DID YOU KNOW??? 93-95 to 96-97 Probe GT differences

[FPGT24]

this thread was originally only about the differences of 93-95 to 96-97, but since everyone listing year to year changes, im going to list up the list ive come up with over the past two years, this pulled from the wikipedia article which i wrote.

1994
The 1994 Ford Probe becomes one of the first production cars to have dual air bags as standard equipment
The dashboard gets a major overhaul. It now used completely different materials, and the right side is redesigned to house a passenger air bag
Ford introduces the Probe in the European market
Fog lights are slightly redesigned and now made by a different company
The stripe on the dashboard is gone, but remains on the interior panels
The stripe color on Probe GT's door panels are changed from red to the color of the car's interior
A few lights on the instrument cluster have a new look
New Ford CD4E automatic transaxle for base and SE models
Air conditioning units are switched from R-12 to R-134A
"V6 DOHC 24 VALVE" emblem on engine intake manifold is no longer indented into the manifold and is now raised
As a cost cutting move, the ability to keep Probe's pop up headlights visible (without the lights being on) is removed
Fog light button on GT's is slightly redesigned

1995
Lear Seating Corporation receives Ford's "Most Valued Supplier" award for the manufacturing of the seats in the Probe
Redesigned tail lights; the 4-cylinder models are outlined in black, the GT's are outlined in red
SE becomes a trim level/model
SE model no longer has the GT's ground effects/side skirts
New alloy wheels for SE and GT (3 spoke 15" directional for SE, 5 spoke 16" directional "swirlies" for GT)
Two interior colors are dropped; Red, and blue
Interior panels no longer have a stripe on them
Door panels are redesigned and are now a one piece design. GT models get a cloth or leather insert on the door panels.
Cloth seats get new fabric that have a unique "spider web" pattern
GT models get the option of tan/saddle leather interior
Cup holders are slightly redesigned
GT models receive red center reflector with 'GT' logo between tail lights. License plate indent moved down onto bumper.
GT decal on rear bumper replaced with metal '24v' badge
Rear bumper is redesigned
Exterior mirrors are redesigned
Heated exterior mirrors option is dropped
Graphic equalizer is dropped

1996
"PROBE" badge stamped on rear windows is gone
Base model dropped; SE is now the standard model
Probe GT's get the 1995 base/SE's black outlined tails
Illuminated exterior door locks are dropped
Tan/saddle color interiors are now available in cloth
Spoilers are redesigned
Floor lighting is dropped
"GT" center reflector above bumper on GT models is now black
Probe GT gets more refined suspension to improve ride. Ride height is higher as a result of this change
Cloth seats are slightly restyled and get new fabric
Probe GT now has spoilers standard
Rear seats are redesigned
Probe GT's steering wheel is now wrapped in a different type of leather
New seat belts with automatic locking retractors
Rear windshield wiper dropped as an option
OBD-II compliant

1997
SE model is dropped ; base model returns and has the GT's front bumper
Cloth/leather inserts on GT door panels are removed
Base models get Mazda 626 wheel covers with 15" 3 spoke directional alloys from 95 and 96 Probe SE optional
Rear windshield wiper returns as an option
ABS is no longer standard on GT models and is now an option
GT logos behind the front wheel wells have new letter styling
Probe GT no longer has "24v" badge beside the "PROBE" badge
Side door intrusion beams redesigned to meet 1997 Federal Side Impact Standards
GTS appearance package added to the GT's option list
Last year for the Probe, with the last Probe being manufactured on June 20, 1997

[dukes193]

When did they get rid of the second coolant temp sensor? Wasn't one only used for the dash, and the other one for the ECU? Or was it one was used for the cooling fan operation only????

93 was the only year with two temp sensors the 94+ only used the one sensor.

[SuperSquid]

@supersquid

I just picked up a new 97 yesterday, gonna have to put straight piping on it to make it sound like my 95 does. do you suggest changing to a high flow cat as well? i want to do anything possible to make it much louder....love insanely loud exhaust and love pissing off the neighbors lol.

For loud....the cat doesn't matter...it's the resonator that does the trick. Remove the resonator and put on a good performance muffler...I suggest a Hooker Aero Chamber which will deepen the exhaust note and remove some of the highs. Also, it'll drone once you get to higher highway speeds....be ready to need earplugs.

Woah, I always wondered why the seats in my 95 GT were a lot harder than the 94 seats.

I'm going to just color Spada's questions for answers.

Two different pistons, some 93's being different. I haven't played around with internals of a KL in a while, but I vaguely recall different stampings and a flatter top on some 93 pistons.

They also had a different dome design on the early engines....they discovered after a while carbon build up would occur so they changed the design to negate the carbon build up.

Some of the 94 disty's actually had the newer style ignitor from the 95 distys. Then there's the 16mm or 32mm water pump pulley hole, don't some 94's still have the 16mm center?

It could also be that replacement disty's had the better ignitor. The water pumps were something that they figured out the problem and replaced...don't know when the actual new pumps started being used.

The lack of the NE1 crankshaft sensor in the 95+.

Another one of those they discovered it wasn't needed so they dropped it.

The 95+ have a "low washer fluid" sensor and light

I'm pretty sure my 94 has this feature and so did my 93. Also, my 90 has it and it's stuck ON.


The 96 and 97 GT's have a schrader valve on the fuel rail.

Fuel pressure testing...probably added because of OBDII and most other cars were starting to be equipped with them.

