Rough Ride on 2012 Lincoln MKZ. CAR WIZARD shows how to isolate problem. Also Ford 3.5L V6 warning!
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- See how the CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ isolates a tricky front end clunking problem.
Also he shares a warning on the 3.5L V6 Ford based engine.
Found in some Ford Fusion, Edge, Taurus, Flex, Explorer, Mercury Sable, and this Lincoln MKZ.
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A mechanic like wizard is pretty rare these days. Instead of just replacing everything which could make a noise, a investigation like this is gold worth. As always a great job 👍🏻
Gotta deep dive in some cars, you could have 4-5 parts that are legitimately worn out, upper controll arms, lower controll arms, sway bar links, bushings. All things that you check over and they all might not be perfect as it's not brand new but you go after the easier ones or the most worn out ones, because you can't just throw a couple thousand dollar bill at them without trying to help them out.
Yes! The man is a freakin' GENIUS!!..........AND a wonderful human being!
Mr. Wizard is worth his weight in gold
Many dealers take the shotgun approach to repairs
Time spent on inspecting each individual component is not always factible and or acceptable by the costumer. Specially when you(customer) pay more on finding the problem than buying the part[s] and fixing it.
Thank you so much Wizard for the waterpump warning. I was about to buy this same vehicle with 140000 miles. Checked for weep hole leak and sure enough, there it was! Dude you just saved my ass from a huge mess and a ton of money that I could not afford to lose. Great advice. Thank you so much Wizard! You da man!!!
Point out the issue and tell them you will buy it for $2500 less! Fix it and drive happy.
I take my Wizard Staff...and I total the car. There is coffee in my nose.
The poor acting is what I return for - I hope you guys never improve in acting skills! I love you guys! hahaha
If I went to the wizard and it was any less awkward than this I would leave
Kyle Taylor Yes! Hahahah
Thats how you know they are humble and true
Bruh they jus spicing it up a lil bit lol
Thats cause he's a wizard, not an actor! Uve seen him with hoovie acting so.....
Looks like Mr. Lincoln could use a set of tires as well.
LoL. I was thinking the same thing.
And it’s dishonest Lincoln. It’s not the honest Abe we know and Ford’s Lincoln division was named after Abraham Lincoln himself. That’s what I call the Lincolns that are junk like the Continental, MKZ, MKT, etc.
ATX-CVPI The continental is not junk but the others are for sure
@@805NAVE agreed
That would cost more than the car is worth, unless he finds used tires.
Watching the growth of this channel has been awesome. So many car youtubers are insufferable and hard to watch, I really appreciate the low key and relaxed presentation. I’ve learned a ton and it’s been enjoyable! Wizard is really getting the hang of being in front of the camera!! Cant wait to see what’s in store for the future!
No screaming no bullshit no "gangsta flow" just plain knowledge
@@orkoto6057 you forgot cringy acting lol, that's how you know he's for real 😂
The ford duratec 3.0 had an externally mounted water pump..mounted to rear of front camshaft...excellent design...great engine
I just recently sold my 2012 Lincoln MKZ just because of the POSSIBILITY of a bad water pump. I was able to sell it back to the dealer (Lincoln) that I purchased it from as a "lease turn-in" in 2015 with 49000 miles on clock. I REALLY loved this vehicle and kept it my "sunny day" car, had not a single problem with it from 12-2015 to 4-2019, although I had only put 4000 miles on it. Loved this car so much, I was afraid of taking it out on the freeway for fear of getting "road rash" from semis! But, when I heard about the water pump "mess", it almost sent chills down my spine, so I HAD to get rid of it!! I found out about the problem 3 years ago on the "Ford Tech Makaloco" channel. This is why I LOVE RUclips!
Nonsense....change out the pump at 100k, and every 100k..and just drive it.
@@MrDave9111ive got an 08 taurus with the original waterpump at over 239k miles. atp if it went, i would just get a new car, but i never understood people being so afraid of that issue as to not drive them. its never broken down on me, although i just had the struts replaced due to the same clunking issue mentioned in this video
@@MrDave9111 It's not that simple especially for people who don't have a lot of money. Unless you've saved up for it you will be in big trouble when the water pump fails. It is easily an over $2,000 job with the timing chain replacement included. The MKZ is not a vehicle you can just pop new parts in and prolong its life span. It is a vehicle you MUST purchase new, or with less than 100,000 miles. It is meant to be driven and discarded prior to reaching 150,000. Anyone who chooses to drive one of these cars beyond that is asking for big trouble later.
@@1977TA Have you priced new cars recently? A $700/month payment is not unusual. So pay $2000 for the repair and drive the car for another 100K miles. That's only 3 months of payments. If you can't pony up $2000 for repairs you certainly shouldn't be buying a new car! Used cars are the way to go.
My 2007's water pump will start leaking. I keep a gallon of coolant in the trunk, that cost me $10. When it starts leaking, I drive it home and refill the coolant along the way.
I tear the car apart and replace the pump, change, etc. That will be a two day job for me. Then I drive it for another 50-100K. Zero payments. Cheap insurance.
I have more than one car, so that is not a problem. The person who traded in their car because they were "afraid" at 49K miles? Gimmee a break. That was a really, really poor decision.
The MKZ is like many cars, some of the repair bills can be high. But this cars engine has been known to go 300K+ miles without major issues. I don't consider a water pump to be a major issue. Yes, the repair is pricy, but its not a major engine issue.
