So, I took delivery of my 97 LSC this afternoon, and I am thrilled. Its everything I wanted, but now its time to deal with all the problems that a 12 year old car has with it.

First of all, it has 101K miles. It does have a slight miss, I bought new plugs and plan on changing them out tonight, but don't know where to start! :D My last 4.6 was a 97 Cougar. Not quite the same. :) I also picked up one new coil (all they had on hand) in case the plugs don't fix the miss. I will find out.

Other than the miss, there are a few other issues I have found so far.

1. Check air ride message. I knew I would probably get that one, from all the research I did before I bought, so its not unexpected. Its supposed to have all new airbags, less than 1 year old. I haven't looked at them yet. Where should I start?

2. Low Coolant message. The coolant levels are normal, but I am still getting this message. Where is the sensor for this?

3. When braking, it pulls to the right. Alignment seems good, it drives down the road perfectly straight. Only pulls when braking. I will have to check it out.

Overall, I am very happy with the car, just needs a few fixes here and there to get it in ship shape.

Pics will follow (tomorrow) I am working on cleaning all the road junk and crap off it right now.

change plugs, wires, belt, oil, and air filter first. then, with the cheap stuff out of the way you can start on the fun stuff... also, when you do the plugs, use a locking ratchet extension because you dont want to drop the socket in the deep hole...
BTW, Summit Racing has Goodyear Gatorback Belts # 4060980 on sale for 22.99 right now. Goodyear stores charge 60-70 for the belts, so youll save big..:D

Thanks for the tip on the belt. I carry a spare in all my vehicles, but don't have one for a Mark yet.

Did I say pics tomorrow? I meant right now.

On the trailer:
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/7point62/Mark%20VIII/S1052206.jpg

Here is her traveling buddy. He wouldn't let me have both, for some reason:
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/7point62/Mark%20VIII/S1052215.jpg

Front:
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/7point62/Mark%20VIII/S1052226.jpg

Side:
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/7point62/Mark%20VIII/S1052227.jpg

Look KK, no junk to scrape off! Is this clean enough for you?
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/7point62/Mark%20VIII/S1052233.jpg

I also took some pics of the under body while it was on the trailer, I have never seen a car that clean in ND. Not a speck of rust anywhere. This car will never see snow. So, that means, in ND I will get about a week and a half every year to drive it! :D

ok so i see you already removed the wheel well trim, good job, now onto cleaning the headlights. looks good

as for the spark plugs, are you asking how to do them? under the cover in the center of the valve cover. also check the boots

Yep, I am just waiting for the thing to cool down.

Its too bad there are marks left from the trim. Its not horrible, but still needs to get fixed. will have to take it to a body shop, probably do that next spring. Have them fixer up.

be careful when tightening the plugs! they strip kinda easy, and happy 100 posts:D

woo hoo! hooray me! :) what are the torque settings for the plugs? is it worth it to use a torque wrench?

im trying to remember i think its 11? dunno for sure its LOW, search the kid's posts, hes got it up somewhere

Car looks great. Don't worry about the spark plugs. Compared to a friend of mine's V12 Mercedes, the Mark VIII plugs are a snap.

V12... lame... lets see some V16's!!

Car looks great... Now yank off those dam wheel trims, NOW!!!

Octastars look great, and yes the engine is cleaner than mine... but not clean enough yet :D

BTW... buff those headlights!

simmer down! and pay attention! do you see wheel trim in the pics after its off the trailer? I haven't even gotten all the body panels done yet! headlights will get done. If i get the engine to quit missing after the plugs, I am planning a trip to Minneapolis tomorrow to visit my g/f. If you are nice enough to me, maybe I will swing by. :D

Tomorrow eh... if you swing by my work I will bring my buffer and do your headlights for you :)

I work in Stillwater BTW... about a 20min drive from the cities vs 45min for North Branch...

For plugs, my 93 book calls for 7 Lb-Ft (9-10 Nm)

Do them cold, and if you feel you must use anti-seize, make it a very small amount.

BTW.... I'd throw all new COP boots at it if they even the least bit sketchy, and it's always good to have 1 spare coil....

DO NOT put antiseeze on those... put 1 or 2 drops of oil on the threads before torquing them in to prevent galling... that's it...

Roger that. I was planning on using loc-tite. is that a good substitute?

I don't use anti-seize anymore, either. Plug manufacturers typically recommend fitting plugs dry, so as to prevent over torque.

