Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

syjet

I have a 97 GM GS with 26K miles. I have performed all of the routine maintenance for the car up to date. My manual states the car only requires 87 octane, which I use. The problem is the car will ping pretty bad under moderate acceleration. I have tried the 89 octane with no decrease in pinging. Why should I have to pay for 93 octane if the manual says use 87. I heard I can actually cause more problems by using a higher octane than 87. Should I try one of those carbon deposit cleaners or is it something more serious? Besides for the pinging the car goes like a bat out of hell and drives like dream.

Thanks
Jim

mhlii

My Father has a 96 Lincoln Town Car, (really the same car as GM) and he complaned of the same thing. He put in 93 and it stopped! 93 will never hurt your car, you will actually get better gas milage out of it, as higher octane gas burns slower. If you do not feel that you want to use 93 octane, ask your dealer to check the Mass Air Flow Sensor. We have had several Fords come into our shop with pinging prob. and found that a defective Mass Air Flow Sensor was the prob. May not be in your case, but if the car is still under warranty, it could never hurt to ask the dealer as this has been a prob. in the past!
Mike

gmarquis

I too had the rumble from the dash area on my 2000 GM. And as stated, it was the plastic piece below the windshield wipers. Another "fix", since the piece tends to work it's way loose, is to put a couple of spots of hot glue on the piece to fix it to the windshield. Since hot glue it pretty easy to get off, it doesn't hurt anything if you need to remove the piece later for windshield replacement, etc. All you need is a little something to help stabilize the piece so it doesn't vibrate from the wind.

blackbird5

This is in response to #357 frdfan. I own a 2000 CV (3800 miles) and just today experienced a vibration/wind noise on the drivers side of my car only. It happens about 58 MPH and is somewhat annoying. I looked at the plastic cowl- cover that the wipers sit on and it seemed to be fastened securely. Have not tried the hot glue yet. Anyone else have any suggestions?

chrisp4

i had rumble in dash of my 2000 gm gs which i took delivery of 6/29 @100miles. returned to the dealer who resealed the windshield crowl. no problem now.--have 2800 miles just returned from a 2500 mile trip to maine and NB canada. the HP really help on the winding roads. got 21mpg.and am getting 17 mpg on mixed driving.

sales1

I drove a 1999 CV today & noticed that it does not have traction control. It did have ABS. On my 1998 CV I thought that they came as a package.Did they chance this after 98?

bdavis8

I have a 99 CVLX loaded, Handling Pkg and all and Traction Control was an option. I am glad that I have it. My wife drives this car and gets around very well in the winter snow. You must shut the Traction Control off to have any fun in the snow.

nterceptor

I have a 96 CV with high mileage and I have noticed a pinging noise under light acceleration also. I had the dealership do a compression test and run it on the diagnostic computer with no problem found. I tried the carbon cleaners that you add to the gas tank with no improvement. I've experimented with different octane gas and found that mid-grade gas (89 octane) solves the problem. Premium works also, maybe even a little better, but 89 provides just enough improvement that I never notice the problem any more. And of course, it's less expensive. Try burning several tankfuls and see what you think.

I had my airflow sensor changed with no difference noticed. I haven't changed out my oxygen sensor yet, but it's probably due. I don't know if that would help the problem or not.

I figure a little extra money for higher-octane gas is probably cheaper than continuing to pay the mechanics to not find a solution.

nterceptor

Hi Stevem,
A while back you were looking for advice on testing out a rental CV. This may be a little late, but I would just add that your rental CV is going to seem really wide to you and hard to keep inside the lanes at first compared to your Pretege. At least that's how I felt moving into one from a smaller car. It can be a little unnerving at first, but once you learn where the perimeter is, it's really no problem. It just takes a little getting used to. Probably longer than the 2 days you will have the car as a rental. The only time it feels wide to me now is when I'm hunting for that last parking space at the mall. 99% of the time I'm not even aware of it any more.

I just didn't want you to get turned off by a feeling that goes away pretty quickly. Remember, if there's room for all the F-150's and Tahoes, there's plenty of room for us!

I hope your test drive went well.

shawwp

I've narrowed my search for a large, safe sedan down to the CV and Impala LS. I've got a couple of concerns, though; any thoughts would be appreciated.

Weather -- I'm in Pittsburgh, and we can get some snow here. Should I worry that the CV is RWD? Will the FWD Impala be a lot better in this case?