One thing you can do to help prolong the life of your water pump is to change out part of the engine coolant. You need to use the better coolant. The best deal I have found is the coolant they sell at Menards. It has the proper certification and it was about $15/gal. So I replaced about 1 1/2 gallons of coolant. Really easy job. There is a drain valve on the radiator at the drivers end of it. Just need to follow the procedure to purge the air out of the system when refilling it. Info is on RUclips.
For my $, the MKZ is a bargain. Its fast. I hit the gas hard the other day and found myself slowing down through 110 mph! Yikes! Faster than I need. And its fuel efficient. It also has very high quality paint on it with a leather interior and ice cold AC. What's not to like?
@@EV6CrashCam Yes, I'm not afraid of a leaking water pump. If it happens, I'll fix it unless its beat.
I just replaced the water pump at the dealer and paid $2500 for it you’re totally right it costs too much for a water pump
I work with a fellow who had a local shop do that one for $1400 on a 2013 Police Utility with the 3.7
How many miles did you have on the car when the water pump died?
Wooww that's way too expensive man, I live here in Mexico city, I had the same issue with my fusion, I got a new water pump just for 40 bucks and the mechanic charged another 35 for replacement, total $75. I guess you must be angry now man.
Is the overexageration 2500 for a water pump you got ripped off, the replace the water pump and timing chains should cost no more than 1600 dollars all car need timing repair and new water pump witch is expensive on any vehicle.
Get the 3.0l v6 more reliable than the 3.5,3.7l v6
Many years ago I rebuilt water pumps. Rebuilt means I used old core housings and put in new bearing and seals with sometimes new hubs and impellers. More than a few times I saw where people who had the original pump housing with a pencil broken off in the "weep hole" (which was made to show the seal was bad and it was time to change it. kinda like wear indicators make noise for brakes). It didn't fix anything, but it stopped the leak until eventually the water pump self-destructed. Back then water pumps weren't usually mated to a timing chain or belt, so if it failed it wasn't nearly as much of an issue. I became a mechanic later for years and I've seen the "evolution" of engineering and how it became ease and cheapness of assembly that made simple parts replacements a major deal. Even if you need more computer diagnosis than before, what used to be fairly simple parts replacements are much more involved now; with tools and specific information needed. To me, real advancement come from simplicity and that doesn't make anyone as much money just like curing diseases doesn't make as much money as treating them. That's my rant for the day.
Perfect timing to watch in my break at 1pm
1:26am here in Australia haha
18:27 here in UK 🇬🇧 😁
Wizard has the skills but Mrs W steers the ship I think - what does everyone think 🙂
19.47 here in sweden
Why wait till break? lol
The more of these videos I watch, the more I realize how bad and/or disinterested some of the mechanics have been that I've been dealing with over the past 30 or so years.
This guy is good. I think the videos have been fun for him.
OR the designers!
no kidding!
One of the Wizard's best tips for driveway warriors
Hoovie's next video: "I just bought the cheapest Lincoln Mk Z in the country!"
Beat me to it.Was thinking same thing although Tyler seems hell bent on buying BMW's until he finally gets a good one
Doug DeMuro's next video: " My most favorite car ever"
I took into consideration the water pump on the 3.5 and I still got a 13 mkz. Of course I have the Ford shop manual to assist me replacing it when the time comes. I don't care. I just love how the car looks.
got one too but with a 3.7, it does have such a distinct look
On my 2004 Pacifica bought with 194k kms on it, the clunking was caused by the front struts. And the sway bar links. And the sway bar bushings. And the lower control arm bushings. And the rear lower control arm bushings. I basically replaced the whole suspension. Say, did you know new Monroe specialty rear shocks for this car have no warranty? I know that now!
Oh man, thank you Mr. Wizard. I've been having a horrific clunk in my 1999 Ford Ka for a while now. I've gotten a new sway bar and links 9 months ago and last shop owner said my wishbone bushing was shot, we changed it and it didn't helped, It was actually shot, he tried pushing on the struts as you did, no, not a single movement or a small clunk. I tried pushing my struts and springs at full travel, nope, it never did the sound going straight as long as i literally crash into the bump. I generally heard the sound when I was pushing the brakes mostly, especially heard it turning during downhill pushing brakes or making sharp left right in gravel roads using brakes often or turning the steering wheel fast, I loved agressive trail brake turning in my car but I stopped doing that as that horrifying noise started and sound like my entire front left end is gonna fall apart. I was not suspected by the calipers and I was thinking of some sort of flange that holds the exhaust. I tried the calipers today and BOOM! Horrific movement to left and right with clunking, it wasn't up and down but rather lateral, it makes it loudly as I turn the wheel fast and hard as it moved with momentum and kept hitting all over the place clunking. I got the problem sorted. Thank you so much again sir. Greetings and love from Turkey.
"I take my wizard staff and total the car" had me cracking up. Too funny and I really enjoy your videos.
Love these Wiz! Best info and tips. Kudos to Mrs. Wiz for helping. We all know it’s not easy and appreciate the time you guys give us weekly.
This channel helps me because I only buy used cars that always have interesting issues pop up that I try to isolate on my own before going to the mechanic.
Wizard put together a list of automobile engines that use that god awful timing chain water pump configuration, I will NEVER purchase a car with that kind of set up.
All of the ford 3.5 engines from the past like 10 years
And Chrysler 2.7 V6, painful.
It sucks because I like a lot of those new Ford products. I like that SHO
@@edman79 you could get one without the 3.5 engine like the ford fusion energi
Ford 3.5 and 3.7 unless a Mustang or F-150. Nissan 3.5 VQ. GM Ecotec 2.4 are just a few to mention. Some vehicles have timing chain driven water pumps and usually never fail. The Ecotec 2.4 comes to mind.
