Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

johnbono · April 2001

Thanks for the responses but I don't buy the cost of "certification". The government doesn't certify trailer towing---that's strictly a manufacturer's rating (like engine hp or torque). If Ford OK'd rating these cars to tow 5000 lbs. with the old suspension, they could choose to do so again with the new suspension. Something else drove their decision.

I suspect a person could tow more than the current 2000 lb. rating with some add-on coolers but you would void the warranty in the process.

Still looks like the Toyota Tundra is best option for comfort and towing even though I will be giving up some fuel economy---same as I would with an Explorer. Too bad the CV and Marquis product managers aren't a little smarter about ways to pick-up incremental sales easily. I think there are many more people that want to tow 3500-5000 lbs. without buying a truck or SUV that gives poor gas mileage (even when not towing) and that doesn't provide the comfort the CV and Marquis do. Although the truck and SUV market is still hot, there are signs the market for these is starting to flatten out and people are starting to look at other modes of transportation. Come on Ford, get ahead of the curve again like you did with the Explorer---which is quite a while ago.

The local dealer advertised 5000 lb. towing capability for these cars until 2000, when I asked him to show me the option and rating. Two weeks later the claim disappeared from his ads!! He must have thought it was a useful way to sell cars too!!

427435 · April 2001

Thanks for the responses but I don't buy the cost of "certification". The government doesn't certify trailer towing---that's strictly a manufacturer's rating (like engine hp or torque).
If Ford OK'd rating these cars to tow 5000 lbs. with the old suspension, they could choose to do so again with the new suspension. Something else drove their decision.

I suspect a person could tow more than the current 2000 lb. rating with some add-on coolers but you would void the warranty in the process.

Still looks like the Toyota Tundra is best option for comfort and towing even though I will be giving up some fuel economy---same as I would with an Explorer. Too bad the CV and Marquis product managers aren't a little smarter about ways to pick-up incremental sales easily. I think there are more people that want to tow 3500-5000 lbs. without buying a truck or SUV that gives poor gas mileage (even when not towing) and that doesn't provide the comfort the CV and Marquis do.

The local dealer advertised 5000 lb. towing capability for these cars until 2000, when I asked him to show me the option and rating. Two weeks later the claim disappeared from his ads!! He must have thought it was a useful way to sell cars too!!

tpken · April 2001

My 1990 Grand Marquis and before that, my 1988 both have towed my 2500 lb boat and trailer well for the last 8 years (both purchased used). I noticed the change in the towing capacity in the product lit a while ago and wondered what on earth had changed. The car is still body on frame - great package and certainly ought to be up to the job. I have a Suburban now to do the pulling - does it effortlessly too and I couldn't be happier. I don't think I'd hesitiate to tow if I bought another of these cars used - warranty expired - but I doubt I would attempt it while warranty in force - Ford could deny coverage and the consumer would not be in a good position to argue.

Ken

komives · April 2001

Reply to 427425 regarding G.M. 4.6 oil consumption. Thanks for your reply, checked the air intake filter housing and it is O.K. no dust or dirt bypassing. It appears these engines are not as reliable as the good old cast iron block V-8's of years past. I suppose that is why they can offer such a large car in the low twenties, they have to cut costs somewhere and it appears the engine is one of the major cost cut components.

johnbono · April 2001

I have a '95 HPP, which has the gear ratio of the tow package, the air suspension of the tow package, but doesn't have the 5000 lb rating. I installed a tranny oil cooler on it and a class IV hitch. When I hooked up my 2500 lb plus trailer to it, I could barely tell the trailer was there under normal acceleration. I can't see the '98+ CVs having a weaker suspension than the '95s. Cops still use them to jump curbs, and still put them through all sorts of cr*p, and there has been no record of rear suspension failure.

one68stang · April 2001

Missing Horn!

I have a '96 Crown Vi ex police car. When I bought it, it didn't have a horn! Where would I be able to find the place in the engine compartment where it can be found and to be able to hook it back up?

5spd · April 2001

Can someone kindly tell me what would be the real world gas mileage for a 2000 CV ?