DO NOT Loctite spark plugs!!! Ever!!!

The only reason I use a drop of oil is to avoid galling.... but I wouldn't hesitate torquing them dry....

You won't overtorque if you use a torque wrench. When it comes to aluminum heads... I ALWAYS use a torque wrench, a bit of anti-sieze, and always change plugs when the motor is cold. If you don't use anti-seize, at least use some engine oil.

This is a post that I had up when I was changing my Spark Plugs. I am sure it would help you ALOT as it did for me.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=44293

The Car looks REALLY good. Get those Headlights buffed and it will look like a new car. You would need sandpaper, buffer, and rubbing compound. Search for buffing headlights and it should give you a thread to give you instructions on how to do it.

EDIT: http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=49646

Thats a nice car! grats! saw a blk gen 2 yesterday on the hiway and wow thats a sharp car. youll be losing sleep the next few nights...lol thinking of all the stuff you want to do to it....wtg

Great Mark, thats whats up!!!!!

So, I changed the plugs and found some moisture in the back two coils on the passengers side. My shop only had one coil on hand, so I replaced the back (worst) one. No miss while driving, and the miss at idle is noticeably better. I will have to get another tomorrow.

I am guessing that the previous owner hosed off the engine and it got in through the back, where the wires go in. The drivers side was dry.

Would you guys drive it with a miss, I will stop at a dealer at the next town tomorrow and pick up a new coil there and change it out. Would I hurt anything driving it like that?

Its so lame that the nearest place I can get the codes pulled is 40 miles away. :(

What kind of code reader do you need? I have an old OBD I reader, but that doesn't help me here.

I may just have to drive almost 200 miles to a place that will be able to get me in, and have them pull the codes and fix it.

Wow you got it eh :)
Nice.
I LOVE rust free cars!

If I had to guess its the coils giving you fits, if it was me I would just repalce them all.

Here is a quick guide to OBD-II scanners

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11288_7-6441564-3.html

Does the Xcal2 read codes?

I have read a bunch of threads about "performance" coils. I am not looking at the Accel coils for a performance upgrade, but they are just a lot cheaper. Is it worth it from a monetary standpoint? How long will they last? A motorcraft coil cost me 65 bucks, but I can get an Accel coil for 25. Thoughts?

It does.

Thanks, I couldn't remember.

WTF happened to the question if an X-cal reads codes? That's what I answered "it does" to...

I was editing and accidentally edited too much I see. :) Its back now, and people won't think you are crazy and talking to yourself. lol.

Oh... I am a little crazy, there is no denying that.

Crazy is good. Its the quiet, normal looking people you need to watch out for.

Summit has Motorcraft coils for $50, anybody else know where you can find them cheaper? Would it be smart to replace them all?

Oh... I am a little crazy, there is no denying that.

You a little crazy no way. :D

Summit has Motorcraft coils for $50, anybody else know where you can find them cheaper? Would it be smart to replace them all?

Check with Maxx at Five star Ford his ad is to the right.

MAXX. nuff said about that.

Now, would it be smart? Sure. If you have the cash to get all 8, go for it.

If you don't, get a spare new coil, and put it in the trunk along with tools to remove the COP cover. You'll have a scanner, so if it misfires later on down the road, pull the code, find out which cylinder is misfiring, and replace the coil.

But the coils aren't well known to go bad. It's the boots that to, and typically the coils go bad because of bad boots. Replace all the boots with new ones, and call it good for now, IMHO.

OK, thanks guys. How can you tell if a boot is bad? mine all looked comparatively normal to the new one.

Max beat summits price, thanks for the tip!

MAXX. nuff said about that.

Now, would it be smart? Sure. If you have the cash to get all 8, go for it.

If you don't, get a spare new coil, and put it in the trunk along with tools to remove the COP cover. You'll have a scanner, so if it misfires later on down the road, pull the code, find out which cylinder is misfiring, and replace the coil.

But the coils aren't well known to go bad. It's the boots that to, and typically the coils go bad because of bad boots. Replace all the boots with new ones, and call it good for now, IMHO.

+1 on Max....sometimes I forgets :p :p
The spare in trunk is a great idea.

So, I was bored and I changed the title to something more fitting.

Anyway, Max should have two new coils to me tomorrow via fedex next day. Price was awesome and the service was even better!

