Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

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Comments

  • mr5x5mr5x5 Member Posts: 8
    Our 99 did the same thing on my wife a couple times. I finally concluded she was pushing the floor mat up under the dash with her feet while getting in-and-out (the tab on floor that holds the mat was broken when we got the car (used)). I removed the floor mat and she has not had the problem in 2 years!

    Try it, it just might work for you too!

    Recently bought some floor mat clips from Pep Boys for about $2. They grip the mat at rear and have pins that pierce the rug to keep it from pushing forward..
  • harmar2harmar2 Member Posts: 36
    I use carpet samples (K-Mart, Wal-Mart: ~$2 each) on top of my GM's floor mats, front and rear. After a winter of dragging mud, ice and snow into the car and having it melt, they get pretty grungy, but I just toss them and get new ones. They come in various colors. To keep them from slipping around, I put six or eight dollops of silicone caulk on their back side, let them dry and lay atop the factory mats. The silicone keeps them from slipping around, but easily lets me remove and vacuum or shake off the dirt. ScotchGuarding the carpet samples didn't help much, so I stopped that waste of time and money. But I still ScotchGuard the factory carpeting to help repel some drips and drops.
  • donnadonna Member Posts: 23
    Does the horn need to be programed? A friend is looking at a mercury with 7,000 miles and the horn doesn't work. The saleslady said it needed to be programed and I thought this strange.

    Donna
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Never heard of that. If they need to computerize a horn, then obviously modern automobiles have gone too far.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    Is anyone aware of or experienced spark plug blow out? A class action law suit has been approved in California for several Ford vehicles with this problem.
  • mauro1mauro1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi bruneau1 I have a GM 95 with 185.000 and spark blou out. :sick: I have being trying to find wtha's the best way to fix this problem. Did you fix your? How? Thaks
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I thought it was only on the 5.4 liter V-8, which is not available in the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis - the spark plug threads were not deep enough to go 100,000 miles without replacing or tightening the spark plugs.

    All I can say is if someone has gone 100,000 miles without touching the plugs, good luck getting them out very easily.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    I haven't had the problem yet. I saw the report and wondered about it.
  • theronrohrtheronrohr Member Posts: 51
    Hi all. I'm interested in the GM/CV car after renting one a while back. I like the size, comfort and power of this car but one thing really bugs me. When I was driving the rental GM it seemed very vague in steering control. It might have been partly because its much bigger than my normal car (a VW Golf) and really fills up the lane but it just felt imprecise and this is a problem on such a wide car. I've read reviews of these cars and they almost always test the handling package but there don't seem to be many around. Does anybody know if this makes a big difference in terms of the precision feel of the car? How about the sportier tires on the CV Sport? Or is this something that just comes with the territory.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    It can be hard to find - there are a couple of models - the CV Sport and the Grand Marquis LSE, that include it as standard equipment.

    I'm not sure which model year you rented, but the steering, frame, and suspension were redesigned for the 2003 model year - it is a big difference compared to my 94 Grand Marquis, but it is still not sports car firm.

    I believe for 2005 model year, you have to get an CV LX or a GM LS in order for the Handling Package to be available as an option. That being said, it would be very easy to find an LX Sport for a good price - Crown Vics are often neglected at most dealerships, so I'd go on-line to www.fordvehicles.com, check local inventory, and shoot an e-mail to the dealer.
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    My 2004 CV LX (no handling package) actually surprised the heck out of me with its steering feel at highway speed; the speed-sensitive power steering really tightens up the on-center feel at higher speeds. It is purposely light at city speeds (maybe to allow old folks to parallel park the things?), but there is a difference between lightness and vagueness - my '85 is vague, even with the handling package :). My advice would be to test drive a Sport/LSE model, or a CV/GM with the handling package, and see if that compensates for the problem. If there are no models so-equipped at your local dealerships, try a non-handling package vehicle just as a comparison to the rental; who knows, something could be out of whack with the rental :).
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    I just received some legal info about the cracked manifold warranty and am continuing to research the spark plug blowout problem. I feel as though i am driving a disaster ready to happen. 2001 Marquis
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    Now, just imagine if you were driving a Focus how shaken your nerves might be :sick: :lemon:

