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Never had anything simlar, my '95 Impala had some wining noise when steering but that went away with oil change.
On Mercury all tyres are less than 12 months old and the wheels have been balanced and aligned. Very annoying feeling but main concern is safety when driving at speed. Any suggestions please? :confuse:
Due to marketing, they want non-fleet customers to buy a Grand Marquis.
Who knows why.
1.) Grand Marquis are higher profit margin vehicles: it's the same basic car as a Crown Vic, but goes for many thousands more.
2.) Police departments have probably put pressure on Ford to keep the Crown Vic for fleet use only. Too many wannabes out there (me included LOL)!
3.) Keeping Crown Vics for police/fleet simplifies assembly: if every CV can get the fire suppression system, for example, it would make life easy (easier, rather) for the overpaid, underworked assembly staff.
4.) The Five Hundred is one of Ford's "new wave" vehicles that seeks to define the company's latest image. The more of those Ford can put on the street, the better off the company looks. Crown Vics (and Grand Marquis) are a symbol of the "old ways", which makes the company look stagnant. Corporate has probably told dealers to not bother pushing Panthers in an effort to kill off what they see as an outdated product. See General Motors and the F-body or B-body for details of this rediculous practice.
In Canada, any Panther except the Town Car is now fleet-only. Yes, I live 30 minutes from the plant, but I can't buy one new LOL! Buying them used is a much better deal anyway, and it gets the early bugs worked out. Have your dealer search the auctions, and you'd be amazed at what kind of stuff turns up! Try a small-town dealer, if you haven't already: they're far more willing to help with what YOU want, in my experience.
I'm hoping to get 200,000 out of my current Grand Marquis.
The only thing that may change my mind is if/when they announce they are ceasing production - I plan on ordering one exactly the way I want from the factory, and will probably be my final Ford product.
On the list price, there has been $4,000 or more in rebates on the Grand Marquis for about the last 4 model years. Most dealers will sell at close to invoice less rebates.
As for what will really happen, I agree that a concept similar to the Interceptor will be made (although hopefully with a much better front that doesn't look like a loaf of bread!). It's a clear 300 rip-off, but the Five Hundred shows just how out of touch Ford has been lately, so even playing catch-up is appropriate at this time. The MKR is too wild for a Town Car replacement; I'm not sure what will replace it, but perhaps the TC will become a modern-day Checker and never change
Ford doesn't have the talent in North Amercia to design automobiles domestically anymore, and there is nothing overseas they can "borrow" of the same caliber.
This is just my humble opinion, but once they kill this car, there is really no reason to buy another Ford if you are looking for a large sedan.
Invest in an engine block heater and plug it in overnight.
The wood on the 2006+ GMs is awful, you're right! The lack of a voltmeter is also gross, especially if you live with harsh Canadian winters that really tax your electrical system. I've relied on that gauge to adjust my load a number of times! And for those of us who still have tapes (laugh if you will), the replacement of the tape deck with a useless trip computer is hardly welcome.
As for needing things like heated seats, leather and woodgrain, well, you can keep those features. Guess what, without leather you don't NEED heated seats ! I actually thought you were being sarcastic when you listed the numerous features that one can easily live without LOL!
The thing that really kills me is the fact that a new GM costs almost $46k Canadian! You can get top-notch, hi-powered iron for that kind of money. I love Panthers, but at that price there is simply no market for them.
The predecessor to this vehicle was a 2001 Hyundai Elantra that I bought new and drove for the last 6 years. (the whole time longing for the 63 Impala or 60 Belvadere of my youth.)
So after being enticed by the $7k rebate, I took the plunge and bought what my co-workers are calling a boat.
I've only had it for a week and so far I am glad I bought it.
I considered buying a Chrysler 300 or an Impala but both were more expensive and the seats weren't as comfortable to me.
Trust me, after 10 years the Five Hundred will be recycled into soup cans, while the Grand Marquis will still be chugging along.
A Grand Marquis is the perfect car to buy and keep as a backup car once it hits 8-10 years old.
I drove it off the lot for $19,780 and I figure that I still paid $500 more than I could have haggled down to.
My best friend said that only people with gray hair drive these cars. Luckily I have some gray in my sideburns so I can qualify. :P
(I have have to cut him some slack since he hasn't even reached the big 50 yet. Kids these days!)
Do any of them cost less than $20k? :confuse:
I bought the GM because it was the most comfortable of those I looked at.
I've had a couple of spine surgeries and now I can't tolerate stiff cushioned seats. I need something like my Lazy-boy recliner in my living room.
When I was car shopping, I drove two Five Hundreds, a FWD and a 4WD model, and I was not impressed: the trunk is big and the rear seat room is huge, but a.) it feels like a truck, b.) it had no power, and c.) the pedals gave my foot cramps within 5 minutes of driving. There's just no room up front with that monster console, and the non-adjustable pedals were too close to the driver.