Reliability -- I know Impala is a new model, but any thoughts on the relative reliability of these models?

Also, should I wait for the 2001 models? The CV has a rebate; the Impala doesn't.

Thanks -- Bill.

neilm2

Maybe I can be of help.

First off, I come from a family of owning all large GM and Ford cars. The RWD CV's and GM's are vastly different from feel and size (even if they supposedly have the same size inside)than the FWD large cars from Buick, Pontiac, etc.

I have 3 95-96 Chevy Impala SS's (RWD) and Caprices. Although I love the cars, they are the worst I have ever driven in bad weather, especially having RWD, no traction control, and an LT-1 Vette engine. My family's FWD Buick LeSabre and Pontiac Bonniville are SOOO much more stable, especially with the inexpenise traction control than any large RWD car I have ever driven, especially in the rain and snow. They do, however, feel smaller.

I do not have a newer version CR or GM, and they should be much better in bad weather as they do have traction ctl, a much less powerful engine, and a more sophisticated rear suspension.

Other considerations, though. The FWD Gen Motor's cars are very cheap to upkeep. They need much less maintanance than any of the RWD fords, such as no front bearings to repack, no rear end fluid to flush, long life coolant, plus the tires and brakes will last twice as long, if not more.

Also, 2001 is the last year before the CV and GM are redesigned. I myself have the same delema -- I need to purchase a new large car in 2001, and don't want to chose an outdated Ford, but not quite sure I can live with the image or size of the FWD cars.

However, I would strongly recommend the Buick or Pontiac large cars, which are built on the better Caddy chasis, over the Impala, which is built on the smaller and simpler mid size platform. The prices are the same, and the prestige much higher, along with resale, in the Buick/Pont.

The FRD Buicks Pont, Buicks and Olds also give you much more safety features than the Chevy, and the Fords, includig side bags, reinforced seats, on-star, etc.

There are also large rebates on all the Buicks, Pont, and Olds, (Plus Buick gives an AARP discount.)

stevem326

Actually, you're not too late. I haven't rented a CV yet. But when I do, I'll try to rent it for an entire week, since there's no way I'll be able to get used to a car this size (compared to a Mazda Protege) in just one weekend.

I'm figuring it's going to take me a good few months to get used to the extra size...it'll probably feel like the Titanic for the first couple of weeks. I'm not too worried about parking lots, since I always park far away from other cars to avoid door dings/nicks.

Also, I don't think there's any way I could get turned off by the CV because of its size. This will be a luxury car compared to my Protege. Plus, the CV safety rating is much better.

Anyway, thanks again for everyone who's offered me advice (this wasn't my first question here). I've learned a great deal about the CV from this forum. Thanks.

jerry_mass

I have a 2000 CV with the H&P Package and Traction Control and can't say enough about how great this car is. We needed a large car for vacations, etc. with two kids and I drive 60 highway miles each day. An SUV didn't make sense for 65/70 mph driving (though the highway is filled with them) and I don't like mini-vans. Recently we went on vacation up in the White Mountains in NH and you would not believe how much stuff fit into the trunk. And the air suspension leveled the car out. Riding over the mountain roads was a dream (not off road mind you, but who actually does that?) The ride is firm and REAL quiet and the car is safer than most others in a accident.

Here's the question, at 4k miles I'm noticing oil on the front wheels. The rear wheels are still clean. I've noticed this on other CV/GM with the cast wheels (H&P). What's going on? Certainly I can just clean them more often. Is this a minor 'they all do that' kind of thing? or something fixable?

