1990 Mercury Grand Marquis

I WAS PROCEEDING HOME IN EVENING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR ENGINE QUIT INSTANTANEOUSLY. I WAS FORCED TO STOP IN THE RIGHT LANE OF TRAFFIC. ALTHOUGH IN THE RIGHT LANE I COULD NOT PULL OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THERE WAS A BARRIER WITH NO SHOULDER FOR ME TO PULL ONTO. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR ALTHOUGH I WAS SITTING WHERE TRAFFIC HAD TO STOP ABRUPTLY AND SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR LATER. THE VEHICLE TRAFFIC WHERE I WAS STALLED ROUTINELY MOVES AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR WHICH LUCKILY FOR ME DID NOT RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *AK

CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW BY FATHER-IN-LAW ROBERT SPEEG IN 1989 OR 1990 WITH THE 5 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY. OWNERSHIP TRANSFERRED TO US IN 1995 AND WE TRANSFERRED EXTENDED WARRANTY. CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON WITH 3 MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. LAST TRANSMISSION SERVICE COST US $1,434. PREVIOUS TWO WERE COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WERE OF SIMILIAR MAGNITUDE. CAR IS LOW MILEAGE AND IN GREAT PHSICAL CONDITION BUT IS A MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL LEMON. CURRENT PROBLEM WHICH PROMPTED REPORTING IS THE ENGINE STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO MISSING AND YOU ARE FORCED TO MANEUVAR THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC WIHOUT POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. CAR WILL NOT RESTART BY CRANKING ENGINE AND DOESN'T EVEN TRY. ACTS LIKE IGNITION OR FUEL SUPPLY HAS BEEN DISABLED. HOWEVER, IF YOU OPEN THE AIR CLEANER AND LIFT THE AIR FILTER, CAR STARTS RIGHT AWAY. HAVE REPLACED AIR FILTER EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT DIRTY - DID NOT HELP. AFTER AN INTERNET INQUIRY, WAS REFERRED TO "THICK FILM INJECTION (TFI) CLASS ACTION SUIT" AT WWW.AUTOSAFETY.ORG/ACTIONALERTS/TFI-INTO.HTM. THIS REFERENCE ENGINE STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT OUR VEHICLE HAS THE DISTRIBUTOR MOUNTED TFI MODULE AS INDICATED BY "1984-94 LTD/MARQUIS (5.0L)". CONTACTED SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT NORTHPOINT FORD IN ALPHARETTA ON 2/16/01. SCOTT SAID PROBLEM WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE UNLESS IT HAPPENED WHILE THE DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT WAS CONNECTED WHICH IS HIGHLY UNPROBABLE. REPORTED THE ENGINE STALLING PROBLEM TO CHARLENE AT FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER ON 2/16/01 WHO SAYS THERE ARE NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM AND STATED THAT THE TFI PROBLEM/CLAIM IS BEING APPEALED IN CALIFORNIA. REPORTED TO NHTSA ON 2/16/01 WHO REFERRED ME TO THIS WEB SITE.*AK

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AND PARKED. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE OPERATOR NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, THE OPERATOR IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AS THE ALTERNATOR. OPERATOR CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTED THAT THE VOLUME OF SMOKE WAS INCREASING. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES, THE ALTERNATOR BURST INTO FLAMES. ARCING WAS SEEN AND HEARD WITHIN THE ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPLACED BY FETTE FORD IN WAYNE, NJ IN SEPT 1999 AND, UPON SUBSEQUENT FAILURE, AGAIN IN APPROXIMATELY JAN 2000. FETTE FORD STATED THAT REBUILT FORD ALTERNATORS WERE USED IN BOTH CASES. *AK