4.6L V8 1995 Lincoln Town Car - please help!

[Epistemology]

I need to make a 1500 mile trip and I wasn't confident the 88 Voyager wouldn't leave my family on the side of the road at night outside Chicago.

Earlier this week, I purchased a 1995 Lincoln Town Car Cartier for $2000. There are three problems I've noticed which are related to the power train.

First, when I looked at the vehicle, I noticed that there was no coolant in the reservoir (there is no cap on the radiator as far as I know) I purchased the vehicle anyway. I filled the reservoir up to the cold line. After ten miles of driving, the reservoir bottle was almost empty. The heat works well and the digital dash gauge indicated normal temperature (which probably just means the thermostat is open, but the coolant isn't boiling in the reservoir). I did smell a faint smell of coolant in the vehicle.

I suspect the heater core has failed. Is this common on Fords? How do I know this isn't the head gasket? Is there a litmus test? There is some steam coming out the tail pipe, but this seems normal for an I.C.E. in the winter (water vapor is a product of combustion because chemical energy is harnessed by converting less stable molecules to molecules with stronger bonds like water and CO/CO2). Look for bubbles in the oil? Smell of the exhaust?

Also, the car is hard to start (about five seconds of cranking) on a cold morning and will stall if driven before letting it warm up. Tired plugs?

Finally, the transmission might be slipping but it's hard to tell because the engine is so quiet. I can say that if I floor it (this typically makes automatics "kick down" to a lower gear) at around 50 miles per hour the vehicle doesn't gain any speed, but slows down. When I let off the accelerator to about half way, it has no problem getting up to 70. I was told that this is because I have overdrive on and that I should turn it off so it can kick down. Does this make sense?

Would it be possible to fit the Town Car with a manual transmission? Would this be more affordable to maintain/repair?

Finally, would coolant and oil should I be using? The green stuff and 5W30 Castrol?

Thanks.

[curtis73]

[quote=Epistemology]
Earlier this week, I purchased a 1995 Lincoln Town Car Cartier for $2000. [quote]
That's a good price any way you slice it

First, when I looked at the vehicle, I noticed that there was no coolant in the reservoir (there is no cap on the radiator as far as I know) I purchased the vehicle anyway. I filled the reservoir up to the cold line. After ten miles of driving, the reservoir bottle was almost empty. The heat works well and the digital dash gauge indicated normal temperature (which probably just means the thermostat is open, but the coolant isn't boiling in the reservoir). I did smell a faint smell of coolant in the vehicle.

You are correct, there is no cap on the radiator. The reservoir is a pressurized surge tank and the cap on that tank is the pressurized cap. Its possible that the coolant was lower than you thought and filling the tank wasn't enough. For instance, if the radiator were only 3/4 full, you would have filled the reservoir, then running it would have sucked that water into the tank leaving the reservoir empty again. Keep filling the reservoir as it gets empty and my guess is that it will eventually level off.

The coolant smell could be any of the things you describe, but I suggest getting a cap for the reservoir first. Primarily because its a pressurized cap and the cooling system needs it to operate properly, but also because it could be the source of your coolant smell. If the coolant smell remains, then explore the other options.

A head gasket can fail in many ways. It can leak compression into the coolant, it can leak coolant into the oil, it can leak compression between cylinders, and it can leak coolant out on to the ground. Diagnosing it can be tough. The quick and dirty ways are to look for oil or bubbles in the coolant, look for coolant in the oil, smell the exhaust, and do a leakdown test on all cylinders. Any other coolant leaks have to go somewhere. Most heater cores will leak right onto your carpet, others will leak on the ground outside the car.

Also, the car is hard to start (about five seconds of cranking) on a cold morning and will stall if driven before letting it warm up. Tired plugs?

It could be a few hundred things and its frustrating to check. Fortunately, plugs are cheap and easy to do on 4.6s. I would replace plugs (or at least check them) and check all the coils. After that I would check the coolant temperature sensor. If its out of whack, it won't be giving the computer the right information on how much fuel to inject when its cold.

I can say that if I floor it (this typically makes automatics "kick down" to a lower gear) at around 50 miles per hour the vehicle doesn't gain any speed, but slows down. When I let off the accelerator to about half way, it has no problem getting up to 70. I was told that this is because I have overdrive on and that I should turn it off so it can kick down. Does this make sense?

Nope. The tranny should kick down and select the proper gear. Even if it didn't kick down, it shouldn't slow down when you floor it. If you are flooring it and the engine RPMs rise as it slows down, then it could be the transmission or torque converter. If the engine is slowing down with the rest of the car, its an engine problem. fuel filter, injectors, fuel pump, some sensor, or something else. Look to air and fuel systems first. Putting your foot to the floor does two things; gives the engine more air, and tells the computer to give it more fuel. Any time you floor it and lose power without describing large clouds of black smoke, its probably running lean. I would test fuel pressure and change the filter first.

Would it be possible to fit the Town Car with a manual transmission? Would this be more affordable to maintain/repair?

As my hotrodder grandfather told me once, everything fits anything with a torch and a welder. It has been done, but its not easy by any means. The T5 was used in many applications, as was the T56. It will require pretty major surgery to get it in there along with a bunch of custom pieces, but its possible.