wm280

Hi people, My name is Bill. Ijust bought my first sedan.I have owned Wagons and vans and sub compacts for about 15 years. I needed a change big time! I found all that and more in the Mercury Grand Marquis LS 2000 that I got two nights ago. It is the MOST WONDERFUL car I have ever had, drove in, or gotten a ride in!!! Yes I LOVE IT!! I got SOOOOOOO much car for my money that I don;t know were to start. I gess this would sum it up. I could have bought a low basic "no frills" Windstar van for what I paid for this TOP OF THE LINE LOADED LS Including FULL ragg ROOF Crome top to bottom. I got all the packages including the handling, & Ultimate package 6 CD changer Garage door opener leather twin confort seats ( both driver & pasenger are FULL electric) Loaded Loaded loaded!! It is all Digital dash and rides like a dream. I can't say enough about the car. I got it from Country linc Merc in Huntington L.I. N.Y. on Jerico TKP. (rt25) I stoped so many owners in the past 6 to 8 months about this car and I could NOT GET A BAD WORD ABOUT IT!! They all love it and only part with it to buy a new one. Many had well over 100Thousand Miles and Still going strong. I allso noticed the New York Taxes useing them big time as well as many police Depts. That told me volums about the reliability of this car Police and Taxie would never use problem cars! I am only 44 yr old, I am told that most oners are older? I think we younger people should rethink what we define as a " old persons car" I think this car is great for all ages!If you car to chat or have questions E mail me at wm2800@optonline.net Ps my spelling is the pits sorry for that

mhlii

I think what you are talking about is brake dust. When you apply the brakes the front brakes do 70% of all breaking, as thats were all the weight is and is less likely to break free. I have a 96 Lincoln Continental and I have the same problem! The front wheels will get almost black and the rear wheels will remain clean. This is common, but Fords seem to do it worse! The only solution is to make sure you keep the wheel clean. One bit of advise though, make sure you clean them atleast once a month!! Because if you don't the heat, then getting wet, then cooling off, then the heat again, and so on, the dust actually bakes onto the surface and is almost inposiable to get off! I have had this happen, and one time I had to buy comercial acid to get then clean! So needless to say I clean them once a week!
Mike

jerry_mass

Mike,
Thanks for the info. It must be brake dust. I got some wheel cleaner and it mentioned brake dust on the package. The cleaner worked well. I'll be sure and keep after it.
Jerry

jerry_mass

I was enjoying that 'new car' smell until last weekend when a 'sippy cup' of milk got lost under one of the front seats. In a couple of days there was a strong smell of sour milk. I found the sippy cup but the smell has remained. There is no obvious sign of any spill other than the smell. I sprayed some carpet cleaner under the seat to no effect. 1) Is there any type of filter on the exterior or interior air intake that could get smells in it and that could be changed? 2) How likely is moisture to collect in the AC air cooler and not drain and which then could grow mildew or other micro organisms. If this does happen on CV's how do you clean it? I've ordered a Chilton's manual for general info but any help is welcome. 3) I got some stronger carpet cleaner which is supposed to remove pet oders. It is not to be mixed with bleach, which I think means it contains ammonia, but haven't tried it yet. Has anyone tried this type of cleaner? Do smells ever get onto all of the upholstery, such that you end up having to clean all of the upholstery?

Thanks
Jerry

dmers

I am looking for some advice on following Ford's recommendation of 5000 mi oil changes with 5W/30 all year round on the 2000 Grand Marquis. Should I use synthetic oil, keep with regualr oil, or change every 2-3K like I use to?
I hope Ford is not creating future engine work for its Service dealers at about 80K.

Thanks,
Don

johnbono

Doing the oil changes more frequently than every 5000 miles won't hurt by any means. The crown vic is supposed to have 3000 mile oil changes for heavy duty use, ie taxis and cop cars) However, 5W-30 oil *is* the oil to use. Heavier grade oils such as 10w-40 won't be able to go into the narrower passages on the engine, and will damage your engine long term.

marsha7

a few questions. I had a GM (new) from 1983-1988; it was a good car, sold it at 60K miles, but at 130 HP it was a "lead sled". I have read that the new CV and GM have 225 HP, and 240 HP with P&H. Any idea how fast the 240 HP will be from 0-60 mph? Also, I have often thought of a "sport version" of both the GM and CV; it should have at least 250 HP (240 is close) and also have bucket seats (8 or 10 way power) and A FLOOR SHIFTER INSTEAD OF THE BENCH SEAT. Why can't Ford make an option for good, quality bucket seats? Who said a luxury sedan must be dull?

Does the Mercury Marauder have buckets? Also, is there a corresponding version of the Marauder in the Crown Vic?

