owned car 1 hour-already got probs

S

stretch

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Jan 27, 2018
Thunderbird Year
2002
brand new to forum.forgive me if not in right section.got a 2002,46k miles.very clean.bought it today.halfway home after filling up with gas check engine light came on.code p0170.lean fuel condition.its not the gas cap.online experts say probably vacuum leak or mass airflow sensor. car runs fine for now. no warranty fm dealer,and hes 100 miles fm where i live.
since i didnt test drive on highway b/c there is none near this dealer i forgot to test the cruise control.it dosent work.and since it wasnt raining during the test drive but moonsoned on the way home i found a small leak in the bottom corner of the sofftop.the fabric seperated fm the glass a little bit.then when i got it into the garage at home the inside lights would not turn off.u gotta close the doors with some authority i found out.another minor repair.but its 16 yrs old so u gotta expect some problems.
all that being said,im still very excited about buying this car.i got it for a great price, and it truly is a classy looking ride.cant wait till spring to put the top down.
 

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stretch said:
brand new to forum.forgive me if not in right section.got a 2002,46k miles.very clean.bought it today.halfway home after filling up with gas check engine light came on.code p0170.lean fuel condition.its not the gas cap.online experts say probably vacuum leak or mass airflow sensor. car runs fine for now. no warranty fm dealer,and hes 100 miles fm where i live.
since i didnt test drive on highway b/c there is none near this dealer i forgot to test the cruise control.it dosent work.and since it wasnt raining during the test drive but moonsoned on the way home i found a small leak in the bottom corner of the sofftop.the fabric seperated fm the glass a little bit.then when i got it into the garage at home the inside lights would not turn off.u gotta close the doors with some authority i found out.another minor repair.but its 16 yrs old so u gotta expect some problems.
all that being said,im still very excited about buying this car.i got it for a great price, and it truly is a classy looking ride.cant wait till spring to put the top down.
Click to expand...

Pictures when you get time. Good luck with fixes.
 
The windows should drop a little when they are opened and pop up a little when closed. If they are not, that will make the door hard to close. I had a problem with the window drop and and lights along along with other problems and it turned out to be the FEM (front electronic module)

I had the have the bottom edge of the back window sealed. The convertible top/upholstery shop took care of that.
 
2 years ago we bought a sweet looking o5 Cashmere edition. She was too pretty to say no to

First 1 & 1/2 months were hell as many serious things were wrong - rear electronic module causing battery to drain over night, leaky window = soaked foam under floor and some more less expensive items

Did get dealer to do most of it on their 30 day warranty so cost was not too great but was ready to get rid of her as a lemon. Shortly after, air con was went but was covered by 4 yr warranty I had purchased.

Well, things finally took a good turn. its been almost 2 yrs now of clean running and we love her
 
I forgot to end it with "Hang in there". These cars can become a total joy to drive ... and to look at .. ours did
 
Thanks tbird for all you recommendations and knowledge. You have been very helpful.
 
JW, there's a switch to activate the cruise control cleverly hidden on the left side steering wheel in case you haven't found it. There's also a process to index the windows so they crack open and close when the doors open/close. Someone my help with that here, but if not, do a search. Did you get an owner's manual with the car? If so, read thru it at least twice. Some solutions can be found there. Welcome and good luck!
 
Make sure you check your spare. If it is original, it might be popped. Mine was holding air, but the whole side shredded.
 
thx for the replies.i have the owners manual.im gonna get a chilton or haines manual as well.the maf sensor is working but maybe it just needs cleaning. i dont hear any vac leaks either.im in ohio so i got a couple of months of winter to work on it.thx
 
tbird2731 said:
I could be wrong, But, I don't believe there is a Chilton or Haines manual available.
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yeah,after reading thru the forum for the first time, i found this out. good to know.thx.already learning alot here.
 
Gus Gutz said:
The windows should drop a little when they are opened and pop up a little when closed. If they are not, that will make the door hard to close. I had a problem with the window drop and and lights along along with other problems and it turned out to be the FEM (front electronic module)

I had the have the bottom edge of the back window sealed. The convertible top/upholstery shop took care of that.
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You can re-program the window drop feature by turn on the ignition, putting the window down, hold the button in the down position for two seconds, then raise the window and hold the button in the up position for two seconds and then release. Just had this problem with mine and the reprogram (which I found online) solved the problem.
 
