Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General laundry list of noobie Questions

HI!!
First, We love our (new)99 contour SE (former rental fleet)!!
I have read as much of the archives as possible, so here goes:
1) it's 6:30 am, it is -25(f) degrees, I turn on my defroster and the AIR CONDITIONER comes on?? I know it will come on now, will it also be on at super low temps??

2)is the engine in my SE (i-4) the same type of engine in a ford focus?? the z-tech?? I also have a VW vanagon which has the notorious flat-4 water cooled boxer engine. A fellow near Boston does a motor swap in favor of the focus engine.

3)I read the posts about MPG w/ the v-6, anyone know what it is for the i-4? just curious.

4)if anone no longer has the need, I'd like to get a paper copy of a Haynes Contour repair book.

When I read that someone is dumping their Contour I cant help but wonder why...sad. I mean, you can go out and buy another one with fairly low milage I-4 CHEAP!! 3-4$K solves your problem for 2-3 even 4 years. Isnt that more practical than blowing $20,000 plus on the next new flavor?? I can tell you from experience, I do not want another used/new toyota product that goes and goes. You pay premium price, then figure you have to keep it untill the wheels fall off. You have 10 years. Then you hate it, now it's too old to get anything for, but you payed so much you cant bear the thought of anyone getting your lexus for $200 bucks when you paid $14,000, now it needs a transmission; but remember?? you hate it.
There is somthing to be said for buying certain high quality tools, but a car is an expense, NOT an investment. All you can do is control your loss. Put your pencil to the paper and figure out if that phony "trade in" price is really worth buying a vehicle costing thousands more??
Thanks.
Chris C

As for #1 The air conditioner is highly effective at dehumidifying air. If you wish to feel warm air instead of cold air, just turn up the temp knob until it is a comfortable setting.

Can't help you with the rest.

2. Yes the earlier Focus has the ZETEC engine. Are you asking another question? WTF about the guy in Boston?

3. As with all cars mileage varies, engine efficiency, driving habits, etc.

Um ... "3-4K" has solved my problems for ONE year. Next year I can anticipate more unexpected problems -- it's never to do with just regular maintenance. (We've had this car since year 2001 and 24K miles, so can't exactly blame it on the previous owner ) That's partly why I hope to get rid of the car after graduating college in the spring. That "expensive price" for a new(ish) vehicle will include a warranty. Plus the likelihood of the car spending more time on the road as opposed to getting 'fixed' is much higher ... dunno about you, but I like to be able to actually use my daily driver. Although borrowing the parents' Miata for weeks on end is fun.

I don't enjoy driving anymore after having half my car repaired .. it makes me feel like the rest of it is begging to fall apart. Just two weeks ago several unanticipated repairs wiped out my entire summer savings for this school year such that I won't be sublet an apartment during the winter and I need to continue working. And things are still broken. I can understand cars being money pits, but this is past ridiculous.