    I still maintain that CVs/GMs are some of the best cars on the road, and certainly some of the best-built domestics.
  • matchboxmatchbox Member Posts: 4
    Got a 01 base crown vic and a 04 LX sport. The base crown vic has 80k on it. Never once in shop or out of service. I actually prefer the ride on this car with the base suspension over the 04 air suspension. 04 is very, very stiff. Big difference in motors to me. The dual exaust and different gearing really make the LX sport feel alot faster mid-range and sound bad [non-permissible content removed]. Mileage for base is 25-27 mpg, while the LX sport is 20-22mpg. I have had more compliments on both of these cars than on my 89 mustang GT. At lunch when I drive, people always inquire about how much it cost and how they can't believe what you get for your money. Don't let the 32k price on sport intimidate you, I got mine brand new for 23.5k. Over all, tons for the money, rides like a living room, good miliage, dependable, style, and everyone on the freeway moves out of your way.
    PS. I live in Minnesota, spring for the traction control. I notice a big difference in the snow.
  • way2oldway2old Member Posts: 2
    We have had 3 plugs blow out of the 4.6L engine. The cause has always been when the plugs were removed and replaced while the engine was warm and stretched the threads in the head. there is a repair kit that works really well. It contains a drill bit, helicoil and installation tool. Just take your time and make sure everything is lined up straight. A little grease on the drill bit and tap tool will keep shavings from falling into the cylinder. :surprise:
  • boss2005boss2005 Member Posts: 1
    Hi folks, I took a long time to read all the messages posted on this site and I realize how complex and high quality cars are the MGM. Well I have a not pleasant noise under my car which is a 1992 MGM GS it was in a good shape when I brought it and it still does :confuse: but when riding a while a noise comes from under the car it looks like if a shock is loose or if any metal part rattles on the chassis or any other body part, I took it to a two different suspension shops and they did not find anything wrong whit the suspension or steering, I also checked the exhaust assembly from head to tail and everything seems ok.
    Anybody had this problem, please let me know if you know the problem source.
    and let me tell you, I'm glad to be an owner of a Grand Marquis. :)
  • mauro1mauro1 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks a million buddy, I went and got the kit today and after 31/2 hours of work I installed the plug. I was afraid to turn on the ignition switch but the engine started right away. To clean the shavings I used my wife's vacum machine. I also glued the helicoil to the head so that I can change the plug in the future. I will avoid for sure removing the plugs with a warm engine. Thank you again. :shades:
  • joe3716joe3716 Member Posts: 15
    Haven't had any starting problems since the car got back from the dealership as I drive the car everyday. Maybe I should sit the car in the garage and leave it for four or five days then see if it will start. have the feeling that the problem is in the fuel or some vacuum systems or in the modular control?
    Thanks for your tip about the floor mat which I shall try even tho my floor mat never gone up under the dash. No one else drive my GM-LS since new.
    speaking of fuel consumption and mpg. i get 22/23 freeway to Vegas and 16 or 17 in stop and go city traffic. my GM-LS is a V-8, handling package with the 2.75 final drive. am happy with the mpg.
    image
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I think the handling package has the 3.27 gear ratio - the non Handling Package has the 2.73. My sense is the handling package knocks about 2 mpg off of the fuel economy.
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    A handling package-equipped car with a 2.75 rear end? What vintage is your GM? I thought that low 3s were about as tame as the handling package ever got...
  • digger91258digger91258 Member Posts: 1
    Recently purchased a used 2004 GM ultimate. I have noticed a whine (i am assuming the auto trans.). Very evident just before it shifts from 1st to 2nd gear. Starts off as a a low pitch and increases with speed until shifting, then quiet until around 50 mph and starts again, only under acceleration. Let your foot off the gas and noise disappears.
    When I bought the car (30,000 miles) I had the dealership (not ford or merc), perform the 30K maintenance which included the tranny fluid change. Receipt says they use Mercon. I checked the fluid level and is correct and looks clean. Any suggestions before I bring it to the dealer (still under warranty..)?

