Mercury Sable Repair Manual
2005 Mercury Sable 3.0 - 24valve DOHC AC quit working and squeeling noise under the hood. Took it into the shop and was told the A/C Compressor is bad. Quoted $1,200 for factory recommended repair. Quoted $750 for only A/C compressor replacement. Cost to me to diagnois the problem and get estimate was $75 which would apply to repairs if I had that shop do the work.
Contacted Autozone and got pricing for a A/C Compressor w/ Clutch for around $200. When asked why the estimate to just repalce the A/C compressor was so high, the explaination I got was that because of the width of my engine (DOHC), replacement was more time-consuming and involved dropping the engine to change it. Is this guy blowing smoke or speaking the truth? I'm inclined to tackle the job myself, although I'm a computer guy, not a auto guy.
I had the shop evacuate the A/C system as part of my $75 diagnostic fee. They were a little surprised I didn't just have them fix it. They asked if I was going to have them refill the A/C. I said maybe - what's the cost? They said $106!
Right now the car is in my driveway and A/C is evacuated. I have an alternate car, so there is no time crunch to repair this. I really want to do this myself and save $$$.
Worst case scenario is I can't do it and have to take it back in to have the shop fix it? Seems like it is worth the try. Can anyone help advise on tools needed, procedure to follow. I have a Haynes Repair Manual fo r1996-2006 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. What worried me was the comment about having to lower/drop the engine on this particular make/model to replace the A/C compressor???? I can post digital pics if needed. Sounds like compressor seized so it's not just a compressor replacement as that won't work.
It may have suffered the 'black death' and lots more needs to be done or a new not some junk rebuilt will fail right away and no warranty if not done to spec. Think hard about whether you really want this or not. We are here to help but it's nothing like just swapping out an alternator whatsoever. Do read this link at this same site above this thread. That's what you need when everything is done and perfect just to charge it. Alone that a college course never mind complications.
Think about it and the equipment needed and risks involved, T. I have a 1999 Mercury Sable LS Wagon with a 3.0L V6 OHV engine. It has 186,000 miles on it. I'm trying to remove the radiator from it, so I can install a replacement radiator that's arriving on Wednesday from parts store. I'm using the Chilton Ford Taurus/Sable '96-'99 Repair Manual as my guide. Here's my problem: The instructions refer to various parts; but I don't know what, or where, some of them are.
Specifically, these parts: 1) A/C condenser retaining bolts 2) A/C condenser bracket 3) A/C condenser core 4) transaxle oil cooler line bracket 5) oil cooler (I assume 'transaxle oil cooler') What do each of these things look like and/or where are they? This is by far the most major car repair I've undertaken. To illustrate my experience level, the next most major work I've done is replacing the serpentine belt and changing the oil. How did I get into this mess? I was driving home on the freeway one night in the fog a few weeks ago. It occurred to me at that time, that my car heater hadn't gotten warm all day. After driving on the freeway for about 5 minutes, I heard a thump as I felt a slight thump against on my right foot (gas pedal foot).
I looked at the gauges and saw the temperature gauge all the way up at hot. Steam or smoke was also coming from my hood (as it was dark and foggy, I don't know whether it was steam, smoke, or both). I pulled over within 20 seconds and got my car towed home. Days later, I opened the hood and saw a piece of metal (size of a license plate) with a black rubber thing in it that looks like it belongs in it, laying loose under my hood. For what it's worth, my then-visiting uncle who has experience working on car engines, said it looked like a 'heat shield'. Maybe the thump was related to something hitting that, or that hitting something.
While troubleshooting, here is the behavior I observed: When I pour water into the coolant overflow reservoir and put the cap back on the reservoir, there appears to be no water leaking (or very, very little, I don't remember). When I.remove.
the cap, coolant (water) leaks out in a steady stream beneath the car. My dad and I examined the area with flashlights and didn't see where the source of the water was, but it was coming off the car at the radiator near the drain petcock (but not.from. the petcock). As it appeared to be coming from somewhere higher on the radiator, I concluded the radiator was damaged, and set out to replace the radiator.
And that is where I am now. I'm following the directions in the Chilton book, but do not know where to find (or what they look like) some of the parts it refers to. By the way, does anyone else here have a 1999 Mercury Sable (or Ford Taurus) who I can trade learnings with? DO NOT REMOVE YOUR AC CONDENSER.
YOu dont have the equip to do so, freon recovery etc. The radiator is designed to slip out the bottom of car.
You need to jack car front end up a couple of feet. Please use jackstands, please use jackstands, I cant say it enough. When secure here are the instructions with pictures, I like pictures REMOVAL & INSTALLATION See Figures 1 through 8 Fig. 1: Remove the lower mounting bracket to access the lower radiator hose Fig. 2: Remove the clamp from the lower radiator hose and. Remove the hose from the radiator Fig.
