just bought a 97 linc TC signature

alright, this is a little long so please forgive me and bear with me here for a moment

hello everyone, well i just bought a 97 LTC SIGNATURE, i've had the car for about a month now. when i bought it it had 139,000 on the clock and i've put a little over 400 miles on it so far.
when i test drove it before i bought it everything checked out good,all the fluids looked good, smelled good, the first thing i did after i bought it was change the oil/filter so she'll be good for another 3000.

well i've been reading on here a lil bit and so far every one says to change the trans. fluid/filter every 30,000 . well the P.O didnt really have any meticulous records of maintenance but he did keep up on reg. oil changes. one question i forgot to ask was if the trans fluid/filter had ever been changed. well everything is operating smoothly and soundly and i just wanna keep it that way, but i heard if you change the trans fluid/filter too late you can really f**k the trans. up and ruin it, so im kinda nervous as to if i wanna go in there and change the fluid/filter due to bad things possibly happening.

well as i was saying, everything has been operating super smoothly, it runs so quiet when i park it and leave it running you'd never know it was on, it runs as if you just bought it and drove it off the lot in 97.

well i drive slow as hell sometimes, and last night as i was pulling out of a parking lot, the digi dash said i was rollin bout 2-3 M.P.H, and as i made a left turn creeping super slow the car just shut off, all the lights stayed on tho, i kind of panicked a little and forgot about throwing the car in nuetral or park to restart it, and some jagoff was behind me and started beeping so i hurried up and pushed it off to the side of the street, popped the hood everything looked fine, all fluid levels looked fine, nothing was burning or leaking, so i jumped back in it and restarted it and it ran like a champ, everything was just fine.

well i drove about 3-5 miles back to my house, and a i was creeping to a stop to turn into my driveway, once again creepin at about 2 mph, going up my drive way boom it did the same thing, so i imeadiately pulled it up by the garage, popped the hood, checked all fluid levels, checked for leaks, listened closely for any abnormal noises/sounds, everything was fine.

so i then proceeded to drive it around for the next couple hours and it didnt do it anymore. i'm kinda stumped as to what happened and hope it doesn't happen again. the motor seems to be operating tip top, and the trans. shifts smoothly and doesnt't slip, stick, or make any weird shudders, jerks, or anything of that sort, i've spent a good 4-5 hours driving it around this morning and afternoon and everythings fine, i'm just wondering what happened the other night and praying it don't happen again, i love this car and don't wanna have to end up replacing the motor trans, well, what should i do? thanks a lot, sincerely, jason

anyone have any opinions on the issue at hand?

Hi Jason.. welcome to the forum!!

Since you don't have transmission fluid change records, go with partial changes rather than full flushes. This method leaves a good amount of used fluid in the converter to mix with the new, and eliminates the problems you've learned about. The filter should always be changed when the pan is dropped and cleaned. With the pan off, you will be able to tell if it's the first change when you find a plastic plug bouncing around in the bottom of the pan. If the plug is not there, it's been cleaned out before.

Stalling.. did you change geographical locations or extreme driving habits? The drive computer has 'learned' it's driving conditions and any extreme change might be causing problems... If this is the case, it will be corrected in a few hundred miles.

Is the "Check Engine" light working when you first spin the key on to the run position? You would mention if it was lit continuously :)

first, let me say thanks for the warm welcome, now, lets get down to buiseness, i live in detroit and i bout the car in port huron, so the geographical location is the same i'd have to say (being port huron is only 80 miles away) cold, snowy michigan with average to hot summers.

yes the check engine light comes on when you flip the key. when it stalls all the warning lights come on, but go off when you restart it they all go off like normal.

thats interesting i didnt know these cars "learned" like that, maybe the p.o drove differently/more fast or something, i've been accused of driving like an elderly woman at times, lmao, but no, the check engine light does not stay on nor blink while car is running or driving.

everything seems to be functioning just fine and well, i must say it runs as if i just drove it new off the lot in 97, you'd never know or think the car had 140 k on the clock, and it hasnt stalled on me like it did since i posted about it on here a few days ago, maybe the computer is re learning the new driving conditions and i'm just paranoid and worrying for nothing?

...i'm just paranoid and worrying for nothing?

No, any stalling is cause to worry, especially if it's more than once.

If I'm reading you correctly the stalling had no symptoms other than the turning of the steering wheel at idle speed; there was no ignition 'pop' just sudden death.

With the given data, I might assume the steering action had something to do with the sudden death.. a few things come to mind, just points to ponder, you may have no problem at all....

If this combination exists, you may get a related stall:
Steering control set to stiff, Front tire pressure low, Power steering fluid level incorrect, Insufficient idle speed.

I won't mention the mechanical possibilities like power steering components, fuel pressure, spark delivery.... it seems like your TC had corrected itself :)

So, tell us more.. you have a Signature.. that comes with quite a few goodies and offered many options to the original buyer..


