Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

marsha7

I made a large geographical error, forgetting that Canada has different rules...my statement applies to US cars only, and Ford is one of the many without DRLs...only GM and Toyota have them...sorry about not thinking of Canada

cnelson8611

I have had my '86 for about 4 years now. I bought it from a second owner who kept it in good condition. Lately I have been having problems on and off with it starting up.
It cranks but no go. I have a funny feeling it is the fuel pump but I don't know what to listen to when I am trying to start it.
4 months ago it did this to me. I wasn't able to get it to start for a day. So I call the tow truck the next day and when he arrived, it started! Then it did it again about 2 weeks later however I was able to get it to start after a while of sitting.
Today, I tryed to start it... no go. So I put it in neutral and it turned over but I got about a block away and it died and wouldn't start again. I will probably call the tow truck tomorrow to have them pick it up but I just would like to know what it could be!

johnclineii

A fuel system problem IS likely. If you are very lucky, it is just the fuel filter(s), and not the fuel pump. Unlikely, though...

turbo301

My '85 eats distributor caps/rotors like crazy. Especially if you live in a really humid climate, you might want to look into this, too.

evolk1

Over the last couple of years, the climate control fan on my "97 CV (169,000 miles) has lost first the low, then the second to lowest and now the third speed. It will only run on high.

Questions:

-How to fix (I've done some light repair work....brakes, batteries, alternators, belt, tail lamp, etc.,...).
-Is it something I can take care of by replacing fuses?
-Or is it the actual fan motor or something else?
-If I need to replace the fan motor, about how much are they new, rebuilt or used from a junk yard?
-Finally, I had a "93 Caprice that I ran to 193,000 miles, replacing the transmission at about 130,000. What's the general word on how long the '97 CVs' transmissions last?

Thanks!

frasierdog

Test and if necessary replace the fan speed switch.

Get a Ford service manual. It will show you how to test the switch.

ron35

The problem you have is with the variable resistor. I have seen this on many vehicles they are usually located behind or beside the glove box although they sometimes are located on the firewall. I am not sure of the location for your particular vehicle but that definitely is the problem.

Ron35

oldcoot29

All four window regulators have failed on my 1997 GM. Has Merc corrected this problem on the later model cars? Does anyone know? Thanks in advance.
oldcoot29

crankshaft

My 97 Grand Marquis (4.6L)has begun to detonate during acceleration.No codes present.I serviced the EGR valve and passages.I checked EGR operation and seems to be working OK.Any ideas?

bruneau1

Has anyone had problems with a cracking plastic intake manifold? There is an extended warranty on CV and GM. I guess the police interceptor has had the major problems, probably due to aggressive use, but there have been cases among the ordinary CV and GM models.

jsylvester

Sounds like carbon buildup, possibly from the EGR valve issue. You could try using Seafoam Motor treatment. Follow the directions on the bottle - I used the PCV valve method to get it into the intake system. I bought mine at Autoworks, I think.

http://www.seafoamsales.com/

wnichols

We liked our '99 GM GS w/HPP alot, so we took advantage of the family plan pricing and $4000 rebate to purchase a GM LS Ultimate off the lot in Light Tundra w/ medium parchment interior.

93crownvicpi

I had a similar problem with my crown vic last week. Same issue with the tow truck also. Unfortunately AAA towed me to a guy who has had my car for over a week. Apparently the problem was the idle air control valve. According to other websites, it happens when your car idles too long (police), use of a remote starter, and several other reasons.

ragdollgirl

Hope they didn't all fail at the same time!! Seriously, it's frustrating. My '94 GM (with 201K miles) just had another window break down yesterday. This is the third one (all different windows). The last was just about a year ago. I would love to be able to fix it myself but I don't have a clue how to go about it. We had an '88 T-bird that my daughter now has that used to have problems with the driver's window. Can't be just a Ford thing, is it? Can you (or anybody else out there) tell me how to fix this problem myself? If not, it's off to the mechanic next week. Hope we don't get a pouring rain in the meantime.

frasierdog

The window regulator fails due to the design. It has a motor attached to a cable pulley system. One cable pulls the window up and one cable pulls the windows down. The part that typically breaks is the winding mechanism.

