Ford Scorpio Cosworth 24V Ultima Estate

Running the Scorpio was not cheap for the first year, but after this initial expense it has proved to be a reliable and satisfying car to own, with fantastic performance, even heavily loaded, and effortless cruising on long motorway journeys the length of the UK and Europe. 

This costsheet does not include the oil and filter changes that I do every six months, using Magnatec oil. Still no timing chain rattle on a cold start!  OBD checks have still not found any DTCs at all, although I am aware that the n/s catalyst has deteriorated and will need changing soon.  I shall probably change both front HO2S sensors as well because their switching has slowed. Aside from a slight oil leak from the front crankshaft oil seal that I will not bother with yet, the car loses no fluid at all.

1998

1999

To coin a phrase, bugger, bugger, bugger! I have run Cortinas and Triumph 2000s and Sierras and Granadas and when do I ever hit a broken bottle? Yes of course - when I am driving tyres worth £180 each! 

2000

These are ventilated like the front, but use the same brake pads as the rest of the range. The brake assembly looks as if it is unchanged from the Granada, and I used a tool to press-turn the piston back into the caliper - this is a boon, as you will know if you have ever tried it!  (Sykes Pykevant brake piston retractor £17.99 purchased last year.)  See Changing Rear Disks 

2001

The car battery needed changing, and this is common with Pb batteries at probably 5 years old. The battery rack is drilled for two sizes, and interestingly I found that the smaller size (lower amperage) battery had been fitted. The Ultima should have the larger battery because of the greater electrical demand, so I bought the larger one from KwikFit and fitted it myself. (See advice for jump starting from - or to - the Scorpio) 

The yearly service in 2001 was a little late this year - pressure of work. But I finally got round to it in October 2001, when I booked it in with my Ford source. While he was at it, I asked him to rectify the power steering vibration (caused by an incorrect hydraulic pipe). He said it was a pig of a job, but it has cured the vibration felt at parking speeds. I also asked him to check the EEC V with the FDS 2000 for a later version of the software and he obliged with the latest mapping. He said that the injection and ignition timings, the torque converter clutch and the gearbox scheduling had all been changed, and on the drive home it certainly seemed smoother changing up, while the idle is so smooth that I thought the engine had stalled!  We'll see what it does for the mpg and I'll report back. The exhaust needs changing now, and I have obtained a quote from FordFit of between £450 and £495 for the complete system back from the catalysts.

    I took it back a few days later for a new Ford exhaust system, supplied by my Ford man, who fitted it at a very keen discount price. Now the car is very quiet - the old system must have had a pinhole or was becoming very thin because a raucous note on acceleration has completely gone.

2002

The Vehicle Explorer, although primarily for US cars, works on the Ford Scorpio through the diagnostic port. See OBD-2. This will not only read the DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) but will also read data direct from the sensors on the engine and autobox and log them while the car is being driven - but has found no problems so far.

The alternator was charging fine - or so it seemed. However, the red charge warning light started to glow dimly at odd times, duration increasing as time passed. Rather than wait until it failed altogether on a long run, I changed it myself. The replacement was a Ford re-engineered item. 

The MAF and it's influence on the auto gearbox and on engine fuelling had been discussed at some length on the Confidential List. Owners reported that cleaning the MAF sensor had cleared some errors, and although I had none reported, I thought I should do it, too. Result? Noticeably smoother idling, keener mid range power, and less sooty exhaust. See MAF

Passed the MOT, but advisory on emissions. Absolutely borderline on CO2, which is probably due to the nearside Catalyst. This had been noisy years ago and then cleared itself, and in the meantime the offside catalyst had broken up and been replaced. Ah well, a year to fix it before the next MOT.

2003

I carried out the usual checks on my tyres and noticed that the front tyres were now on the TWI's. In addition, I had a slow puncture on the rear offside, and so I shopped round for a new set. Initially quoting 4 new Michelin Pilot Primacy in 225X50 W16R at £598, Kwikfit matched a quote of £528 fitted from Hi-Q, and charged me £500 for the four fitted and new valves!! This saved nearly £200 from the last time I bought a set of Z rated tyres! The Primacy are even quieter than the older MXM's with only a gentle soothing hiss at 40 mph in town. The front tyres had lasted for 2 years and 5 months and about 34,000 miles and would have been longer, except ...

While it was up on the ramp I wondered why the outside of the N/S tyre had worn so quickly - then I found about 3mm play on the inside track rod - excessive wear! Did I need a new expensive Sensotronic steering rack? No, despite what the FMD said - the inner rack bushes unscrew from the rack complete with the Track Rods, new ones screwed in and tracking adjusted - a doddle.  See Rack

Also spotted while it was on the ramp in March - the new Ford exhaust system was blowing. The n/s large square expansion box had a perforated seam and black exhaust stain was plain to see. This would not do - I contacted Ford and my local FMD replaced half the Ford system with a new one.  FOC - under Ford warranty.

This was a blow. One morning I started the car to be met with the most horrendous rattle from the front of the car. Inspection revealed that the Power Steering reservoir had emptied itself onto the garage floor via the offside front steering arm bellows - the outer rack seals had gone and filled the steering bellows with fluid until it burst. While I had replaced the n/s track arm because the inner joint had worn, the offside seals were wearing through. Undetectable though - and I have to use full steering lock to enter and leave my garage, so I can't complain. The noise was the power steering pump spinning dry. Reconditioned rack sourced and fitted.

On one of the first hot days I found the climate control struggling to drop the interior temperature. I then realised it was four years since the last recharge! I found Aircon Direct who came out and checked the system over and regassed it. See our page of recommended AC Dealers.

It's amazing how quickly this MOT came round again. No, I never got round to changing the Bank 2 catalyst, and yes, CO was borderline again! A fail on the front flexible brake pipes - they were starting to crack. New ones fitted, and the brake system flushed and refilled with new fluid, since that was due anyway. (This is important - brake fluid is hygroscopic - absorbs water - and left too long the water content will cause the internals to corrode. This effects the brake adjusters in the rear calipers as well as the pistons and seals throughout the system).

Apart from that, no other concerns or advisories at all. This is the longest that I have ever owned the same car. As well as being the fastest and the most comfortable, this Scorpio has also been the most reliable.

2004

My Scorpio Cosworth Estate pictured in Summer, 2003 after a wash and tidy up. It is kept in a locked garage where a dehumidifier runs for four hours every day. Left in the garage after a run in the pouring rain by the next day the car is bone dry again.

Out of the rain, sun and frost, the paintwork is in good order, although the front bonnet is susceptible to annoying stone chips.

EricR