Issues with a 1993 Ford Tempo?

Question

I purchased a 1993 Ford Tempo due to the reasonable asking price and decent-seeming condition it was in last month. After wrecking my previous car, I was in desperate need of transportation. Less than a month of owning this car though, it's already starting to act up. So far, only minor problems, but problems that seem like they might turn into BIG problems and I'm a bit concerned since I know NOTHING about vehicle maintenance and repair.

On my way to work last night, the "Service Engine Soon" light illuminated on my dashboard. I was sort of concerned but was also kind of low on fuel, so I pulled into the nearest gas station and put $20 worth into the tank, just in case that had something to do with it (I know the "service engine light" can be something as ridiculous as that sometimes). After I started the car back up, it seemed to disappear until a good ways down the road when it came back on. It didn't seem to exhibit any other signs or symptoms of worry though, and the light didn't come back on at all on my way home from work. Just on the way there. But I'm still obviously concerned. I took it to Jiffy Lube today in case it was something to do with one of the fluids (maybe oil needed changed, some other fluid topped off, etc.) and got the oil changed and everything.

The "service engine light" has not come back on between a trip to Jiffy Lube and running a few other errands today, but the technicians at Jiffy Lube mentioned that I had "either an oil or transmission leak," but they couldn't determine which one it was because both are so dark. Could this be related to the light appearing on my dashboard yesterday? And if so, will it be costly to fix? Is there anything I can do to make any repairs done to the vehicle as cheap as possible? I'm broke as a joke. :(

I will appreciate any information anyone can provide. Thank you!

Answer 1

I'm not trying to get you down but I would get rid of it, we went down that Ford avenue once, just replaced fuel pump,tune up,timing belt and then tranny. went out was not cost effective to repair.

Answer 2

If your transmission fluid is so dark as to keep them from knowing which was leaking, the engine or transmission, then you should take that as a hint that your transmission fluid needs to be changed pronto. I'm assuming your Tempo is an automatic transmission, like 90 percent of the Tempos I've seen. If that's the case, your transmission fluid should be a bright, cherry red color-- not dark or black like used oil. Get the transmission completely flushed and filled at a reputable mechanic or transmission shop. You should be able to get it done for a little over $150, possibly less depending on the mechanic's labor rate.



With all that said, I think if you've got an oil leak from the engine, that might very well have something to do with your check engine light. I don't think a transmission fluid leak would trip a check engine light, however.



Have a mechanic check out your engine for oil leaks. Chances are good that your engine oil leak, if found will be oozing from one of two areas:



1. The valve cover gasket, or



2. The oil pan gasket.



Both would be easy and relatively inexpensive to replace. If one of them is leaking enough to affect the engine's oil pressure (by not allowing the system to pressurize fully), that could cause your check engine light to illuminate.



Your mechanic can also run a tool called a scan gauge, which plugs into your car's engine control module (ECM) to analyze why the check engine light is appearing. If plugged into the car while the check engine light is illuminated, the gauge will display a code number which the mechanic will look up in a book or on a computer to determine the meaning behind the code number. From this information, he can probably determine the cause of the check engine light and determine a possible fix while giving you an estimate of the cost. If it's as simple as the oil pan and/or valve cover gaskets, you might be looking at a couple hundred bucks. But it's impossible to predict costs beyond that, not knowing what the real issue behind your check engine light is.

Answer 3

Well Auto Zone can not read a pre-96 car with their code reader. There is a way to get the error code off of the check engine light, but if the light is out the problem is not in memory.

With an old car like this it is best to put into the budget some money to make sure that the scheduled maintenance is caught up. Maybe start get the transmission a full service. Don't use Jiffy Lube for this, as they will sell you a flush. What you need is the filter replaced. This may solve the oil leak. But if it is not using a lot of oil, just live with it, as replacing the engine seals can cost a lot of money for very little benefit.

Answer 4

I used to have a 93, pretty good car. I think that you probably need to have the oil changed. If your not able to do it you can take it to some place like jiffy lube. With the older cars you really need to keep an eye on this and also check the level of your transmission fluid. A good way to end an old cars life is not to keep an eye on these things. you need to do this before you drive it anymore. you don't want to waste the money that you have invested in this car by letting the problem go, If it was running low on gas, the check engine light does not come on

Answer 5

Go to Auto Zone, or other similar major parts store... They will tell you the reason the engine light came on by reading the code from your car's ECU for free... Usually its something with emmissions, such as EGR valve or PCV valve or O2 sensor... Don't worry about the leaks on this old of a car... As long as they are small leaks, just keep an eye on your fluids... Hope this helps... Good Luck...

Answer 6

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93 Mustang is built on Ford's RWD Fox platform. The Tempo is FWD. The Brakes and virtually all of the running gear are not interchangeable. Unfortunately, performance Tempo parts are going to be extremely hard to come by.

Answer 7

you might want to have the gas cap checked. on some cars if it,s not sealing good then it will throw a code