One thing I feel super lucky about, because I didn’t know about chain driven water pumps when I bought my car? My Mazda is not set up that way. Water pump gets its own serpentine belt, completely independent of the main accessory belt; I’m actually having both replaced tomorrow as a preventative maintenance job
thankfully i work at a ford dealer myself and i can do this with only having to pay for is parts. ive seen a couple of these get either towed in or come in for diagnosis and see the milk shake on the oil cap and i know that its probably too late. Amazingly enough ive seen 1 or 2 people pay out of pocket to have the water pump and timing chains done
How much did they pay? I got an '08 with 150K on it.
@@HauntingTheHoly that I don't know.
Do you know how many hours it actually takes? because i'm straight up calling bullshit on it taking 14 hours
I've had a 2011 Mustang 3.7L V6, a 2012 Mustang 3.7L V6, and 2014 Mustang 3.7L V6. All three have had the water pumps replaced under warranty. Part of the warranty is a replacement up drain hose from the over flow reservoir which they add a check valve in. At least with this model it is different from the 3.5L V6's in these FWD cars as the water pump is external and easy to replace.
That is an insane amount of labor for a water pump. Like 6 bolts and 15 minutes, and I can have the pump on my C5 Corvette pulled. I had to pull it as part of an AC compressor replacement. It was so easy, I didn't even bother getting a new one even though it was already off.
Wizard knows the golden rule of being in business. Keep your customers happy!!!
Yep, I have a 2010 Fusion with a 3.5. Water pump went out at 110K or so, the water pump completely let loose. Completely failed to the point coolant was pouring out. I had it fixed and all that stuff mentioned replaced. It was about $3K. That was a few months ago. Let me check my invoice. Wait it was over 3 years ago, no way... doesn't feel that long ago lol! I still have the car today with 170K miles. Though it's a backup car now.
The suspension has been clunky for as long as I can remember. Replaced struts, control arms, breaks all kinds of stuff. Still clunks. I just deal with it. Tires don't wear uneven so I just take it easy over bumps.
2013 Taurus, 70k miles, $2.2k, Ford Never again
@@lm386opamp Damn how are you guys burning through water pumps so quickly? My '09 Taurus has the original pump at 141k miles right now. Most reliable car I've ever owned, only had a $40 climate actuator repair and fluids and filters in 7 years and 70k miles
@@lm386opamp Try a Nissan with the "internal " water pump, at least you will know what to expect.
Subaru has a chain-driven water pump on the H6 engines and these last the life of the car, 300k + miles.
@@StupidDummyIdiot 09 crown vic way better
@3:53 The Wizard Staff! The best solution for mechanics and non-mechanics alike! Thank you for the video Mr. and Mrs. Wizard!
Mr and Mrs Wizard seem to be great people!
Love this video format! Please keep making these. Need to do the control arms and sway bar links on our X5. The most illusive problem was probably the electronic water pump on this one. Thought I saw a leak somewhere else and started replacing hoses, but ended up being the very difficult to get to water pump, very expensive to replace.
I had the same problem. Diagnosed as a $2000 repair.
Fixed by 2 new front tire replacements
This is the most informative and to the point RUclips channel in a very long time. I love you knowledge about any engine, any make and model. Great videos. I saw ur videos after watching Hoovies garage video.
The part he fails to mention is that most Edge's with the 3.5 will go 200000 to 300000 miles without a problem. Don't drive the shit out of it and they last a long time without issue. A new Edge now comes with a 2.0L 4 cylinder, which won't last as long.
Are not cars meant to be driven though? How else do you GET to "200,000 to 300,000"
Yes, the 3.5 and 3.7 motors are very reliable; however, the water pump makes these car very scary to own. Water pumps are parts that go out on all makes and models, so every one of these motors WILL have this issue eventually. Very unfortunate, for an otherwise great motor.
@@racequad9 Scary? Price out a new car. THAT is scary.
@@MrDave9111 buying a whole other car because a water pump fails, yes that is scary
oh my god i was just looking to buy a car just like this one before changing my mind and switch to Toyota Camry V6 . that was my local mechanic advice !!! i buy used so good engineering and reliability. is a must ... thanks for the video 👍🏽
After the holidays ended and 2021 began, the Car Wizard introduced his opening clip for each of his all-new videos. I am hoping for more in-depth, maintenance and repair videos for a 2009 Toyota Highlander 4WD mid-size SUV with the 3.5 L V6 engine and the five-speed automatic transmission with sport (manual-shift) mode and a 2016 Kia Forte compact sedan with the 1.8 L four-cylinder engine and the six-speed automatic transmission, also with sport (manual-shift) mode. One of these vehicles could have their warranty expired already.
I did my own waterpump in my 2009 Flex, it was 29 hours of work including coolant flush, thermostat, all chains, guides, tensioner. There is another weep hole that dumps coolant into the open valley of the intake manifold area.
Here in Estonia this lincoln is a rare car that only a enthusiast buys for use as daily driver. So paying up for a fix like this is not that bad. Also the shop i take my car to has a fianance company working with them that helps with paying for bigger jobs. Fianance company pays for the job and you pay the fianance company in installments.
I have a 2011 Ford Edge with this same 3.5 V6. I had what we believed to be head gasket failure at 201k miles. We decided to spend $700 on a used motor and 3 days of work instead of buying a new car since it was already paid off. I’ve put 4K more miles on it and it’s been problem free so far. I love the car and will drive it until this motor fails.
Love this show!!! Best mechanic show on RUclips. Watch out Scotty
Love your videos. Thank you for taking the time to produce and post them. I wish I was close enough to take my car to you.