Finally, would coolant and oil should I be using? The green stuff and 5W30 Castrol?

Use whatever color coolant is in there right now. As far as brand, I don't usually worry about it. Read the ingredients on the store brand and you'll often find that its exactly the same as the expensive stuff. Oil weight should be listed on the oil cap. For a more detailed description based on your climate, look in the owner's manual. 5w30, 10w30, 0w30 synthetic would all be fine choices. Pick your favorite brand and go for it. I usually do castrol or valvoline, but everyone has their favorite brand.

[Epistemology]

curtis73: Okay, I talked to the dealer on the phone.

He told me that it is normal for the car to slow down on hills even if I give it more gas. He said that on this particular model, I need to let off on the pedal as it climbs the hill. The RPM does go up as the car slows down. He said this is the car "protecting" itself from abuse. He said he is going to test drive the car and if he sees the problem when he drives it, he will work on it.

What should I do? Should I get a competent mechanic (third party) to document the issue?

[Epistemology]

Update: I checked the transmission fluid when the vehicle was cool. On the dip stick, after wiping, it was well over the crosshatched area (range) by at least half an inch. If it indicates overfilled when cold, doesn't that mean it is really even higher when warm?

I'm being told (by the dealer) that is normal for the car to slip like it is in neutral when I have my foot more than half way down on the accelerator. He said that this is a feature and that I should never drive with more than half way throttle position. The car can't climb a hill at more than 47 miles per hour (trying to go faster makes the tranny slip). My old Voyager is a 2.5L straight four and can climb it at 55 mph. This doesn't sound good.

[Epistemology]

One other thing: The dealer is telling me that the transmission fluid will be lower on the dipstick when hot.

[MagicRat]

Imo what the dealer is telling you makes no sense. Opening the throttle should give more power and revs all the way to pedal-on-the-floor. If you are losing power as you open the throttle, follow the advice Curtis has given you. Check the air filter, change it if you are in doubt and change the fuel filter.

(BTW there is no such thing as an engine 'protecting' itself under these circumstances. Some engines have 'rev limiters' which cut the ignition if the engine is revved too high. But this occurs only during times of extreme over revving, which you are probably not doing. )

As for the transmission level, the engine is running, when you check it, right?
Checking the trans level with the engine switched off is meaningless and always erroneously shows the trans to be overfilled.
Also, the fluid level usually goes up slightly as the transmission warms up, not the down.

Finally, I have bought many cars in the $2000 range. They almost always have been neglected and need lots of maintenance to make them really reliable. I think it's a good idea to go through the whole car and do all the usual maintenance (unless you have proof that it's been done recently)

This includes oil and filter change, grease all the grease fittings, change all filters.
Drop the transmission pan, clan it out, change the trans filter and clean or install a pan magnet.
Flush and fill the cooling system, change all the coolant hoses and change the fan belt.
Change the plugs and wires, too.

[Epistemology]

I'm sure that this isn't the engine losing power on the hill.

Here's a test I did on a quiet, flat road:
1. Get the car up to 20 MPH with moderate gas pedal pressure.
2. Put the gas pedal down to the floor.
3. Engine revs go up and car slows down (like it is in neutral).
4. After it slowed to 17 MPH, I let up a third of the way on the accelerator and the car started speeding up normally to 30 MPH and more.

This is reproducible and happens every time I put the pedal down more than half way on a flat surface. The car will slow down to a stop if I don't let off a bit on the accelerator so the tranny can "catch."

The dealer says this is normal. How do I make him honor the warranty and pay half? He's stalling for time by telling me not to worry about it unless it gets worse.

[Epistemology]

Also, going up a hill, the slipping problem is much worse and it slips more than it did yesterday on the same hill. The vehicle struggled the climb the hill.

When going up a moderately steep hill, the slipping problem is much worse. I had to keep the gas pedal no more than a quarter of the way down and couldn't climb the hill at more than 46 MPH (I started the hill at 60 MPH and even my old 4 banger minivan can climb it at 55 MPH).

[curtis73]

As you describe it, the tranny is toast. If you floor it and it revs like its in neutral and the car slows down, its fried. Period. They are trying to weasel out of their warranty. There is no "protection" involved, its just broken.

Funny... my grandfather had a dealer try to tell him the same exact thing when his old Ford pickup manual tranny would pop out of gear. They said it was a "safety feature."

BS... make 'em honor their word.

[bobss396]

I'd personally suggest that you jack up the hood ornament and slide a new car under it. You have a money pit on your hands, if there's a chance of getting a refund, that's what I'd do. Many states have laws that specify that a car had to be in good shape if it sells for a certain amount.

Bob

[MagicRat]

From your later posts, I agree, the trans has had it and needs a rebuild.

I think the dealer should refund your money or rebuld the transmission.
I would assume they assured you the car was sound and did not have any outstanding issues, so they misrepresented the condition of the car to you.

If they rebuild it, make sure you get some proof of that. Sometimes slipping transmissions can be temporarily 'fixed' by using an additive or pouring in a few ounces of brake fluid (it swells leaky seals). But those will not last and will not fix the damage than has already been done.

[Scrapper]

yes i would think head gasket and tranny is fried. the person that sold it to you is feeding you a bunch of bull. them people make us good people look bad.