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Calling all Zetec guys

AliasJerk

Addicted CEG'er
Joined
Oct 13, 2003
Messages
8,525
A while back I made a post for the duratec owners to post what mileage and repairs they had to do on their cars. Now it is time for the Zetec owners. I wanted to make it so there was a good database for people who are interested in knowing what kind of service history they might be looking at over the ownership of their contour.

Year/Submodel:
Time of ownership:
What repairs and when they were performed.
 
Year/Submodel: 1998 Mercury Mystique GS
Time of ownership: May of 2003
Milage: 67,xxx
So far, absolutely nothing has gone wrong with this car. Other than regular maintenance, this has been a trouble free car. I do have a mysterious leak coming from somewhere in the engine compartment, but it looks like only a loose hose.
 
Year/Sub model: 99 LX
Time of ownership: June 2003 @ 27000 miles. Current mileage 72000.
What repairs and when they were performed: Not including routine maintenance, a timing belt change due to pulley failure at 68200 miles, wheel bearing at 66379, ball joint at 48801, PCV hose at 69241, flex pipe in exhaust at 49,000, and soon a new front axle on the left side. I'm sure I would have more problems but I'm very careful at keeping maintenance done.
 
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Bought it in 8/04 with 65K. It now has 98K and runs like a champ with its new tires, alignment, and plugs. Other than a leaking coolant line that my mechanic found, work on the car has been only general maintenance. I don't drive it hard and expect to get another few years out of it. Depending on what condition it's in when starts having problems, I might consider having the motor rebuilt and getting more time out of it. I'll decide when that time comes.
 
Year/Sub model: 95 LS
Time of ownership: May 00 @ 83000 miles. Current mileage 185000.
What repairs and when they were performed: both wheel bearings, radiator, plug wires, timing belt at 104k, struts around 130k, fan switch, headlights, valve cover gasket, rear main seal is leaking but not back enough that it looses a substantial amount of oil, but it is worse after using Valvoline high milage oil ...
 
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Year/Submodel: 1996 Ford contour GL mtx
Time of ownership: June 2003 @ 111xxx miles, curently 263xxx
extirior: head lights, tires
Engin: head gasket, alternator, timing belt , fan resistor, cat, starter, plug wires.
drive train: axels, clutch disk, contorl arms, struts, hub bearings, compleat back suspension, brakes, brakes line(back)
That's pretty much all, but still runs like a champ!
 
Here you go Jared. :)

85K miles on my 97 4 banger ATX.
Besides regular maintance. Here is what's gone wrong.
DPFE censor replaced
Water pump/Timing belt replaced
C02 censor replaced (what the CEL read but was vacuum leak)
MAF censor replaced (same as above)
ECT censor replaced (still same as above)
Driver side spring replaced (broke in 2)
Passenger side wheel bearing replaced
Currently wrong with car.
In need of Outter passenger tie rod end
Coolant leak
Maybe a minor oil leak (think I found oil on the ground not sure coulda just been coolant mixed with dirt on the ground).
 
'99 Contour ATX

130,000 miles. Resistor pack replaced.
132,000 miles. Control arms and front end links replaced. End links were discretionary & didn't need replacing.
- Rear end links replaced.
134,000 miles. Struts replaced.
135,000 miles. MAF & 1 injector replaced. Remaining injectors to be replaced for good measure.

A few bulbs thrown in there as usual & the headlights will require replacement some time soon. I am not the original owner, I got the car at a bargain price with 129,000 miles on it.
 
96 Contour GL
July 5, 2005
92,557

now at 106,5xx

valve cover gasket-97K
brakes (rotors, pads, one caliper, rear shoes, wheel cylinders)-101K
vacuum leak-105K

other than that nothing
 
Year/Sub model: 95 Mystique GS
Time of ownership: Aug. 2005 @ 178000 KM. Current mileage 193000 KM.
What repairs and when they were performed:-Airbag light @ 192000KM
-Exhaust 190000km (car had a small leak when i got it)
-DLR fuse 189000km (shut down whole car)
-Front Left Control arm 187000km (pothole in a construction zone, bottomed out car)
-Tranni line 187000km (pothole in a construction zone, bottomed out car)
-Tire plug 180000km
-Oil changes(kendall 5w20 syn)@183,188 and i'm doing one this weekend @ 193
 
96 auto
Owned for about 5 years/put about 40k miles on it, it has about 130k on it
Just regular maintenance done, occasionally cleaning the MAF because of open element air filter, and changed o2 sensors a couple of times.
 
Year/Sub model: 98 SE
Time of ownership: Dec 98 @ 15,000 miles. Current mileage 87xxx.
What repairs and when they were performed: Nothing except routine maintainance. It still has the original headlight bulbs even. I mostly just drive it and change the fluids once in awhile.

