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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> New Owner/Ultima
        
(Message started by: Billy_Sasterd on Dec 20^th, 2004, 4:19pm)

Title: New Owner/Ultima
Post by Billy_Sasterd on Dec 20^th, 2004, 4:19pm

Hi,

I am just in the process of looking/buying a 97/98 Scorpio 2.3 Ultima Auto Estate and wondered if there were any issues I should be aware of on this model.

Are the engines, transmission, drivetrain etc fairly robust etc. Is there anything I need to pay particular attention to?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Chris ;D

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by desperate on Dec 20^th, 2004, 4:51pm

Hi Chris

the 2.3 is apparently the best allround, it still kicks 145bhp and nearly 130mph so it aint underpowered. not bad mpg either.

Seems pretty rebust to me but ALL my info and knowledge has come from this site through reading the main pages and searching the forums over the last week for info relevant to me and my new car.

So make a nice cup of cocoa mate and soak up as much info as you dare. Especially get into the buyers guide and don't overlook tyhe gearbox which i have and is costing sort, the spec/equipt' read is a good one and don't gorget to check all the things work.. can be a sod if they don't.

welcome to the site.

dan

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by craig on Dec 20^th, 2004, 7:01pm

cylinder heads and engine bay looms are probably the 2 main expensive things that can go wrong and cause problems,having said that,dead chuffed with my 2.3 although did have to replace a loom a few months ago now
welcome and good luck with it all ;D ;D

craig

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by Billy_Sasterd on Dec 20^th, 2004, 7:46pm

Thanks for the advice guys, keep it coming. This really is a great site which I happpened across today.

Having owned a couple of Volvos for a few years, and going on their forums, I gleaned lots of useful (and money saving) information, and contributed some of my own.

I am always worried about auto boxes, and a couple of long past Fords have let me down...erm........ A Capri 3000GXL (engine twice and box), and a Grandad Ghia Coupe (box).

But there again, so did the box on a 6.2 litre Chevy Blazer.

Cheers

Chris ;D

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by desperate on Dec 20^th, 2004, 8:03pm

Auto box on my 1 week old (to me) 24v had let me down as well. It's shot.

i did the test as stated.. R count then D and count..back into R... both were with the 3 seconds specified and the R was less than 1 second so i though with the nice red oil and other gears ok it'll be fine !! WRONG !! expensive wrong as well.

Ignore 3 seconds. Pretty much immediately like half of a second is more like what you wanna be looking at wyhen selecting. When selecting say outloud 'Kangaroo' well the drive should have 'took up' by the time you say the 'roo' bit.

Dan

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by craig on Dec 20^th, 2004, 8:07pm

autobox on yours should prove to be very reliable,tried and tested unit,just basically keep an eye on the oil level,and condition of the oil as well,apart from that,the usual routine maintanence should suffice........

hopefully !!! ;) ;) ;)

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by mr._floppy on Dec 20^th, 2004, 8:33pm

I've been told front wishbone bushes tend to wear out,
Steering rack is not very robust. Older Scorps , although generally rust free , should be checked for
the dreaded oxide as Ford rather skimped on rustproofing the underbody. The fuse-box and battery area ( below windscreen )
is prone to rain water incursion, so make sure you have the essential battery cover and fuse box is free from moisture.

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by music_master on Jan 11^th, 2005, 10:10pm

hi billy im in the market for an ultima too as craig is fully aware anyway all i can say is good luck m8

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by wumpster on Jan 13^th, 2005, 11:27pm

i run an 2.0 ultima as a taxi and have found it to be a very robust car ;D

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by Snoopy on Jan 14^th, 2005, 8:21am

Have a read of the buying advice on the main site.. Its got a wealth of info on there http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/advice.htm

But really its just common sense and think of as FEMALE.. It will need a lot of TLC to keep it sweet and it requires money spending on it on a regular basis for which you never see a return , but you have the pleasure of it!

NO OFFENCE MEANT OR INTENDED TO ANY FEMALE OWNERS

Title: Re: New Owner/Ultima
Post by Sian_RK on Jan 16^th, 2005, 10:20pm

on 12/20/04 at 16:19:32, Billy_Sasterd wrote:

Hi,

I am just in the process of looking/buying a 97/98 Scorpio 2.3 Ultima Auto Estate and wondered if there were any issues I should be aware of on this model.

is that the facelifted '98 one, or the normal one? facelifted ones seem to have black headlights instead of silver.
if it's the facelifted one, beware of getting parts, particularly trim, or of getting any reliable information. Ford changed an awful lot of things that aren't immediately obvious on the ones made in the last 6 months, and i've had a few problems where descriptions in manuals (and by owners) are not the same as on mine. Ford tell me that there are no workshop manuals available for it, either, as it's not on the ones on cd, and the paper ones are only up to earlier models. also, Ford have run out of some of the trim parts.

my experience:

the air con has some kind of a leak that they can't find with the UV trace. if i leave the pressure sensor connected, it runs the fan at full tilt because of this, but if i disconnect it, everything works ok, but it's a bit prone to misting up.

when put directly into reverse from park, it sometimes shudders, cannot adjust its idle, and dies. it's worse when it's wet out. i've read of the same problem elsewhere.

the abs and traction control lights have been on for some time and Ford can't find the problem. mostly, they shudder, and say rude things about scorpio wiring.

it *eats* brake discs. i've had new ones all 'round. all of the dealers i've spoken to say that they are not up to the job.

the economy is much worse than our old 2.9 granada v6.

it is **rusty**. really rusty for a care of its age and history (its one previous owner was a funeral home, where it was stored indoors and imaculately maintained). in fact, the sunroof rusted enough that it no longer opens.

the bakelite inlet manifold and thermostat housing goes brittle and cracks.

the heater matrix is not well spoken of by dealers. mine smells of antifreeze but has no apparent leak.

the ball joints go. as do the bushes. come to think of it, all of the front suspension wears quite a lot.

if you've not had a scorpio before, the wiring and electrics are confusing.

that being said though, it's really comfy, and has not been much worse than most modern cars of its type. except with the rust. it's quite quick, the proper (rear) wheels are driven, and for the brief time when i've managed to keep up with the brakes and suspension it handled nicely. the mileage is not bad for a modern car that does a decent turn of speed and is reasonably big. the repairs and the price to buy it are cheaper than trying to buy or maintain another big executive car. the engine is nice, but a bit less torquey than i like.

*shrug*
it's like owning a big Citroen, really. it's a lot better than most "boy racer" types think, but it isn't as good as most real enthusiasts say. i've liked mine enough to keep it longer than any other car, but i'm not sure i'd buy another if i had the chance.
i'd have the 24v instead. ;)

siani