We had talked over email in the evening and then, the next morning, He gave me a call and we got everything sorted out. A+

But the coils aren't well known to go bad. It's the boots that to, and typically the coils go bad because of bad boots. Replace all the boots with new ones, and call it good for now, IMHO.

and the boots usually go bad due to leaking tower seals in the valve cover. the coils go bad too, check for carbon tracking on the sides of the coil, kid had one like that

the boots will feel soft, kinda squishy, also try flexing them a little (READ: have a spare boot before trying this) if it splits........

Every boot I've ever replaced was brittle and cracked due to the head they have to live with. Then again, I haven't replaced every boot on every single Mark VIII.

ive seen many ford boots, the dry ones do as you said, and the ones with just a little oil, get all soft the oil impregnates the rubber, and its about like holding jello. just about long enough to go wtf? and it falls through your fingers

Fair enough. You work on the damned things for a living. You'll get no argument from me.

my boots looked and felt the same as the brand new one I put in, so i think they were fine. There was some black carbonish stuff on the tops of a couple coils, though.

Nice car man, when are you going to come to the TC to let us see it! :D

TC, as in Twin Cities? I am not sure when I will make it there. I am not in minneapolis very often, just to visit. If I do, I will let you guys know.

OK, I have been reading about headlights all morning, and have a few questions.

This car uses HID bulbs for the low beams and halogens for the high beams, correct?

The kits I see around replace the "proprietary" Mark VIII HID low beams with readily available HID bulbs and compatible ballasts, correct?

I saw mention of converting low beams to halogen. Is there any benefit to this?

Sorry for all the questions, I have never been around HID before and was completely clueless about them. Still am, lol.

Also, who has kits available now?

Yes
Yes
Some say it's brighter than HID. But I think it's the same kind of people who say non air ride on a Mark rides better than air.

Mafioso apparently has the best kit. I don't think anyone's heard from him for a while.

Thats too bad to have someone drop off the radar. Hopefully everything's fine.

I am browsing Ebay now, where is the best place to find his kits?

Ok first Luige has no access to the internet right now so he cant get on and he does have the best kit. He is currently having the boxes on the kits redone due to some pos punk kid in cali who got in an accident and told the state where he got his non road legal hid's from so he is dealing with that he has never hidden the fact the 10000 watts are not legal and put it on the instructions and the receipt but the state of California apparently does not care so when its all sorted he will be back in business.

ok the miss seems to be cleared up the sensor for the coolant should be on the coolant bottle somewhere not in the radiator and the first thing i would do is check the brake calipers for the pull make sure they are lubed and moving freely if they dont apply together it will pull and braking can also bring out an alignment issue cause of all the weight transferring to the front

oh and love the car im sorta partial to black on black gen 2's wont ever sell mine lol

So, I got my codes read and found out it was missing on cyl's 2 and 8, swapped out the coils and it purrs like a kitten. :) No CEL, either.

Now, the only thing to track down is the Check Air Ride message...

Is it venting?

You say that like you think I have any idea how this thing works. :D

XLRVIII mentioned it might have something to do with the... Crap. I can't remember. :)

The compressor kicks in when I turn it on, the message does not come on till I am driving a ways. He was saying something about when it lowers itself at highway speed.

When I get out and shut the door, how quickly will it lower to the parked position? If that is what you are talking about with "venting" maybe its not doing that. How much lower will it be, anyway? I haven't noticed a real difference.

So when you park and close your door do you hear a pshhhhhhh and see the car lower?

If that doesn't happen it isn't venting. The only solution then is to replace the compressor OR buy a spider valve.

Spider valve?

a external vent solenoid for the air system. the stock system, you wont be able to hear it vent. after you shut off the car get out, lean against the 1/4 panel (rivetless jeans) and shut the door, if you dont feel the car drop a inch or 2 in the first min or so, it isnt venting. or the way i diagnosed mine is even easier, i just flip the ray's switch :D my vent on my spider valve was clogged :D

I could hear mine when it was stock.

dunno kid, i never hear any of the stock ones vent.......ever

It wasn't really loud... but I could hear it... just my experience...

Well, I don't think it is venting, whats the first step? I am guessing that valve is way cheaper than the compressor...

Well, I don't think it is venting, whats the first step? I am guessing that valve is way cheaper than the compressor...

HA...
nah the spider valve cost AS MUCH as a compressor.
but it's well worth the money..