JBL Premium Stereo System w/CD Changer
Steering wheel controls
Analog Mobile Phone
Sliding Roof Panel
Leather upholstery


and to quote Robert DeNiro "Look at that trunk - you could fit three bodies in there!"
:)

just wanted to say congrats on new (to you) town car. I've had my 02 for about 3 weeks or so now and it drives much better now than when i picked drove it away after buying. they are wonderful cars.

haha, yes, love that deniro movie, good quote, but to my opinion i'd have to say more like 8 bodies,lmao, but anyways back to buiseness, its a 97 tc signature, steering control (easy-stiff), steering wheel controls for radio and all that, no mobile phone although im looking for one to add into it, heated seats back/bottom, leather, automatic climate control, factory jbl radio (which sounds excellent, prolly the best stock radio i ever heard), cd changer, power moon roof with sliding headliner (damn moonroof switch is broke :( ), antenna in the back glass, alloy rims (i call them turbine rims) i beleive they're 16's???, and i think thats about it.

when i drive i always have the steering control set to easy, love the way it steers so effortlessly, i beleive its getting propper spark and all the cylinders are firing and at propper time, (i listened to the motor very well while revving it up slowly through rpm range, and also while i drive at times i like to listen to that sweet kitten purr,haha) but you hit the nail on the head no pops or strange sounds, just a sudden death, it hasn't done it since the last time a few days ago and i'm pretty sure all is well. there are no whines or squeals from the power steering pump it seems to be performing and holding up smoothly as it should, all in all i'd have to say this is one hell of a car, i love it, and for 2300 i couldn't have gone wrong, all i gotta do is fix the moonroof switch, maybe add some new trans fluid a lil at a time before i work it up to dropping the pan for a good flush, and a lil preventative maitenance here and there and i personally think it'll make it to 300,000 +, since i really baby the hell outta my cars. i dont think its had plugs/wires changed yet, maybe its ready for a set? well, like i said it runs like its brand new, we just wanna keep her that way. thanks for all the replies and suggestions, gighly appreciated, oh yea, does any one know where i might be able to get my hands on that analog mobile phone? would love to have that hooked up, even tho i have a cell phone i think it'd be the shit just to be able to say, yea, my car gots a car phone in it,haha, i had a friend that had the same car only an earlier (93-94 model) with it (actually it was his fathers) and he totalled it a few years back (tears) but if some one could point me in the direction of finding that phone and how to go about installing it i would very much love that. thanks to every one, sincerely, jason

p.s forgot to add in there, all fluid levels (including power steering fluid) correct, maybe the idle speed was insufficient (i was rolling at 2-3 mph) didnt even have my foot on the peddle, just creeping along on her own, tire pressure may be low, i oughta check that, although if it is low its prolly only a few (3-4) pounds low

well done! get this, my father in law came from new york and he knew i had the 98 grand marquis. i wanted to surprise him and i told him i sold the 98... of course that made him shudder because THAT was a great car. I hope the guy that bought it is enjoying it. anyway, i wanted to show him the TC and i opened the garage and hadn't turned the light on even and he said 'thats a Lincon.' priceless. needless tos ay we ogled the thing for a while. everyone i come in contact with wants to know: 'what's the deal with that car, is it new?' having fun..

Hey Jason...

Just two things you need to be aware of, and at 139k one would most likely already replaced.... that damn 100% composite Intake Manifold.

Right around 30~60k miles the first crossover splits and blows coolant all over the engine. You can tell right away by looking at the manifold, directly behind the Alternator, the very first crossover is either composite (old style) or aluminum (new style).

Here's one picture of my new one:
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3884/cam0875hx6.th.jpg (http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3884/cam0875hx6.jpg)


The other thing... there's a factory recall going on right now for the Speed Control, Secondary Deactivation Switch (Cruise control, backup kill switch). It leaks internally and catches fire. Since it HOT at all times, it can burn your house down parked in the garage, or simple burst into flames while you're in it., or any time it feels like it.

Most dealers have the 'kit' that was engineered to fix this problem backordered, so Ford is asking everyone to come into a dealer and have the switch unplugged until they can install the kit.

The kit consists of a new switch, fused harness adapter, and a huge zip tie.
The zip tie is used to secure the fluid reservoir :uhoh: , the switch and harness adapter are added to the Master Cyl (on yours). Some switches are down below at the brake line junction box.

Here's the catch; even though the switch is deemed to be the culprit for the fires (it leaks internally and burst into flames due to the connected HOT wire), replacing the switch isn't a mandatory part of the recall :yikes: , the only mandatory service is adding the fused wire adapter :yikes:

I've decided, for around $20 for the kit... I'll do my own and make sure it's done right. Some folks have been adding some brake fluid to the switch to show it's also leaking, this makes some dealers replace the switch too, sometimes...

