1995 Mark VIII Wont run, please help, dont wanna junk it.

[capri83rs]

Hey, as stated I have a 95 Mark VIII LSC. The car has been through a lot before I got it. I am absolutely in love with this car, but honestly, I'm starting to think it's not worth sticking with. Since I have had it, it started running rough. Last year it would "die" while driving down the road. Sometimes it would actually die and sometimes it would just cut out for a really long time (good few seconds) the get power again. Then it started having a miss. So far, I have changed one coil pack, and the wires and cleaned the throttle body. I had it running pretty good. Then last winter, it started running rough again, but only when it was cold and started. Sometimes, the choke would not kick in so I had to sit with it for a few to keep it running. Then one day, I get in and pull out of the drive and it starts an extremely rappid miss and just falling all over itself and had pretty much no power at all. So I turned around and parked it. Every once in a while I would go out and start it. It would start and idle smooth, but if you gave it any gas at all it would start the miss. Then after it sat for a while, it wouldn't start at all. We got it to where it would start now, but wont run but just a few seconds and die again. The fuel pump is good or is working at least. I have taken it to a mechanic that I trust as I do not know a ton about fuel injected cars and all the computers. He hooked it up to his computer and his computer went nuts he said. All the meters on his computer went crazy, fluxuating a ton, and it wont allow him to run the self diagnostic (at least I think that's what he called it). And when he turned his computer on, hooked up to the car, the blower motor for the vents came on. He said that was not normal at all. He said he has never saw anything like it. He honestly said he wasn't sure what was wrong with it, but his best guess would be the computer. So I ordered a computer and that did not fix it. So it's still broke. Now he is saying that he is still not sure, but don't really think the cars worth fixing (I almost agree). It's not in the best of shape and has a lot of miles. But as I said, I really like it and would love to get it going again. I really don't want to junk this car, so I figured I would put a post on here and see if anyone had any ideas whats wrong with it. So feel free to chime in, any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[UltimateSVT]

Capri, I wish I could help you, but even though I'm mechanically inclined, this is a bit over my league. It could be somthing as simple as a vaccuum line or as complicated as a cylinder with low compression, where do I begin... This is a MARK VIII, this is not a Civic, it's not a Corolla & even thought it has Ford blood running through its veins, it's not a Thuderbird. It's a LINCOLN! A LINCOLN is a much more complex vehicle but when tuned & maintaned correctly boy does it appreciate the love you give it & it will treat you right. You mentioned it has alot of miles. What do you consider high mileage? Post some pictures of your car, let's see what it looks like? If you are under 200,000 miles I bet this car is definately worth fixing. There are people on this thread that have 250,000 miles, 290,000 miles, 405,000 miles <-- yes, 405k on their cars & still running like new.
One thing I must mention. If you own this car you MUST be dedicated to do MOST of the work on it yourself or with savy friends. From the electronics to the airbag suspension to the engine, etc... Mechanics will charge you more than the car is worth because the labor on this Lincon is truly expensive. You will definately get guided in the right direction on this forum. I can promise you will be helped! Why you've let this go on for more than a few weeks let alone that long boggles my mind. DON'T LET IT GO!!!

 

[MachME]

The guy seems like he dosent know what he is doing. When he plugs in the handheld, it will just come up with codes, if the car is throwing any. Write these codes down and look them up online. If you have a mis fire, a code will pop up and it will say, mis fire in cy 1 or whatever.

Some stuff i would go through, new fuel filter, clean the maf, clean IAC, check for vac leaks, bad ground somewhere.

 

[mikemark8]

Since it is a 95, it is OBDI, so your mechanic should know that it runs 'KOER" (key on engine running) and KOEO (key on engine off) tests. He will be able to pull any codes by running these tests. Buying a new ECU is just throwing money and parts at it without knowing what is wrong. ECU's rarely go bad. To determine if it has mechanical issues (like compression), he should also be able to do a cylinder balance test. All of this can be done with a $150 hand held scanner.
To make checking it out easier, first remove and store (or get rid of) your engine 'beauty cover'-you don't need it, and you will learn what is where with it off.
You first need to establish that you have a good battery. Get a digital voltage meter and see what the battery reads, both sitting (should be at least 12.4) and running (at least 14.0 volts). These cars have to have good electrical power-if you are going to fix this car, it must have a good battery,m one place you do not want to skimp-you can get a 1000 CCA battery with a full 3 year warranty at Walmart for less than $75.
Next,make certain that you have plenty of GOOD fuel-that stuff in your tank is probably on the verge of being varnish by now, since it has been sitting so long-at the very least, add 5 gallons of fresh high test gas. Check your fuel pump pressure, there is a valve on the rail on top of the engine, tap into it, should be at least 32 psi.
Next, get someone to crank it while you insert a screwdriver into a pulled spark plug wire-hold the side of the screwdriver near metal, and see if you get a bright blue spark jumping to engine metal-if it is, you probably just have maintenance issues-needs plugs, wires, maybe the other coil pack-(you said you replaced one)-maybe the wires are not installed correctly, check that they are where they should be (it does happen, much more than you would think, and it might explain your issues). Make sure all sensors are connected-look for any plugs under the hood that are not connected, it might just be something easy that was done and not discovered yet. Pulling the plugs will tell you a lot-they should all look the same, none black, wet, melted electrodes-and the plug wires should be looked at too, if they are original, they will be stamped with '95' on them-replace them, a good set can be had for less than $150. Check the air filter, it too might explain a lot of your problems.
No matter what, it just needs to be checked out-Air (air filter/intake tube/mass air flow sensor/throttle body/ intake manifold), spark (coil packs, plug wires, plugs), fuel (fuel pump, filter, injector/pressure) and compression (the balance test or a compression tester) is what is necessary-go through each system, you'll find your problem. Let us know, there are a lot of very good, talented people on this forum (and a few who impress themselves with snide/rude comments that are less than helpful)-most of us love a good mystery especially when a Mark is involved-good luck, don't give up, get some friends involved, two or more heads are better than one.