooler at the same time? So far i have done, coolant lines, alternator and rear drum brakes with little or no outside help.
 
Easy. Just put the filter inline between the trans and the cooler. Couple of hose clamps and you're good to go. Just make sure that the flow is going the right direction through the filter.
 
no problems my ass... no power after 4k rpm, no power off the line, dip stick broke off in the engine, cant break the O2 sensor loose, MAF code comes up when that isnt even the problem... i'm so sick of this car....
 
no problems my ass... no power after 4k rpm, no power off the line, dip stick broke off in the engine, cant break the O2 sensor loose, MAF code comes up when that isnt even the problem... i'm so sick of this car....

1) Clogged Cat?
2) It is a low power 4 cylinder
3) After 12 years, I'm sure it could happen
4) 12 year old rust will do that
5) Pull fuse 4 and 11(I think) to reset PCM

At least you haven't had any major issues. I had a warped head from improper timing from the stealership, sued them and they paid for the repairs. :cool:

I've done so much replacing in this car its not funny, some needed, some not needed.

Zetecs usually run hot, so change the coolant and flush regularly (I try to do it every 3-6 months, depending on the season), make sure the fan works and you wont have any problems.
 
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