I’m taking the new car for a check-up, but I have no idea what might need to be done.
How often do you need to change the oil, and how do you know if this needs to be done?
Do other oils have to be changed?
My manual says the oil shuld be a certain type that you can get from a ford dealer. Do I need to get a certain type, or can Iexpect the mechanic to have the right type of oil? How do I find ‘ford dealers’ anyway?
Anything else I should get done?
Thanks in advance,
Brian
Engine oil…Every 3,000-5,000km. Transmission oil…Every 20,000km. Tranny oil is important, and it’s often neglected. Also have your radiator flushed. This is a Ford Scorpio right? You should also consider having your timing belt changed (If it’s an interference belt, I’m not quite sure on the Scorpio).
Do you know the history of the vehicle? At 7 years of age and average mileage, it’s a time when normal wear and tear will dictate you’ll have to start changing parts before long. I’d also have a compression test done, brake fluid changed and brake lines bled. Check all your plugs for burn consistancy…And after that, Enjoy your ride.
I’m sure I forgot a couple of things…Can Hsiadogah or someone else more knowledgeable of the European Fords give him a rundown of the Scorpio’s inherent quirks? (Every car has them 
)
Welcome to the driving world, and find someone to help you out with driving lessons…I’m available on weekends if you’d like some help… 
Thanks, MJB. Turns out we’re going to the mechanic’s in an hour or so. I’ll take that list (eventhough I don’t know what half of it means) and see how we go. After that, I might get back to you with a few more questions.
Brian
If it’s a V6 Scorpio it has a timing chain which might need adjusted but never changed. You can assume the transmission fluid has never been changed. I’d change it. Check the refrigerant in the a/c.
Does the ABS work? Sometimes they just pull out the bulb on the dashboard. Scorpios are notorious for failing a/c, ABS sensors, and worn CV joints on the half-shafts. Does it clunk at the back when you put in gear? The practice here of banging in and out of neutral will have accelerated CV joint wear. Otherwise it’s a pretty good car. I used to have one.
Use whatever oil you like. Just change it every 3k. A nice big comfy quick car - and reliable enough if maintained properly.
[quote]Engine oil…Every 3,000-5,000km. Transmission oil…Every 20,000km.
[/quote]
MJB, I think you are working for one of the oil companies
For most car manufacturers the engine oil “severe condition drain interval”
is 5000km (3000miles) Severe means frequent engine start/stops (Taiwans weather is not that extreme)
When commuting over longer distances (highway driving) the conditions are counted as normal - about 2x longer interval.
This is for plain mineral oils. Of course I have seen few reports about fake oil sold here.
When using synthetics designed for long drain interval (low ash etc) you can go 10-15k without change. (check your car manual)
On the other hand for the second hand car at the very least one should do all the fluids change
(never know or trust what the previous owner did)
and a good look at safety related stuff: brakes, suspension.
[quote]If it’s a V6 Scorpio it has a timing chain which might need adjusted but never changed.
[/quote]
I’m not even sure what V6 means. It’s the 1998 facelift model - 2.3L, which I guess means it’s not a V6.
That works.
I haven’t been able to figure out if the a/c works as well as it should or not. It gets cold, but it takes a while to get there. We decided to leave the a/c stuff til next time.
[quote]
and worn CV joints on the half-shafts.[/quote]
I don’t know what this means.
Don’t think so. It clunks a bit occassionally, but not having driven before, I don’t know if this is normal or not.
Thanks for your advice. It’s good to hear form someone who had one.
Brian
2.3 is 4 cylinders. So it has a timing belt. Might need to get it checked. They should be periodically replaced. If it breaks the engine goes pop.
The CV (constant velocity) joints are the joints on the back “axle” which join the “axle” to the wheels. The Taiwanese habit of cycling in and out of neutral puts considerable strain on these (they are made of rubber, sort of) and can account for the “clunk” when engaging “Drive”. They’re not that expensive to replace. (Pedant Watch: “axle” in quotation marks because the car has independent suspension and therefore two half-shafts connected to a body-mounted diff.)
