2005 Lincoln Towncar

[Battis]

Another "what's wrong with my car?" post.

2005 Lincoln Towncar. 109,000 miles. Usually runs well. Last week, when it was raining, the car began bucking when I gave it the gas around 30-40 MPH. No check engine light came on.
In the past, it's been a bad coil that made that happen. And, a few years ago, the throttle control body. But, no codes at all are showing now, as they did in the past.
I trust my mechanic, but he's stumped. He checked all the electrical connections. Transmission guy said it's not the converter or the trans at all.
I'm going to bring it to a local dealer.
Any ideas?

[brassrat]

Try new wires?

[high standard 40]

My first thought was one or multiple coils based on high humidity and age.

[Geezer in NH]

Put a couple bottles of SEA FOAM in the gas first and try it before going to a dealer.

[Ford SD]

I would Say a bad coil or the rubber under the coil, it also could be a cracked spark plug

after Dark, open the hood and with it running, using a spray bottle mist the coils with water and look for arcking

Some times the top of the coil cracks

[Battis]

Wouldn't a coil set off a Check Engine code?

[waksupi]

Check your fuel filter(s).

[Winger Ed.]

Check your fuel filter(s).

I'd change them just due to their age & mileage, and also do a pressure check on the fuel pump.
If you don't have one, you'll need the little quickie tool to reach in and unlock the clips on the old filter.

[HWooldridge]

Does the problem occur when it's not raining?

[Finster101]

When is the last time you had the trans fluid changed? Those transmissions have a known shudder problem, feels like driving on a washboard and can be very intermittent but will become more frequent as the fluid continues to break down. I started getting it on my Marauder at around 30k, so I did a fluid change every 30k. Be aware you need Ford type Mercon fluid. This would not set a CEL. You can see a misfire very easily on a scanner when a fishbite is felt, but even a misfire has to happen several cycles to set a light.

[Tazman1602]

Check your fuel filter(s).

^^^^^^ This…

Art

[historicfirearms]

Maybe spark plug wires. Sounds like something in the ignition.

[Ford SD]

Wouldn't a coil set off a Check Engine code?

No not all miss fires will set off a check engine code

miss fires will only set it off if it is over App 25-30 % or More

I had one of the ford 5.4L V8 that with a bad coil it would only miss fire 1-2 times every min at idle (app 20%)
a snap on code reader would not pick it up, but you put your hand on the truck and you could feel it miss

A bad intake gasket will cause problems but all the time and you can see that on the better engine analizers

[Battis]

The temp outside is still in the 20s with a wind. I don't have a garage so screw it - I took the car to a local Ford dealership that I've used before, and they've been fair. They found that it was a coil and the power control module. It'll take about a week to get the parts and install them. 3 yr warranty on their parts and labor...
Do it. I like that car.
Thanks for the replies.

[myg30]

I had a 1996 grand marquis 4.6L, It did the same thing only rainy days. 115,000 miles, I bought it with 23k miles. No engine codes.
The spark plugs were original. the gap was ~.070”-.075” when I removed them, cleaned them and re set the gap to .054”
I bet your gas mileage dropped also ?

Good luck with fix. Mike

[nseries]

My two guesses...

Moisture under the distributor cap.

Degraded insulation on the sparkplug wires.

[Battis]

A coil and the power control module. The dealer will have it for a week.

[Finster101]

My two guesses...

Moisture under the distributor cap.

Degraded insulation on the sparkplug wires.



Problem is, it does not have either of those items. You are stuck in the 80s. ;)

[Finster101]

I like those Towncar's. My dad had several of them. I was always a GM guy till Mercury came out with the Marauder and I had to have one. Wish I still had it. Hope they get it fixed for you. You can't find anything with that much room and as nice a ride in the current lineup. Everything has gone to the Euro feel with the suspension, which means stiff for some of us.

[Battis]

I traded a 2001 Lincoln Towncar a few years back. It had 240,000 miles on it. This one has 109,000. Great ride, even good in the snow with snow tires and weight in the trunk. I'd say the dealer found the problem - the bad coil didn't register a code as mentioned above, and the power control module showed a code. Pricey, but beats buying a new or used car. Our other car is a 2018 Buick, so that gets most of the use.
I just junked a 1998 Chevy S10 last week. Hated to see that truck go but it had issues.

[poppy42]

I like those Towncar's. My dad had several of them. I was always a GM guy till Mercury came out with the Marauder and I had to have one. Wish I still had it. Hope they get it fixed for you. You can't find anything with that much room and as nice a ride in the current lineup. Everything has gone to the Euro feel with the suspension, which means stiff for some of us.