Thanks for these tips. I’m learning so much from you even though I studied auto mechanics in the 70s. Technology changes.
Mr Wizard and Mrs Wizard, love your videos, thanks - keep up the good work folks
I LOVE my 2008 MKZ with the 3.5. I'm aware of the water pump but I'm going to keep enjoying the car while I can and replace my coolant at half of Ford's intervals.
Kevin H that seems to be the key to people with lots of mileage on these water pumps. Keep the coolant fresh.
235,127 miles on my 2007 MKZ ...engine mounts ...injectors ...head gasket at 200k
good to know, I recently bought a 2013 model with the 3.7, noted
I have a Ford Edge 3.5 , the coolant mixed into the oil when the water pump failed , replaced the water pump and timing set , did multiple oil changes on it ,and it’s fine I drive it daily , the car wizard is 100 percent right it’s a huge job and not a easy one .
Michael Popovacki the 2.0L GTDI Edge has a serpentine belt driven water pump.
You got really lucky that the coolant mix didn’t take out numerous bearings and, well, the whole engine
@@terry-zi7eh Exactly. The water pumps in these motors is usually what takes them out, same with the old Chrysler 2.7's... You basically have to treat the water pumps like a maintenance item and replace them BEFORE they fail if you want to save your motor smh.
Ford jammed the water pump in there because at least where edge is concerned the engine wouldn’t fit in otherwise. I already went through this and had to replace engine. It’s a shame because the Edge is a nice car but this water pump is a major Achilles heal.
If you don't mind: How much did you pay? What were warning signs/symptoms?
HauntingTheHoly @$1300
one of the best episodes of the Car Wizard! thank you for posting these tips.
I put my car up on my harbor freight Jack stands and the clunking came from the Jack stands before they collapsed.
lol!
I just got a email from Harbor freight about recalled jack stands. Lmao
check your SKUs on you jackstands, I did
That feeling you get when you find out about the recalled jack stands that were holding up your 6000 lbs suburban while you were crawling underneath it
Sounds like Planned Obsolescence to me and a great asset for people like the Car Wizard.
YOU SHALL NOT PASS!! - The Car Wizard
The opinion of Wizards view on manufacturers is right on. That's why the used car market for vehicles over 20 years old is going to be a very hot market to refurbish older vehicles. Look for vehicles that have galvanised body panels or aluminum body panels. Its actually worth buying these older cars to restore and enjoy as a daily driver.
fordtechmakuloco has a GREAT video on the subject of that timing chain design in the Ford Cyclone engine. Highly recommended that anybody with a transverse-mounted 3.5 V6 (Mustangs and F150s are differently designed) keep a VERY close eye on your oil for evidence of contamination.
Just cause it looks pretty, is just the beginning. Thx Wizard
These water pumps can fail without an external leak also, dumping coolant into the engine oil.
Yeah I think they're known more for that... I've seen a few car buffs compare these 3.5's to Chrysler's infamous 2.7L for leaking coolant internally because of the water pumps... Just seems like these 3.5L Ford engines hold out a little longer before the pumps fail than the Chrysler 2.7's which usually failed before 100k miles.
Yes they can found out on a Texas to New York 😕
Hey Car Wizard, I watch nearly all of your car videos and they are useful and informative. It would be great if you can demonstrate what the sound is before asking to guess what the cause of the issue is, in that case it is more interesting to interact with the video.
More motivation to sell my Subaru, the 3.6 boxer engine has this same water pump design.
Just the words "subaru boxer" trigger a massive ptsd attack for me... turbo failures, headgaskets, cracked ringlands on pistons... only 2 cars I dont regret putting straight into the car crusher after engines selfdestructed for the 45432 time, ive spent lots more time under those shitboxes as I was driving them
We finally got a buy this, not that video for Jeep yesterday. The Car Wizard just forgot the Grand Cherokee, because it is one of my favourite Jeep's in the North American market. I am still waiting one for Lincoln, because this MKZ is always a nightmare with the water pump. The Town Car is one of the best sedans in the market. Also, I am waiting for one for Mazda, because the Mazda 3 is one of the best compact vehicles ever made.
As far as I'm aware out of Ford V6s its only the 3.5 V6 that has his moronic design which its a shame because these are quite zippy engines, so if anyone looking to get a V6 Ford, please pay attention to what engine it has.
Great video as always Wizard!
The 3.7 has the same design. But just flush your coolant every 50k miles and the original pump is good for 200k miles
It’s only the front wheel drive 3.5, 3.5 Ecoboost, and 3.7 V6 engines that have the stupid water pump driven by the timing chain. The rear wheel drive models like the Transit, Expedition/Navigator, F-150, and Mustang has a belt driven water pump like most cars have. As of 2021, there is no longer a V6 engine larger than 3.0 liters of displacement in Ford’s FWD platforms.
ATX-CVPI Great call! Excellent to know this before making a purchase.
Thank GOD Ford's 3.0l v6 doesn't have that problem, 3.0l v6 is very reliable.
I have no idea how to even begin to start working on cars but the wizard sure gives me confidence lol
Have first hand experience with the internal pump in the 3.5. It happened to my wifes 2011 Edge. Pump went bad and the anti-freeze mixed with the oil thus frying the engine
Great point! I’ve heard about that oil/coolant mix issue, thought the Wizard might address it, but...
How many miles was on it
The bearings on the top pf the struts are usually done at around 90-100,000 miles. Less of the local roads are a broken mess. That's why those quick strut kits are so popular. They are also cheap so they can fail during the warranty period. Good tip on that water pump and on how to isolate that clunking noise.
