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Unfortunately my Contour crapped out last nite so it looks like I won't be coming by the meet.
I was cruising down the freeway at about 10pm when the temp gauge shot to hot and the check oil light came on. I killed it and coasted over to the berm. The engine was super hot and all the coolant was gone so it can't be good.
My car is a '98 SE with 68k that I bought in June of 1997. I have absolutely loved driving this car but I must say I'm sick of this type of thing. I can't go three months without the CEL coming on or something. And I take meticulous care of my cars.
I guess I'm just a little frustrated and bitter. I had the car towed to the dealership, hopefully I'll know something by the end of the day.
Contourless in Cleveland,
- Markus
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Joined: Feb 2001
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Sorry to hear that Markus... Hopefully you just lost a hose or the waterpump failed.. The CEL will come on when the engine overheats.. That's normal (When overheating..  ) Anyhow.. Let us know what's going on.. and hopefully by some miracle they might have it done today to see us tomorrow... Otherwise stop by in the Miata.. !!!! Dom 
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I dunno, I keep thinking I should just ditch the car...then I think maybe I should try to find a leftover SVT...
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OK, just talked to the dealership and I'm pissed beyond comprehension. I have an extended ESP warranty through Ford which never seems to cover much of anything. Based on this and the crappy roadside assistance service the car is going to be a goner. And I will not be replacing it with anything Ford. In all seriousness, I wish you all the best of luck with your SVT's. I love these cars but just don't think I can handle the headaches anymore?
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Joined: May 2000
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Did they state what the problem was?
Joey
2000 SVT Black
#1811 of 2150
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.
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Hello everyone -
OK, I had a Contour-free weekend so I'm less frustrated now. Here's a rundown:
The overheating was indeed caused by water pump failure. This in turn caused the thermostat to go. The car has 68k miles on it and popular wisdom on here says these go around 60k. So obviously change yours if you are anywhere close to this. This will be covered by my extended warranty for the $50 deductible.
I also had a CEL (go figure). That turns out to be two emissions things - the EGR and DPFE sensor - neither of which are covered.
As alluded to before, I had and am still having problems with the roadside assistance that is part of the extended warranty. Based on this and my experience with what the warranty doesn't cover I would not recommend it. It seems like many SVT owners plan on buying this as insurance against the various engine/transmission problems out there. Unfortunately I don't think it's the total cure it needs to be.
I looked at new cars over the weekend and I'm slightly heartbroken. I wish I could just keep the SE but I don't know if I want the headaches/worries ya know?
- Markus
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Unfortunatley Markus I wish I could say that you are having problems that none of us have ever encountered.. But sorry to say you have. I replaced my waterpump at 54k...along with a friend's at the same time his mileage was 58k I believe.. only because we knew the inherent danger of running with the plastic impeller.. So we replaced ours with steel impeller units and have been happy with the peace of mind. Although neither of ours showed any real signs of breakdown.. It was still cheap insurance at the mileage.. Knowing all the failures reported and posted at 60k. The EGR and DPFE are very common problems.. Not only on SVT models but also and GL,LX or SE model with the 2.5. The only fix is to replace the DPFE and check the hoses to the DPFE for rot... they crack under heat and come off or leak.. Causing the CEL to illuminate. Anything I can help you out with give me a holler! Dom
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Thanx for the sympathy Cardoc...actually I wish I was having freak problems that no one else had to worry about. Unfortunately I think everyone will have those probs eventually. I'm bummed cuz I looked at new cars and I don't want to replace the Contour...but I don't want to see that damn CEL every two months either!  - Markus
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Markus.. CEL's aren't the end of the world..lol The car isn't going to self combust and dissappear if not dealt with right away.. I know that most people get paranoid when the light comes on.. That's all I work on everyday is SES(Service Engine Soon)lights on GM cars.. You think Ford is bad?? HAHA!!! I get ten GM SES lights on for every one Ford CEL.. So... hmm. I think the odds are working in your favor..lol Dom
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Hey, it gets better....I picked the car up last nite and didn't even make it home before it spooged all it's radiator fluid back out and died. Oh well, back to the dealership! I agree Cardoc, CEL isn't the end of the world in and of itself. It just seems that it always leads to replacing another sensor or something. At least that's the way it's been for me over the last year. - Markus
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