I would change the oil every 5,000kms, because older cars like that sort of thing. Oil changes are not expensive here.
Yes, the 2.3 is an in-line 4 cylinder engine. Nothing fancy but more reliable than the old Pinto unit. It also has the AL4 four-speed electronic auto transmission. Those are a bit weak, so keep to the transmission fluid change schedule and learn how to check the level properly.
You want to check the condition of the ATF before changing it. New ATF has very powerful detergents in it and if your transmission’s clutch packs are barely hanging on, changing the fluid will finish it off. Check the fluid level and the color of the fluid. It should be a clear cherry color and have a strong smell. If it’s cloudy or opaque you have real trouble.
One of the things that fails when these cars get older is the oil cooler in the radiator. The trans fluid runs through a cooling coil built into the bottom of the radiator. When older that can corrode and leak, allowing water to seep into the fluid. You’ll see some oil film on top of the coolant as further evidence. The clutch plates that transmit torque between the gearsets in the trans are made with friction material that is glued to steel plates with a water-soluble glue. If water gets in the trans, it dies.
Second problem related to this is the water drain from the area behind the engine bay, just in front of the windshield. That area has a drain to let water escape to a safe place, but if it gets clogged with leaves etc. it will flood. The water then runs off somewhere else, right onto the transmission dipstick tube. If the o-ring that seals that tube is old, the water will run straight inside the trans. Don’t ask me how I know this. Water contaminated ATF looks just like strawberry milkshake. Change it straight away and keep flushing till the fluid comes out clean. you might get lucky. I didn’t.
If the fluid is brownish and smells burned, your clutch packs are probably toast and putting aggressive new fluid in will just finish them off. A rebuild on this trans is an expensive proposition and is often not a permanent fix. The seal kits are usually made in the US on inch machinery, where the trans was built in Germany to metric sizes. Bad combo.
The CV joints usually last a while on a 4cyl model unless the car has towed a lot or been beaten on.
The underpinnings on these cars are really solid, the platform itself goes all the way back to the early 70’s in the old Consuls and Granadas. Great car, I had three Granadas of various vintages. They are great on the freeway and with decent low profile tires handle very well.
Check that the fusebox is good, no fuses melted in there or signs of overheating / fire. The car has power everything and sometimes things get a bit hot in there.
The Bosch flap-door airflow meters and throttle position sensors are a bit prone to wear. If the car won’t idle properly or bogs off idle that’s a good place to start looking.
I also change oil at 5000km whatever. It’s always filthy at that time, regardless of whether the oil is broken down or not, and the filter needs changing that often. Buy your own oil at the supermarket and save $$$.
More info here.
WH: IIRC the 16V 2.3i also has chain driven double overhead cams.
Good old hsiadogah, more excellent advice.
I had a problem once with the throttle sticking open. The throttle cable terminates at a point on the engine which needs to be oiled. If it doesn’t you can find yourself going very quickly all of a sudden. That was fun in my 3.0 automatic Granada which was quite frightening when it decided to stick at kick-down!
And the leaf thing: totally true - I managed to drown a Rover SD1 just like that. That was just before I drove it into a central reservation at 30mph. Leaves on the road. Leaves had it in for that car.
My car was much older than yours and had twenty billion miles on the clock. You should be fine.
My car was very hard on tyres. Rear tyres on the inside where you can’t see. You can have your tyres rotated to different wheels to even out the wear. I don’t know if they do that here, do they?
Thanks for the advice guys.
I’d already decided on 5000 for the oil changes, form that Scorpio site.
I’ll get the guy to look at the drive belt and CV joints next time. Everything else seems to be fine.
And driving today it all sort of clicked, and I felt “this is easy”. I’m getting the hang of it. (I’ve never driven before).
Brian