1996 Ford Taurus GL

One can only make a guess. I think he took a logical and smart conservative approach. There are other more serious items that could be done too, but that is where I'd start.

Does the car ran rough at all? If it runs rough -- sputtering and poor acceleration, then you might look into timing belt or timing gear replacement.

If it were me and I were working on my own car, I would have done all that he did as a pre-emptive effort. I don't see where the thermostat was mentioned but perhaps you can ask him or, if you know, write back whether or not it was changed, too. If he did all the hoses and water pump, her probably did it too. You don't say how many miles are on the vehicle (or any other problems like engine timing) , but if it's 80k-100k, it's wise to change the water pump. At some point, the timing belt or timing gear should be changed. You might check your manual or find out from your dealer when the timing belt or gear is recommended replacing.

Did he replace the thermostat? I would check that before doing the water pump.

was it leaking, or simply overheating?

I would back up a bit, and try to figure out what the real problem is.

those cars have a tendency toward cylinder head issues, which will also cause overheating.

(not saying that is the case here, but throwing parts after guesses gets expensive and confusing)

**also. was it overheating before he did the work, and what did he do initially???

I had no antifreeze in the radiator and didn't know it. The temperature gage stayed in the normal range. They found some holes in hoses so they replaced them and filled the radiator with new antifreeze. I never had antifreeze under my car so I don't know where it went. There also was some stuff in the overflow bottle that they called stop leak. They dissolved all that crap. If I understood car repairs I wouldn't need help. So please be patient If I don't express things right! Thanks!

I think they did replace the thermostat. We already bought the water pump and hour ago at Auto Zone!

My initial impression is head trouble (especially with the stop leak)

Are the people working on it knowledgeable about late model vehicles, or just good with their hands?

If you fill the system up, you must then "burp" it. (when it gets to temp, the thermostat will open, and an air pocket will be released)

Once you have the system Totally full, then put a piece of cardboard under it, and watch for leaks.

If you have no external leaks, and you still lose fluid, you have bigger troubles...

(did you buy it used, and how many miles, then and now?)

If this vehicle is a 1996, how many miles are on the car? Can we assume it's over 150 k miles? How long have you had it?

Based on your previous info (and to answer you previous question), it's somewhat to most likely that the leaking hoses and new thermostat fixed the overheating problem. It is always wise to "pre-emptively" replace a water pump with a car's advanced mileage. If the pump had been working at all, it would have failed pretty soon. When a water pump fails, it seizes up (jams). Then it will cause overheating. It is a wise move to replace it when you are doing all the labor for a repair of this sort (overheating due to los of coolant) on a car with many miles.

Also, it's still an unanswered question about the timing belt or chain and it's condition or when it was replaced.

My car does not have a lot of miles on it (68,000). It's only been used for short trips. Most of the time ten miles or less. Eight years ago I made two trips to Ocean City Maryland about 150 miles away from me. A Most of the driving I do is on roads of 30 to 45mph. All stop and go. Twelve years of stop and go is hard on a car too!

That is extremely low mileage. FYI incidentally, often times when a car sits for extended periods, gaskets and seals can crack or leak. Please undertand that if a car has low mileage it does not preclude having certain repair problems. Cars unfortunately deterioate a bit even when notdriven . Regardless, the timing belt on some vehicles can call for replacement at 60k miles. Call a dealer or look in your car's owner's manual. You should know your maintenance schedules if (and when) your car's timing belt or gear should be changed. I'm not saying that is your CURRENT problem, but if your car is one that needs this done, it could be vital.

Re the overheating and general main issues: there is one item not mentioned..a possible block in the heater core. Has your heat been normal (good heat ..and no antifreeze smell in car) when used? It's important to flush the system every winter at the absolute minimum. Has the radiator been pressure tested? There is a (remote) possibility that your radiator needs closer examination at some point in the not-so-distant future. Twelve-yr-old radiators can and do fail (ruast out) while just sitting "on the shelf."

I might also suggest once a week or so..to take the car out in the highway at highway speeds to get some of the carbon and buildup out of the engine.

If someone examines the radiator they may see a hint of a problem. If there is green around the edge of the tanks of the radiator, you need to repair or replace the radiator.

I looked up online the maintenance schedule of your timing belt or chain: "timing belt/chain change at 100,000 miles". So that part you need not worry about for a long while.

A 1996 Ford Taurus probably has a timing chain not a belt.

I just got my car back about two hours ago. It works better now then it has for a couple of years! The new water pump did the trick!

Bow is it working better? Do you mean it's not overheating? Is it not squeaking and making certain noises? Or is the heat inside the car better now?

how..(sorry. my typo)

It's just seems more quiet then before. There are no noises or squeaking at all! The overheating stopped when the new water pump was put on. I drove the car today with no problems.