Marquis left me on side of road today 4 hrs....overheated

[FTLOSM]

Coming home from a short trip down to home depot and the mall area I jumped on the expressway and got about 10 miles then saw the dash ColdHot meter showing 100% HOT and my check engine light was on.

Pulled off at the next exit only to slow down having car die and losing my steering and braking was funky both on an a sharp turn offramp!

Lucky I was able to hold it together coming off a 70 mph expressway into that 35 mph turn without power assist, and got it off the road safely.

Let it cool down for about 30 mins no fluid under the car no hoses visable damage or leaking, could SMELL antifreeze when hood was open but not see any... After the car had cooled down I restarted it and limped it a few side streets over to a mechanics shop so he can look at it in the morning for me.

All the way once the car got into the hot zone i was hearing what sounded like the water pump maybe? (to me sounded like a fan hitting a fan shroud but muffled and only as I pressed the gas). Never had a water pump go out, car is almost at 70K but is 10 yrs old so I guess it could be time...

Had to stop 2 times let it cool down for a half hour or so then limped it another 2-5 miles before it got hot again, then id pull over and let it cool again I was in the middle of farmland no celll reception no help, so didn't have much choice, saw 2 cops pass in almost 4 hrs not a single stop or ask for help from either.

HOPEFULLY it isn't a cracked engine or something super bad, wondering based on the info given and the sound I was hearing what you all think it might be?

I will hopefully know tomorrow mid day and will report back, just hoping it isn't too terrible $ wise cuz I am broke this month (owed taxes).

Bill

[HEMIDAZE]

These cars had a well published problem with cracking the composite intake manifolds. Ford warrantied the fleet cars (police,taxis,etc) but not the consumer cars (me). That resulted in a class action suit that has been settled. Here is the link. The good news is the new style manifolds have a metal insert in the coolant passage that fixed the problem. This may be your problem. The new manifolds go for about $300 plus labor.

http://www.fordmanifoldsettlement.com/faq.html

[FTLOSM]

Had not seen this post yet but just got the call from the shop said the intake manifold failed and was common in that vehicle that they have seen above 50K miles (i just hit 70K), this shop has done all my wifes work cars and my car in the past, last time i was in i was trying to get the ac working and praying it wouldn't be horrible bill wise (no funds but wanted that ac working in 100+ degree weather with a 5 yr old in backseat) came in said help and was OUT the door in less than 30 mins working ac less than $50 (it was a relay switch only), so at least I know they are fair cuz they could have easily reamed me out of a compressor or something...

They said new intake, labor, new thermostat, new coolant, new oil change (recommended cuz it was due anyways and cuz car overheated at 75-80 mph on expressway at full temp) and changing both hoses cuz they too looked a bit ratty (I did see that dry roting but they weren't leaking) ended up totalling $740 so hopefully I am not getting ripped on this but parts and labor and all the other stuff added in sounded about right i guess/hope, and he did say the aftermarket intake was NOT plastic and would be a much better part.

The only thing he mentioned that might come up is under the intake there is some sort of steel line that i think he said was a water line? But anyways that while in there if that looked funky it should be changed due to it's location (hard to get to) and already being IN there, but he would let me know if it needed it once he dug in there (is that accurate?)

I do trust these guys as they do so much work for my wife and have worked on my car before just hate to be taken in the end I guess, heard all that funky clunking around and assumed it was the water pump for sure, so I wonder with a bad intake manifold only, would that alone give me those weird noises I heard?

The only thing that scared me on all this was he said the water pump appeared fine, should I have him change that out too while they are in there and digging or what is the average life of a water pump?


Bill

[mollyzoe]

I just bought a 96 Grand Marquis and am hoping that this won't happen to me . If it does I would like to know where I can get a metal intake manifold to replace the plastic one. I hope you can help. Thanks ,Dan In S, Jersey.

[FTLOSM]

I was searching the net and found this one guys letter to ford on this problem quoting cost of new with steel manifold at $550 and replacement of old style (nylon) at $300, this scares me if parts places are still selling the old style, it especially scares me that my mechanic said the replacement will be $300!

I just left him a voicemail saying please CONFIRM the replacement part being used will be steel vs the nylon or plastic they were using on these when they were made.

Wondering if they still even sell or make these as nylon pcs anymore (since the issue is so well known now).

[FTLOSM]

Just called to confirm the part they are putting on IS aluminum not nylon in those areas of the replacement part, was assured that is the case and that the nylon type will not be used so I won't have to be back in within another 40-60k for another replacement of same part.

Maybe the ford price mentioned in the article i saw of the aluminum/steel type at $500 was a dealer cost vs a aftermarket repalcement part cost I dunno, but still $740 stings the wallet when all said and done...

[HEMIDAZE]

If you get a mechanic you can trust, hang on to him. As for as the steel line under the manifold, I can't help you because I traded mine in with a cracked manifold. The new ones are still composite but they have a steel sleeve inside the composite where the old ones failed. I read somewhere on the net that one guy was sold a used manifold to replace his cracked one. Gee I wonder where they got a used one. As far as all the noise, overheating will cause all kinds of racket that may settle down with new oil. Don't be surprised if your wrench man finds something else. The price sounds good to me. Ford wanted something like $1100 just to replace my manifold. It was out of the extended warranty by a few months. As far as the water pump, at 70000 I would replace it while he is there. I replaced mine at 70000 because I got scared by the cracked manifold stories and was leaving for a 3000 mile trip. Mine cracked at 100000. It was the easiest water pump I have ever done. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10 I rate it about a 2 or 3.

[bobss396]

I was part of the class action suit against Ford and got reinbursed 100% for my repair, which ran a total of $1070. I submitted my papers to Ford, they looked at the car and I had a check in 6 weeks.

