5.0 Idle issues

[monotonorobo]

We may be dealing with contact issues all over the place. Those large bulk connectors, if you open them again, pinch the female connectors ever so slightly to give them better engagement. They are known to have connection issues. Might have to do this for all the connectors that use the barrel and pin type connectors that you run across.

Yeah it seems like it’s working if correctly now. I won’t mess with it but I’ll keep the other tps I bought just in case. I guess my next project is figuring out why my front doors won’t lock manually or by switch, if you have any info on that. Windows don’t work either, both front wont make a sound and the rear will try. so I’ll knock both of them out when I remove the door panels.

[VicCrownVic]

Lock actuators are seized. If you disconnect the rod from the lock actuator your manual locks will work again.
And the plastic (nylon?) plugs inside your window motors have become millions of pieces. Dorman makes new plugs, or you can get a couple 1/4" nuts to replace the plugs, or I got some 7/16 nylon ball bearings in mine. Front window motors may be completely dead if there is no sound made when you hit the switch.

[monotonorobo]

Lock actuators are seized. If you disconnect the rod from the lock actuator your manual locks will work again.
And the plastic (nylon?) plugs inside your window motors have become millions of pieces. Dorman makes new plugs, or you can get a couple 1/4" nuts to replace the plugs, or I got some 7/16 nylon ball bearings in mine. Front window motors may be completely dead if there is no sound made when you hit the switch.

I think the front is dead yeah. I’ll probably have to replace the motor, right?

[friskyfrankie]

I think the front is dead yeah. I’ll probably have to replace the motor, right?

Possibly but more likely are the plastic gear sets inside the motors. As stated above, the plugs are sold to do the job or sometimes the gearsets are sold with them already installed and you simply swap the entire gearset. Take it apart and use the switches to see if the post on the motor is moving, in both directions. If so, it is the gear sets. As for the locks, if you are not ready to replace the actuators, you can pop the rod out of the bushing (the yellow one on the linkage) or if real lazy, just cut the rod itself until you are ready to replace them.

[monotonorobo]

Alright… i was driving around and it was starting to overheat so i went to autozone and had to wait for an hour for it to cool. Also n I replaced the thermostat and did a coolant flush, I still think that it wants to overheat. Also obviously purged the air out the system. Thermostat I had wasn’t like the OEM one so I placed it in a “\” position. Not too much air came out and both heater core hoses are hot to the touch. I have a temperature gun which I’m use after taking it for a long drive today to see how hot it gets, just to be certain it’s not overheating. Could also be a water pump issue since every now and then I hear a whining when I put it in park from one of the pulleys. could just not be getting heat because my refrigerant may be low, compressor cycles on and off about every 8 seconds.

[VicCrownVic]

Thermal clutch on the cooling fan could also be another culprit. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the engine is hot the fan should not just freewheel, I think. So try spinning the fan by hand with the engine off and hot, it should not spin well if I remember right.

[gadget73]

is your clutch fan good? The magazine test will work here, if it won't chew up a magazine rolled up and stuck into the fan the clutch is bad. Watching it coast down when the engine is shut off is also a clue. A good one won't make more than about one revolution, a bad one will just keep going. If the clutch fan is good and the thermostat is good (check for a hot upper radiator hose) the radiator is probably just clogged up.

refrigerant is unrelated to heat. The compressor short cycling is probably low on charge but if its not getting heat its likely the interior air temperature sensor has failed and isn't shifting the blend door over to the hot side. Not going to cause overheating so thats a problem for another day.

[monotonorobo]

I see. I thought coolant passed through the heater core 24/7 even if it was off.

[sly]

It does, but the AC compressor has no connection to the coolant system and is a different problem. Refrigerant is used in that system, not coolant. Refrigerant moves through the evaporator core (accessible under the hood in the air plenum while the heater core is under the dash in the air plenum).

Two different systems.

[monotonorobo]

Ah alright. I know some about the AC system I just didn’t know anything about the heating system. I still need to do the magazine test on the fan but I haven’t been doing as much heavy driving lately but I’ll check possible causes for overheating again today. Also confirmed the reason why my door won’t lock and why the front windows won’t roll down. Only other issue I notice is my speedometer is really shaky and the fuel gauge goes way past the full mark so I never know how much gas I have nor my MPG. I already put in a brand new fuel level sensor when changed the fuel tank and pump.

[sly]

Fuel gauge itself is probably missing ground on the instrument cluster. I've had that problem taking the cluster in and out a few times.
The speedo may be the cable sticking. Shooting some lube down the cable should help with that. Could also be the speedo head. Some penetrating lube shot into the center section between the layers of bushings where the cable plugs into it should help.

[monotonorobo]

Alright. The previous owner did a lot of shit to this car that I had to undo and he hooked up a wire behind the dash to a radar detector so I’ll look behind it and see what I find.

[friskyfrankie]

Alright. The previous owner did a lot of shit to this car that I had to undo and he hooked up a wire behind the dash to a radar detector so I’ll look behind it and see what I find.

Anytime a PO has "altered" the vehicle, it takes a lot of detective work to ferret out the changes and "right the ship"! I've had to do this on my friend's '96 CV and it ain't fun. One of the POs decided to "hoochiefy" it and I'm still in the process of "de-hoochiefing" it, many years later! If this type of "automotive engineering" was a capital offense, they would be on death row!

[sly]

Nobody other than me will ever want to deal with my 93 because of this. I've done WAY to much stuff to this thing and then the engine swap and OBDII that Scott and Thain did.. yeah... Mechanics look under my hood and just say no.

[gadget73]

I'm at the point where I look at my Towncar and go "no", cussing the moron that did an array of things. Your previous self is even more of a hack mechanic than the previous owner.

thats also why the Mark VII and Continental are extremely stock. The Conti I actually documented any changes I've made. Mostly its the power mirror stuff. The factory wiring diagram is flat out wrong, and I have later mirrors that needed the + and - wires flipped to make them go the correct direction. the stuff with the stereo wiring is also minor, but has it's own sheet in the EVTM now.