1988 Lincoln Town Car

FUEL SYSTEM: ELECTRIC RELAY TO FUEL PUMP FAILED 6/21/02--CAR HAD TO BE TOWED FOR REPAIR POWER WINDOWS: DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW MOTOR FAILED. WAS REPLACED IN FALL 2000 BY DEALER IN SEATTLE: "OLYMPIC LINCOLN MERCURY." PRESENTLY, SAME MOTOR FAILING AGAIN. ALSO, REAR PASSENGER WINDOW GEARS HAVE STRIPPED OUT--WINDOW MUST BE MANUALLY PULLED UP IF MISTAKENLY OPENED SUDDEN STALLING (APRIL 2002 TO PRESENT): HAD TO FIND ON INTERNET THAT "DISTRIBUTOR MODULE" WAS OVERHEATING AND CAUSING CAR TO STALL (ALL POWER LOST: NO STEERING, ONE PUSH ON BRAKES--I WAS ENDANGERED) NOTICE FROM FORD, THOUGHT THEY KNOW THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING AND FATALITIES HAD BEEN REPORTED. (THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPAIR SHOPS ABOUT IT, BUT NOT TO CONSUMERS.) I WAS STRANDED 3 TIMES, HAVING TO ABANDON THE CAR, THEN HAVE IT TOWED TWICE FOR REPAIRS. NEW "MODULE" SEEMED TO HAVE RESOLVED ISSUE--READ ON. OCT 15, 2002: CAR QUIT SUDDENLY, AT IDLE, WHEN STOPPED IN TURN LANE, WAITING TO TURN ACROSS DANGEROUS HIGHWAY. WOULD NOT START--HAD TO BE TOWED. NOV 27/02: ELECTRICAL ISSUES NIGHTLY DRAINING 1 WEEK OLD BATTERY. CAR HAS BEEN GONE OVER BY ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST, ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP, ALSO THE LOCAL FORD AGENCY--"NO CODES," BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS. CAR DEAD AGAIN TODAY AFTER RETURNING FROM REPAIR SHOP YESTERDAY. WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO? CAR HAS 115,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN EXCELLENTLY MAINTAINED. EXCELLENTLY!

THE CAR WAS LEFT AT THE REPAIR FACILITY FOR ENGINE REPAIR AND TO REMAIN OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING, ON JUNE 30, THE OWNER OF THE REPAIR FACILITY SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE FUMES WHEN HE ENTERED THE BUILDING. HE IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED THE GAS TANK HAD BEEN LEAKING AND OVERNIGHT AND WAS CONTINUOUSLY LEAKING "LIKE A FAUCET" . THE WHOLE BUILDING WAS FILLED WITH GAS FUMES. HIS FIRST CONCERN WAS THE CHANCE OF AN EXPLOSION SO HE DIDN'T TURN ON THE BUILDING'S INTERIOR LIGHTS. AFTER THE TANK HAD BEEN REMOVED, MY MECHANIC SHOWED ME WHERE IT WAS RUSTED IN SEVERAL PLACES. THE TANK IS MOUNTED IN A HOUSING WHICH BLOCKS A VIEW OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE TANK, THEREFORE, CORROSION CANNOT CANNOT BE DETECTED WHEN THE CAR IS ON A LIFT FOR ROUNTINE MAINTAINANCE AND SAFETY CHECKS. I WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, ESPECIALLY DURING THE RECENT HEAT WAVE AND DROUGHT HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A HIGH MILEAGE CAR (90% HIGHWAY MILES), THE GAS TANK SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY AGE (12 YEARS OLD) AND ESPECIALLY NOT FROM HIGH MILEAGE DRIVING. DURING THE PAST TWELVE YEARS, I HAVE CONSISTENTLY MAINTAINED THIS CAR WITH GREAT CARE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT "LIKE NEW" FOR THE PURPOSE OF SAFETY AND UTILITY. THE ENGINE, RADIATOR AND ALL COMPONENTS UNDER THE HOOD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND TO TOP IT OFF, IT HAS NEW PAINT (SEVEN COATS OF CLEAR COAT). PHYSICALLY, THE CAR IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THERE APPEARS TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF 1987, 1988, AND 1989 LINCOLN TOWN CARS CURRENTLY ON THE ROAD AND I BELIEVE THE OWNERS SHOULD BE ALERTED TO THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND VOLATILE CONDITION. *AK