Regulators are about $90. It would take you about 2 hours to replace one.

vinnie1

2002 Mercury Gr Marguis blower motor stopped and then restarted going in for service. Now it has stopped again. No fan but can feel the cool air. Suggestions?

joe3716

my 99 Marquis LS also have crank but do not start problem. a year ago i had the car towed to a dealer and had a fuel pump replaced injectors cleaned. the problem is now back. after sitting the car in the garage for 3 or 4 days, it cranks but won't start. after cranking 4 or 5 times, it started and got a rough idle. need to rev up the engine till it warms up and idle smooth out. no problem if i start and use the car everyday. car in dealer's trying locate the problem.
anyone have a hesitation problem in the automatic transmission noticeable only at around 26mph? Notice that slight jerk at around 26 mph?
on rounding an uneven surface in a curve, anyone feel that the tail, rear end of the car bounces from side to side at freeway speeds? Great on smooth road surfaces.

joe3716

my 99 GM/ LS with 64K miles have squeaks coming from the dash. it's annoying but afraid tearing out the dash may cause more strange noises. decided to put up with it for now. joe3716

oldcoot29

Yep, my intake manifold cracked. However, it has to crack at a specific place to be covered under warranty. Totally stupid, a crack is a crack. Fortunately, I had kept extending my warranty. And I have got every dime back and more. A GM or CV can be bought cheap used, (they depreciate like a bomb), and it all works out, allowing you to save enough dough to do all the repairs you will need. I will buy another as long as they are cheap, nothing else is quality at that money either.

oldcoot29

Been there, done that. Dealer charges 300 bucks to replace a regulator. Those things have failed by the thousands over many years but Ford seems oblivious to it.
I speculate that regulators are a sop to the Ford dealers, they have a sure winner there.
If Ford fixed all their problems, it would be a quality car. Then the price would go up and I couldn't afford one. So shut my mouth.

crankshaft

my intake cracked at the usual place but i was told by the dealer that police and fleet vehicles were covered.not the ones owned by average joe.so i had to pay for a design problem.ford wonders why their sales are so weak.

jsylvester

They used the intake from about 97-00 model years. They have changed the design.

The intake on my 94 is all metal, and it has never had a problem.

On the regulators, they are ready available from aftermarket suppliers.

turbo301

Some of you may recall a discussion earlier about my seeing a 2006 Grand Marquis on the road. At the time, there was some debate about whether I was on crack or not . However, I saw another one today, medium grey in colour, and I saw enough of it to describe the changes to at least some degree. Here's what I saw:

front: big, toothy grille that reminded me of last year's Hyundai Sonata or Kia Magentis: a series of thick vertical bars with with a heavy chrome frame that did not appear to extend right to the headlights: it was more like a CV in that regard. The grille was very squared at the corners, which doesn't seem to fit with the rounded contours of the rest of the car. Not very flattering.

back: the trunklid reflective plastic has been replaced by some sort of corrugated or otherwise textured body-coloured plastic. It still has a chrome spear along the top, but otherwise reminds me more of a CV. This change actually looks pretty good, at least at a passing glance; the red reflective plastic was starting to look dated, IMO.

So there you go. If anyone has any other details, please spill 'em!

sergeis

I know there have been posts on that - but just to add to the statistics...

My Grand Marquis 1995 developed extremely bad shudder when switching gears from 3 to 4 (and sometimes 2-3) after transmission fluid change at Jiffy Lube some 5 years ago (never go to Jiffy Lube anymore - they refused to fix it). I went to Ford dealer right after Jiffy screwed up and got transmission fluid changed again to Mercon (as required, not the unknown stuff Jiffy Lube puts in). That made shudder weaker, but still rarther annoyng. I decided that paying twice for transmission fluid change was enough and I learned to live with the shudder - just press or depress accelerator when shudder occurs. The reason of that shudder as many of you know is slipping torque converter in automatic transmission system (more exactly 'catchy' torque converter), Fords are very sensitive to the transmission fluid type.

Anyway, now 5 years and 50,000 miles later I finally decided to visit local transmission shop (Guaranteed transmissions, Lafayette, IN). After loking into the problem they simply changed transmission fluid (it was time anyway) and put in dexron with some "LubeGuard Black" friction modifier supplement. They claimed that they did about 50 police CV's before and it worked 100%. As they predicted the shudder disappeared completely and I only paid $70 for the whole thing! Amazingly that shudder did not damage transmission - the guys said the transmission fluid looked nice and clean with just right amount of junk caught by the filters. As I understand this supplement makes TC more slippery and as the result it catches smoothly at a later time as it is supposed to.

