Hello everyone! I have a 1998 Ford Contour SE. A while back I had a timing belt replaced and it SEEMS to me that ever since it does not run properly. Sometimes it idles kind of rough. Also, when I go to take off from a stop it sometimes hesitates like it really doesn't want to. Around 45 or so when it gets ready to shift it tends to resist and almost feels like the car is "bucking and jumping" but not THAT hard. It is definitely not running correctly and I think it has been like this since the timing belt was replaced. I have taken it back to the mechanic who worked on it time and again and it runs fine while it is there and runs like crap any other time. I have gotten fed up by this routine and taken it to Ford where I bought it and they said that they ran every test that they can and if anything was wrong it would have come up on thier tests. They claim nothing is wrong with the car. Can anyone help me out? Do you think this is timing belt related?
Oh yes, another symptom is that since we replaced the timing belt we have had to replace the same spark plug 2 or 3 times as it keeps getting cracked. We replace the plug and it runs better, not like it should but better for a little while then runs like crap again only to find out that it has cracked another spark plug. Any ideas would be much appreciated. On days that it rains, it runs worse. Thanks in advance!!
ps. I am no mechanic and do not intend to sound like I know SQUAT about mechanic work. I just would like to do what I can to assist my mechanic in solving my problem. They really are good mechanics.
Thanks again!