Tires (when new to us), broken rear spring (common on 97's I hear), interior fan motor at 155kms.
A total blast to own! great performance form the 5 speed tranny! no need to rev up motor when driving 'spirited' since the car has no "sweet spot so it gets shifted whenever shift light goes on. Engine has been changed to Mobile1 5w30 and has no leaks! nor does it burn any either. I plan on doing extended interval drains with this car considering it's used on the highway a lot by my g'friend (her car, but I have to maintain it). Interior fan motor was cheap AND easy to install, much easier than doing it on the Volvo 240's and the BMW's I've owned in the past.
Considering that the motor and trany are both run on synthetic, I think the drivetrain will easily outlast the car. Also, considering that the car does not need to be revved to perform well, means that the car does not need to work as hard as most 4 cylinder cars (i.e. hondas, toyotas etc.).
The springs on the 97's were all noted for having problems, but the 98+ Escorts have a much more reliable set of springs.
Overall, the 97+ Escort lineup is NOTHING like the generations it had replaced, it's tough, and very reliable unlike many other FOrd products out there IMO.
I've loved working on this car of my g'friends so much, that I'm considering an Escort ZX2 once my trusty and very rusty 86 Corolla dies.
Any questions, email me at bmwguy22@roadfly.org.
Update:
Since the last entry, the car has developed a horizontal crack along the windshield. We have tried having it repaired/stopped, but it just continued to spread. I firmly believe that this must be a flex point for the body, as others have commented on this same problem.
Usually this would not bother me, but considering that the crack actually emits noises when the outdoor temperature fluctuates, makes driving this little gem, not so enjoyable anymore : (
Any other q's, email me at bmwguy 2 2 @ roadfly.org
(no spaces)
Update: September 27th 2005 178,000kms
-front drivers' speaker has blown, I have a new set on the way.
-Engine after 20,000kms on full synthetic has still not burnt or leaked a drop!! (very impressive)
-All electronic features from the factory still operate with no problems (i.e. keyless entry, a/c, all lights, fuses etc) coming from an ex older Volvo 240 owner, I find this pretty good!!
-Still gets a lot of highway and high-speed driving done with very little troubles
-front ball joint has failed due to torn ball joint boot. Currently replacing
-This engine is of non-interference design, so if/when the timing belt happens to break, it will not ruin the engine (great advantage over the old BMW's I used to have) the only downside to this is that the car is terribly slow!!! Even downshifting and revving the engine does not help out this car!! kinda reminds me of the old 240 Volvo's I had (the slowness) but at least the Volvo's had more power the harder you pushed it
-MPG is still very good on this car.
-We were considering selling this little gem to get most of our money out of it (depreciation), and buy something newer, but considering gas prices and the reliability of this thing we've just decide to do the little repairs on her and keep her till she dies... but considering the high grade of fluids (all clean synthetics) I don't think that day will come very soon.
Still a highly recommended car!!!
Update November 13th 2005
After spending lost of time in this car on the highway, my girlfriend and I have come to realize that this car has terrible front seats!!! I was considering upgrading to newer Focus seats, but I've heard the same comments from those owners too!!!
If anyone knows of a set of seats that I can upgrade to, please email me at b_m_w_guy22@roadfly.org.
Aside from this, a headlight bulb failure was all that we have to complain about!!! this car also loves it's synthetic oil! it still doesn't leak a drop or burn any after 182,000kms!!
Well done Ford!!
Update
Dec 2/05
Got rear-ended twice in the same afternoon, 2 different drivers (myself and my GF on separate occasions).
Considering that both times neither drivers attempted to even tried to slow down, I was very impressed that all the damage was confined to the rear bumper. All the doors, and trunk all open and close just the same as before the accidents (very little effort and buttery-smooth).
The only thing I have to check into, is the steering seems to be wandering ever so slightly. I have to take the car in the highway to re-confirm this.
I thought that there was a problem with my rear tail lights (cause for the rear end acciden'ts) but after re-checking ovr everyhting, all lights work properly (even the high-mounted stop light). So it was no fault of our own.
With the second acciden't the driver fled the scene w/o me getting her info, I wasn't very pleased... but that's a whole 'nother story.
Suprisingly the fuel system trip switch wasn't shut off, so the car kept running during both times. Kudos to Ford for an ultra reliable car!!! Now if I can only figure out a way to make those seats more comfortable... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
We got an estimate on the damage, and it's only a little over $850CAD to get all the repairs done (with a courtesy rental car) at the nearby Ford dealer.