The different intake manifolds, some having the raised V6 emblem area, some being depressed into the manifold. The raised emblem area being more rare.... I've never been able to figure out the pattern or reason for this, so if anyone can shed some light on that.

I'm pretty sure the answer above is correct on this one.


Then there's the "updated" rear brake calipers from 95+, but they are all still prone to having the E-brake lever seize up.

I'm still rocking whatever calipers were on my car when I got it....and they've never seized. I think it's more a lack of use coupled with rust build up in some climates that cause it the most....spraying PB blaster on them helps free them and moving them back and forth to clean the rust with a screw driver has kept us from getting new ones a few times.


side door molding lengths.....the 96 and 97 molding doesn't cover the fender, and don't some 97's not even have any door moldings at all?

I haven't paid attention to this. Some of them could be missing due to repaints and others are missing because the owners didn't like them and removed them.


When did they get rid of the second coolant temp sensor? Wasn't one only used for the dash, and the other one for the ECU? Or was it one was used for the cooling fan operation only????

93 model year had THREE temp sensors. All other years have two. One gives the temp for the dash, one gives temp to the ECU. The ECU controls the fans. The 93 second ECU one also worked the fans...and if the ECU didn't see both (mainly the second one) it would run the fans as a fail safe.

Can someone please answer my questions. ONLY if you for sure know the answer. Like I said I've been away from the engine for a couple years, BUT, I now have an mx-3 that I just megasquirted so of course I'll be swapping in a KL sooner or later.

PGT's shouldn't be separated in 93-95 and 96-97 groups. More accurate would be 93-94, 95, 96-97. The 95 was quite different, and then the 96 was different again.[/QUOTE]

[shaun708]

I don't know about the other questions but the door moldings are indeed different between years. My dates are off I'm sure but I want to say 95-97 had the shorter moldings that do not go onto the fender. When we repainted my 93 I sources moldings from a 97 in the yard for this very reason.

[SuperSquid]

about your list....

the Graphic Equalizer was pretty much standard equipment on the 93 model year....not sure if it wasn't included on radios without cassette. In 94, it was optional and not installed very often.


In 94 they added an optional spoiler. If my information is correct, the 93's had no spoiler option from the factory. The dealers added a 3 piece spoiler as an option. These 3 piece spoilers were removed from dealer options in 94...as I've never heard of anyone with a 94 up coming from the dealer with the 3 piece.

Ford in 93 wired just about every car with a harness that had the place for every option. The keyless remote control was wired into the cars even and sold as a dealer upgrade. Basically, you paid to get the remotes. If the car was coming with the rear defroster, it came with heated mirrors. As the model years went on, Ford decided to cut costs and not wire the cars for everything. They also removed the theater lighting when you shut the doors. (theater lighting was the lights would slowly dim instead of just going off) I think theater lighting was dropped with the 95 model year...someone with a 95 can confirm.

[MIHELA]

My 97 has theater lighting. It doesn't work because I have LEDs, but it is there.

[SuperSquid]

hmmm....I know of a 97 GTS that came ATX w/ABS that doesn't have theater lighting....maybe it was an option after a certain year?

[FPGT24]

I don't know about the other questions but the door moldings are indeed different between years. My dates are off I'm sure but I want to say 95-97 had the shorter moldings that do not go onto the fender. When we repainted my 93 I sources moldings from a 97 in the yard for this very reason.

the 95 definitely does have the longer ding guards. every single one of the 95's i have had have it. my teal mist 95 gt has it. most 95 gt's have door ding guards. just passed a vibrant white 95 gt earlier that had them too.

---------- Post added at 08:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:16 PM ----------

about your list....

the Graphic Equalizer was pretty much standard equipment on the 93 model year....not sure if it wasn't included on radios without cassette. In 94, it was optional and not installed very often.


In 94 they added an optional spoiler. If my information is correct, the 93's had no spoiler option from the factory. The dealers added a 3 piece spoiler as an option. These 3 piece spoilers were removed from dealer options in 94...as I've never heard of anyone with a 94 up coming from the dealer with the 3 piece.

They also removed the theater lighting when you shut the doors. (theater lighting was the lights would slowly dim instead of just going off) I think theater lighting was dropped with the 95 model year...someone with a 95 can confirm.

1. No....many of my fellow Probe friends have had alot of 93's and none of them had the graphic equalizer. ive had a few 93's too, none of them had it. the one 94 that i had did, and i tore it out its in my 95 gt for looks.

2. No again. there were many different styled spoilers optional for the 93's. there was a 3 piece wing, and 2 diff style one piece. You are right the 94's did not have the 3 piece.

3. No once again. I dont think they ever dropped that because my 95 and 97 both have the theater lighting.

[SuperSquid]

maybe it's just the ones in Florida....the 93's I've seen had them. I haven't seen the 2 different style one piece on a 93. As I said above...the 97 GTS didn't have it and I know a 96 didn't have it. Also, the 96 base I had didn't have it.

[spada]

Mu 94 had a block heater....maybe the rarest option of them all here in the united states. I know Canadian probes had them. I kept it off my motor.

[MonoxideChild]

Block heaters are typically a dealer installed option.

[Mr Man]

they should have made a sporty version of the probe GT

[spada]

they should have made a sporty version of the probe GT

lolwut?

[SuperSquid]

something they did add...single side unlock to the key fob. 93/94 didn't have it, I know 96 base had it....this is when you press the key fob it only unlocks driver side unless you press twice.

[MIHELA]

My GTS has single side unlock and a block heater.