1997 Mercury Villager GS from North America - Comments

Hi.

I have 99 Mercury Villager and 138000 miles on it. Recently I am having a issue that it's not drawing enough power to go fast enough and smoothly; it was fine before. When I took this to autoshop; they said I needed to change fuel filter and did that, it's running fine now on normal roads but it's not drawing enough power on hill areas and it's a issue. Any one have any idea?

And also, I have a issue that the heater/AC runs only on number 4 not in 1,2,3.

One more issue is rear wipers not working.

Advance thanks for your advice.

Thanks,

nav.

I have a 1997 Mercury Villager & it acted like it was out of gas & just died at the store, had to have it towed home. The only warning sign was a few days earlier I had an extreme fuel smell in the vehicle, but only for one day. Fuel pump is working & it showed no codes. People are still saying to try the TPS & of course the fuel filter. Any other suggestions?

Also, it will only start if I press the gas pedal all the way down, like you used to do with old vehicles & it will only stay running if I keep the pedal pressed halfway.

Jennay_g76@yahoo.com.

Thanks!!

Hi, I have a 97 Mercury Villager, all in all it has been a good van, it always starts and gets me where I need to go (knock on wood).

I have had many of the same problems as other people on here; the check engine light is always on, the window on the sliding door fell off and is currently tied and taped on, the driver side back window is open and will not close, the wiper for the rear window always falls down like it's suppose to when you open the hatch (opening the hatch and closing it again fixes it), the locks have a mind of their own, my speedometer also has a mind of its own and rarely works, and so it doesn't clock miles very often because of this.

I had a problem with the battery randomly dying, but I replaced the alternator and no longer have that problem.

The light for the gear shift is out and the radio, heat, and A/C has no lighting.

I had a problem with what I was told was the fuel pump, but some how it seemed to fix itself.

The only thing that is bothersome to me is the speedometer not working, but I do not want to put any money into this vehicle because it is so old, and now has over 200,000 miles on it.

Other than all the minor annoying problems, it has been a great vehicle and I'll be sad the day she decides to go.

1996 Mercury Villager owner. CEL (check engine light) came on. Van started idling very rough, to the point of stalling. Autozone checked the codes (for free) got a laundry list of issues. EGR system, TPS, TCM, and so on.

I removed and cleaned the EGR valve, replaced the PCV valve and both were caked up terribly. Not an "easy" job but still able to do. I loosened the EGR valve and pushed off its bolts, then turned the valve to loosen it!

After that, still ran rough so new plugs, wires, cap, rotor. Runs better but now it shifts hard especially B/T 1st and 2nd.

Code readout says TPS and TCM/VSS, I replaced the TPS and a mechanic adjusted the TPS but code still says it is bad. I am going to check/replace the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) and the EGR solenoid and see what happens!

I bought a 1997 Mercury Villager GS in 2001. My wife has driven it and myself regularly. I have had only 4 minor problems.

The rear air is easy to fix for anyone with a little electrical/mechanical ability. A loose solder joint in the main air controller on the dash is all that it was on mine, and it's not hard to get to. Fixed it 5 yrs ago and has not failed yet.

A vacuum line that's about 4 inches long located at the firewall at the center of the engine was dry rotted, and caused the check engine light to come on. Replace it if it's broke and it will go away.

It does shift a little hard, but has for a long time.

And the passenger tail light keeps burning out.

At a 170000 miles replaced timing belt and water pump $700. It now has 185000 and still runs well.

I have a 1997 Villager. I have started smelling gasoline outside the car while it is running and for quite a while after I shut it off. If I run the AC on recirculate I don't smell the gas in the van. Anyone with an idea would be appreciated. I had this same problem on my 1994 Villager and fixed it by tightening a clamp on the fuel line. I cannot see a noticeable leak on the 97 and I did on the 94???

I have a 1997 Mercury Villager. Just started having problems with the CEL.

First it was the TPS; replaced that.

Then it was 1st and 3rd gear ratios, so we flushed the tranny and put on a new filter. The light went off, but now it is back. Could anyone tell me a definite way to fix these gear ratios?

clyman21@yahoo.com

Thank you.

I have a 2000 Mercury Villager had it since Feb 09.

The van ran fine, then started slipping like it was low on tranny fluid, so I checked it, added a quart and away I went. Ran fine for the first day, then again same thing. Checked tranny fluid thinking I had got a tranny leak somewhere. Fluid level is OK, and then it starts to stutter day by day, so I replaced plugs, nope same thing, check oil and it smells like gas change oil.

Around this time the van stalls repeatedly until I have to leave the van on the side of the road. I come back a few hours later, and it starts right up. I drive a few miles, it starts acting up again, so I go to my mechanic and he tells me I need a new engine and to get rid of it. He's never lied to me before, but I can't believe I need a new engine. I still insist on it being a sensor. Right now it barely starts, loud cranking like starter going out, runs rough as he11, and can't drive it anywhere. Please help.

I bought a 97 Villager GS with 34,000 miles on it in 1999. Recently it tripped the 300,000 mile mark.

I have had some general repair through the years, but it remains the best car I've ever owned.

When my engine overheated around the 250,000 mark, I took it in and had the thermostat checked, which was bad, and replaced it. My mechanic saved it for me and I couldn't read a thing on it as I don't read Japanese! I told the mechanic, they just don't make parts like they use to!

My rear blower fan went out over 5 years ago, and rather than fix it, I just let the front fan push the air around. Recently at church one Sunday I was talking to a friend who has a 95 Villager and found out he'd gone 10 years with the same problem. He told me to google: Villager & Quest FAQ and I found the simple solution to the problem. I did that a few days ago, and within an hour I had the rear fan blowing again. Full instructions with pictures made it very simple.

My windshield washer fluid light stays on all the time, even though both the front and the back work perfectly, and with plenty of liquid being dispensed. I'd appreciate an answer if anyone has one.

Note, if your gas gauge light is always on, it may have the problem mine has. I found out that there is a "slash valve" in the line to prevent the gauge from acting up, but when the "slashValve" goes bad it can't be replaced as the valve is obsolete. So my tank always shows "empty", thus I use my trip meter, and every 250 miles I fill up and hit the button that starts with zero miles all over again.

Hi all.

I bought a 1997 Villager GS in 2004 and now it tripped about 155,000 miles. I love the van. Currently, I am having two problems with the van: (1) The rear fan is not blowing. (2) The transmission is having some problems. It jerks really hard when the van is pulling about 300 lbs, especially when you stop at the red light and start going again in the first gear. After that it runs very smooth.

Could anyone here give me some ideas of what should I do?

chaoprakbao@yahoo.com.

Many thanks.

Ger.

I too own a 1997 Mercury Villager LS. My check engine light has been on for over 3 years now. My mechanic told me it was a sensor, and that if I could live with the light... my pocketbook would thank me. I opted to live with the light.

As for mileage; I get roughly 22 mpg on average... less if I have a lead foot. I've hit 5 deer head-on in the last 2 years, and "The Road Warrior" as I've begun to call her, has held up wonderfully. At 218,000+ miles, some of the handles have started to fall off (the side sliding door... but I've found a totaled 97 that I salvaged parts from and plan to replace this) and the hood is super bent (but was when I got it... it's just gotten worse through the "years and deers").

However, through everything, this van has stood the test of time, and the engine is still going strong. The air in it has never worked since the day I bought it, but even in the worst of the summer heat that southern Iowa can throw out, when the windows are all open, you can stay pretty cool.

In conclusion, you could say that this is one vehicle that can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.