Chrisj55734

Hi everyone,

I just bought a 96 Ford Taurus 3.0 liter with 116k miles about 2 months ago. The service engine soon light came on a few days after i bought it. I had the computer scanned and it showed code P0340 i believe. It was for a camshaft position sensor circuit malfunction. I brought it into the shop and had the sensor replaced. The mechanic erased the code and all was well for a week or so. Now the light is back on with the same code showing. I talked with the mechanic and he said it is very common on these cars to have to replace the camshaft position synchronizer and that it would be about $250 to replace.

Does that sound right? I don't know a whole lot about cars and he knows that. He is also trying to get me to replace the timing chain because it is recommended at 100k miles and that will be about $800 which includes a few other parts that should be replaced while doing the chain.

I don't really want to mess with the chain because my dad told me if it ain't broke don't fix it especially if it costs $800. Is the 3.0 an interference engine? I don't want to risk damaging the engine if the chain breaks.

Is there any other common problems that i should take care of? My cars go through a pretty hard time i deliver a rural mail route. The route is about 100 miles a day of stop and go driving on dusty roads. I really like this car and plan on driving it for a few years so i would like to take good care of it.

Thank you

mre_power

the timing chain should last the life of the engine. i just sold a 96 taurus with the vulcan engine with 250,000 miles and the engine was still strong with the original timing chain

my guess is he was just trying to get you to give him 800$ for 0 work. go out and get another evaluation from 2 shops. if you are concerned

if a chain were to go out it will give warning like a bad chain like rattle.

i would worry about the transmission try to find out the last time the transmission filter was changed and transfluid swaped

and try Taurus Car Club of America

dac122

The camshaft sensor is a $30 magnet in plastic that sits over the camshaft synchronizer. Often the adhesive on the magnet gives way and lets the magnet fall into the synchronizer, bending it. That's a reasonable price to put in a new camshaft synchronizer, but he should have noticed it was bent in the first place. Most likely it tore up your new sensor.

I know this because it happened to me, but I managed to straighten my old synchronizer just enough so that it only wears out a sensor every few years. At that rate the car will be in the bone yard before I get to $250.

Don't worry about the timing chain it will likely last longer than the car. That's why they put them in!

So if you're spoiling for a fight, I'd go back to this mechanic and say, go ahead and replace the synchronizer, but if I need a new sensor its on you buddy, for either not paying attention, or deliberately trying to cheat me.

After that I would never go back again.