Remember guys, although they are gorgeous and Ford hit a homerun with the styling, I hate to say it, she is still a Ford... And she is getting older... I have had many Fords and right now I have a 2009 Focus with 78k on it.. When they get 8+ years old stuff start to happen.. My Bower motor is driving me crazy with the chirping, and I just sent a couple hundred on replacing the thermostat.. Yupper it was buried, in the Focus and I wasn't about to tackle that.. Someday's I wish the T-bird was a Toyota, maybe we would have less issues.. I would tackle one or two problems at at a time, and once you have all the initial problems cleared up, make sure you keep up on the new ones that will pop up with any older car. That way you may feel less burdened.. I'm sure the joys of driving her, will out weigh the challenges... Also there is always Garage Squad.. :)
 
Steve is correct!! My 2002 TBird is sitting in my garage next to my two '65 Mustangs. A car guy could build a "NEW" Mustang with the parts available, (aftermarket & NOS). The TBird parts issue is really disheartening . I know it may not be a fair comparison, Ford built a bazillion Mustangs. My TBird is in perfect shape, except for the jerry rigged cruise control cable. Lastly, Every TBird owner should learn as much as they can about the car. --- Alan
 
stevedaphotoman said:
Remember guys, although they are gorgeous and Ford hit a homerun with the styling, I hate to say it, she is still a Ford... And she is getting older... I have had many Fords and right now I have a 2009 Focus with 78k on it.. When they get 8+ years old stuff start to happen.. My Bower motor is driving me crazy with the chirping, and I just sent a couple hundred on replacing the thermostat.. Yupper it was buried, in the Focus and I wasn't about to tackle that.. Someday's I wish the T-bird was a Toyota, maybe we would have less issues.. I would tackle one or two problems at at a time, and once you have all the initial problems cleared up, make sure you keep up on the new ones that will pop up with any older car. That way you may feel less burdened.. I'm sure the joys of driving her, will out weigh the challenges... Also there is always Garage Squad.. :)
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She may be "just a Ford", but she's a Ford that went to college! Love mine! :)
 
JW in Dixie said:
She may be "just a Ford", but she's a Ford that went to college! Love mine! :)
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You got that right.. I have mine covered for the winter in our garage.. (Just trying to protect it from dings ect).. I miss seeing it every morning when I leave for work, and when I come home.. I have also been known to just sit in her and listen to the radio.. (Only for 10 or 15 minutes though).. :)
 
You will find this forum invaluable. First, you have to LOVE this car to own it. There's a lot of finicky nit-picky little annoying things that are well documented small problems - most of which you can fix yourself with some patience and by asking the right questions. Parts seem readily available. Get yourself a FIXD scanning device that works with your phone.
http://amzn.to/2DNR21F

It will pay for itself the first time you use it. You can also clear errors and check engine lights with it if you think you've fixed the problem. If you don't already know - common problems are (some of which you've noted):
- Coils (there is a separate coil for every spark plug - mounted on top of each spark plug under that little cover on the heads) They are not too difficult to replace and you can do all of them for around $150 - vs. $1000 from a dealer.
- Oxygen sensors - oh yea........there are 4. LOL
- Door sensors (there is a left and a right. Despite what some tell you they are NOT the same part number.) If your car "thinks" the door is open, the windows will not operate correctly.....even when you calibrate them as described in the manual. Fix the problem, not the symptom.
- Old spare tires tend to explode or be flat when you need them.
- 91 or higher Octane ....................good luck. It pretty much doesn't exist anymore. Put 90 in.
-use 5w20 engine oil ONLY.
-use YELLOW coolant ONLY.
- NEVER allow your battery to die. If you do, your transmission will have to learn how to drive again. Use a trickle charge (battery tender) when not in use for extended periods of time.

But on those sunny days...........when the top is down.........your wife will wonder why you are smiling so big. :)
The car kicks @ss!
 
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