Thanks for any info.

kinley

Dial in www.blueovalnews.com/marauder_a_r and most of your questions will be answered. I have decided to buy one ASAP. Kinley

tjf2000

I have a 98 GM with the H&P package, the car now has 103k miles on it, I use Mobil 1 5w-30 and change my oil every 5k miles. To date it does not burn any oil and the car runs very strong. Only one small issue over all those miles, have had to had brake rotors turned a few times.

fentruk

I recently started driving a 94 Crown Vic with 142k miles. I have noticed that around 45 mph the transmission "thumps". This has just recently started happening and is not he common "shudder". The problem goes away if i accelerate quickly or switch off overdrive. Has anyone else had this problem, should i worry about it? I just turned 16 and this is my first car. It is an excellent vehicle and i would like to keep it running well as long as i can, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

marsha7

Thanks for the link, but when I click on it I don't get much, like the Website is down. What next?

kinley

Try dialing in www.blueovalnews.com and fish from there to Mercury, Concept cars. Good Luck, as I don't know what else to tell you other than the Marauder will have a 300+ supercharged engine, dual exhaust, bucket seats, AT, AC, and all of the usual GM LS amenities. You can have any color you want as long as it's BLACK. And it is a four door sedan. I'd buy it today if possible.

butsnffr

Hey folks been out of the loop for a while but I know you guys would have some good advice for someone who has not done any driving light installation since about 1974. I currently own a 1999 CrownVic and was wondering if any of you had come across a driving light kit/installation that was particularly slick for this car. Also ease of installation is some what important, I was thinking of mounting the lights behind the grill or possible if small enough in the air inlets in the front bumper plastic. I would hate to mount good lights below this since prior experience has shown me that I don't always know where the curb is and my depth perception is getting worse, at this age, rather than improving. Would appreciate any advise. Thanks

marsha7

Thanks for the website. I found the site, but cannot seem to narrow it down to the Marauder. I guess that is no cure for stupidity, except maybe to vote them out

evilmgr

I saw a 1996 Crown Victoria Police with 80,000 miles for $5900. It is pretty far away so I had a few questions before I drive all the way out there to see it. First of all I am 6' 5" and not comforatable in many cars. Is anyone here, driving a CV, that tall and are you comforatable driving it? And second, is buying a police car OK or do they have problems from being driven so hard?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

bdavis8

You might want to test drive a cv before your long drive. I have a 99 cv P.H. and I'm 6'tall. There is not an over abundance of space for my legs, even with the power seat. The leg room is enough for me, but could be close for you. You could always re-position the seat track for more leg room. Hope this helps.

evilmgr

Even if I did like the car do you think it is wise to buy a Police Car? Do you think it was abused too much?

marsha7

They do beat the daylights out of them. 50,000 police miles is like 150,000 of our miles.

johnbono

Depends on the cop car. You can find cop cars that weren't used for patrolling, only for shuttling detectives and captains around. Those cars won't have much more wear and tear than an ordinary car. Also, another thing to take into account is that cop cars have a tranny oil cooler, engine oil cooler, and overall better cooling in general than a civilian car. If the car wasn't used for patrolling, then you might get a good car. I wouldn't buy one sight unseen, though.

bdavis8

You are welcome. Like others have said, I would find out as much about the history of this car as I could. Test drive it. These cars are built for heavy duty service. The price did not sound bad if the car is in good shape. If the car runs good and sounds good (no Rattles Ect) it would probably make you a decent car. Most cop cars are serviced regulary. Good luck!

marsha7

Don't forget to have the vehicle fumigated with acid, or some equivalent, if the car was used to transport those who have been arrested. Many of the "unwashed masses" will permanently contaminate the interior, not counting the drunks who sometimes cannot contain their liquor within the confines of their bodies, or the walking wounded who are taken other places. OK, the acid was just a joke, a little extreme, but do remember, these cars may be the most abused on the planet, except for your local demolition derby.

golfnut5

Fentruk, I used to own a 95 GM that had the same thump at 45 mph that you are experiencing. I think this was common for most 94,95 and 96 model year CV and GM. I don't know if anything can be done to correct this problem. I put 130,000 miles on my 95 GM before trade and just lived with the problem. I currently own a 2000 GM and the thump problem has been corrected on this model year. Other than the thump problem, my 95 GM was a very good automobile.

johnbono

It might not be a bad idea to have the car inspected w/a drug sniffing dog after you buy it. Remember that a lot of the folks who occupy the back seat in those cars might get rid of their crack vial or joint or heroin needle in the back seat of that car, so if you were pulled over and inspected, you might have some explaining to do.

tbear503

I also am interested in a set of driving lights that fit other than below the bumper on a '99 MGM... The standard lights are so dim I drive witrh the highs on the hiway with NEVER anyone blinking me!