Wizards staff looks like what we called a tankers bar for working on tank tracks in the US ARMY. Lol
Used them on the railroad also. Pry bar.
Yeah, former 11E mos, I remember those tanker bars. Trying to forget.
It is an old tankers bar.
@@CarWizard Drafted in '68. Went to Ft Knox armor crewman training on M48/60 tanks. Still got the busted knuckles "fixin" tracks with that tankers bar. Still learning car stuff from you. All the best to you.
Mrs. Wizard ... Don't worry, you will get more relaxed over time, just look back at the early wizard vid's , Having fun is the most important ingredient to making the videos you guys provide. And with 306K subs , it appears i'm not the only one who enjoys the hard work your team go thru to make us happy subscribers.
5:00 Even the Car Wizard has heard about the recalled jack stands. 😁🤣😂😅👍
Just returned mine, unopened.
My brother has a set. And he still hasn't returned them. Smh
EVERYTHING gets recalled these days, even TOYOTAS !
And Scotty Kilmer.
@@atx-cvpi_99 Scotty#1
Great video. I like how you explain everything and make it very easy to understand. I have a 2008 Mkz with the 3.5 and did not know that about the water pump. That was an added bonus that people like "me" Really appreciate! Thanks Again!
The most elusive problem I ever had took me about four months of intermittent diagnosing to isolate and figure out. It was a 2016 Hilux SR5, 4x4 dual cab. Every now and again, it would blow the brake light fuse, which on a modern car, is a big problem. It means you can't start the car, can't easily get it out of park, can't use cruise control, ABS/VSC is disabled and, of course, you have no brake lights.
Occasionally, in the past, I've seen brake/taillight globes fail where one of the filaments fails and contacts the other filament, which can cause the fuse to blow, but it wasn't that.
The next usual suspect is trailer wiring, but while it did have a harness fitted, it didn't occur when it was towing.
It only ever blew the fuse when the driver was braking and the vehicle was experiencing torsional twisting. It most 'reliably' recreated when he was parking on his front lawn at home, he was on the brake and driving up a 90 degree gutter at a low speed. Maybe one out of 100 times of replicating that scenario, it'd blow the fuse.
The vehicle had an aftermarket sound system that was wired in a not brilliant way, so that was all removed and left for awhile, and a couple of months later, he came back with the same issue. So I rewired the sound system back in. The subwoofer was in the tray (Fully weather sealed) and as I was opening the tray, I noticed the courtesy lamp in the tonneau cover lid would come on if you lifted the lid from the corner. The tonneau cover is a pre-delivery install and the wiring kit for the courtesy lamp and locking system is manually installed and wired in. So I traced the install back to the junction block and where it's wired in.
Normally, those kits are scotch-locked in, a not-great method of piggybacking an electrical circuit for power. The tech who did it soldered the wiring in, in an attempt to provide a better, more permanent, reliable connection. But in doing so, he left one strand of wire, coated in solder exposed. So it was spiky and hard. And it just happened to be next to the brake light circuit and, over six months or so, it had worn through the insulation on the brake light wiring.
So, what happened is that on the odd occasion, the one-in-one hundred chance is that as he was on the brake and driving over the gutter at the right angle, the tray would flex juuuust enough to let the tonneau cover courtesy lamp switch open, which powers up the lights inside the tray and when it was contacting the exposed brake light wire, the extra current from the courtesy lamp circuit would flow into the brake light circuit and blow the fuse for the brake light circuit. Repair the wiring and never had that problem again. Probably the hardest problem I've had to solve.
Mr. and Mrs. Wizard are American heroes.
Counting my blessings that I have the 3.0 DURAtec with the CAM-MOUNTED water pump.
I didn't realize how well off I was with my '01 Cavalier. External water pump, could be replaced in 1 hour by ME!
Have you tried replacing the leaky oil seal behind the cam mounted drive pulley ? 🤣
On my mom in law's 07 Taurus, it was still a big job, and you can see the timing chain when the pump housing comes off. For her living low income, it was a big expense. Luckily we found a shop that could fix it for $650 dollars, but some wanted more than $800 and I can't imagine what the dealer would have quoted.
@@TheOzthewiz The GM 3100 and 3400 V6s had the water pump mounted at the top of the engine next to the radiator, seriously the world's easiest water pump to access. 10-15 minutes to replace, but then 30-60 minutes to bleed air out of the system.
Mrs Wizard is a great addition to your content.
Scotty said quick struts are garbage and wear out in a year and need to be replaced again after a year or so. He was right.
They are "budget strut" good enough to get that beater through another couple of years. Not that THIS Lincoln is a beater!
Scotty is ALWAYS right...................Rev up your (external water pump) Toyotas!
Aww Mrs Wizard returns to support The Wizard! Nice!!! 👍👍👍
Quick struts have cheap strut mounts. This is why I do struts myself the old fashion way.
Thanks for another instructive video, Wizard. My most elusive problem was on my 2005 Acura TSX. At around 135K miles, the gauge cluster would intermittently stop working. There is a video of this on my RUclips channel. The local Acura dealer didn’t find the cause, and I ended up trading the Acura for my current BMW 328i.
These car makers have been ripping off the public for decades with planned obsolescence. While it's under warranty the dealers make a fortune doing repairs and servicing. After the warranty runs out, the resale value tanks, and the repair costs outweigh the market value, so the customer cuts their losses and buys a new car. The sooner these legacy makers go out of business, the better.
