Hi All.
I'm new here, but not new to the panther platform.
I have a 2006 Grand Marquis LS with 83000 miles, bought used in December (with 80,000 miles).
Around mid-August, I started noticing that the sound the car makes when idling / accelerating got a bit louder and more pronounced.
Then one day, maybe a week later, the car broke down on me. I was driving and all seemed normal (except that noise). Then the power steering got very
heavy, and the digital speedo went out, and the climate control display, and the temp guage started moving like it was having a seizure. I left the car for an hour and came back and it started right up. Then I opened the door (put some strain on the battery) and it went dead again. I got a boost and all was well for a week. Then the same problem. So I replaced the battery (the alternator checked out when I got a boost the first time) and all was fine for a few weeks.
Then last week, I was driving to the mall and the temp light came on, and the temp guage was on high. Mind you, I had the AC running and I thought I smelled a hint of that overheating smell from the AC before that happened. Also, for the past two weeks or so, the climate control seems a bit off. When I keep it on 65, it should blast cold air most of the time on high, but the air keeps going between cold and warmish, even before the cabin has a chance to cool off. I left the car parked for a half hour, came back and drove home with the heat on 90 and the hood unlocked to keep the engine bay cool. I've had no issues with cooling since, but the AC is still kinda flaky.
Then just today, I had the original problem again - power steering goes numb, displays go dead, car won't start.
It seems to me that the alternator is not working properly so I plan to replace that. But before I do, could all this be related? Could something else be going on? It could be two unrelated problems but the timing seems coincidental. Keep in mind I don't drive much and don't usually go far from home, so if these things would happen on longer trips, I wouldn't see it so easily. When it broke down today, I was local so I got the car home before it died.
Any advice would be appreciated. The car was totally trouble-free before the first 9 months I had it. I hope this is easily solved.
Thanks!
I'm new here, but not new to the panther platform.
I have a 2006 Grand Marquis LS with 83000 miles, bought used in December (with 80,000 miles).
Around mid-August, I started noticing that the sound the car makes when idling / accelerating got a bit louder and more pronounced.
Then one day, maybe a week later, the car broke down on me. I was driving and all seemed normal (except that noise). Then the power steering got very
heavy, and the digital speedo went out, and the climate control display, and the temp guage started moving like it was having a seizure. I left the car for an hour and came back and it started right up. Then I opened the door (put some strain on the battery) and it went dead again. I got a boost and all was well for a week. Then the same problem. So I replaced the battery (the alternator checked out when I got a boost the first time) and all was fine for a few weeks.
Then last week, I was driving to the mall and the temp light came on, and the temp guage was on high. Mind you, I had the AC running and I thought I smelled a hint of that overheating smell from the AC before that happened. Also, for the past two weeks or so, the climate control seems a bit off. When I keep it on 65, it should blast cold air most of the time on high, but the air keeps going between cold and warmish, even before the cabin has a chance to cool off. I left the car parked for a half hour, came back and drove home with the heat on 90 and the hood unlocked to keep the engine bay cool. I've had no issues with cooling since, but the AC is still kinda flaky.
Then just today, I had the original problem again - power steering goes numb, displays go dead, car won't start.
It seems to me that the alternator is not working properly so I plan to replace that. But before I do, could all this be related? Could something else be going on? It could be two unrelated problems but the timing seems coincidental. Keep in mind I don't drive much and don't usually go far from home, so if these things would happen on longer trips, I wouldn't see it so easily. When it broke down today, I was local so I got the car home before it died.
Any advice would be appreciated. The car was totally trouble-free before the first 9 months I had it. I hope this is easily solved.
Thanks!