4: Remove the transmission cooler line retaining clips Fig. 5: Install the release tool onto the cooler line and release the fitting Fig.
6: The upper radiator retaining screws are accessible through a hole, remove them from the radiator Fig. 7: Remove the lower radiator retaining screws and. Remove the radiator from the vehicle Fuel line disconnect tool set T90T-9550-S or equivalent is required to perform this procedure. Disconnect the battery cables, negative cable first. Remove the battery and the battery tray. Unclip the constant control relay module and position it aside.
Remove the radiator cap. Raise the vehicle and support it with jackstands. Remove the radiator splash shields.
CAUTION Never open, service or drain the radiator or cooling system when hot; serious burns can occur from the steam and hot coolant. Also, when draining engine coolant, keep in mind that cats and dogs are attracted to ethylene glycol antifreeze and could drink any that is left in an uncovered container or in puddles on the ground. This will prove fatal in sufficient quantities. Always drain coolant into a sealable container.
Coolant should be reused unless it is contaminated or is several years old. Drain the cooling system into a suitable container. Remove the radiator mounting bracket assembly. Disconnect the lower and upper radiator hoses and the overflow hose from the radiator. Remove the A/C condenser retaining bolts.
Remove the transaxle cooler line clips. Using a 3 / 8 inch fuel line disconnect tool T90T-9550-S or its equivalent, disconnect the transaxle oil cooler tubes from the radiator. Remove the transaxle oil cooler line bracket and position the oil cooler aside. Remove the A/C condenser bracket and position the A/C condenser core aside. Remove the retaining bolts and radiator support bracket.
Remove the radiator. To install:.
Place the radiator in position. Install the radiator support bracket and the retaining nuts. Tighten the nuts to 71-106 inch lbs. Place the A/C condenser core into position, install the condenser bracket and the retaining bolts.
Tighten the bolts to 45-61 inch lbs. Place the transaxle oil cooler in position and install the oil cooler tube bracket. Tighten the retainers to 45-61 inch lbs.
Install the transaxle cooler line tubes and the cooler line clips. Place the A/C condenser retaining bracket and install the retainers. Tighten the retainers to 45-61 inch lbs. Attach the radiator overflow hose and the radiator hoses to the radiator. Tighten the hose clamps securely.
Install the radiator mounting bracket and its retainers. Tighten the retainers to 81-106 inch lbs. Install the radiator splash shields and lower the vehicle. Place the constant control relay module in position and install the retaining clip. Install the battery tray and battery.
Connect the battery cables, negative cable last. Fill and bleed the cooling system. Start the engine and check for coolant and transmission fluid leaks. @Re-tired: Thanks for your quick response.
Those instructions and pictures are the same as the ones in my Chilton book (although the numbers of the steps in the book go from 1-30 instead of 1-6/1-10/1-14, and the pictures you posted are brighter and larger than the ones in my book). As for lifting the car, I drove the front wheels onto ramps, and put tire chucks behind the rear wheels.
Regarding the steps you provided, I have already done the first steps 1-6 (d/c battery, remove battery & tray, set aside CCRM, remove cap, raise vehicle, remove shield) and the next steps 1-4 & 6 you provided (drain fluid, remove bracket, d/c hoses., remove transaxle cooler line clips, and d/c transaxle cooler tubes). I didn't do that step 5 (remove A/C condenser retaining bolt) because I didn't know where that bolt was (I still don't know where it is). That's one of the 5 components I listed in my first post that I don't know the location of. The remaining 4 components I don't know the location of are the ones steps 7 & 8 refer to. Here are the 5 parts I'm trying to locate: 1) A/C condenser retaining bolts 2) A/C condenser bracket 3) A/C condenser core 4) transaxle oil. cooler line bracket 5) oil cooler (I assume 'transaxle oil cooler').note: in my first post, I accidentally left out the word 'oil' in #4.
Anybody know where any of those parts are? I posted a photo of the underside of my radiator and surrounding parts. I want to exchange the PCM (computer) in the Mercury Sable 97 3.0 l. The newer module has the same numbers as the the one installed. It has also the same large number sticker 'KQQ1'.
Can it be installed without problems? The reason for the exchange is that the cruise control does not work anymore. I checked the wiring. It is in order.
Manual Auto Repair Manuals
The signal from the speed sensor however is a sine wave. It seems to be not recogniced from the speed control module. On a Taurus 2000, which has the same engine as the one in the Sable 97, the signal is a square wave. The PCM seems to supply an underlaying wave former and changes the sine wave coming from the vehicle speed sensor into a square wave.
Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated. With the plug of the speed module unplugged at the Sable, I don't receive any signal on pin 3 of the plug with the key in start and run. Comparing it with the Taurus2000 (my wife's car), which has the same engine, I measured 11.43V at start and 13.37 V in run. After checking all the wiring I made a running test. Lifting up the front part of the cars, removing the tires and measuring terminal 3 during at low speed running (about 22 km/h).