427435 · April 2001

I doubt there is much reason to believe your mileage will be much different than what I get with a '93 Marquis which is:
25 MPG at 65 MPH on the interstate.
22 MPG at 72 MPH on the interstate.
17-19 MPG in urban driving (35-55 MPH with some stop lights and stop signs) with easy acceleration and deceleration.
11 MPG towing a 3500 lb boat and trailer at 65-72 MPH.

kinley · April 2001

427435: Do you tow the boat while in Overdrive? Our 94 T/C Touring gets the same mpg, but when towing the boat, speed is 60 or under.

sergeis · April 2001

I used to get 26-27 mpg on my Marquis '95 on regular gas, long (>1000 miles) interstate trips at ~70mph (airconditioner mostly on), with octane 93 it was 27-28. This year I hardly exceeded 24 mpg, maybe because of really old air filter (I didn't change oil myself for more than a year and forgot about it). Maybe it's aging? But I never had problem with car, unless you count faulty tape player which was replaced under warranty. On the other hand this time I went far south and speed was much higher, I would say 75-80-90 and even 100.

427435 · April 2001

kinley: If I'm on mostly level highway, I leave it in O/D. In even modest hills, it will do lots of shifting---so then I'll lock out the O/D. My car has the MPG readout (which is suprisingily accurate)and the mileage is better on the level in O/D as you would expect

pat · April 2001

Hi folks,

Now that we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. To keep from confusing our newer members down the road, we are going through the discussion list bit by bit and dropping the "part" numbers associated with some of our extended discussions.

Since this will be the permanent home for discussion of these vehicles, I have removed the "2" from the title of this discussion and altered the archived version to distinguish it from this one.

Please continue....

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

heydave_ · April 2001

Does anyone know if the relatively cool 16" 5 spoke alum wheels available on 2000/2001 Taurus' will fit my 97 CV with the handling/perf pkg (w/16" lacy alum wheels)? I'm not sure if the lug pattern is the same or the offset, etc. Thanks.

b4z · April 2001

I doubt if wheels made for a front wheel drive car will fit on a rear wheel drive car.

b4z · April 2001

Saw a brand new crown vic with the sport appearance package. It was dark blue and had the aluminum wheels. It looked great! Now just give it some power and i am sold.

kinley · April 2001

redly_one · April 2001

Is there any way to tell from a VIN if a CV has the performance and Handling Package? OR, even more...Is there any way to tell? I am looking at a 99 CV LX

b4z · April 2001

I think they have dual exhausts and a rear sway bar.

kinley · April 2001

marsha7 · April 2001

I believe the posters are correct...non-perf will have single exhaust and no sway bar running under the rear end diff...the dual pipes should be fairly obvious, and when running up the rear of one in traffic, the sway bar is quite evident...

triplej1 · April 2001

Hey everyone, I own a 1996 Crown Victoria Police and Im having a problem with the temperature gague on the instrument panel. It initialize and move up to Cold when the car starts; occasionally after about 30mins of driving it moves instantly up to Hot, but dies again when the engine is turned off. It only moves up to Hot once in a while, and recently hasn't been moving at all even after hours of driving. I've looked at several repair manuals, all useless because none of them were specific enough on the year as to where the sensor is. I was wondering if anyone could help!!

evilmgr · April 2001

I am a 18 year old high school senior who will be attending college next fall. I currently have a 94 Olds Achieva. I don't really like the Achieva due to it being too small and uncomforatable for me because I am 6' 5". I also don't trust that car to make it through 4 years of college reliably. This is why I am thinking of getting a new car.

I have been looking at older Crown Vics and found a 93 with 71,000 owned by some old people who claim to have rarely drove it in winter which is nice to hear in Minnesota. They want $5,200 for it and I am seriously considering it.