Here's a link to my web page dedicated to that recall:
http://www24.brinkster.com/sdhartney/linc/05S28_RECALL.html

towncar: yes, i have the aluminum new style on mine, also, i have heard about the recall but i am unsure to if i am covered due to A. i'm not the original owner, B. i'm not the original purchaser, and to my knowledge i have no type of warranty on the car, am i still elidgable?

im more with you on getting the kit and doing it my self THE RIGHT WAY, i've heard to many horror stories about dealerships messing all kinds of peoples rides up, and its difficult to tell the honest guys from the shady ones.

besides, never in my life have i ever bought a brand new car, and i dont think i ever would, my mother bought a chevy blazer back in 02, lemon, instrument panel/ speedo/ gauges malfunctioning, repaired under warranty, it fu*ked up 4 more times, fuel pump went out, sending unit went out, all this was repaired under warranty more than twice, and all this happened under 40 k miles.

same deal with my sisters 03 s-10, my aunt bought a ram and at 30 some thousand miles the motor seized up, dealer put a new motor in it, it died also, which leads me to think what the hell are those dealer mechanics doing?

this is my first lincoln (i refuse to call it a ford haha), i have been a hardcore gm guy my whole life, so far everythings just great, and to sengle 1013: me and my father to were ogling over the car, amazed at all the options, i'm absolutely in awe over the way it drives and handles, and its got really good styling, part of what attracted me to the car in the first place, all i gotta do now is fix that damn moonroof switch (altho i aint gonna need it till next spring/summer as michigan has some hard winters) and steven, thanks for the link, i'm still trying to figure out how to go about downloading that file unzipper and pdf reader, and also, can anyone point me in the right direction of finding that analog car phone? sincerely, jason

also, i have heard about the recall but i am unsure to if i am covered due to A. i'm not the original owner, B. i'm not the original purchaser, and to my knowledge i have no type of warranty on the car, am i still elidgable?
Yep, the recall is for the car, regardless of owner status. They'll find you eventually through your VIN, but they'll be happy to check you off their list too. I'm going in their after the job is done right, just so they can pop the hood, and check it off. Well... actually I don't like anyone touching my hood either :) The smog-check guy over here had to pay for dents in my hood after the asshole leaned on it.. the body shop was able to 'rub' the dents from the other side and remove them. Man was I pissed.. fockers!!


and also, can anyone point me in the right direction of finding that analog car phone? sincerely, jason
Actually, it's not going to be worth all the trouble. You might be able to gather all the components.. but connecting them is another story. You'll notice in the rear of one of the clamshell armrests a Ethernet looking socket.. that's where the handset plugs in.. Lincoln :) was kind enough to supply some of the components or connections but not all of them. There's a control box missing from the trunk and glass mounted antenna from the rear window IF these weren't factory installed. Also, up by the front headliner near the mirror... that's where the microphone module mounted.. the wire is right there behind the headliner. Let's say you do find all that, and manage to get the correct harnesses to connect it all to the RCU in the trunk... then you'll have to fine a cellular service that still deals in analog signal. I'm not knocking the phone, their great, something like 5 watts :yikes: that's like 30 times more powerful than your cellphone :)

Anyway, there's another option.. bluetooth. Using your current cellphone and a bluetooth car kit, it can be wired to your JBL system to announce a call, mute the stereo, and run handsfree through the speakers, w/sub-woofer :) It's kinda tricky.. I havn't done it yet, but I have the basic specs from someone that's done it. The bluetooth car kits are running around $120 US. The rest is wiring.

thanks for letting me know about the recall info, and yea i prolly wont end up getting the phone, but i mean that would just be the shit, like yea, its got a phone too, haha, or calling people on it and stuff like that, just for the novelty value it would be worth it to me,haha,
jason

Saw your posting and may have a solution. I have a 97 TC with 138,000 miles. Over the past 2-3 years the engine would quit for no reason, usually when I was turning into a driveway and going very slow. I took it to the local Lincoln dealer and tried everything with negative results. Finally, after they had it for 3 weeks, they found that the Vapor Canister had come apart and the charcoal beads inside of it had migrated into the fuel lines. They ended up replacing the vapor canister and the lines leading to it and the dying stopped. It's been over 2 months now and I haven't had a problem. The computer never showed anything being out of wack. One mechanic asked me if I continuted putting in gas after it clicked off. I told him I would round off the amount. He said to stop doing it because the excess gas was going into the vapor canister and it took 3 weeks for the fuel to be absorbed thru the charcoal beads. The mechanic said he could smell gas when the engine died and said it was running rich because of the fuel in the canister. He was probably guessing at that point as this was before they found the broken canister. They had previously replaced the fuel filter, cleaned the injectors, tuned it using platinum plugs, etc etc etc.
Don't know if this will help but it took care of my problem. Good luck!!
BJ

thanks a lot for the reply, i'll have to look into that, it hasn't died out like that since i posted this tho

Good for you. My TC would go for a month then die. Might do it 2-3 times in a week, then nothing for a long time. Seems it happened more in the hot summer. When temps here in Tucson got over 100 it would do it more often. You may have to wait until next summer if it decides to quit again. Hope I'm wrong as my fix cost me $1200. Good Luck