My 1983 Continental Mark VI!

[mercurygm88]

Nice new ride. Looks great.

Thanks Dave.

[mercurygm88]

Does anyone know what triggers the brake light in these cars? The brakes and parking brake work just fine. The door light comes on randomly too, I’ve narrowed it down to the rear drivers side door. I think the striker needs a bit of adjusting.

[87gtVIC]

prop valve has a switch on it. take a look around the fender well behind drivers side tire area on the frame. It should also be tied in with the e-brake down by your left foot. there is a switch that grounds when e brake is applied.

[gadget73]

verify the parking brake is pulled all the way up too. If thats not quite right or the switch is a bit flukey it will cut in and out. Same with damaged wiring to the prop valve.

Nice ride. The four door Mark VI is not one you see too often. Also just know that 80-83 CFI is different than 84-85. EEC-III vs EEC-IV. Most of the sensors are different and rather difficult to source now.

[mercurygm88]

verify the parking brake is pulled all the way up too. If thats not quite right or the switch is a bit flukey it will cut in and out. Same with damaged wiring to the prop valve.

Nice ride. The four door Mark VI is not one you see too often. Also just know that 80-83 CFI is different than 84-85. EEC-III vs EEC-IV. Most of the sensors are different and rather difficult to source now.

Good to know. I’ll check that stuff out concerning the brake light.

[VicCrownVic]

If the switch for the door lights is the same as what I'm used to it should be adjustable. If the door itself looks lined up right, then adjusting the switch out one click might be all you need to do.

[mercurygm88]

If the switch for the door lights is the same as what I'm used to it should be adjustable. If the door itself looks lined up right, then adjusting the switch out one click might be all you need to do.

Yeah the doors are lined up perfectly. I don’t know if these had the same striker bushings as later boxes but if so they’re all gone. None of the doors rattle but they have a little give. Could be due to the fact that they need new weather stripping.

I still can’t find a light socket in the glove box but there sure seems to be a switch. There’s some hacked up wiring under the dash and the dip stick who put the after market radio in hack installed it without a wiring harness adapter so it has constant power!

I have to pop the faceplate off to get the lights to go out, it’s aggravating when people do dumb shit like that. They also left out half the screws for the dash trim so I had to replace those.

They also mangled the tracks for the ash tray. I don’t smoke so I’m just going to wire in a cigarette lighter/usb combo so I can at least charge my phone. There’s a spot under there it should fit nicely.

It’s all little dumb shit but I like to get things fixed and done with, and it’s 80 degrees and humid here at night so it’s all aggravating me a bit more than it should.

No luck on the brake light yet. The parking brake pedal is all the way up. I haven’t looked at the wiring to the proportioning valve. Wiring and I don’t get along so well.

[gadget73]

yeah its the same bushings as all the rest of the boxes.

Push the little tabs in at the corners of the glove box and flip it all the way out. Should be able to see whats going on in there at that point. I seem to remember the bulb lives right near the little button that turns it on.

[mercurygm88]

yeah its the same bushings as all the rest of the boxes.

Push the little tabs in at the corners of the glove box and flip it all the way out. Should be able to see whats going on in there at that point. I seem to remember the bulb lives right near the little button that turns it on.

I’ll have to grab some of those bushings. I had the box flipped down and still couldn’t find the bulb. The wires run from the switch back down somewhere behind the dash.

I did manage to get a cigarette lighter socket wired in so I can at least charge my phone. Then I found out the aftermarket head units USB ports not only functions as a charging port but also as an aux port. I figured it was only an audio in if I used a flash drive. Shows what I know.

[gadget73]

you're going to make me go open mine up aren't you? I'm picturing the bulb plugging literally into the back of that switch. The only wires feeding in are the power wires. I think there might be a little plastic hood or something over it but I really don't remember for sure. Not impossible 83 is slightly different though.

[mercurygm88]

you're going to make me go open mine up aren't you? I'm picturing the bulb plugging literally into the back of that switch. The only wires feeding in are the power wires. I think there might be a little plastic hood or something over it but I really don't remember for sure. Not impossible 83 is slightly different though.

It may be right in the back of the switch that would explain how I missed it. I’ll look again tonight when I do the door striker bushings.

I was really surprised to find lights under the seats. Is that a Mark VI specific feature? Or do box Town Cars have those too?

[Lutrova]

Box TCs have them too. Mine has two per seat, one forward and one back.

[mercurygm88]

Box TCs have them too. Mine has two per seat, one forward and one back.

I guess I’ll have to crawl under there and see how many bulbs there are.

[gadget73]

more upscale Towncars had it, cheapie base models did not. Wiring was there though. The lights under my Mark VI Signature seats plugged right in.

[mercurygm88]

more upscale Towncars had it, cheapie base models did not. Wiring was there though. The lights under my Mark VI Signature seats plugged right in.

There are in fact two lights under each seat and they’re all working. I got the hood and glove box light going. Glove box was a 194 bulb directly behind the switch. I don’t recall what finally fit in the under hood socket, 63 I think? It took several tries. I also got the door striker bushings on. As soon as I get that exhaust leak fixed I should be good for awhile.