Long Drive, any recommendations?

nobody_special

nobody_special

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Instead of having my Mark VIII shipped, I will probably be flying down to Florida, taking a little vacation, and then driving it home.

What are maintenance issues that I should be aware of to make sure that I make it back home in one piece. :)

I am decent at fixing stuff myself, but just want to make a list of things that could possibly go wrong, so I know where to start if something happens.

Trip is about 2500 miles. Thanks, Josh.
 
nobody_special said:
Instead of having my Mark VIII shipped, I will probably be flying down to Florida, taking a little vacation, and then driving it home.

What are maintenance issues that I should be aware of to make sure that I make it back home in one piece. :)

I am decent at fixing stuff myself, but just want to make a list of things that could possibly go wrong, so I know where to start if something happens.

Trip is about 2500 miles. Thanks, Josh.
Click to expand...

If i were driving an "unknown" condition mark 8 I would

1. turn OFF the air ride and run the car until the suspension drops, then turn it back on.. once the car raises back up, turn the air ride back off.. repeat as needed.
you dont want to "kill a compressor" while out on the road, as it'll make for a painfully bumpy ride.
 
nobody_special said:
What are maintenance issues that I should be aware of to make sure that I make it back home in one piece. :)

Thanks, Josh.
Click to expand...

pay particular attention to the front end parts, any squeaking or creaking indicates usually a bad lower ball joint... you dont want one of those going out while your out cruising the countryside.
 
This is what I did when I drove my 95 from SC to WI ...

I checked out where all my LvC friends were located and if they'd be available if I needed any assistance.

I have their phone numbers all programmed into my cell phone.

Then I drove it home .... didn't have a single issue.
 
With my current mark viii experience......I'd say take a different car....lol...main problem you'll encounter....its a mark viii
 
I am not expecting anything to happen, its been inspected and checked out good, but still, its a used car.

XLRVIII, its only another ~700 miles if I swing through houston. ;)

I usually carry a spare belt, thats always a good plan.

How do I go about switching off the air ride? It has new bags all the way around, a few months old (so they say) so, If thats true, they are probably doing good for leaks.

mespock, that would be nice, but I am pretty new around here, and don't know many peoples.

Funny stuff, Rich, but I don't have a choice. :)
 
the air ride switch is in the trunk, easily accessible.

If there is a minor leak the compressor will run off and on, off and on..keeping the bag pumped up. <--that is very bad and will kill a compressor quickly on a long trip, extended driving situation.

by turning the air ride off, if you do have a leaking bag.. you'll find out because the car will either drop the front or the rear height because the compressor isn't refilling the bag.

there are two heights the mark 8 sits, Parked/Hiway or normal height.

When you park the car get out and close the door the car lowers it'self to the same height that it runs on the freeway.

If you turn the air ride off at "parked height" it might leak down, if this happens.
turn the air ride on and start the car, once the car raises itself to "normal height" then turn the air ride off.

Now the air ride is turned off at "normal height" and the leak might not leak.

Either way.. I'd put about 200 miles on the car with the air ride off, to "see" if it's leaking.
If you get that far without the front or rear dropping down, then you're probably safe to turn the system on for the duration of the trip.

If after turning it back on, you get a "check air ride" error on the message center display.. that means the bags are leaking at "hiway/parked" height

I would pull over, let the car jack itself back up..
leave the key on engine running, open but do NOT close the door then flip the switch in the trunk".

whew...I'll bet ^THAT^ sounds confusing.
(lol)
 
mespock said:
I checked out where all my LvC friends were located and if they'd be available if I needed any assistance.

I have their phone numbers all programmed into my cell phone.

Then I drove it home .... didn't have a single issue.
Click to expand...

That is great advice..
I'd save the #'s in my cell phone and make a hard copy incase worst case scenario you lose,break,someone steals your phone.

the more prepared you are the less chance something will happen..dont ask me why/how that works.. karma has an odd sense of humor
 
Lets see... I changed the oil, cleaned the car and then did 3000 mile round trip from MN to Texas to MN....

I had tools, spare fluids and a spare alternator.

BTW... swing up to the Twin Cities and we can meet up... Anything is on the way from Florida to North Dakota :D
 
kustomizingkid said:
BTW... swing up to the Twin Cities and we can meet up... Anything is on the way from Florida to North Dakota :D
Click to expand...


+1

Have lots off beef jerky and a 12 pack of dew!

Just have a decent tool kit with a credit card in it.

I blew a transmission in GA once when I was coming from FL to MN, everything was fine when I left (fluids and what not) then I lost 3rd and OD, Its hard to predict what you can run into.

Another time I hit a block in the road because I had crappy headlights and couldn’t see it till it was to late (go figure) and bent the rim on my car in the middle of Peoria, IL.
Luckily a guy from the local ford dealership stopped and flat bedded my car to the shop. So we found another rim and tire and got on my way, it’s just a good thing I had some cash on me to persuade him since this was 11:00 at night.
 
I took that car ten times across country from Fl to MN, and once to Brooklyn NY before I ever had an issue.

Last year the day before Power tour I was driving the mustang home from work and blew the clutch out. So needless to say I dint take the mustang. Just don’t beat on it till you get home. If you don’t have my luck, you will be fine!
 
Thanks for the info guys, thats one thing thats gonna suck. I always have my travel toolbox in the back of my explorer, cant really take that on the plane. :)

Although, 90% of the time the toolbox is used, its fixing buddies/other peoples cars. haha.

KK, I will be flying out of MN if everything goes as planned, my Fiancee is in MN now, so I will be there. Probably on the way back, it would be possible.
 
im about 40 min north of chicago if you need any help coming back from ur journey.
 
I dont know much about cars, but I keep brown, clear and a lotta beer if you get thirsty. O' yeah I am in Colorado.
 
I love the avatar, lincolnx2. lol.

I will keep everyone informed, its not happening tomorrow or anything. Waiting for her to get time off from work, thinking june 1st flying out.
 
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