Check the settlement page that is linked above, my car was a '97 and made the cut off.

Bob

[FTLOSM]

Believe me I was checking that out bigtime but appears I am past the date

What is the deadline for requesting reimbursement?
To be eligible for reimbursement for repairs that you paid for within seven years of the vehicle's initial sale date, you must seek reimbursement from a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury dealer within 90 days from December 16, 2005. You must bring your receipt to the dealer no later than March 16, 2006. Requests for reimbursement submitted after March 16, 2006 will not be accepted.

More sad news, once the intake piece was repaired I picked the car up it ran sorta sluggish, and I have had trouble starting it (even before the overheat) so I thought humm might be time for a tuneup, took it back in to check plugs and such and found out sadly the head gasket is blown, (coolant on the plugs and exhaust in the coolant). So now it is back in for the headgasket to be replaced this one won't be as cheap as the intake job but my car only has 70K on it so hopefully with all this done (plus new brakes and tires recently) it "should" run really good once I get it back.

While they are digging into it I am gonna just have them do the water pump too since it is already at 70K and the labor won't be any more since they will have the front end of the motor torn down for the headgasket.

[sheebeehuh]

Theres good info here...

http://www.autoclinix.com/Manifold.htm

on the problem and links to the lawsuit/settlement info. I suspect your '97 is too old to qualify for the settlement (mine was).

[FTLOSM]

Well the car went back in, was having a horrible time starting it and it had no compression when trying to start, apparently the headgasket had sprung a small leak that eventually blew out a few days later on me here, so had to go back in tear the motor down get the headgasket replaced, changed water pump since it had 70K miles on it, also changed plugs, new oil, coolant etc, heads were tested and ground down, saw it all apart OMG that was alot of work!

Took just over a week to get it back, seems to be running and starting great now, $1450 later, ontop of the $700+ it cost to get that intake replaced recently, man this marquis is costing me bigtime in repairs, hope this is the last major one for a bit...

Just did new tires new brakes so hopefully doing all that above with new tires and brakes, this thing should run good for a while..

Bill

[bobss396]

That's a bummer when a car costs you a fortune, twice! Mine has been good since and runs very well. Had the injectors cleaned and a tune up earlier this year plus a set of good tires put on. My mechanic tells me that it is an expensive car to fix when things big go wrong, so far we pretty much do whatever he suggests and that hopefully wards off enough evil spirits to keep it going.

Bob

[FTLOSM]

Kicker is about a week before these big repairs i had ordered new rear speakers and about a month ago had a cd changer put into the trunk.

So after new brakes new tires now new intake, headgasket, waterpump, fuel filter, plugs, wires and now stereo stuff (just installed the speakers today) I am hoping its smooth sailing for a while at least.

Bill

[sam1drake]

Originally Posted by mollyzoe

I just bought a 96 Grand Marquis and am hoping that this won't happen to me . If it does I would like to know where I can get a metal intake manifold to replace the plastic one. I hope you can help. Thanks ,Dan In S, Jersey.

Mollyzoe, I recommend you replace the plastic manifold or get rid of the car. I have a 96 low milage creampuff Grand Marquis I really liked. then I got to reading the stories about plastic manifold failures. I was a little worried about it for going on trips so that was a bummer but then I decided that maybe all those stories were just a unlucky few and maybe I would get lucky. Heading out of town one day she blew. I was cruising at 70MPH with the music playing and then I started hearing strange sounds in the music. It was my engine knocking like crazy and the temp guage pegged hot. Trip was ruined but I am a very lucky fellow. I was onlly 16 miles from home.

Towed car, put new manifold approx $900 and she purred like new. Thought, OK that is not so bad and now I am I can go on trips with my wonderful car without worrying anymore. 3 months later I am again heading out on a trip and she blows again only this time it is not the manifold. The shop says it is probably a head gasket but could be more. There goes at least $1400, but it could be a cracked head or even a cracked block. I will probably junk the car if that is the case. I thought I was set for many years with this car, still only 79K on the odometer but Ford motor company will not be honest and alert owners that this part is almost guaranteed to fail --- (please do not waste your time here, you guys whose engine has a million miles on it with the original manifold,) --- there can be no peace of mind in a mercury with a plastic manifold, unless you are happy to just drive her till she blows and then are happy with it failing in the middle of a blizzard, or on the side of the road in arizona 50 miles from nowhere or in the middle of rush hour traffic in bad weather.

All the car parts places know about the mercury manifolds and respond with "your poor soul" when you tell them you have one that has not been changed. I have the aquaintance with some folks that work at the mercury dealer here and some private mechanics as well and they are so tired of dealing with these stories that when someone comes in describing the symptoms they just act like nothing unusual has happend so they do not have to put up with the customer reaction. They sit there like the local undertaker knowing that sooner or someone is going to be dealing with your blown plastic manifold. But if you can gain his confidence he will advise you to change the manifold before it blows.

Engines do not take kindly to overheating although many survive and the mercury engine is more durable than most in this regard I am told. But an overheated engine is to be avoided. If buying a used car one of the worst night mares is to get a car that has been overheated but repaired till it seemingly runs like new. In time overheated gaskets will leak, head cracks get large enough to cause trouble, bearings that ran in cooked oil fail prematurely and on and on the problems develope. Of course the degree of trouble depends upon how quickly the overheat is discovered. If you notice it as it is happening probably no permanent harm will be done but most progress beyond the safe point.

If I had taken my car in for a manifold change before it failed I would still be driving a great car for many years. The cost would have been cheap as compared to being put out in the market for another car.

[HEMIDAZE]

I was aware of the manifold problems on mine and my wrench guy found antifreeze in the front spark plug well during a 100,000 mile tune up. I traded it in a week later before it cost me an arm and a leg. I'm good for another 100,000.