I owned a 69 marauder mx100 that was used on the ice Capades! For a big full size car, that sucker was fast! Really fast! Got lots of tickets to prove it lol

[Battis]

Got a call from the dealer this morning. Your Towncar is all set. They closed at 4PM and I knew I wouldn't make it by then so I paid over the phone. They left the key under the mat and locked the car.
I got a ride and arrived at 4:15PM. Opened the car, found the key, put it in the ignition, turned it... nothing but a few clicks. The battery was dead. How did they not know that when they put it in the lot?
Of course we didn't have jumper cables. Luckily, the sales people were still there and a salesmen jumped it. Drove it home, let it run for 15 or so minutes, shut it off, tried starting it..nothing.
Now I gotta wait until Monday. How did they not know? What did they do to kill the battery?
When it was running, it ran better than ever.

[nseries]

Problem is, it does not have either of those items. You are stuck in the 80s. ;)

Yeah, I thought about that after I posted it. I forget what year my Continental was with a 3.8L. '95 I think. It was a great 10 year old $500 car except for the air ride suspension.

[TyGuy]

Got a call from the dealer this morning. Your Towncar is all set. They closed at 4PM and I knew I wouldn't make it by then so I paid over the phone. They left the key under the mat and locked the car.
I got a ride and arrived at 4:15PM. Opened the car, found the key, put it in the ignition, turned it... nothing but a few clicks. The battery was dead. How did they not know that when they put it in the lot?
Of course we didn't have jumper cables. Luckily, the sales people were still there and a salesmen jumped it. Drove it home, let it run for 15 or so minutes, shut it off, tried starting it..nothing.
Now I gotta wait until Monday. How did they not know? What did they do to kill the battery?
When it was running, it ran better than ever.

Possibly left the battery cable(s) loose? I’ve seen it more than once. No juice until you attach a jump to the cables but that’s usually pretty obvious when you attach the clamps.

[varmintpopper]

A possibility : Fuel filter is normally mounted on the car frame somewhere, Condensation/water in Your gas can freeze and plug the filter, thus , starving the engine for fuel.


Good Shooting

Lindy

[MaryB]

One thing to watch for if you have the 5.4l engine is wetness or what looks like it has been wet on he coolant crossover tube on the passenger front cylinder(#1). Staining on the head is a sign the intake is cracked(stupid plastic intake) where the coolant crossover tube O ring sits. It can seep out the front but it can also run into #1 cylinder and do nasty things to the engine. Same if there is a really faint smell of antifreeze on starting. It can sit there and just barely seep then the lip the O ring sits in cracks all the way and falls off... KNOWN issue with those engines, seems to happen between 130k and 150k miles...

[Nobade]

One thing to watch for if you have the 5.4l engine is wetness or what looks like it has been wet on he coolant crossover tube on the passenger front cylinder(#1). Staining on the head is a sign the intake is cracked(stupid plastic intake) where the coolant crossover tube O ring sits. It can seep out the front but it can also run into #1 cylinder and do nasty things to the engine. Same if there is a really faint smell of antifreeze on starting. It can sit there and just barely seep then the lip the O ring sits in cracks all the way and falls off... KNOWN issue with those engines, seems to happen between 130k and 150k miles...

Not just the 5.4, the 4.6 in that car is subject to that as well. Luckily it is new enough to probably have the improved intake.

[Battis]

I brought the battery to the dealer. They tested it - it was toast. Very dead. I bought a new battery, brought it home, put it in, turned the ignition - nothing. First thing this morning I tried it again - started like a brand new car.
Starter maybe? Or is it haunted?

[brass410]

Its a sometimes car!! sometimes it does sometime does not

[MaryB]

Not just the 5.4, the 4.6 in that car is subject to that as well. Luckily it is new enough to probably have the improved intake.

that "improved" intake was just as subject to cracks... who the heck puts plastic on aluminum and expects it to live with 2 wildly different expansion ratios when hot...

[redneck1]

I'd be inclined to put new battery cables on it just for peace of mind .
They don't last forever ...

[Finster101]

that "improved" intake was just as subject to cracks... who the heck puts plastic on aluminum and expects it to live with 2 wildly different expansion ratios when hot...

No it wasn't. The updated design had an aluminum coolant cross over. I have done many of them and never replace one with the metal cross over.

[MaryB]

No it wasn't. The updated design had an aluminum coolant cross over. I have done many of them and never replace one with the metal cross over.

My 2001 had the aluminum crossover and it ate #1 cylinder... the aluminum corossover ona plastic intake IS the problem. Different expansion rates...

[myg30]

My 96 was all plastic and cracked. The replacement was the aluminum/plastic. Never leaked while I had it but from this post I guess it wasn’t the best fix either.
I was told the poor engineering design by ford using one of the alternator mounting bolts through the intake was the real issue because of flex and stress. I also agree with Mary expansion rates of both materials were not the best choice, but probably the least expensive band aid.

To the OP, hows that baby running now ? Starting up ok ?

[Battis]

Well, I put the new battery in it and it wouldn't start. Called for a tow, the driver arrived, and it started. I had it towed anyways to my local mechanic (not back to the dealer) and he kept it for a day. He called and said he started it 20 times during the day, no problems. I drove it home and it's been fine since. I'm sure whatever it was will be back (starter, cables, parniffalin pin?). But, for now, it's good to go. It runs like a new car.