The Mercury Mystique – Weekend Maintenance

Mercury Mystique

The Mercury Mystique was first introduced in 1995. A close cousin to the Ford Contour, the European touch is very noticeable. Standard with the 2.0 litre Zetec four cylinder engine, or the 2.5 litre V-6 Duratec the car is a good performer with impressive fuel economy numbers as well. A quiet, smooth ride and reliable to a fault, these cars go hundreds of thousands of miles without a hitch. The day a mishap occurs, one will find out that all of the reliability will be fondly missed.

For the average do it yourselfer, routine repairs are very straightforward. For bigger jobs, the weekend mechanic will find themselves pulling their hair out. This author has personally replaced the timing belt, clutch, and transaxle on his own Mystique. Thankfully, a Haynes Manual was purchased upon ownership of the car. The manual is a very good thing to have on hand, although the pictures are not the best. At least they are there, though. Follow the manual, do not skip steps, and the car will come apart and go back together quite nicely.

As the technician starts to take apart various components on the car, he will come to the conclusion that these things were not made to come apart. It seems that everything is intertwined with everything else. Hence, the manual. But with some patience, and following directions, the job can be done. While certain pieces are removed, it is always a good idea to replace wearable items while apart. While doing the timing belt job, the water pump was also replaced along with the serpentine belt and radiator hoses. The replacement transaxle was also treated to new seals, as this was a used unit. After getting everything put back together, double and triple check all fasteners, brackets, etc.

Any new car is reliable, and most will break after some time. Many questions will have to be asked upon the failure. Should I repair the car myself? Should I take it to a repair facility? Or should I just bite the bullet, and go get something else? There are plenty of places that will take your old car off your hands. Whatever the choice, do it wisely.

One safety note for the weekend mechanic. Please follow all safety rules that apply in any garage. Use jacks, jack stands, and the right tool for the right job. Don’t forget about eye and hand protection, too. Keep the wheels rolling, and please do it safely.