    Thanks
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    You are correct on the rear end ratios...my 04 LX Sport has the 3.27 rear, which is probably why I cannot exceed 22 mpg highway, but I know of CVs and Town Cars who get 25-28 mpg highway, but probably have 2.73 rear for better high end rpm and mpg...since the car has no tach, I cannot measure... :shades: :shades:
  • rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    Does anybody know if Ford fixed the gas tank in 2005 Crown Victorias / Grand Marquis ? If you search on Google "Crown Victoria fire" you get lots of articles like:

    http://www.crownvictoriasafetyalert.com/purchases.html
    http://www.crownvictoriasafetyalert.com/
    http://www.autosafety.org/getcat.php?cid=34

    where you can read awful things about these cars exploding and killing anybody inside, when hit in the back. I'd like to have an old style heavy car, but these articles scared me from buying a Grand Marquis.

    Does somebody have some official Safety data, not from Ford, and not just feelings like "my CV/GM is the greatest of all and I love it" ?

    Thanks.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Carefully read the stories on those accidents - typically involves someone rear-ending a stationary Crown Vic at speeds exceeding 60 mph. In a morbid viewpoint, the fact the driver of the stationary Crown Vic even survived the collision for fire to be an issue tells you about the stoutness of the car. Typically in these accidents the tank is pierced by something that penetrates the rear wall of the trunk and into the gas tank (that is why there is no folding seat option). Storage of objects to prevent this has reduced this effect.

    Statistically there the Panther platform is no more likely to catch fire in an accident than any other platform. In fact, if you go to the Insurance Institute of Highway safety website and check out the injury ratings for vehicles, the Grand Marquis is the 3rd lowest of any four door sedan sold in the United States.

    The reason you see all the media attention about this is lawyers look for any feature that makes a car unique, and tries to make that the cause of any injuries. The Panther is the only body on frame sedan sold in the United States, and they think they can persuade a jury using that fact.
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    Nicely said. The fact that CVs/GMs have had their gas tanks in the same basic spot since '79, and yet these allegations of poor design have only recently surfaced, is further proof that there are some individuals and police departments looking to make some quick money. What is ironic is that, if all of this bad press costs the life of the CV, those same police departments that sued will probably the first to whine about a lack of a good replacement (let's face it, the Charger really isn't well-suited to police duty).

    Physics tends to dictate that ANY vehicle hit at a high closing speed will suffer pretty catastrophic damage. Because police duty tends to involve more dangerous situations, it should come as no surprise that their cars are involved in so many terrible accidents. The same would be true regardless of the cruisers they use, but you can't tell me that an Aveo cop car would fare better than a CV if it was whacked in the butt by a transport truck :).
  • esfoadesfoad Member Posts: 210
    All true. In fact, everybody knows the reputation of Mercedes Benz. Unfortunately and tragically n MB E class sedan was rear ended on the George Washington or Tappan Zee bridge within tha last year, caught fire and the family of 4 inside were burned to death. Physics is still the determining factor. There are some events that cannot be engineered out, no matter what the lawyers say.
    CV's and GM's are still amongst the safest vehicles on the road. Period.
  • rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    What makes the CV unique is not the body-on-frame, which is definitely an extremely good thing (for me). The unique feature is the fact that the gas tank is in the crash zone BEHIND (not in front of) the rear axle. And those bolts who punctures it.

    The car looks extremely nice (and it will look the same for eternity). Still, both my wife's Chrysler Pacifica and my Honda Accord have the gas tank shielded between the axles.

    jsylvester, I cannot find the injury ratings for vehicles at IIHS. Can you please type the web address and the links I should click on ? At:
    http://www.iihs.org/srpdfs/sr4003.pdf
    The Mercedes E class look to have the overall driver death =10, and the CV&GM have 53+83 = 136, which is not far from the Hyundai Accent !

