10th Jul 2004, 18:47

Well, I too own one of these puppies, a 97 Conture.

So far, the only complaint in 105kmis is an intermittent A.C... maybe I had to swap out a fuel pump, but that's no big thing, my now deceased Tempo ate four of them in its 169kmis of service to my family.

The A.C. will chill the cabin quite nicely, but then the compressor clutch will just disengage, for no apparent reason. I've checked the system pressure and added a small amount of R134, bought the gage and can at Wal-Mart, but that fixed nothing.

It appears that the computer is trying to do its job, the engine is at the higher idle, the fan is running, but the clutch pulley just spins. Let the car cool and it'll start working properly... again. (Is it common to have a clutch coil go open?) I checked one of the pressure switches on the plumbing which appears to be wired in series with the clutch or its control, but the Chilton's and the Haynes manuals are totally silent on A.C. and their wiring diagrams are at best something which might be used as a general teaching aid at a high school training shop... no, those are probably light-years better.

Trying to do any kind of troubleshooting at the time of failure is usually impossible... got the good clothes on, late for the appointment, etc. I'm to the point of putting a little indicator lamp across each switch and the clutch coil and looking for which ones are lighted, but I'd still need a decent schematic and theory of operations to know what to expect.

BTW, the blower switch and the fan resistor were replaced under recall.

So, any suggestions of known failure points and the location of the evaporator drain would be appreciated. BTW, I know better than to just unscrew a pressure sensor without having a shop bleed down the system.

Thanks for any help... Stan, stanbarb@warwick.net

20th Dec 2004, 18:05

I am sorry for all of your mishaps with the Mystique. I have a 97 and have had very few problems with it. Of course the blower motor going out. The only other major problems were a sensor in the trany and front wheel bearings. All in all about 350 for bearings and 150 for sensor. And this is after 195,000 miles with very little upkeep. Changing oil every 8-9k. I must just be a lucky one, but I have loved this car. My wife drives the he-- out of it too.

I have to agree with finding a good mechanic though. When the trany switch went out I had three mechanics look at it and tell me the O2 sensors were out. After replacing them the same thing. Finally found a reliable mechanic (go to church with him and didn't even realize he was a mechanic) and told me to take it to a transmission shop. One day and $150 later problem fixed.

I have owned a mustang, grand am, prizm, tempo, camaro, villager, and beetle. Of all these cars the Mystique has been the best. I hope that all of you will have better luck with yours.

Again sorry for the runs of bad luck. All cars will produce a lemon.

30th Jan 2005, 21:36

I have a 1999 Mystic and the only problem I have is that the parking lites will not go out. Anyone one have this happen. Hubby has checked the switch and its not that, fuses are all good. Any wone know where the lite sensor is? We bought a book, but can't locate that item on the schematics in the book. Any help would be appriciated. Thanks.

29th Jan 2006, 21:44

Mercury Mystique Mistake.

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto. It so amazes me that everything I have read has happened to us. Right now, we are trying to deal with the idling issue. This is the first that I have heard of the trany switch, so we will try that now. I do know that the mechanic we took it to was just as baffled by this car as we were. And this particular mechanic has always worked on all of our vehicles. But of course, the Mystique has been in the shop more than all of the vehicles combined.

This web site has been a big help, and thanks to everyone for their submissions.

Rossville, TN.

9th Jan 2007, 21:15

I own a 1997 Mercury Mystique and it has 124K on it. Over all it has been a great car. I have had to take car of normal maintenance, but have been very impressed with this car. It has been in several accidents (one while I have owned it) and it remains strong and solid. I have enjoyed this car so much that I have recommended it too many of my friends and family members. They too have had great things to say about their Mystique.

19th Mar 2007, 15:47

I made the mistake of purchasing a '97 Mercury Mystique. I bought it used, and when it started having problem after problem I assumed that it was the previous owner's wear and tear showing through- until this page. It began with an electrical problem. One day, it simply wouldn't start. Since then it has gone through six batteries, two alternators, and work on the starter with only intermittent (and short lived) luck. The fuel pump had to be replaced just recently, and for some reason the part the mechanics ordered for it (the part suggested because of its make and model) was an incorrect part. I will admit I don't know that much about cars, so I don't really know what that means, but I do know it wasn't a mistake on the part of the mechanics. The fan for the air conditioning doesn't work, and because of this fact it won't currently pass inspection. I'm shocked by the comments implying that the people having problems are just not taking care of their cars. For one thing, isn't it strange that all the problems seem to be the same problems from person to person? More importantly: why should the average person have to be a trained mechanic just to deal with this car? Shouldn't you be getting a little peace of mind and only routine maintenance requirements when you purchase a vehicle? Sure, rotate your tires. Change the oil. Change the filter. Clean the gas every once in a while. The suggestions made by some of the people commenting are things that a well performing car shouldn't need. Average Joe and Jane consumers like myself shouldn't be constantly working on our cars to keep them running. That is an indicator of a bad car, not a bad owner.