Do you think that this car would survive 4 years of driving 60-80 miles a day round trip to go to college and work? My main concern is reliability but I also can't argue with a V8

So basically all I need to know is do you think a 93 CV would serve me better than a 94 Achieva over the next 4 years of heavy driving?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

kinley · April 2001

After graduation the car will have about 140,000 miles +/- 10,000. Taxis & state troopers put more miles than that on their Crown Vics. When you pull regular maintenence and drive it with ease, it should last through graduation. I admire your working while attending college. It can be done and the effort 50 years later will have been worth it. Good Luck to you & much success.

Hacksaw · April 2001

You should do fine with the 93 Vic. I think $5200 is a little much to pay, especially if it's not an LX model. I'd be looking around the $4750 mark, and nothing higher than $5000 even if it's in excellent condition.

Check the service records if they have them. You should get the tranny fluid changed right after you buy the car, unless they have a receipt for a recent change. Make sure there's not excessive smoke coming from the tailpipe. Get regular maintenance (use 5W30 oil) and you'll be alright.

evilmgr · April 2001

It is a LX model. I don't know what is up with prices here but this is the only one like it that I have seen under $6000! I have been looking for awhile and the only ones under $6000 all have over 100,000 miles or are PI cars which I don't really want.

I am sure I will be able to get him down to $5000 though. I am going to look at it tonight in detail and talk to the guy. I have read probably about 500 of the posts under this topic so I will be sure to check out all the things people have recommended, including the smoke from the tailpipe.

Thanks for the help everyone and I will let you know how it all goes when I get back from checking it out

evilmgr · April 2001

I went and test drove it and talked to the guy and it is in great condition. It looks brand new except for a scuff on the driver side mirror which the must of got pulling into the garage. The only serious "problem" is that I can't stop speeding

I have to learn to go easy on the gas in that car!

The guys 60 year old wife is the only one who ever drove it and she got the oil changed and the tires rotated every 3000 miles at their local Sinclair station.

I started talking to him about the price and was about to ask him to drop it a little but then on his own he said that he thinks a fair price would be $5000.

Then, possibly the biggest coincidence of all, I mentioned I would be attending the UofM in the fall for computer science. He said that the software design company that he works for hires interns from the UofM to help with the computers and network and he said if I wanted to do that next fall I should just let him know and he will hook me up with a job!

tpken · April 2001

I've bought two used Grand Marquis (a 88 bought in '93 and a 90 in '97) in a row now that have been used for my daily 100 mile round trip commute. Also - family road trips and 1000 mile biz trips and I've typically added 100K to them over 4 years. You can expect typical maintenance issues - replacements as items age as well as wear out on a car that is already 8 model years old - I've averaged 2-3K for repairs and replacement parts for each vehicle over 4 years including tires, exhaust, radiator, sensors, etc.

You need to know that the 93 model year is the last for the old style freon A/C and if your compressor goes south - forget about replacing it - too costly to convert to new type on a car that old. Also - freon is expensive and hard to come by these days.

These vehicles are a great used value and you should do well with the choice.

Best wishes

Ken

kinley · April 2001

deand1 · April 2001

I am thinking of leasing a 2001 Grand Marquis LS.
What's the pros and cons? Any problems? I hear back seat leg room is tight. What is their prettist "light" exterior color? Thanks.

kinley · April 2001

Go to www.mercuryvehicles.com and you will find your answers. Even the colors.

slinger31 · May 2001

Dayton2

Results from 4/19/01 Dispute Settlement Board. Ford will BUY BACK and refund the total purchase price including sales tax and fees. A deduction for mileage will be made back to the first time in service department for this problem. My advice is to attend the DSB hearing if at all possible. My hearing involved a 600 mile round trip which I'm sure was to discourage my making an apperance. If you rely on only your application statements I'm sure you will lose. Good Luck.

evilmgr · May 2001

I just got my 93 Crown Victoria LX and want to get the transmission fluid changed. What kind of fluid do I get put in though? There is a Valvoline Instant Oil Change near me and they offer a Dexron III/Mercon ATF but they do not have a Mercon V fluid.

