Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting GRRRR.. Ford's lack of quality (heater switch)

Opel huh? AKA Cadillac Catera. Built the in the same plant and all. My mom had a 1998 Catera before her 1999 Tahoe, it was a fun car, but the reliability issues were one of the worst she's had (there's a reason why we didn't even have it a year...) First, transmission went, new one under warranty. Power rear sunshade died, replaced under warranty, transmission again, it constantly went into "winter mode" and would not get out of it, meaning it was impossible to go into first gear. at 3000 miles, the engine blew while driving ~70mph on the freeway, at this time my mom told the dealer to take the POS and shove it where the sun don't shine. Like I said, it was a very fun-to-drive car, but it had MAJOR issues. Between electrical issues, engine issues, transmission issues and everything else, it was just not worth the price. When you pay nearly 40K for a vehicle, you expect it to last more than one year!!

Originally posted by Cool Blue Mystique:

---

Don't mess with me, today is NOT the day, got it? Good.

---

Phhhffffffff
What are you going to do,reply to him with caps on?
HAHAHHAHA.

Originally posted by Journie:

---

Originally posted by Cool Blue Mystique:

---

Don't mess with me, today is NOT the day, got it? Good.

---

Phhhffffffff
What are you going to do,reply to him with caps on?
HAHAHHAHA.

---

lol, that was funny, it reminds me of this stupid kid at skool, lol,, it wouldda been too easy to "mess" with him, so i didn't, i hope he's feeling better,, it's fun to "mess" with him.

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:

---

Originally posted by Journie:

---

Originally posted by Cool Blue Mystique:

---

Don't mess with me, today is NOT the day, got it? Good.

---

Phhhffffffff
What are you going to do,reply to him with caps on?
HAHAHHAHA.

---

lol, that was funny, it reminds me of this stupid kid at skool, lol,, it wouldda been too easy to "mess" with him, so i didn't, i hope he's feeling better,, it's fun to "mess" with him.

---

Was this kid in your spelling and grammar class?

remember, i be just a dum southernnern from da south dat don't no how to speil or right. i know how internet forums really like to follow grammar rules (or maybe just one 15yr old on the forums). i won't be reading this post anymore so PM me if u wanna talk about my grammar.

Originally posted by Cool Blue Mystique:

---

Opel huh? AKA Cadillac Catera.

---

There are more than one type of Opel, ok kid ??

Originally posted by Sandman333:

---

I

What is involved in replacing this switch? Cost? Special tools? Is there a recall on this (see sig for my vehicle)? If not, there should be, as this could cause a serious fire....

---

After reading this really fascinating thread, I try to answer your question:

You need to replace the switch and most probably the resistor too. I had to do the resistor only, so I just guess on the switch: it shouldn't be difficult to remove if you've ever done dash work. All you might need is Phillips screwdrivers of various length.

Cost: dunno, should be around $20.

Resistor: it's in the passanger footwell below the glove box, next to some kind of plastic housing (blower ?) It requires some acrobatics and finger skills to remove it, but not too hard.
Was $21 IIRC at the dealer.

By the way, the problem with mines was that the original screws holding the resistor were loose, and the electrical connector could move back and forth a bit. I guess that resulted in sparks one nice day and the thing burnt through.

One local dealership simply refused to do the recall (I was told they examined it and the problem was not related to the resistor or switch - my God, what else is there), the other dealer gave an appointment in 2 weeks. It was less than an hour to do it myself, although this way I had to pay for the part.

Tiv

Got it done for free at the dealership today, open recall. They screwed up the dimmer switch when the put it back together, it's all crooked and contacts the dash trim now. Sigh.... I hate dealing with service departments. Never have I taken my car in where they haven't screwed something up.

The reason for that is that the technician gets paid what the book calls for regardless of how long the repair takes. If the book says the job takes 2 hours and it takes the technician 4 he only gets paid for 2 hours. If the book calls for 4 hours and he finishes in 2 hours, he gets paid for 4 hour.

They have to be fast if they want to earn a living. The slower technicians always leave to find a better occupation.

When I took my Contour in to have the blower switch replaced, they left the radio disconnected. It only took about a minute to connect it.

I would never work as a technician at a dealership. They push the technicians to go faster and faster. Thatâ??s just not my cup of tea. I think I failed about every speed test that I ever took.

I owned a small repair shop a few years ago and I set my own pace. I made more money parting out cars than servicing them. People would drive 200 miles to get a used transmission for $375 to $500. People almost give the cars away if they are wrecked or have a bad engine or transmission. No shops where I live will service the imports so that was where I made most of my money.

One person drove 215 miles to pick up a Taurus transmission. We put the Taurus transmission into his compact hatchback car and the rear bumper was almost touching the ground when he left. He had his tools and coveralls. He was planning on removing the transmission himself but I had already removed the transmission.

I would still like to do repair work but my back started going bad and I had to quit repair work.