Originally posted by dave_echidna:
... Since that time I have had problems with the car's pick up and idle. It seems that the car has no torque anymore and is prone to stuttering.

When I took it into the Mercury dealership the car was knocking badly and the check engine light was on. After they diagnosed it they said the problem was with the pulleys and it was running rich. After they fixed it the knock was gone, but it was running rough. I took it back and I suspect the richened the mix and disconnected my check engine light. They said I probably had a bad environmental sensor and discouraged me from trying to find out why my car was running rich to begin with.

I now want to sell the car, but what was once a great running vehicle looses power when I accelerate fast and altogether doesn't have the power it once had. I lifted the hood to check the idle and found that it will idle fine for a couple of minutes, then it seems to miss, I hear some knocking, and then it goes back to idling fine. ...


Welcome Dave-Echidna .
1) They did not adjust the timing correctly.
2) What environmental sensor? They should not disconnect the Check Engine light. You should check if the bulb is disconnected behind the instrument panel (dash) or Fuse 11 is missing from the Power Distribution Box next to the battery. Reconnect it, let the Check Engine light come on. Then take it to Autozone or Advance Auto and scan it (free). Then post the codes and more advice will be forthcoming.

Edit. Timing Belt how to

Read this

And this

And this too



Instrument Panel
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1012899&fpart=1&PHPSESSID=

"Always do the cheap and easy ones first." 1996 V6 ATX 96K miles