What do I need?

sergeis · May 2001

I don't know how to change trans. fluid, but friend of mine got into trouble with that - for few weeks his car could randomly stop "catching" gear, i.e. you shift to drive and nothing hapens, like you are still in neutral. I think it was air inside AT. Just be sure you know what you are doing.

evilmgr · May 2001

I am not doing it myself. I just wanted to know what kind of fluid to tell them to put in. Or I just need to know where a good place to bring it would be.

thanks for any help you can give me.

kinley · May 2001

Our 95 T Bird had a slight shudder at 37,000. A poster recommended Mercon V SEMI SYNTHETIC. The Ford dealership sold the fluid to my mechanic for $20 or $21 a quart and I was charged $26. Had the Ford dealership changed the oil, the cost would have been $18. Not only does the transmission get drained, but the torque converter as well. 13 quarts should do the job. In all fairness, other posters used a more economical oil and just having new oil was of much benefit to them. If you allow the Ford dealership to diagnose your tranny, perhaps the more economical non semi synthetic oil will do the job. For what it's worth, we had the non semi synthetic oil put in our other car, 94 Towncar and it runs just fine, 91,000. Good Luck.

427435 · May 2001

I've been using Mobil 1 full synthetic transmission oil in a '93 Grand Marquis without problems in 160,000 + miles of use that has included towing. My son is also using Mobil 1 in his '94 V-8 T-Bird which now has 115,000 miles on it. I've been paying about $4.00/Qt. for it which beats the hell out of $20-$25/Qt!!! We do change about every 50,000 miles, however.

Be sure the convertor is drained and a little air pressure used to blow out the cooler lines.

kinley · May 2001

q1q · May 2001

My 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis LX has 126,000 miles on it and about 4,000 miles ago I had a rebuilt engine put into it. Ever since then I have heard a sound that sounds like a diesel engine coming from my engine, and it soulds like its on the passenger side of the engine (left from when you look at it from the front). I had the lifters replaced and that didn't solve the problem. I also had the Mass Air Flow sensor checked along with my entire electrical system. My friend who is an at home mechanic who specializes in older Escorts and his early 90's Explorer says it sounds like the valve lashings need adjustment. Does a Marquis/CV need to have a valve adjustment, or does it sould like my problem lies somewhere else. ANY suggestions would be much appreciated.

dayton2 · May 2001

slinger31 thanks for the info. I'm glad it worked out for you. I am waiting for a technical rep to contact me. They keep telling me it's not a safety problem so there is nothing they can do. I would love my money back so I can buy anything but a Ford/Mercury product.
It seems my problem isn't from the engine. I've been told it's the new size tires from 1997 on up. They went from 15" to 16". That combined with rear wheel drive, makes the car ride like a basketball over bumps of any kind.
Anyone thinking of a 2001 Grand Marquis?? Pay attention to the ride and handling. They're not like they used to be.

harim17 · May 2001

Last year I purchased a 2000 GM. In the April 2001 Consumer Reports annual auto issue, page 75, Used Cars To Avoid, 2000 CV's and GM's are
listed. Can anyone tell my why ???

rea98d · May 2001

You're gonna listen to a bunch of Martha Stewarts who judge coffee makers and matresses for a living when it comes to cars? Take care of that car and it should get you well past 150,000-200,000 miles with few problems.

427435 · May 2001

I've been getting Mobil l engine oil for $3.49/qt. at Walmart and just bought 5 cases of Mobil 1 ATF for $4.29/qt. I buy the ATF at a Mobil distributor/bulk dealer in a small rural town near where I live.

oneover2wit · May 2001

Contemplating vehicle purchase to tow small
travel trailer. Can a 98 Gran Marq LS be
equipped to do this. If so, what would be
the max trailer or tongue weight?

ron35 · May 2001

There doesn't appear to be any logic to what consumer reports has done with their recommendations. For the past 3 or 4 years, at least, they have classified the CV and GM as recommended buys. To turn around 1 year later and say it is not recommended as a 1 year old used car does not add up especially for a vehicle which has remained relatively unchanged over the years.

kinley · May 2001

Install rear air shocks if not already present. Install a 10,000 lb. transmission cooler and Install a Class III weight distributing hitch. Tongue weight = 10% of the towed vehicle. Keep an eye & nose on the tranny fluid and look into installing an extra heavy duty turn signal flasher. Have Fun.