The factory vent solenoid is "non serviceable" dont even try.

Do like I said, Turn off the air ride and drive the car for a couple of days.. or even a week.. or until one or the other end of the car falls/slams.

That will tell you if you have a leaking bag, if not..then your check air ride message is 99% gonna be a clogged vent solenoid.

If it's not venting your a$$ end will be 2 feet in the air & ride like it's on cinderblocks. You may not be able to hear it venting but you should hear a mechanical clicking noise after you shut your door.

Do like I said, Turn off the air ride and drive the car for a couple of days.. or even a week.. or until one or the other end of the car falls/slams.Yep, I shut it off yesterday and will see what happens.

If it's not venting your a$$ end will be 2 feet in the air & ride like it's on cinderblocks.

not always true..
if the height sensors are doing their job the car "wont jack its A$$" 2 feet in the air.
That requires a bad air ride computer or a bad/misadjusted height sensor.

my 95 that had a clogged/rusted vent solenoid NEVER got over normal ride height..
The vent just doesnt have that ability...

Yep, I shut it off yesterday and will see what happens.

If it doesnt leak down over the next few days, then you've more than likely got the "clogged/corroded/rusted shut vent soleniod.

This is actually the "preferred" type of failure.

It could be WORSE, your solenoid could be leaking, which would mean putting a spider valve on the car is not an option, because the compressor uses the vent solenoid to SEAL the compressor.. if the vent LEAKS.. the compressor cant pump the car up.

SO.. PRAY it IS a clogged/rusted shut vent solenoid over the other possibilities.

Its riding at what looks like normal ride height. XLRVIII, I checked liked you said about when the air ride message came on, and it wasn't when I hit sixty. I was doing an... um... acceleration test... and I was over 60 for about two miles on the highway before it came on.

Yesterday, I checked for the "clicking" and heard it in the back one time, but not the front. then I took it for a drive, came back and didn't hear it at all. but it could have been lost in the exhaust cooling and ticking after I shut it off.

. I was doing an... um... acceleration test... and I was over 60 for about two miles on the highway before it came on.
.

well AT 60 the car TRIES to lower itself.

It might have been 2 minutes down the road before the system "gave up" and Error'd out.

I'm still leaning towards a vent solenoid..nothing anyone has said shows evidence of otherwise.

when you park the car, it should vent the front first, then the rear.
The front falls alot faster than the rear due to the engine weight.

When you get out and close the door, put your hand on the top of the wheel and see if you can perceive any movement in the downward direction.

if this isn't the vent solenoid you MIGHT have a front bag solenoid that isn't functioning.. but USUALLY that will trip and INSTANT air ride error when you first start up the car, when the system performs it's "self test".

Air ride problems are sometimes tricky to pinpoint.

Just out of curiosity, the Marks that you see going fast down the strip, do they run bags or coils?

coils are heavier than bags..you'd be adding weight.

now some of the faster cars ARE on coils, but that's not what's making them fast.
two equally modded cars 1 with coils and 1 with bags the bag car is probably gonna be faster, due to less weight.
ALSO.. the air bags are alot more conducive to traction, because they are soft and forgiving and absorb alot of the drivetrain shock that coils dont.

I wasn't planning on switching, I was just curious. :)

Although, if I start getting into a huge repair bill for the air suspension, I might consider it, on a pure reliability standpoint.

Well, the air has been turned off for close to 24 hours now, and its sitting the same as when I parked it.

mine takes about 12 hours if i leave it be it lays yhe back end on the ground it may take a little longer but even a small air leak should be showing some sign in that amount of time try driving it around the block and repark it that may help the leak show itself if it has one if i park mine on the hill to the shop it slams in about 4 hours so how you park it can effect it too

Its parked flat in the shop. I guess i could drive it 8 miles to town and drive it around the block. How about a section? can I drive it around the section line? :D

mine takes about 12 hours if i leave it be it lays yhe back end on the ground it may take a little longer but even a small air leak should be showing some sign in that amount of time

sometimes depending on where the crack in the bag is, it will only leak down when driven, due to the up and down motion of the suspension.

I still haven't turned the air ride on, I have put over 100 miles on it, and it hasn't dropped at all.

Whats the next step?

EDIT: Been shut off for 5 days or so, and driven over 100 miles, and this is where its at:

Its dirty, I know. I have gravel roads to drive. :)

http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/7point62/Mark%20VIII/S1052240.jpg

Probably a stuck vent solenoid...