The car still looks like almost new (no rust) and was rather cheap to maintain - for the last 10 years, except for fluids and tires, I only had to get:
* new break pads (~$xxx, don't remember)
* change one power window regulator (~$150)
* replace the multitask signal/light/wiper stick-switch (~$100)
* replace oxygen sensor (~$100)
* replace one front wheel ball joint (~$700?, that was my own fault - my wife was driving with enormously unbalanced Good Year tire and I did not check, the tire was almost triangular in shape and shaking car badly at highway speeds).
* Body shop ($600 - had a big full-size unfolded truck tire fly into the side of the car at 80 mph, cosmetic damage, fixed in bodyshop for $600 (somewhat smaller similar damage to my Toyota was $2400 to fix, just for comparison)).
I think for 10 years of service it is pretty good...

joe3716

got my 99 GM back from dealer after sitting for 4 days. Dealer says it started every time. they had a similar GM towed in and traced the problem to the cranking sensor converter. dealer did the same with my GM and believes they have fixed the problem. Filters, fuel pump, injectors all checked out ok. we shall see. I'd probably let the car sit in my garage for another 3 or 4 days to see if it starts. If it doesn't will have the car towed to dealer so they can track down the problem.

wvaughn

I am having the same problem (can't get out of park, but using the work around). Did you every find out what the problem was? Do your remember what fuse number was blown?
Wayne

olakytrion

i have a 92 merc GM and have been looking for a replacement insturment panel with a speedometer which will show above 85 MPH, and possibly a tachometer. does anyone know if this part exists, third-party or not, and if so, where can i get it?

ghindy

While driving, my A/C just stopped. The heater doesn't work or the A/C. Not even the little panal that displays the outside temp or in side temp. I checked the fuse and they are ok. I thought I saw smoke come from under the hood but it was so minimal I couldn't swear I saw it. I checked under the hood and could not see anything wrong. Any one have any ideas?

pat

You might also want to check out our Climate Control Problems discussion. Hope we can help.

joe3716

sounds like the problem i had when my GM - LS was about 2 years old when the car was under warranty. the AC just quit. no cooling, no fan and no heat - dead. nothing. i took it back to the dealership and they replaced the motor. has been good as new since. good luck to you.

atarms

Is it possible to convert my single exhaust system into a dual. For performance and sound. What company should I look to :confuse: ">

homerkc

What real world fuel mileage are newer GMs getting? I drive mostly highway miles and figure a used GM may not be that much harder on gas than a mid-size sedan.

ehaase

I get 26 mpg on the highway in my 2004 Crown Victoria.

euphonium

YES! Flowmaster sounds great.

euphonium

70 = 24 mpg, 94 Town Car

60 & under = 26.8, Town Car

60 & towing 3k lb boat/trailer = 15 mpg

atarms

So you are saying the conversion is fairly common. So if I have Midas Muffler do it there should not be a problem? What is the part number for flowmaster? : :surprise:

turbo301

I'm getting 26 mpg highway in my 2004 CV, or about 24 mpg with an 85% highway/15% city cycle.

crankshaft

my folks 2003 grand marquis was getting 22 mpg highway and 20 mpg in the city.they are a little disapointed.it only has 3800 miles on it,maybe it's not fully broken in yet.

ghindy

Well, they said compressor.. 700.00 Just seemed so stange that everything having to do with a/c or heat quit working. Works now. Thanks to everyone.

lilweezy

I have a 98 Grand Marquis and the fuse that controls my backup lights, turning signals, VAPS, and air suspencion system keeps blowing. I'm almost sure that the problem lies in the ceiling of my car where I suspect that a wire has been rubbed through and is now hitting the ceiling, grounding the wire. I turned my car on once and saw smoke coming from what would seem like my electronic mirror. I've bought a Hayne Repair Manual but it doesn't say anything about doing something of this magnitude. Could someone help me find out how to take down my ceiling so that I may trace all wires and find the problem? Thank you.

penguins66

I have a 96 crown vic and have had to replace the heater core 3 times and the thermostat twice in 3 years. Have had this work done in several Ford dealerships but they can't seem to tell me why these problems are happening. Can anyone tell me what might be the cause of these problems

euphonium

Are you aware of others in your community having the same experience?

Try mixing 50% anti freeze and 50% disstilled water. Perhaps include a water pump lubricant as well.

Where are you located that might pick up a lot of sulphur in their water?

Is there a very high Iron content in your water?

penguins66

thanks for replying. We did use the 50/50 mix but not with distilled water. Used tap water. Not sure about the iron or sulphur content-located in Alabama. I've heard that there would be high electrolytes in the cooling system if not properly grounded. What's your thoughts on this

euphonium

Electrolytes? Makes me wonder if you shouldn't visit a marina and ask where they would install a Zinc anode in your cooling system.