    Thanks
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Very good find of information. I was using the link below for injury rates in making my statement:

    http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ictl/ictl_4dr.htm

    Hard to say why the death rate is different between the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis. One could hypothosize, but it would be conjecture. With identical vehicles, could it be the drivers?
  • spotbearsdspotbearsd Member Posts: 33
    http://www.cvpi.com/NHTSA.htm

    ***Above link is all you'll need to know about the fire issue**

    NOTE- All 2006 Police Interceptors ONLY will have a fire suppression system as an available option for 2006. See link below:

    https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/2006fleetshowroom/2006-CrVicPoliceInt.asp
  • joe3716joe3716 Member Posts: 15
    thanks for the correction. 3.27 is the correct final drive and not 2.75 or 2.73 for the handling package. tks to turbo301 too. :blush:" alt="image" />
  • rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    Wow spotbearsd, that's great info. Thanks.

    I would comment that the jammed door, after the gas tank explodes, is not too appealing.

    Good luck
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    Indeed, that was a very interesting read, thanks for posting that. It's interesting that there was the report way back in 1983, and then, what, 8 years until the next incident (at least in that jurisdiction)? They're all just freak occurrences, probably becoming more common due to more reckless drivers and yes, more reckless cops. They're just drivers like the rest of us, no better.
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    Yeah, that sounds better :). It used to be 3.55, but they toned it down a touch in recent years (2003 onwards, I believe?). My '85 Grand Marquis apparently had a 3.55 ratio originally, but when its rear end self-destructed it had a 3.08 put in. After years of driving with it, I never really noticed much worse performance, although gas mileage has gotten horrible, to no fault of the rear end - she's just gettin' old :cry:
  • joe3716joe3716 Member Posts: 15
    sat the car for 3 days and it started at the first crank this morning. whatever the dealership did, they seemed to have fixed the problem.

    still curious what caused it - cranks but won't start, starts then stalled as if no fuel is reaching the cyclinders, problem in the first place. first time i had this problem and stranded in the street was the engine started then stalled. Cranked it a few more times, the engine refused to catch. crank it some more, then the cranking just quit altogether. i had to have the car towed to a dealership where they replaced the fuel pump. vacuum leaks? fuel not getting to the cyclinders? injection problem? electrical - no spark problem? fuel pump?

    anyone have a similar starting, stalling problem? like to hear from you.
  • ldk1ldk1 Member Posts: 1
    They sell replacement regulators on ebay that are supposed to be better than the original. I think they sell for about $30.00 plus shipping. If you buy one let me know how they work.
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    I just heard on the news that Ford of Canada and the CAW have reached a tentative agreement that will see, not the St. Thomas assembly plant close as was rumoured, but actually a $200 million investment in the plant to make "new Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis models". I don't know if this means new editions of the existing platform or totally new vehicles, but either way it's good news for us Panther fans!
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    $200 million is barely 10 percent of the amount needed for a new platform, so I am sure that the money will be invested in a modest update or improvements in the manufacturing process for these cars.
  • ragdollgirlragdollgirl Member Posts: 66
    I decided not to try to fix my '94 GM's window motor and regulator myself. Not sure enough of myself to know how to do it. My regular mechanic wanted $475 (estimate) to do the job. I just about croaked. I told him I'll just tape it shut. Still had to pay him $75 (1 hour's labor) for tearing it apart and checking the wires, etc.) Then I asked another mechanic that my parents use and he found used parts that will cost me $95 and $100 labor to install them. Needless to say, he got the job. I just hope the used parts are not so used, they have no life left in them. My car has 202K miles so I'll take the chance. Do you think I should just buy new parts over the internet and ask him to put them in for me?
  • euphoniumeuphonium Member Posts: 3,425
    Yes, as most of the cost in your repair is labor.

    Applying used parts in your case would make as much sense as putting a dirty diaper on a clean bottom. :)
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    :sick:

    :)
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    Ford shouldn't need a whole new platform for the Panther for a while, given that the frame, steering hardware, etc. was new in '03. $200 million should be more than enough to at least update the body and interior, and perhaps differentiate the GM a bit more from the CV. I was surprised that Ford chose not to move the Town Car to the assembly line; it's hard to think of a closer product that could be included on the line to help boost work there.