95 Ford Escort. I would rate this car higher than any other car I have seen. Very reliable. Real Gas saver. Never let me down even once. Easy to work on (my girl friend changed the timing belt herself with very little assistance!!).
I have bought and sold many cars. But this one is a real gem.
A++++++.
Update:
Finally hit 202kms!! (yay) and have yet to have an electrical fault!
Motor still on strict M1 5w30 diet, and lovin it! No burning or leaking! The 20,000km oil change intervals with filter changes at every 10kms, really seem to be both cost effective and environmentally friendly :)
Decided to replace the timing belt since I had a week off work. While I was in there, I decided to do the tensioner, and water pump all at the same time (so I'm not working on that area again for a long time.. at least not for another 100kms!)
Front end seems to have a mysterious clunk... methinks it's the ball joints I still haven't gotten around to replacing.. those will go in next oil change.
Struts seem to be softening up as time progresses, but that's to be expected considering age. Going to go with a new set on all 4 corners with new boots, and new upper mount plates on the fronts (again to save me from tearing it apart in the future).
Tired changing the plugs to bosch non-platinums, boy was that a mistake! I quickly went back and got a new set of NGK G-power plugs, and smoothness was nicely replenished... no more bucking acceleration like with the Bosch plugs!
This car still does 8 hour road trips as well as extensive inner city idling and has yet to have a cooling problem.
...I wanna see how far I can take this car before the motor dies.. I was a self-proclaimed import car buff who swore against anything american, but this car still amazes me with every km that passes on it's odometer!
Sure the seats are not nearly as comfortable as a Volvo, but consideirng how much I'm saving in repairs, I'm laughing all the way to the bank! :D.
...just goes to show that like the Imports, the domestics have their problems too. But also like the imports, if you do you homework and research a reliable used car, you can easily get one that's as reliable as anything imported for thousands less in repairs and fuel costs!
Again, thank you Ford!
Update:
204,000kms
Recently a horrible clunk in the front suspension had developed. I thought it may have been the ball joints that I still had awaiting installation, but after replacement of the old ones (which were still good at this mileage) the noise actually got worse.
So I then diagnosed the problem to a bad upper strut mount. Considering that within the next 50,000 kms the rest of the struts would be experiencing failure of all 4, I decided to get all 4 struts replaced as well as the upper front mounts.
Suprisingly I didn't need a wheel alignment (as the car tracks as straight as it did before the repairs). The car was inspected by the shop whne replacing the struts, and they were really suprised at how tight the front end was considering the mileage. I guess my method of greasing the joints wiht a grease needle attached to a gun has really payed off handsomly!
Still running M1 at 20,000 km intervals with no oil consumption, even with extended trips over 8 hours at highway speeds. After discussing this with a University buddy, we have concluded that since this engine hardly sees higher than 3,000 rmp shifts (due to most of the tq under 3,000) we have no need to rev it, and as a result, it has saved the motor (as well as the M1).
Starting has gotten a little harder over time, but I'm attributing that to an aging battery/alternator. I'm going to get these tested before winter to ensure no suprises this winter.
The tires have started to wear out, but after 2 years and 50,000 kms I'm not overly suprised. Obviously this is not due to the overly powerful powertrain :P ;) but rather normal wear and tear. Their warrantied for 130,000kms, but in real world situations, I think their only good for up to about 75,000 kms before driving on ice and in rainy conditions can become hazardous.
Still, considering the cheap overall costs to maintain this car, I'm finding it hard to reconcile replacement, even at this mileage.
Update
205,000kms.
Well after investing several hundred on new struts and upper front bushings, the front steering setup has developed a clunk while taking turns. After I had already replaced the ball joints, and the OEM tie rods are still fine, I'm very cheesed at this! I'm very frustrated esp since all the techs I have had take a look at it all cannot find the problem. The steering rack is still tight, yet I have this strange noise.
Aside from this the car is still reliable... has developed a slight hiccup while accelerating and I have no idea what could be causing this, so I just decided that we'll either trade it in the next chance we get, or drive it into the ground considering how much $ I've already dumped into it.
I have been considering a focus wagon to replace this car, but I'm tired of these little uncomfortable cars. Possibly a Volvo wagon, or a bigger Japanese sedan.