Perhaps the addition of another ground attached to the - terminal of the battery would help. Keeping your terminals clean from corrosion may help negate the electrolisis, if that's what's causing the problem.

marsha7

2004 Crown Vic, LX Sport, 20-22 mostly highway, quite disappointing...23,000 miles since 8-1-04, engine well broken in...

dmers

Our 2000 Mercury GM just had a tune-up @ 98,600 miles: New plugs, coils and plug wires checked OK, coolant-belts and hoses, thermostat and cap, etc., transmission oil change #3, battery and computer test run on the road. We went down to 15 mpg for the first 1000 miles or so before everything got recalibrated with the onboard computer, .....I guess. Now we are back to 24.6 mpg on the highway at 70-75 mph and 17-19 around town and to work. We want another 80K from this car.

The AC/Heater, dash lights and locks went out twice. ..due to the electronic garage door opener shorting out in the left visor and again with the light in mirror on the right visor. The mechanics just disconnected the visor's electrical wires to the visors for $75.00 on each occurence. On another occassion, we also, replaced the fan switch for the auto sensing AC/heater which totally died for just under $250.

Now, the one problem that really ticks me off with Mercury is the $600+ repair for my son's leaky intake manifold gaskets for his '99 V-6 Cougar @ 60K miles..... I hope this is not the same engine in the Montego.

Total cost of ownership is going up.

euphonium

In over 50 years, I've found maintenance and repair is a lot more economical than monthly payments.

ragdollgirl

I've still got my 94 GM with almost 202K miles. But it's had its share of problems. Within the 3 year warranty period, I had the driver's seat track replaced 3 times for bumping back and forth, a broken sun visor, torque converter replaced, windshield wiper motor replaced (and replaced two more times after that) and a few other things I can't remember. In the next several years, the headlight auto on/off sensor broke (never fixed it), EGR valve and sensor have been replaced 4 times (and Check Engine light is again coming on intermittently, but I haven't gotten it looked at yet), A/C developed a leak they can't find without ripping off the dashboard (so I just get the thing recharged every spring), 3 different window regulators have broken (one is broken right now), gas tank sensor hasn't worked right for years (never have fixed it), air bags don't work because there's a short in the wires somewhere (haven't fixed it), etc., etc. However, having said all that, the car runs great and still rides smoothly on the original suspension parts. None of these problems affect the performance and most of them are quite expensive to fix, so I haven't bothered. I can't rightly say that repairs on this baby would be better than a monthly car payment, as I haven't wanted to fork over the cash to fix all this stuff. I might just faint if I saw the estimated grand total from my mechanic! I just bought a 2005 Toyota Camry because, much as I have loved the GM, I decided to try for better reliability. But the dealer would only give me $700 for the GM, so I kept it for a spare car. Still love it, warts and all. I drive it to work (4 miles each way) every day and keep the Camry in the garage for "special". I will hate to part with my GM, though, whenever I get rid of it. I call it "Old Smoky", because so much smoke comes out the exhaust, mostly when starting up, or after idling at a stop light or something. It's been a good friend, though. I think the driver's seat is actually molded in the shape of my behind!

jsylvester

I can admit the problems are a hassle. That being said, the EGR issues are probably related to your oil burning from the valve stem seals shrinking over time. Most dealers just want to replace parts, but therie is a way to clean the passages and sensor - I have not yet had the pleasure of trying that myself.

Been thinking of trading the 94 Mercury myself, but I still am holding it.

mr5x5

IMHO our '99 GM provides fabulous milage: 23-26 in mixed city/highway driving year 'round!

Very minor problems with this car puchased used with 35k in 2002:
-driver's floor mat hold-down broken when we got it, short wife pushed mat up under dash getting in and out and it jammed neutral-safety switch intermittently preventing starting. Fix: removed floor mat!
-rear brakes shot at 60k, sticking and causing pulsation due to warped rotors. Fix: loosen-up/back-off calipers - still awaiting complete caliper/rotor/pad replacement before winter
-wife did not screw-down gas cap after fill-up, got check engine light. Fix: tighten gas cap and drive ir for a week before the computer re-set itself!
-terrible winter traction in snow and ice. Fix: could buy snow tires but it is just an annoyance

I'll be looking for a good low milage used 2003/2004 GM again in mid-winter so I can make the '99 my "daily driver". Will hope the next one has Traction Control!