Question: long story short. Due to a wrong diagnosis my wife's car blew the head gasket. Needed to find something in great condition and since we have a 16 month old, we could wait to long. found a 89 ford tempo, excellent shape.
Now we noticed a small knocking sound only when we just start accelerating, then goes away and only returns when we have to hit breaks for a red light or maybe going over a speed bump. this noise disappears immediately. I figure a engine mount.
This model has 3 a front, front right and a tranny / engine lower mount. Knocking noise seems to come from front drive side of car. Stopped at my mechanic who now is available, took a quick peak and had us apply brake and accelerate in drive as well as reverse, said they were a little soft but looked fine. Please and thank you for your time and guidance.
Answer: He was doing a brake torque to check to excessive movement of the engine or knocking due to a worn engine mount. If that was OK, i would have the front suspension checked. Have the ball joints, control arms, and all other components checked for play or wear. Bushings or components. Replace as needed.
2002 Ford Escort Stalls and Engine Noise
Ford Escort 2002 SE 4 cylinder.
Question: Hi,
My 2002 Ford Escort SE stalled out and lost power while turning at an intersection. When I tried to start it up again the engine cranks and runs but runs rough with a rattle and immediately shuts off when I take my foot off the gas pedal.
Also, there was a faint smell of gasoline in the car. I did not see any leaks on the ground.
I did get it to run -- rough and with noticeable rattle coming from the engine -- for approximately a tenth of a mile after the initial shut down, but it shut off again when I took foot off the gas to make a turn. Also, before the car failed I noticed the engine hesitated just as I parked it for five minutes. I know it's not the battery since the electronics all work. Any ideas? Thanks for your help.
Answer: This problem on you Ford could be several things. from a bad fuel pump or sensor to an internal engine problem. The fact that there is a noise in the engine of your car makes me lean toward a timing belt that has slipped. Vehicle age and mileage can contribute to timing belt or chain to slip or break. If this happened, the engine would be out of time and cause it to run the way it does, and can also make a noise in the engine. If it did slip, it may have caused the valves to hit the top of the pistons and cause even more damage. This engine is hat is called an "interference" engine, meaning the valves CAN hit the pistons. Some engine this is not the case. You need to get this towed to a shop to have it looked at by a mechanic before you possibly cause more damage to it.
