A/C blew at 100k and took out water pump plus serpentine belt.
Radiator inadequate to cool in 100 F plus and low humidity (<30%)
Look for signs of excessive heating on the engine block, where the hoses connect and at the water pump. Must use coolant with no water.
Starter and Engine mounts required replacing at 90k..
Serpentine belt replaced for third time, about every 25,000 miles.
The two-piece hubcaps keep losing one of the pieces. Just replace the set and save yourself a bunch of headaches.
The car drives smooth with a nice comfortable cabin for four big people.
Car has great acceleration, travels well at high freeway speeds, and is easily maneuvered in traffic and parking.
We service the car regularly especially with oil changes every 60 days or no more than 6,000 miles.
Radiator needs flushing every year or two especially for commutes that are stop and go, or in high heat/low humidity areas. Fill with coolant.
The Air Conditioner lasted 100k miles. However, we replaced the serpentine belt every 30k miles which may have something to do with it.
The Dealer did two factory recall replacements. One was for the ignition switch and the other for the drive train. The ignition switch works excellent.
Overall, the car has been very good to drive. The service has been less expensive than other luxury cars, but the car needs quarterly oil changes and annual radiator flushes plus an occasional serpentine belt if you want to confidently run it at high speeds or sit in stop and go traffic.
I own a 93 Sable. It has been a pretty good car, but I am concerned about these head gaskets blowing. It has 150,000 miles on it. Is there any thing that can be done to keep them from going out?
Regarding the head gasket question, it seems like these Mercury Sables and Ford Tauruses really need to have regular cooling system maintenance. It's my opinion that the head gasket issue starts with a clogged heater core or clogged water passage. My parents have a '97 Mercury Sable, and it began having a problem with the heater not working and the temperature gauge wouldn't rise to operating temperature, and other times the heater would blow extremely hot. They had to have it flushed out three times to clear a heater core clog, and everything has operated normally since then. I would suggest that the poor heater performance is a warning indication of a restriction in the cooling system and if left unresolved will end up blocking circulation and allowing the head to warp. If you want to prevent the blown head gasket, check your coolant level regularly and get the cooling system flushed out every other year or every 50,000 miles to prevent the buildup of rust and deposits.
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