1994 Lincoln Mark Viii

MAY 3, 2001 I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY THE FORD CORPORATION TO SEND THIS INFORMATION TO THE ASSOCIATIONREGARDING A SAFETY ISSUE WITH FORD PRODUCED AUTOMOBILES.REGARDING A SAFETY ISSUE WITH FORD PRODUCED AUTOMOBILES. REGARDING A SAFETY ISSUE WITH FORD PRODUCED AUTOMOBILES.THIS SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVES A SENSOR OR SWITCH ATTACHED TO ALL FORD PRODUCTS EQUIPPED WITHAN AOD-E/4R70W AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. FORD WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE THE DATES THE DEFECTIVE SENSORS WERE USED.THE PROBLEM REVOLVES AROUND A RESISTOR NETWORK IN THE SENSOR THAT IS USED BY THE AUTOMOBILE'S COMPUTER TO CONFIGURE THE TRANSMISSION RELATIVE TO THE MANUAL SHIFT LEVER POSITION. WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS PLACED IN DRIVE THE COMPUTER PROGRAMS SHIFT POINTS AND EFFICIENTLY CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO BE IN 4TH GEAR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PART NUMBER F3LP-7F293-BA SENSORS WAS DEFECTIVE SINCE NEW. IT CREATED NOISE ON THE SIGNAL LINE TO THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER IN TURN CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO LOSE THE PULL (TORQUE) TO THE REAR WHEELS. AT THE SAME TIME THE ENGINE REVS WILDLY TO THE RED LINE AS IF IN NEUTRAL, ESPECIALLY IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED. I HAVE HAD NEAR MISSES WITH THIS DEFECT. WITH THE ENGINE RPM AT THE RED LINE AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DISENGAGES AND THEN ENGAGES CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH OUT OF ITS LANE. AT ANOTHER TIME WHILE PASSING ON A 2-LANE ROAD THE VEHICLE LOST ITS PULL AND I CAUSED CONFUSION TO ALL DRIVERS AS I WAS FORCED TO BREAK TO GET BACK IN THE PROPER LANE. UNFORTUNATELY FORD FAILED TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR MY VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS REPORTED AND UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY AND THE DEFECT WAS KNOWN. AT THE PRESENT TIME FORD WILL NOT ADMIT TO THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NUMEROUS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS WRITTEN FOR THEIR TECHNICIANS CONCERNING AND CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. THE OLD DEFECTIVE PART ALSO HAD MOUNT BUSHINGS THAT WERE LOOSE IN THE MOLDED PART, THIS POOR QUALITY ALLOWED EXCESSIVE VIBRATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNSTABLE PERFOR

THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS ALL 1ST GENERATION MARK VIII'S 1993-1996 THE LIGHTING IS DANGEROUSLY DIM. NEW BULBS DO NOT HELP. THATS WHY THE 2ND GEN CARS HAVE NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY'S. IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS FORUM -HTTP://WWW.MARKVIII.ORG/CGI-BIN/DCFORUM/DCBOARD.CGI YOU WILL SEE ALL OF THE OWNERS WHO HAVE PROBLEMS...IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AS I DO NOT HAVE OVER $1000 TO SPEND ON NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY'S. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN THIS MATTER. *AK

THE HEAD LAMPS ARE DIM TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE PROPERLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND IF CAUGHT IN THE RAIN AT NIGHT THE HEAD LAMPS ARE TOTALLY USELESS. I HAVE CONSIDERED REPLACING THE BULBS WITH THOSE OF A HIGHER WATTAGE BUT I HAVE LEARNED THAT BECAUSE THE LENSES AND THE REFLECTORS ARE MADE ENTIRELY OF PLASTIC THEY WILL BECOME SCORCHED AND PRODUCE EVEN LESS LIGHT. ADDITIONALLY THE LEFT (DRIVER'S) SIDE LAMP IS MORE DIM THAN THE RIGHT SIDE. I HAVE NOTICED THIS SAME PROBLEM ON NEARLY ALL FORD PRODUCTS THAT ARE 3 OR MORE YEARS OLD. THE LENSES AND REFLECTORS IN MY CAR ARE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION AND I HAVE INSTALLED AN EXTRA GROUND WIRE TO EACH LAMP AS WELL AS INSTALLING RELAYS FOR THE HIGH AND LOW BEAMS, THERE WAS A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT, BUT THE QUALITY OF LIGHT IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE LIGHTS ON MY 1967 MERCURY (ALSO A FORD PRODUCT). FORD SEEMS TO KNOW WELL OF THIS LIGHTING DEFICIENCY AS THEY CAME OUT WITH A MUCH IMPROVED LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR THE 1996 AND NEWER MARK VIIIS, THE UNITS PRODUCED FOR THE 1996 CAR WILL FIT THE 1993 AND UP CARS AND NEARLY ALL OF THE OWNERS OF THESE CARS FEEL THAT THESE LAMPS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED WITH THE HID UNITS PRODUCED FOR THE 1996 AUTO. MANY OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THE ORIGINAL HEAD LAMPS WITH THE HID UNITS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. THE COST OF REPLACING THE ORIGINAL LAMPS WITH THE HID LAMPS IS PROHIBITIVE FOR MOST OWNERS AND THE DEALERS HAVE REFLECTED THAT FORD WILL DO NOTHING UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL FORCED UPON THEM. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ME THAT WOULD INDICATE THE NUMBER OF DEATHS AND INJURIES CAUSED BY A DRIVER'S INABILITY TO SEE PROPERLY AT NIGHT WHEN DRIVING A 1993 TO 1995 MARK VIII, BUT AS AN OWNER/DRIVER I FEEL CERTAIN THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME. IN CONCLUSION I AND MANY OTHERS FEEL THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY USED UNTESTED AND POOR QUALITY HEAD LAMPS IN WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CAR OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. I HOPE IT DOES NOT TAKE A SERIES OF INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO THE FIRESTONE / FORD EXPLORER

TANSMISSION REAR SEAL REPLACED, CONTINUED TO SLIP, THEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT AIR RIDE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT 4 TIMES (2) FRONT (2) REAR.. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED ALARM WOULD GO OFF WHILE DRIVING LOCKS WHOULD LOCK ON YOU WHILE TRYING TO ENTER CAR IF YOU COULD BET THE LOCKS THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF .. ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AGTER I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. VIBRATION IN CAR WHILD DRIVING AND IDILING. OVER HEATED NEW RADIATOR AND THERMOSTAT, 2 TIMING BELTS, INTAKE GASKETS NUMEROUS OTHER PARTS TO GET RID OF VIBRATATION ENGINE HAS BEEN TORN DOWN 3 TIMES ITS NOW IN A ENGINE SHOP. ENGINE MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAR SINCE AUG.2, 2000. *AK