1980 Lincoln Message center Not working

[91waggin]

^^sounds like it is overheating.

capacitor plague?

[gadget73]

probably. The one in the Mark VII did that, bad caps. Personally I'd repair the message center. That car is too nice to hack up and put some stupid gps in the dash.


Actually the only vacuum tube in the system is the display itself. Its a vacuum fluorescent display, which can trace it's operational principals back about 100 years to the triode tube.

[Grand_Marquis_LSS]

I'll be getting it working for sure, Just need to find someone to rebuild the unit. But First I'm going to check all the fuses.

[Jason_GMQ91]

Just need to find someone to rebuild the unit.

I dont think so, because you need to find one good used unit box from junkyard to find any from 1980 to 1989 Town Cars.

[gadget73]

Used ones are only going to last so long. I'll guarantee a used one will die eventually. I'd consider trying to rebuild them, but I have no way to test the thing so I'd have no idea if it actually worked when I was done.

[91waggin]

Actually the only vacuum tube in the system is the display itself. Its a vacuum fluorescent display, which can trace it's operational principals back about 100 years to the triode tube.

NOT LCD??? Shocking.

[gadget73]

naw. early LCDs sucked. Remember the early hand-held TV sets and laptops from the 80s with the green and purple display that only worked if you looked at it dead on? VFDs make great alphanumeric displays. They're easier to control, dead reliable, and have good visibility.

[Grand_Marquis_LSS]

This weekend I'm going to try to fix the tripminder. I'm going to take the brain box apart and clean all the contacts and everything and check the wires. Hopefully I can get it working especialy since the car is on the road now.

[Grand_Marquis_LSS]

Discoverd my car has a ECM in the fire wall, but the car is carburated. There is nothing pluge'd into it nor is there any wireing there for it at all. Did all mark VI's come with the computer, even with the carburated option?

[marquisman]

im not sure on that. my brochure talks about the 1980 model year just having CFI and how awsome it was to be lol. my mark VI is an american car that looks like it had CFI but then converted to carb. its got the duraspark box and everything but, still has the wire harness and the ECM in place. im guessing it was a profetional install once apon a time lol

[gadget73]

I seriously doubt they all came with an ECM. Most likely it used to be CFI and the CFI died or someone couldn't figure it out and changed it over. Hopefully if thats the case, the CFI harness ws cleanly removed and not just partially hacked out. Without the ECM, and without the funky fuel flow thingy next to the carb, you won't have any of the fuel economy features. The rest ought to work though.

[insomniac391]

^^sounds like it is overheating.

o yea i forgot about this thread.

now thats its hot as balls out it only stays on for 5 mins. So yea... overheatation.

[351-lincoln]

Discoverd my car has a ECM in the fire wall, but the car is carburated. There is nothing pluge'd into it nor is there any wireing there for it at all. Did all mark VI's come with the computer, even with the carburated option?

A LOT of these cars had variable venturi on them, so a lot got converted to dura spark 2 and a carb. so they would also pull the wires for that 3 system out.

[Grand_Marquis_LSS]

Ok removeing the messege center brain box shouldent effect anything else should it? I wan't to take it out and take it apart to check the connections and see if there is anything else that might be causing it to not work..

[Grand_Marquis_LSS]

Nevermind. Already had it out and apart. couldent find any visable damage like broken solder joints or anything. Cleaned it all up, and cleaned the contacts where the plugs go. Put it back in and still nothing. So I am assuming the capaciters are shot. I am on the look out for a new brain box, so if anyone has one laying around let me know.
The part number on it is "E0LF-10D893 ASSY."