Agreed. And in the end it doesn't pay off for the carmakers who still do this. The domestic Big 3 have lost a ton of marketshare compared to the Japanese for this very reason. I have a 2013 Taurus 3.5L and it's been reliable for 130k miles, but after watching this video and getting schooled on the impending doom my engine is going to be facing, it'll be my last Ford.
Cars in the mid-90s to mid-00s were a really good mix of reliability and ease of repair. Most systems had been worked on for decades (EFI and coil packs being huge ones) and were almost dead reliable. Werent that many computer modules all over the car either.
Then engineers went nuts drawing stuff in AutoCAD and never working on it hands on, and then threw on direct injection, turbos, and electronics on top for good measure. There are a lot of very reliable cars out there now, but some of the stuff we see is real who-the-fuck-engineered-this nightmare fuel.
@major wow yea it's same thing as software companies.
Car Wizard, I have a clunk coming out of the rear of my truck. What you think it is?
1. Rear differential
2. Bad shocks
3. Brake calibers loose
4. Ammo box sliding around in the truck bed
I give you couple of minutes to think about it.
Now, what do you think it is?
Just cracked me up when you asked"there is a clunk in the front end of this car, what do you think it is?" Without ever even hearing that clunk we should guess/know what it is...By the way, I had a decade or four ago a small european FWD car that had a huge clunk when you were breaking hard or when you started to accelerate from the stop. Took a while to figure it out, but it was front motor mount, it was bad with enough slack to get the engine to move in those conditions but not bad enough so you couldn't see it when the engine was running. It really took some force to get the engine to move by hand but that was the culprit. Troubleshooting can be fun.
( ; D)) = Fat Bald Man L'nOL
Ammo box sliding around, I'm still chuklin' just typing this
Car Wizzard: I don't like those strut sets either. Are the springs they come with any good and matched to weight of the car, or should that Lincoln and others with those strut packages get new coils, too?
Thanks
The springs are a close enough copy from China, as is everything else. Car companies put millions into designing the right springs, so I'll reuse them with quality struts and good mounts.
Working on struts can be extremely dangerous, so I dont begrudge mechanics from using the quick struts and saving their limbs and a bunch of time. But if you want original ride quality, doing them the right way is the way to go.
just bought a 2012 MkZ, 42,000 miles, mint cond., owned by the dealership (loaner car), they had just replaced it....at 42,000! you know for the XP
Having put 300,000 miles on 3, 3.5 engines... Starting with a 2008 flex and 2 explorer's... I have not had the water pump issue in any of them. My believe is that if you do regular maintenance like changing coolant, spark plugs, transmission change, your chances for issues are low.
Also, wizard, that MKZ is built on the Taurus Chassis. Not Milan of Fusion. Those had 4-cyl. And was a smaller chassis.
Fyi, I am not a Ford guy. But I wanted to share my experiences with you.
Wizard, why don't you film the strut change? I know there are others online that do that, but showing how to fix those common issues at home would be great. Those quick change struts only take 30/min per side.
It is indeed the fusion/Milan chassis, not the Taurus, which also come optional 3.5L.
Correction its built on the 2010-2012 Ford Fusion SPORT Chassis. That setup was the performance variation of the Fusion which is identical mechanically to this Lincoln MKZ. I own a 2010 Sport it's a great car was bought brand new by my Dad. Mines perfect condition as its stored winters and never sees road salt.
It’s good to finally see the same generation Chevy Impala in the background as my first car, except mine was white not black, I always loved the ‘06 to ‘13 impala’s
The '14 to '20 bodystyle Impalas are beautiful to me, just wish GM put more motor in them.
The Car Wizard is going to make me buy an electric car as my next car.
As a IN city commuter is the BEST CHOICE. Lots less maintenance items and associated costs(as long as everything stays in good working order and electrical Gremlins DON'T appear).
I am an avid supporter of electric cars. Love them
JIGA BACHI Don’t buy a Tesla. They are poorly built in a factory where high quality affordable Toyotas used to be built. Their welds are poorly done and the doors don’t even line up with each other especially the Model X. The design is good but the build quality is horrible. Buy a EV from a manufacturer like General Motors or Ford instead that’s been making cars for a century. I certainly wouldn’t pay $50,000 on a poorly built Tesla.
@@atx-cvpi_99 i dont expect GM or Ford to put out a reliable EV ever.
@@CarWizard My dad first saw an old electric car when he was a kid back in the 1930's. He was impressed. He had many cars over the years, but never forgot that electric car some girls were driving. The last car he bought when he was in his '80s was a brand new Toyota Camry hybrid. He loved it.
I had a 2010 MKZ awd (bought with 72k) with the 3.5. Fabulous car put 40k on it my first year. My parents now have it and have had zero issues (135k and counting)
Same with my '09 Ford with the 3.5. People neglect basic maintenance like coolant flushes and then blame the manufacturer for premature failure of the water pump. I'll admit that the design is terrible and the car is done if/when the water pump fails, but the original can last decades with regular maintenance
@@StupidDummyIdiot I hope you're right. Probably a wise move would be to flush the coolant even more often than normally recommended intervals.
Almost every "quick strut" we've installed come back with noise 3 to 6 months later.
Built down to a price like most pattern parts. Had a pattern exhaust - waranteed 1 year - Lasted 15 months. Genuine Nissan exhaust cost twice as much but was still on the car when I sold it six years later.
"Quick Strut." Monroes. Yep, got clunking in a set of struts I just installed two summers ago. The strut cartridges are fine, but the hardware is junk. We have two of the same models in the same year, replaced both sets of struts within a month of each other. I ended up first replacing the hardware in the Quick Struts, and then finally dumped those for a set of KYB Strut Plus which ride better and are dead quiet. In the other, I still have the Quick Struts and the hardware is making all sorts of racket.