On the Sable I measured with the oscilloscope a sine wave in running. On the Taurus I measured in start position, a small square wave with high frequency. In running it was a large square wave with about the same amplitude and wave lengths as the sine wave of the Sable.
I assume therefore, that the PCM is supplying an underlaying square wave former from its terminal 58 on the Taurus2000. Interesting is, that on the Sable the odometer reads the correct vehicle speed during riding. The odometer in the dash port seems to read the sine wave coming from the vehicle speed sensor. It might be interesting to know, what signal the vehicle speed sensor supplies. Is it a sine wave or a square wave? Therefore I assume, that the the PCM is defective. Unfortunatley I don't have a schematic of the PC board of the PCM to dig a bit deeper into the function of the PCM.
The vehicle speed sensor on the 97 is a VR sensor that produces an ac voltage signal. If your speedometer is working and you don't have any speed sensor codes stored in the PCM, then your vehicle speed signal is reaching those things. If it is reaching the speed control module, then you have another problem. Like I stated earlier the PCM has nothing to do with the operation of the cruise control. The only thing they have in common is that they both get the vehicle speed signal from the same sensor.
You really need a wiring diagram. Comparing two different years is going to get you in trouble. I thank you very much for your fast reply. I have to look a bid closer into the matter. Presently I don't have access to the workshop manual Sable 1997. I have only the Haynes Repair Manual for Taurus and Sable 1996 thru 2001. The wiring diagrams in there are the in general the same for both models (Pages 12-23,24,25,26 and 45).
On pages 6-15 and 16 is also written about the vehicle speed sensor(VSS). The VSS and the OSS (output Shaft Speed sensor, for models 2000 and later) produces a sine wave ac signal, as I noticed on the Sable 97. Why do I measure a ac square wave signal on the Taurus 2000?
Can be the Generic Electronic Module the cause for it? You will hear from me again in a few days.
I have to thank you again very much. As I told you on the previous reply, I was on the wrong track by comparing the function of the speed control modules of the Sable3 97 with the Taurus 2000. The problem is the wire from the Speed Control Deactivate Switch to plug terminal 9 of the Speed Control Module. This wire is interconnected at In-line plug C222 pins 636. The connection must be bad, because not the full voltage reaches the Speed Control Module.
I could not find the In-line connector C222. It must be well hidden behind the dash board. By installing a temporary jumper the speed control works. Tomorrow I will drill a hole into the firewall and feed the wire thru for a more final solution. Thank you again for the information. I might be on the wrong path about the problem, since I assumed, that the electrical wiring and circuits of the Sable 97 and the Taurus 2000 are the same.
I will try to get the diagrams for the Taurus 2000. Now it seems, that the speed control module is the problem. I checked all the connections and switches around the module. Everything looks fine. I can even switch the cruise control on and receive on the dash board the indication that the cruise control is engaged. The problem started month ago. First intermittent.
It switched off by itself and I had to switch it on again. Now it does not work at all. What can be the cause? Hi, I am a novice at car repair and have only basic electrical knowledge. My car is a '95 Mercury Sable. 3.0 L Engine.
Even without all those specifics, perhaps someone could tell me what might be going on with my driver side speaker. It started to play intermittently and for months now hasn't played at all. I finally took the door panel off for some other work, and decided to address the speaker too.
I tested it after unplugging with an ohmmeter. Ohmmeter showed resistance, so the circuit had continuity. I then plugged it into the passenger side, and it plays. However, it still does not play on the driver side.
Testing the connector on the driver side (with voltmeter grounded to door metal), one side (presumably the 'hot' wire) gets 12V as from battery. The other side nothing, so I suppose that is the neutral/ground and all is normal? So given all this, what might be going on? It doesn't make much sense to me. I don't believe there are any fusible links in this car. Notes: Stereo has been used heavily over the years, often at high volumes. Is it possible an actual wire may have burned out from current overload at some point?
Where would this wire likely be? Another note: The electrical has been having issues overall, which is why I opened the door panel on that side to begin with, to figure out why the drivers master power window switch wasn't working for the drivers window.
While testing the switch circuit (using a jumper wire) I actually blew out the clock. I don't know how, unfortunately my Chilton repair manual does not have the electrical body schematic for that year. I am sure not tearing apart the car to get to that clock wire/connecter. Just a thought if I read this correctly. This speaker worked on passenger's side but wont work on driver's side?
One thing that can happen and usually to driver's door is it likely gets used the most and hidden inside a rubber snorkel in door jam which is bending wires with each time door gets opened and the wires can fail in there. Also - try to use main body metal for test lights as door itself may not be a dependable ground as it moves on hinges of course. The striker where door latches is usually a dependable ground, T.