Thanks

jwells2

In my 1996 Marquis, there is a loud popping noise that occurs periodically when I apply the brakes or hit a rough place in the road. The noise seems to occur at different locations under the car. I have taken the vehicle to local mechanics and they cannot seem to find the problem. This problem began after I had the torque converter replaced. The "check engine" light also stays on, and I am wondering if that could be related to the problem. Anyone out there with a similiar experience or suggestions?

mangus1

I have a 93CV with 111,000 miles and I was getting a rumble when it shifted gears in ODrive. I thought it was the trans. This went on for a long period of time. I just had my brakes worked on and the back rotors replaced and the rumble has disappeared. Don't know if this will help you.

bthomp

Well I'm back. I was the envy of the campground. Try this with another car...NOT. A 2000lb enclosed bear proof (yes, tested this trip)cargo trailer containing 3 ice chests, four large tents, a kayak, all cooking equipment needed for two weeks, fishing tackle, five sleeping bags, four camp mats, a pack-in-play two water jugs, aluminum table, five camp chairs. Roof top carrier for the rest of the stuff the huge trunk could finish. I could average up to 80mph on straights down to 70mph on hills. Got 14mpg on the worst day of hill climbing with four adults and 2year oldb with AC blasting. Very happy with my choice of car. Performed like I expected. Didn't see any other car, SUV, or minivan packing enough stuff for two campsites.

jwells2

In my 96 mercury Marquis. several authorized Ford mechanics have test drove this car and checked underneath, brakes, springs muffer etc. no one is able to pin point my problem. It only has 23k miles on it and is like new throughout but the popping noise is driving me nuts! Help!

stthomas

I too have crawled under and around the front end of my '99 CV, and found no place that's BOTH safe from curbs (or even dips in driveways) and is
a rigid mounting point for auxilliary lighting.
I've been thinking of installing some Sentina push
bumpers (see http://www.bcsstore.com/bcssales/set16pusbum.html), onto which you can safely and rigidly attach all sorts of accessories, but prefer not to do the minor facia
surgery. Also prefer not to annoy the cops as the
car would look like a wanna-be...

bthomp

The pushbumper would attract more attention...not my style. The pushbumper also adds weight up front. Not exactly what this car needs...but I do want more light. I might have to go to PI springs up front to offset the weight of a Go Rhino. The aluminum Setina is lighter, but after consulting with Custom Ordered Police Supply, they said that the Setina push bumper doesn't fare well in crashes oooppps pushes.

gmarquis

Here in California most police CVs I see have the stock rear seat replaced with a hard plastic one which probably fares better against the "passengers" that ride back there. I think they probably replace them with the original seats when they put the cars up for sale since I haven't seen any used police CVs that still have the ugly yellow hard plastic seats in them (the look more uncomfortable than the benches in the booths of most McDonald's). This would probably eliminate most of the possibility of problems with drunks relieving themselves on them or drug dealers stashing crack viles behind them, I think. Do the police cars in your state use the hard plastic seats too?

bthomp

I hear that you can hose the rear seat down with those plastic seats...hmmm that's what I need for my 2 year old:-)

gmarquis

Good idea. I wonder if they'll sell the used plasitc seats to the public too? Of course my 2 year old can probably do a lot more damage than a lot of criminals. :-)

dranoel

The average age of a new CV & GM buyer is in the mid 60s. The average age of a Mustang buyer is 35, the F 150 buyer is in the low 40s. What can Ford do to attract younger buyers to the CV & GM ?

iusecad

get Ford's SVT to work on the CV / but the price probably wouldn't stay within reach for most... me included...

kinley

takes a youthfully performing vehicle. Watch the younger buyers jump on the Mercury Marauder. This Grandpa is ready for it ASAP.

gmarquis

I agree, performance makes a big difference as well as the availablility of aftermarket custom parts. I see lot's of younger drivers in mid-90's Impalla SS's which are at least as big as the CVs. The added performance of the LT1 engine, the big low profile tires and tons of aftermarket performance and cosmetic parts make it more attractive to young drivers. Young drivers want to individualize their cars and want performance (at least I did when I was younger). The Marauder could fill the niche that the Impalla SS left empty when GM went to the new mid-sized FWD thing they call an Impalla now.