I am guessing so, as I still have not turned the air ride back on, and have put over 800 miles on the car with it off and its still sitting the same.

I guess that means my bags are good, at least! :D

agree'd it's likely not the bags, and chances are it's gonna be a leaking vent solenoid inside the compressor.

time to give Eddie at american air suspension a call.

If the car has 100k, is it safer to replace the whole compressor, or just the valve? How long do compressors typically last?

The vent solenoid isn't available seperately

There is an aftermarket vent solenoid that Eddie sells called the "SpiderValve".

If your compressor isn't really noisey.. I'd just put a spidervalve on it.

I (well Tiff) Frankenstiened three broken compressor and created ONE that was ALIIIIIVE, but had a clogged stuck vent solenoid.

I put well over 250K on that frankencompressor in conjunction with a Version 1 spider valve.

That compressor put "half the miles" on my 400K mile mark 8, and it's not currently adjusting the ride height on my 98 Mark 8.

I shot Eddie an email. It kinda sucks though, as I don't know how loud a "loud" compressor should be. I don't have anything to compare it to. :(

I shot Eddie an email. It kinda sucks though, as I don't know how loud a "loud" compressor should be. I don't have anything to compare it to. :(

they all make "some noise", but your dont want to have a "rattly" sounding one.
But even then, replacing the mounts/grommets quiets them down quite a bit.

Your at a crossroads....
If it were me, I'd put a spider valve on it..then later down the road when and IF the compressor dies replace the compressor.

Reason being.. is after you install the spider valve.. it changes the whole system's operation.

No longer is the dryer a "double pass" scenario, where all the air pumped in or vented out goes thru the dryer.

With the spider valve only INBOUND air goes thru the dryer, which goes ALONG ways in prolonging the life of a compressor.

spider valve is one of the BEST mods you can do to your car, as it greatly increases the life of the compressor.

Now, if you do the spider valve NOW..and compressor later down the road, the new compressor will not have had to deal with pumping water back and forth like the old one...and the time in the iterim using the spider valve will remove ALOT if not all the residual moisture that has accumulated in the system over the years.

If you have alot of moisture in the sytem, the "new pump" wont live very long.

recap:
get a spider valve now, so in the event you do have a compressor failure down the road you will have gotten alot of the compressor killing moisture out of the system already.

*whew*
sorry for the novel

No problem. I am a collector of information, I try and learn everything I can. :D

I will talk to eddie about the spider valve, thanks.

Next batch of spider valves will be built around Christmas time.

(thought from the far side)

There may be a possibility that the air ride relay is giving up.
it's an easy test.

Swap the antilock relay with the air ride relay.
they are the same.

on my 95 the relay wasn't strong enough to run the air ride but was strong enough to handle the load from the abs pump...so swapping then was a test and a permanent fix in my case.

only problem is, they are on opposite sides of the car in nearly the same location {under the fender splash shield in front of the front tire)

might as well grab a fuel filter so when you take out the passenger side fender liner you can put a new filter in there.

(it's easy to "create work" for other people, I'm fairly good at that)

Lol, I will do your bidding, master. :)

I will check it out and report back. Do I have to take the shield completely out, or can I get past it? What do they look like? I already confessed to KK that I am a complete newb when it comes to cars, especially newer ones.

Give me a 79 or older Ford truck, and its another story. :)

Lol, I will do your bidding, master. :)

I will check it out and report back. Do I have to take the shield completely out, or can I get past it? What do they look like? I already confessed to KK that I am a complete newb when it comes to cars, especially newer ones.

Give me a 79 or older Ford truck, and its another story. :)

uhmm well they are 3X4 inches or so, finned aluminum cover has 5-8 wires going into it..(lol)

http://i3.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/dc/9a/0559_2.JPG

google images FTW!

Do I have to take the shield completely out, or can I get past it?

yea you can probably pull the front side out of the way

Sweet, thanks!

I have been gone for a while, but I pulled the inner fenders out of the way, and had no problems finding the drivers side relay. Not so much for the passengers side. I will get a better flashlight and crawl under there again.

OK, I found it. Its facing the front, and towards the bumper. which one is which? the air ride relay is on the passengers side, correct?

yes

I swapped em out and still nothing. I guess I will be waiting for the next batch of Spider Valves.