Seriously considering a '00 Mounty, what to look for?

[TheJMan]

I am seriously considering purchasing a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer from a co-worker. I took it for a test drive and it drives great, dealer maintained since new, and still looks immaculate. Since I'm not at all familiar with the second-generation vehicles, my question is: Is there anything I should look into or inspect before I roll out the dough?

It is the AWD V8 and has 58,000 miles on it.

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

I'd make sure the front suspension is all in good shape; that mileage sounds like prime time for ball joints to go. Brakes too.

 

[rydinhigh]

go for it I picked up a 99 with the v8 and awd and love it. It has alot more pep to it vs my old v6

 

[TheJMan]

go for it I picked up a 99 with the v8 and awd and love it. It has alot more pep to it vs my old v6

I test drove it and I must agree that it does have quite a bit more torque on the bottom end than the old OHV V6.

I just had one more question though: Does the 5.0 use 5W-20 for lubrication or does it use 5W-30?

 

[boominXplorer]

5w 30 and what color is it?

 

[TheJMan]

5w 30 and what color is it?

Glad to hear that it uses 5W-30 because I like to use either 5W-30 or 10W-30 on my 1993 and have a nice stockpile of both.

The color is hard to describe, sometimes when I look at it, it looks green, other times I look at it, it looks silver. I don't know what the color is, but my best guess is that it is Spruce Green.

 

[TheJMan]

I also forgot to ask: Does the tranny use regular Mercon fluid or does it use the newer Mercon V spec?

 

[2001gt]

I just bought 00 mounty myself about a month ago, same color your describing. They are very nice trucks. I hope you don't mind paying for gas, they don't get the greatest gas mileage about 14mpg around town.

I'm trying different ways to get the gas mileage up. I've amsoil powerfoamed the engine, 5.0 are notorius for carbon build up. Amsoil air filter and oil and oil filter, haven't burned thru a whole tank yet but the response seems better, I'm guessing from the air filter.

They have a great ride and lots of buttons!

I too have a 93 and the 2000 is so much more refined even tho it is still a truck.

Good Luck on your descion


Dan

 

[Majisto]

I'd make sure the front suspension is all in good shape; that mileage sounds like prime time for ball joints to go. Brakes too.

Tell that to my Explorer which is still running on the factory ball joints at 135K miles, and its first brake job (Just new pads and one rotor) at 90K miles.

 

[BradE.]

Tranny uses Mercon V. All 4R70W trannys (which is what's in that Mounty) were updated to Mercon V via TSB.