They are junk.
Wanted the 3.5 Edge, went with the 2.0 Ecoboost instead because of that dreaded water pump
2.0 has a smiliar problem. Coolant leaks into cylinders on the eco boosts. 3.5 are more reliable. Drain and fill coolant every 30k miles ant that waterpump should last 300k +
Aztlan Nation What about the ones with the 2.7 EcoBoost. I’ve heard that they have oil leaks often.
So now you have to deal with that "dreaded" turbo, which will set you back about $2000 when it pops! You CAN'T win!
When you put your hand on the strut look to make sure the spring has not snapped or injuries could follow.
Car wizard hiw big is the hair and makeup budget? You and Michael always look tip top cleaned up from your beards
He uses grease for make-up and motor oil to style his beard.
I have a 2007 Edge with the 3.5. I did the pump at about 100,000 miles. Lucky for me I noticed the leak because they leak internally into the oil and will total your engine if bad enough. I fixed it and now have 150K miles on it. I also change coolant every 30K miles. Ford calls it lifetime coolant. Sorry your car is dead and it's lifetime is over. I do love this car and it is relatively free from repairs. Maintenance on the plugs and coils is a real pain. Thank God that it isn't a BMW!!
Just had my water pump recently replaced on my 3.5, started clanking and pouring out coolant. Had 150k miles on it which isn't too bad for being the original pump, but still Ford sucks sometimes.
Just had mine done too on my '13 Taurus... Would have dumped it when the water pump started pissing but I figured it was worth the $2k investment since the car hasn't been a complete piece of shit and made it to about your miles (155k roughly). I wont throw that kind of money at it again though.
@@corionh4775 Hopefully you’re good for another 150K+ miles, so maybe it won’t be such a bad investment after all 🙏
Thank you, Mr. David Long, sir. My best to you and your family.
Shame, it's a good looking car. Sleeper look like a G8 (except with none of the performance potential lol)
The new ones with the 3.0 V6 has the Performance Potential, it comes with 400hp front the factory
The new 2017+ ones with the twin turbo are sleepers. The older one...nah
I have a 2014 MKS , they have a version which has the same motor setup as the Taurus SHO , quite a sleeper
Everything has performance potential if you don't care about money.
Robert But they were not good cars because of the stupid water pump driven by the timing chain. It doesn’t matter if it’s an Ecoboost or not. It’s got the same water pump as the naturally aspirated 3.5 and 3.7 FWD V6.
I had a 94 lexes es300 that the top bolt of the caliper worked its way out while on 300mi.+ Trip. It happened on the driver side. The top of the caliper was just laying on the inside of the wheel. Though, it made a horrible grinding sound. Ended up fixing it in the parking lot of an AutoZone in about an hour. Tightened up the passenger side too. Scared me half to death. That was about 10 years ago.
Hey is that a Mercedes w220 in the background?
It’s junk. That’s the worst S-Class ever made. But it’s fun while everything works. It’s an endless money pit.
Yes and yes.
@@atx-cvpi_99 lol. When you drive any s class let me know. Until then you can sit in the front seat of a p71 for a while instead of the back 🤣
@@fordTH7335 even the wizard admits that gen of S class isn't for people that don't know how to maintain them. That said though I love the V8s specifically in these era of Mercs.
Thank you both for this video,and examples of ways to test.I used the 'floor-jack under the lower A-arm' for most of my friends.If there's any links,bearing, sway bar bushing,or tie-rod wear it shows.The struts or shocks are only loose if you lift by the frame or body and shake and twist with a light lift under the tire.(loved the pry-bar example test too as it's needed for most exampled parts problems.)Will you please inform viewers that they need to carry a bar like that if they like aluminum wheels and don't have 'Anti-Seize' put between there brake rotor/drum,and they want to change a tire?:I worked in a dealership during a big tire recall and we had a 22lb sledge hammer and the 4ft,pry-bar to get wheels off.No joke.
The 3.5, 3.5 Ecoboost, and 3.7 transversely mounted V6 is junk and even the fleet techs that work on the Police Interceptor Tauruses and Explorers (excluding the 2020 and newer Explorers) hated working on them and a lot of the police departments across the country are getting rid of them as soon as it hits 5 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first or drive it till the engine, PTU, or transmission blows up on them or gets totaled and I’ve seen more police departments buying more Tahoes and Chargers especially state agencies because the Explorers and Tauruses do not hold up as well as the Crown Victorias did even though the Ford Police Interceptor Utility is still number one as far as sales goes. The only ones I would buy is the RWD variants like the Mustang, F-150, Transit, and Expedition/Navigator because they use external water pumps like most cars do. If Ford, GM, and Chrysler wants to have a good reputation again, they should build more reliable cars, not make stupid designs like timing chain driven water pumps or dual clutch transmissions for the masses, and stand behind their products like Toyota does. And no it’s not possible to convert a internal water pump engine to an external water pump engine in the same car because it will not fit in the engine bay. The 3.5, 3.5 EcoBoost, and the 3.7 transversely mounted V6 was Ford’s answer to the Chrysler 2.7 V6 and it should be an embarrassment by Ford Motor Company and Mazda. If you don’t know already, the Chrysler 2.7 V6 also had a timing chain driven water pump and so did the GM Quad 4 and 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 Ecotec. And guess what? The same exact failures. Both Ford and Mazda knew that it was a problem but sold it anyway. Do not buy any Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or Mazda with the 3.5, 3.5 EcoBoost, or 3.7 transversely mounted V6 which means that any of the FWD biased models like the Ford Taurus, Explorer, or Edge should be avoided at all costs.