oneover2wit · May 2001

Thanks. I'll have to figure just how "small"
that trailer has to be.

sandy_8 · May 2001

Hi all, glad I found this board.
I just got rid of my V8 Tbird (bought new) because of the endless transmission troubles (started at about 20K), and lastly the knob on the side of the gear shaft sticking so hard I couldn't even push it in and get the gear off parking mode. I lately have had to get rid of car payments in a hurry so that is the main reason why I sold my '97 Tbird most of all.
I've been stuck in a rental car for 4 days now and desperately looking for something to replace my car. I am tall and safety paranoid, and I hate small cars and won't be caught dead in anything weighing less than 3,000 lbs. Becuse of my bad experience with the Tbird, I would have sworn any Ford off until I came to this board. Roominess and safety are top on my list of must haves, and I have resigned myself to let go of the nice sport look when I let go of the Tbird.
My urgent need for the next 2 or 3 years is to get a personal car that is highly reliable (66 miles a day) and big and safe, and PAID FOR the second I put the key in the ignition. Budget is $5,000 or so maximum. I suddenly find myself thinking about getting a CV 94 to fit my budget and needs, but I am scared I'll get into the same trouble I just let go of with the Tbird.
I miss the 4.6 V8 and would love to get it back, but I certainly don't want the transmission and other troubles that came with it back. Am I making a mistake by considering a CV? Is the transmission system exactly the same in Tbirds and CVs? Is the CV a good choice for what I want?
I need an interim car that won't let me down or cost too much in repairs for 3 years or so, so I can save up for the next, newer car of choice.Any feedback appreciated. Being without a car is hell.

rea98d · May 2001

Yup, transmission's the same. Sorry you had such bad luck with the Bird, but they're not all like that. I've got a 1995 T-Bird with 175,000 on it, and no major problems, transmission or otherwise. FWIW, if you can get an older Crown Victoria with the 302 engine, you'll also get an older AODE or AOD transmission, as opposed to the 4R70W hooked to the 4.6, but the AOD and AODE are essentially older, less refined versions of the 4R. If you really don't want another Ford, (and I'm going to get flamed for saying this) Look at a Caprice/Roadmaster/Fleetwood. Again, you get a full size, V-8 car with plenty of heft, as well as GM engines and transmissions, which are extremely reliable.

kinley · May 2001

Look in the Classified ads under Auctions:Private. Frequently, in the last part of the ad, the estate's vehicles will be listed. One can usually find some jewels of fine cars and trucks. They are for sale as great runners because of death and not bad quality.

sandy_8 · May 2001

I wish I had more time to see it coming, but unfortunately a week's time is all I have left to find something. I have looked all over every possible car site and local papers, but could hardly find a CV or similar sedan in the mileage/price range I need, at this time. I have thought of the Caprice and Roadmaster already (and Volvo), but same thing, incredibly hard to find.
The auction seems like a good idea, but how do you manage to not get burned? I mean I never buy a vehicle without a compression test done on it first. This saved me big $$ again just a few days ago as I was about to purchase something that looked and drove apparently fine. Seems to me when you buy at auction you really don't know what you're getting, but maybe I just don't know what I am talking about...
What I want doesn't exist yet (hybrid that has a wagon's cargo, a pickup truck high-road view, a sporty sedan look's cushy,powerful ride and road stability) ---this writes off SUVs in a hurry---
re98d, I think you are one of the lucky EXCEPTIONS to the Thunderbird owners rule.
I don't have anything against Ford other than they are notorious for screwy transmission ---I used to have a Mercury Capri 86 that had a great transmission that never shuddered or banged (only leaked). But then, as mentioned on this board somewhere, a Ford vehicle doesn't automatically mean you get a Ford transmission inside either, so it's hard to know what you can feel confident with unless you're an expert mechanic or an auto nut. If some of you think I should look into GM instead and then have less to worry about, it's good to know.
thanks!

Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis

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