2002 Ford Taurus No Heat After Overheat

2002 FORD TAURUS
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SUSAN8507
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I was going to purchase this car off of a friend for 1,000. The only problem is it has no heat they replaced the thermostat because it had been over heating. It doesnt over heat anymore but I'm worried the head gaskets are blown... there isnt any white foam in the oil and its cold out so i can't really tell if there is an excessive amount of white smoke coming from the tail pipe... The engine also makes a sqeaky sound when started....and when i started it. it seemed to have trouble starting but it had ran out of gas and maybe i hadnt put enough in it to get it started...Please help...is this car worth purchasing and what possibly could be wrong?
Jan 30, 2007 at 3:07 PM
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TAURUSWHEEL
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 718 POSTS
Overheat is probably one of the worst things that can happen to an engine,especially nowadays, I wouldn't buy it, it's possible the gaskets are blown, heads are a little warped, may even be a little coolant in the lower end eating away at the bottom end, just conjecture of course.. if you're extremely handy go for it.. at the very least have someone reputable leaktest it for blown headgaskets... never overheat your engine, that gauge starts running up, stop now and walk..
Jan 31, 2007 at 2:02 PM

Suggested Repair

Do not buy the car without a reputable cooling-system leak test for blown head gaskets. Prior overheating may have warped the heads or caused other engine damage, and the lack of heat still needs diagnosis.

Conversation Summary

The buyer is considering a 2002 Ford Taurus with no heat after a thermostat replacement for overheating. There is no foam in the oil, exhaust smoke is hard to judge, and a startup squeak and hard start may be unrelated. The expert advises against buying it because overheating can warp heads, blow gaskets, or damage the lower engine, and recommends a professional head-gasket leak test at minimum.

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