I came out of my office for lunch the other day to find my battery completely dead. I got a bit of clicking from the starter and that's all. After a jumpstart the car started and ran just fine. At the end of the day, 4-5 hours later, the battery is dead again. A boost was all that was required to get it going. I figured the 45 minute drive home should resolve my issues but I stopped in at the parts store to have a look at replacing my battery. The guy in the store didn't seem too knowledgeable but he wheeled out a Bear electrical tester and told me that my battery and alternator were both fine and printed out a report of his findings for me. The next morning the battery was dead again.
I dismissed his findings and bought a new battery that day on my lunch break. The guy at the place I bought the battery from used a different tester and told me that I was only getting 500 Cold Cranking Amps from my 750CCA battery so I figured I had resolved it and when I left the office I had no problems at all. This morning my battery was dead again. When I got to work, I lifted off the battery and measured the current draw on the battery at around 8 Amps with the car shut off. I left the battery disconnected until I could take a look at it on my lunch break but when I came back and reconnected the battery the 8A draw was no longer present. I ran the car with A/C for about 20 minutes and when I shut off the car and disconnected the battery again, the 8A draw was back.
With the 8A draw back, I proceeded to remove each fuse on the car one at a time to see if I could diagnose where the problem was. The 8A draw stayed in place throughout the whole process.
My presumption now is that I'm facing a problem with either an alternator or a starter. I thought it would make sense to pose the question here and see if anyone else has any ideas. I'd appreciate any advice that anyone might be able to offer.
I broke down and took it into the garage this morning and they just called claiming that the keyless entry doorpad is what was causing the problem. They said that when they pulled that fuse the problem cleared. Either they're lying or I missed a fuse somehow. They're also telling me that the keyless entry shares a circuit with the fuel pump and I should allow them to apply a TSB that calls for installing an RFI filter on the fuel pump to address whining in the AM radio. The tech is thinking that RFI filter might help. Having spent years installing electronic systems at radio stations I've seen few current draw problems that were resolved by RFI filters, especially at 12VDC. I've asked them to disable the doorpad if possible and leave it alone. I'm not aware of the keyless system sharing circuitry with the fuel pump. While $280 they quoted to replace the doorpad isn't terrible, I can buy a doorpad pretty cheaply and do it myself if that's what it needs. I'm still not certain that they've found the problem.
If he's driving at regular highway speeds, you get a good cooling effect. Still not great, but good. The dealership claims everything is within specs, which sounds like double-talk for "it ain't right but it's gonna work just like it is right now so get used to it".
Is the A/C on that car known for running below par? He moved into a CV from a Buick Rendezvous that, if nothing else, had A/C that reminded you of the North Pole when he turned it on.
Any ideas how to fix it?
You may want to press something that will convert your thermometer back to Farenheit.
I removed all of the police lights and filled the holes and extended the rub strip trim to be more like the civilian model. I then painted it in Light Ice Blue (with dark charcoal interior, complete with woodgrain dash trim!), and chromed all of the black trim with bare metal foil. I also cut out all of the police equipment from the trunk and made a new floor for it with a more realistic "deep pit". I couldn't do anything with the earlier-model wheelcovers, unfortunately!
I hope you all like it!
I have a 96 Marquis here in Germany wich I bought in south Florida 2 years ago wich I love, by the way! I experienced a lot of engine knocking a couple month ago and tried several things wich I read on the internet! At first, i used super instead of unleaded, but it cured it only partly!
Then I checked the egr hose and the egr cause so many supposed that would be it! But nothing ever changed, instead, it really lost performance over the time! Then, one day, I found one information about rotten MassAirflow Sensors! I bought a new one and suprise suprise, power again, better mpg and no knocking anymore!! Check the MAF!
Good Luck
Ron
Frank
It is next to your air filter, between the air filter and the intake manifold. Unless you have a lot of miles on the car, it should be OK.
If you attempt to clean it y our self, be extra careful while doing so. If you plan on keeping your CV for many more miles, get a replacement.
Happy Weekend.
It's between the air filter container (box) and the intake manifold.
Parts and labor = approximately $100.00 depending on the shop.
The "breather element" that was filthy/greasy may be what I call the Air filter and that should be changed every 30,000.
Try a new AF and that may cure your problem. If not, a MAF may be in your future. Good Luck, Euphonium
Ron
You all have a great forum here, people seem to really love their GM's and CV's!
Second, change the transmission fluid, filter, and drain the turbine. Dropping the pan will enable the tech to clean out any filings and clutch residue.
If you intend to drive this unit for many more miles and/or years, refill the tranny with Mercon V. It is a semi synthetic oil, but spendy, however worth it if you are going to retain the car.
At 40,000 check out the fuel and air filters & replace if necessary. Safe Driving to you.
Second, you will be so happy to own a car which comes closet to the Rolls Royce in classic great lines which do not change with each year's passing fashion fads.
Third, you will be extremely comfortable in your MGM.
Fourth, you will not be so conspicuous when pushing the redline to 90 mph.
Fifth, people will show you great respect on the road, because you will look like a Fed or maybe a State representative and you can always park at the airport in the departure lane.
Best of luck with your almost "new" MGM.
Sincerely,
The Legendary Danny O'Doul*
*The leading authority on the MGM Ultra-rare Park Lane edition.