    Regardless of what the money is used for, it's good to know tha the CV/GM will be around for at least a few more years!
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    Do not assume the Town Car will continue in production as a Panther.....
  • gkarggkarg Member Posts: 230
    I am going to look at a 96 and would appreciate input from owners of that year for any feedback on problems or issues.

    There was an oil issue on early 90's models with the 4.6L engine and something with the valve guides or whatever. Was that solved by 96? Are there any other issues to know about?

    THANKS!

    PS - in regard to death rates. I'm sure that the age demographic of the individuals driving the CV/GM has a lot to do with the death numbers. How many driver's have heart attacks or other natural causes, at the wheel and either die before the crash even happens. I'm sure that we can't really understand the "statistics" and fairly weigh them against a Hyundai Accent - where the death rate probably has more to do with the size/structure of the vehicle.
  • euphoniumeuphonium Member Posts: 3,425
    Are there any other issues to know about?

    Check the intake manifold. Maybe it has been replaced and maybe not. Something about it cracking and causing coolant to escape.

    The transmission oil could need replacing including the turbine oil.
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    I'm assuming that Ford initially built the downsized Town Car elsewhere in an attempt to convey some sort of exclusivity or quality; you know, keep it away from the plebian GM/CV and it's somehow a better-built car. Such a situation reminds me of the way Chrysler put all sorts of extra effort into the bustleback Imperial in order to keep quality high (a noble goal which failed miserably, of course). Anyway, whether or not that's true, I would be surprised if Ford changed the Town Car much before the CV/GM get a major redo. Just like police fleets, taxi/limo fleets know what they like, and the current TC is a honey for this purpose (soooo comfy!). Perhaps once the CV/GM get an extensive makeover, Ford will take the opportunity to bring the TC into the St. Thomas fold. It might be too expensive to move the established product at this point in its life.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    2004 CV LX Sport...I have the combo CD/Cassette/ with 6 CD unit in trunk...after one year of ownership, I finally put 6 CD in trunk and damn, it works...with one glaring exception...I can advance from Song 2 to Song 3 with the push of the seek button...but I cannot find any button to press to advance from CD 2 to CD 3...I have to wait for it to play all the songs on CD 2 and it will advance automatically...how do I advance the CD manually???...the owner's manual is silent on this...thanks... :confuse: :confuse: :shades:
  • turbo301turbo301 Member Posts: 73
    Indeed, I'm wondering the same thing! I specifically wanted the 6-pack changer in the trunk of my car, for those long workday commutes, but I've found it easier to just carry a bunch of CDs in the car and pop them into the dash player one-by-one, all because it is so impossible to advance from one disc to the next in the trunk.

    There might be some special electronic code pattern to enter, just like to get the doors to not automatically lock when the car's put in gear. Perhaps pushing and holding all of the remote buttons, while simultaneously depressing all pedals and opening all of the windows, and offering a first born child, is the key to liberating the CD player's capabilities :P

    In my best friend's 2002 GM, all he could get was a cassette in-dash and the 6-pack in the trunk - no dual-deck, in-dash unit. Just be thankful you don't have that setup!
  • lostp71lostp71 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I have been a loyal mercury / crown victoria (vic P 7 1) for a while owned a 93, then a 97. ITS TRUE intake manifold HAS to be changed, ours had to be replaced :( Power window broke :( replaced :) then other window broke :( PLASTIC materials no good :( im thinking of getting 05 any one HAVE any comments? suggestions? advice? :confuse: what PRICE is reasonable d???

    THANKS a mil :P
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    I can do as you ask, but I do not have children, so how do I substitute for my first born child???...can I donate my eldest dog???... ;) :shades:
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    The interior entertainment system was not dual media because prior to 2003 model year, the climate control ductwork limited the space. That was redesigned as part of the 03 makeover.

    On a price for an 05 GM, local dealer is offering $800 UNDER employee plan pricing, so I'd shoot for that as my first offer.
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