I own a '97 Escort lx wagon with 255,000km on it and it doesn't burn any oil at all, nor Prestone. I bought it off a friend for 1500$ CAN. Best purchase I have ever made. It's not a gas guzzler and the low revving engine is perfect for all driving conditions. I've changed the ball joints, tie rods and wheel bearings in front, along with the spark plugs and wires, fuel filter and air filter. All this done cheaply since my friend is in mechanics school and all I pay is parts. I'm planning on putting a few small repairs on the car and running it until it dies.
Update: 226000kms.
Finally got that front end clunk replaired. Turned out to be cause dby the front caliper bolts that weren't holding the caliper in place (even when torqued) and as a result when braking the caliper would shift back and forth, causing a rubbing or clunking sound... baffled many mechanics till a FOrd specialist took a look at it. We also replaced the front pads and rotors at the same time. Now the only common body components we mave to replace in the future would be the front wheel bearings whenever they should happen ot fail... EVERYTHING else has been replaced.
The CV boots also have benefitted from my maintenence step of always applying silicone spray 2-3 times per year. As a result I have yet to replace a cracked/torn CV boot! upon visual inspection, the boots still look new without the common craxking that is common on those over 10 years of age. This is truly a testament to the use of silicone spray as a preventative step to prolonging the rubber components on cars in harsh climates.
We were seriously consideirng selling the car last summer, bubut instead decided to take a trip to Europe for Oktoberfest this past fall and had a blast driving some of the most beautiful cars Europe has to offer... but I digress (jsut goes to show how much $ I've saved by sticking with this little road warrior!
Recently the little things have started to go i.e. cluster bulbs, tail light bulbs, the connection plug that goes into the interior fan resister (easily fixed using new butt connectors and a crimping tool). Basically all the little things that couldn't go wrong, have started to act up. But it's these things that when overlooked for long peroids of time, escalate to ppl. wanting to get rid of cars. As long as one addresses these problems quickly, there really isn't anything to worry about.
I'm still doign the M1 diet and 20kms oil change intervals, but as of last fall we had decided to use the Escort as a city car only, and rent luxury cars when driving in excess of 3-4 hours. We only rent Cadillacs and Volvo's and considering we don't' pay for kms, only gas and the rental cost, we're still saving a lot of money over purchasing even a used 5-8 yr old Volvo! We jsut have to make sure to get our reservation set MONTHS in advance to get the cars we want.
Car still is as reliable as ever, tho the small things are starting to annoy me. No suspension of drivetrain issues.
The only really annoying thing is how long it takes this thing to heat up in winter! in -5F temps this thing literally NEVER gets warm. I've tried the ole "cardboard in front of the rad trick" with little success... sure it makes driving a little quieter due to reduced air circulation, but overall this car is a rolling ice cube that's only slightly more enjoyable than walking.
The a/c system is fantastic tho, even tho it wasn't too great at the beginning of last summer. After only adding a can of r134 a/c freon myself (I was very proud of myself) the a/c system is far colder than it had ever been before! even when compared to some of the cadillacs we rented (STS and DTS) their a/c systems weren't nearly as efficient as our on our 11 year old Escort.
The body's still holding up well, we have a paint chip above the rear left wheel that's slowly spreading and rusting. Sure it'll become an eyesore, but when you consider how little I'm spending on repairs and maintenance, I'm still far ahead of the game :D.
Last summer I tried a "rinse" cycle of running some Valvoline 5w30 conventional for 3000miles. The car was OK, but as soon as I switched back to M1, the car's idle increased for a while... then came down after a couple of days. I suspect it's the improved flow characteristics as well as the reduced friction that caused it. Either way it just means that the car's running that much better with the M1. Still, no leaks or burning to be noted.
The only thing that'll force me outta this car would be boredome! and it's slowly setting in as time goes by.
Happy motoring! and if you have any questions or comments, please email me at s j c r a I l (at) h_o_t_m_a_i_l.c_o_m.
From ct. U.S.A.
I have a 97 Escort LX Sport. Have had it 4 years and now has 252.000 miles, and it runs like the day I bought it.
I drive 90 miles a day and push it a lot 100+ miles per hour and it would go faster, it's just to show cars speeding by me I can catch up and leave them behind.
The only problem I have had is the alternator went and standard maintenance. I use 10-40 any oil in it and that works fine, mileage is 20-36 miles per gallon depending on driving fast or normal speeds. I would buy another one if it had all the options or power everything in it and alloy wheels.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site