I bought a 2.5 Duratec Mystique with the same overheating problem, slight burned smell to the oil. The coolant light will be on until the reservoir is at max, and your coolant temp sensor has shorted from overheating, get one at the ford dealer. Check engine will stop after you disconnect battery and fix the temp gauge sender. Unplug the rubber plug behind the thermostat, so your gauge will stop pegging in the meantime. It ran well and quietly for the 1 minute test drive, so I bought it. The seller was sure it needed head gaskets. It may, but so far I changed the waterpump which had the black plastic impeller shatter into 3 pieces. Runs well and did not overheat again, and the temp gauge was stuck, it unstuck when I replaced the broken off temperature sensor right behind the thermostat. Flush the cooling system, and see how it runs with new coolant and pump, thermostat too.. Make sure the electric fan comes on about over the "m" on the temp gauge. I would Buy The Car, be sure the title goes to you. That car might be new enough to swap motors if you need to, but you probably don't. Have fun. AC Delco and NAPA make a metal impeller water pump, and the word is the white plastic ones are OK.