Well yeah, don't buy a cop car that has seen terrible abuse. My '09 Taurus has been completely reliable going on 8 years of ownership, but I obsess about clean fluids and filters. Drain and refill tranny and coolant every 30k miles.
DannyDangers Especially if it was a city cop car. Highway cars are usually in better shape than city cars because they drive on the highway a lot more and a lot less wear and tear on the powertrain. You also don’t want to buy one from the rust belt either unless they have no rust. Here in Texas, there are a lot of retired Crown Vics and Tahoes still on the road today. Explorers and Tauruses, not so much. The Crown Vics and Tahoes are both one of the easiest cars you can work on. Fire chief cars are a good choice but I would not recommend the Explorers and Tauruses because of the stupid water pump driven by the timing chain. Tahoes, Crown Vics, Chargers made after 2013 for V6 models and any HEMI models, and Caprices with the 6.0 V8 are all good choices. The bad ones are any of the Impalas from 06-16, Caprices with the 3.6 V6, Chargers with the 2.7, 3.5 (if it’s in bad shape), and 11-13 3.6 V6 made in Mexico, Explorers and Tauruses, Expeditions and F-150s with the 4.6 or 5.4 3 valve Triton (the F-150s with the 4.6 2v, 5.4 2v, 5.0, 3.7, 3.5 are okay), and the Dodge Intrepids. Definitely stay away from any Intrepid because they were horrible and it was so bad that a lot of police departments made all the Intrepids in their fleet to detectives and administrators rather than regular police cars because of problems with the brakes, suspension, steering, and cooling system.
Dude u just help me from buying a ticking time bomb because i was looking at one with only 68,000 miles at a used car dealership so thank u
The stupidity of having a car with a timing chain, and water pump that is hidden behind a timing cover astounds me.
Cars that employ that kind of philosophy, (just get a new 30,000 car! Stop fixing it!). need to be boycotted.
I like Nissan sr20de(t) water pump setup. It’s a 30-60 minute job. Just 5 bolts and accessory belt removal.
Mrs. Wizard asks some great questions.
ford is such a hit and miss company.
for the most part they are fairly reliable, but if something breaks, oh boy you gonna pay a premium for the time it wasnt broken.
So is General Motors. It’s also a hit or miss except for the ones with the following engines: 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.6, Quad 4, gen 1 EcoTec, any Daewoo based engine, Cadillac Northstar, Cadillac HT series, the 3.5 Shortstar, and any pre Duramax Diesel engine excluding the 3.0 Duramax that has a stupid belt driven oil pump.
Ford is NOT the only company that uses internal water pumps. STOP ragging on Ford!!! That Lincoln has, according to Consumer Reports, an EXCELLENT reliability record! It is always on their "recommended " list of used cars.
many if not most companies are hit and miss. This 3.5 water pump issue is a design issue and I do hate it (I have this in my Flex). So dumb to put it in the engine like that. But truth of the matter is some high percentage of these will hit 125k, 150k and never have it need to be replaced. What you hear are people who have it and have to pay all this to fix it. And their complaints are very justified!
Many companies make such design decisions without regard for the fix later. I mean one can say they do this to make service money later, but I do not fully believe that as it costs customers. I can assure you that if someone has a ford that was well taken care of and it needs a $2500 water pump replacement, they are not buying another ford. More often it is bean counters looking to save money up front and engineers who see this as an elegant design from an engineering POV but never have fixed a car in their lives.
@@TheOzthewiz In my opinion, the great reliability of a Buick, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Lincoln, etc is much higher than a comparable Chevrolet, Pontiac, Ford, etc because they are in fleets (Licolns: livery) or older people are driving them. At my church alone, most of the Buicks and Lincolns are only driven to church on sunday and have low, gentle miles.
Our 2004 Jeep Cherokee was making a clunking noise, it actually sounded like it was coming from the back, turns out it was the drivers side front shock. We took it off and it wouldn't even extend, totally shot 2004 factory shock, we put Monroes all around it and it rides like a new Cherokee. I would have chosen the struts from our experience with the shocks on the Jeep
It’s really a shame. I always love the looks inside and out of the MKZ from this era. The front wheel drive-based vehicles using the 3.5 and 3.7 engines are ones I will personally never buy. Ford should be sued for creating such a stupid design and forcing it down the throat of the American public. I read somewhere on a Ford forum from a engineer that Ford couldn’t fit the water pump externally in the engine bay. Sounds like BS to me… The 3.0 had the water pump attached to the cam shaft near the airbox for years. Ford generated tons of additional automobile waste that could’ve been perfectly driven to a quarter million miles have they designed the better. What a colossal failure. And I am a big fan of Ford… I drive a Town Car my water pump takes 15 minutes to change at best.
Ford cyclone 3.5l and 3.7l engines are fairly reliable my 2007 Lincoln mkz currently have over 230,000 Miles, I see lots of Ford, Lincoln, mercury and Mazda vehicles still on the road with those engines.
My 09 mkz 3.5L lasted to 208k before I got rid of it never had to change the water pump so it is possible. I recently bought a 08 mkz and the water pump was bad the guy was practically getting rid of it, changed the pump and timing chain runs perfect.
@@solomontillman1574 That's really their only fault - the stupid water pump.
@@toxicgrape great deal for DIY Joe who can handle such a job. But a lot of room for error doing the job too.
I'm pretty sure the struts are fine. Every quick strut I've ever put on had the nut at the strut top not tight enough, and it causes that exact problem. Now any time I do I quick strut I tap that nut with an impact gun because it's happened so many times.