This is with my '89 Crown Vic LX with 5.0 and 92k miles. I will give as many details as I can.
When I got it in Sept of '19, it had a vacuum leak. I tracked that to the automatic parking brake release switch. Disconnected the hose and plugged it. Done.
A different problem keeps persisting. On cold start-up, the idle would go back and forth between high and low for 20 to 30 seconds before smoothing out at low idle. Would be a bit rough sometimes after reaching low idle, though. At the same time, when shifting through the gears from Park, the engine rpms would go lower than normal low idle and occasionally cause a stall-out. Shifting between gears would also see a dimming of headlights and instrument panel lights. However, the alternator is quite new....I don't think that is part of the problem. After the inspection tech at the shop left my courtesy lights on and killed my battery (as detailed in a thread in the electrical forum) I got a new Die Hard Silver Series Group 65 battery.
After installing the new battery, on cold starts the idle settles down to low very rapidly now....maybe in 15 seconds or so. There is no more up and down, back and forth, at the moment.
But the problem(s) of loss of power when shifting between gears, and dimming of lights, still remain.
Here is everything else that I can think of, in case anything might tie-in somehow:
Slight coolant leak. Maybe 2 ounces every week or two. It sits in the little depression on top of the water pump. It leaks so slowly that you can't see where it's coming from while the engine is running. It *seems* to leak when sitting cold for several days, rather than when the engine is warm. It suggests to me contraction of an old hose or gasket as it reaches ambient air temperature.
The exhaust system is rusting out. It's the only rust on the whole car, but it includes the catalytic converters. The cover shield for the driver's side cat dropped off onto the pavement last winter. There is rattling from the exhaust, at low idle, possibly from the cats. I have read that bad cats can cause various engine issues.
The transmission was rebuilt in 2015. Shift points with the column shifter are a bit vague and come more between the letters than right on. At about 30mph, when traveling at slow speeds when there are stop signs every few blocks, when the transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd there is a 'chirp' and a harsher than normal shift....not bad, but you can feel a difference. Does that both in regular drive and overdrive.When road conditions are such that you can accelerate firmly and steadily, the transition from 1st to 2nd is normal and there is no chirp. Shifts to higher gears are normal. On the interstates, so far the car performs like new, with no issues at all.
Last winter, there were a few times when starting out cold and reaching the first stop sign, the car would not move again after stopping until I put it back in Park and shifted again. Didn't stall, though. I attribute those instances simply to not actually having it fully in gear, because of the shifter vagueness, even though I thought I did.
From all of the maintenance records that I received with the car, I found that the cap, rotor, plugs, and wires were all fairly recently replaced. The plugs that were installed are double platinum, according to the records.
Anyhow, I have read all kinds of possibilities for this:
EGR
PCV
IAC
MAP
Throttle body
Bad cat(s)
Issues with #4 and #8 plug wires
Wiring harness
Voltage regulator
The list seems to be almost endless, as far as possible causes.
I like this car and would prefer to keep it, but I can't afford to start replacing a lot of parts because *maybe* it is this or *maybe* it's that.
Has anyone else had a Panther with this specific loss of power problem as I have described?
Thanks
When I got it in Sept of '19, it had a vacuum leak. I tracked that to the automatic parking brake release switch. Disconnected the hose and plugged it. Done.
A different problem keeps persisting. On cold start-up, the idle would go back and forth between high and low for 20 to 30 seconds before smoothing out at low idle. Would be a bit rough sometimes after reaching low idle, though. At the same time, when shifting through the gears from Park, the engine rpms would go lower than normal low idle and occasionally cause a stall-out. Shifting between gears would also see a dimming of headlights and instrument panel lights. However, the alternator is quite new....I don't think that is part of the problem. After the inspection tech at the shop left my courtesy lights on and killed my battery (as detailed in a thread in the electrical forum) I got a new Die Hard Silver Series Group 65 battery.
After installing the new battery, on cold starts the idle settles down to low very rapidly now....maybe in 15 seconds or so. There is no more up and down, back and forth, at the moment.
But the problem(s) of loss of power when shifting between gears, and dimming of lights, still remain.
Here is everything else that I can think of, in case anything might tie-in somehow:
Slight coolant leak. Maybe 2 ounces every week or two. It sits in the little depression on top of the water pump. It leaks so slowly that you can't see where it's coming from while the engine is running. It *seems* to leak when sitting cold for several days, rather than when the engine is warm. It suggests to me contraction of an old hose or gasket as it reaches ambient air temperature.
The exhaust system is rusting out. It's the only rust on the whole car, but it includes the catalytic converters. The cover shield for the driver's side cat dropped off onto the pavement last winter. There is rattling from the exhaust, at low idle, possibly from the cats. I have read that bad cats can cause various engine issues.
The transmission was rebuilt in 2015. Shift points with the column shifter are a bit vague and come more between the letters than right on. At about 30mph, when traveling at slow speeds when there are stop signs every few blocks, when the transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd there is a 'chirp' and a harsher than normal shift....not bad, but you can feel a difference. Does that both in regular drive and overdrive.When road conditions are such that you can accelerate firmly and steadily, the transition from 1st to 2nd is normal and there is no chirp. Shifts to higher gears are normal. On the interstates, so far the car performs like new, with no issues at all.
Last winter, there were a few times when starting out cold and reaching the first stop sign, the car would not move again after stopping until I put it back in Park and shifted again. Didn't stall, though. I attribute those instances simply to not actually having it fully in gear, because of the shifter vagueness, even though I thought I did.
From all of the maintenance records that I received with the car, I found that the cap, rotor, plugs, and wires were all fairly recently replaced. The plugs that were installed are double platinum, according to the records.
Anyhow, I have read all kinds of possibilities for this:
EGR
PCV
IAC
MAP
Throttle body
Bad cat(s)
Issues with #4 and #8 plug wires
Wiring harness
Voltage regulator
The list seems to be almost endless, as far as possible causes.
I like this car and would prefer to keep it, but I can't afford to start replacing a lot of parts because *maybe* it is this or *maybe* it's that.
Has anyone else had a Panther with this specific loss of power problem as I have described?
Thanks
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