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The Scorpio is a complex vehicle and the absence of a Haynes manual or even the availability of any home servicing information from Ford means that the owner can be stuck if Main Dealer prices are beyond their means.

With the cars coming on to the second hand market at prices equivalent to a normal run-of-the-mill family car it is patently obvious that owners will have to band together as enthusiasts if they wish to look after their own vehicles as much as possible. However, some substances and equipment on the vehicle can be dangerous, so read the Health and Safety information on the left menu if you intend to work on your own car. Health and Safety is a much-derided subject nowadays, but there is some serious advice there for every owner.

This section addresses some of the basic and not so basic features of the car - specifically those areas that are known to be problematic and yet can be fixed by a competent DIYer. These now contain sections from the Ford Workshop Manual for the car in PDF format derived from the TIS (Technical Information System) sent to us by Ford (Europe) in 2002 to help their Scorpio customers.

We will post some information about general servicing but we are assuming that most owners will already know the basics. Oil changes are easy to do - the only issue is that the 'under engine' tray needs removing first. Although Ford recommend a 10,000 service interval, I personally always perform a mid-service oil change (not the filter) every 5,000 miles although with modern premium Synthetic oils this is probably not necessary. I also used to use oil additives until I read this article.

I also use every opportunity when I am working on the car to go around with the Waxoyl or Cavity Wax spray can and any sign of rust or corrosion in the awkward to get at locations gets a liberal spraying - especially as we get closer to Christmas. I have also applied Waxoyl's undershield by brush to the underneath of the car and given it a dose of Waxoyl spray. A Saturday afternoons effort every 6 months on this rather messy job will pay you back by maintaining the condition of the car over the years and for a few pounds expenditure it is well worth the effort.