I've done some homework on this topic (read about 30 previous threads) but still have a few questions regarding the catalytic converter and the emissions warranty...
1) How can I find out FOR SURE how long the emissions warranty is for my 95 Contour SE? Car has 71,000 miles and some engine issues that appear to be cat-related-- the 2 hoses between the DPFE and the big metal EGR tube keep coming off whenever I drive the car, and the car has run so rough for 4 months that it's probably been like that for a while. I've heard the emissions warranty (the long one that includes the cat and some other stuff) is 5yr/50k mile on some Tours, 8yr/80k mile on others, etc. Also, what items are covered by the "long" emissions warranty - the main cat, the pre-cats, PCM, etc.?
2) Are other items fixed free under the emissions warranty if they break due to failure of a covered component? I've seen mention of this in other threads but wasn't sure if it was true. E.g. if a bad cat causes the O2 sensor to go bad, the O2 sensor replacement would be free?
3) Can someone explain briefly the cat-related stuff on the Contique? I've seen mention of the main catalytic converter and a couple of pre-cats, but I don't understand where they're located, etc.
4) If the cat was already replaced once under warranty or recall, will Ford replace it under warranty again, if it turns out the replacement cat has gone bad? A previous owner had the 97E61 recall done on 12/29/1998, but I don't know if anything was replaced, or WHAT was replaced, or if things were just inspected and determined to be okay.
Before I take the car in to a dealer, I want to be clear on what is and is not covered. I don't trust the dealers on something like that, and the Ford 800# phone rep was friendly but useless. She indicated nothing is covered on my car beyond 5 yrs/50k miles. I'm pretty sure my warranty booklet mentions the 8yr/80k mile emissions coverage. I guess I should re-read it.