I could'nt ask for a more reliable car.
 
1996 ATX, 180k on tranny and body, 80 on motor.
Regular maintence, bought it last year with 60k on motor

1996 ATX, 145k.
again regular maintence, bought it new in 96'.
 
Year/Sub model: 96 GL
Time of ownership: 75,000 miles Current mileage 150000.
What repairs and when they were performed: Timing belt, a few fuel filters, front main seal, struts, springs, front control arms, shoes, two sets of front pads, one set of rear pads, CD4E died, a couple of cabin filters, other assorted maintence. Oil sampled and per instructions changed at 7K with 0w30 Castrol synthetic.

Not going to try to remember mileage since some of those are over six years ago. They are fairly much in order.

Cant really add it as maintence since I was being destructive. MTX diff. The car had a MTX swap and I did a redline sidestep on my clutch. Doh!
 
1997 Contour GL Sport Zetec I4 5-speed, Pacific Green / Opal Grey, Cloth
125492 miles owned since 2000
Timing belt and pulleys
accessories belt and pulleys
On 5th alternator audio system was culprate
3rd water pump
3rd clutch
radiator
a/c compressor
condenser
all fuses, sensors, relays and switches engine fire do to leaking exhaust manifold gasket
distributor coil block
cams
crank
rods
pistons and rings
valve assembly (maintaining original Head with port/polish)
throttle body position sensor
throttle body and cables
cruise control actuator and cables
windshield
windshield wipers/motor from using dual blades and will never do again
all the bushings and bearings in front
tie rod
stabilizer bar/ link bars front and rear
master cyclinder, brake lines, calipers/rotors and pads

NOTE: all the stuff in bold were performance gain maintenance
there may be other stuff but cannot remember all of what has been done as of right now if I find more I'll edit.
 
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There are just too many to list for what has been repaired and modded but off the top of my head:

1995 Ford Contour GL
Owned since summer of 2004 currently has ~89950 miles (about 17000 of them are mine)
Repairs:
-Regular maintence
-Entire Timing belt assembly replaced twice (first one resulted in replacement of second TB)
-Wiring Harness
-Water Pump
-Tires
-Headlights
-I know I missed a few things

Mods:
-Silverstar High in Low mod
-Coil pack
-Ford Racing ignition wires
-Autolite Double platnium spark plugs
-K&N air filter (panel)
-SVT exhaust
-Rims w/ tires
-The rest of the mods I can think of have nothing to do w/ maintaning the car but there are plenty more where that came from.:crazy:

This car has been a great experience and will continue to surprise me.
 
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Year/Submodel: 99 LX MTX
Time of ownership: Feb 07 - Bought with 132K for $600
What repairs and when they were performed.

So far new plugs and wires fixed a bad missfire.
Changed Leaky Valve Cover Gasket
Fixing this weekend (Hopefully)
Accessory drive belt - I tried when I did the VC gasket, but couldn't get the tensioner to move with the wrenhes I have. Now I have some ViceGrips.
Still need to fix:
Front passenger manual window off track
Timing belt
CEL still on
A/C broken
Brakes
Runs hot
Pretty sure CC has been punched through, as it smells like rotten eggs


 
1997 Contour GL Sport Zetec I4 5-speed, Pacific Green / Opal Grey, Cloth
125492 miles owned since 2000
Timing belt and pulleys
accessories belt and pulleys
On 5th alternator audio system was culprate
3rd water pump
3rd clutch
radiator
a/c compressor
condenser
all fuses, sensors, relays and switches engine fire do to leaking exhaust manifold gasket
distributor coil block
cams
crank
rods
pistons and rings
valve assembly (maintaining original Head with port/polish)
throttle body position sensor
throttle body and cables
cruise control actuator and cables
windshield
windshield wipers/motor from using dual blades and will never do again
all the bushings and bearings in front
tie rod
stabilizer bar/ link bars front and rear
master cyclinder, brake lines, calipers/rotors and pads

NOTE: all the stuff in bold were performance gain maintenance
there may be other stuff but cannot remember all of what has been done as of right now if I find more I'll edit.



3rd Clutch? Dayum!!

my old 96 had 137K miles on it when I got rid of her, and it was on its first still. My dad said he sees it every once in a while still going, it has closer to 150K on the stock clutch still.
 
98 Contour GL ATX (was a rental car)
Purchased with 30k in 7/99

At 45k
Starter
Water Pump

At 60k
Heater Resistor Pack
Heater Blower Motor
Drive Axles
Battery

At 80k
Timing Belt and timing components (rollers, tensioner)
02 Sensors
MAF Sensor
Struts and Springs
Ball Joints
Tie Rods
alt
New Oil Pan

It now has about 98k
Everything has been done like clockwork. Oil, fuel filter, coolant and xmission flushing, brakes, tune-up.
 
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