Mark VIII car problems

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Zoe

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wassup i just bought a mark 8 used and im tryna figure out where i can go in tx to get a tune up?
Also when i crank my car and press the accelerator it takes a while to accelerate can anybody tell me whats goin on wit my vehicle?
 
First off welcome, second we will need a little more info on what the problem is before we can efficiently help you or point you in the right direction.
 
:W:V
let's see some pics of your Mark VIII
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do you want to work on your car? a simple tune up can be plugs (autolite 764's) with a cool engine, air filter, oil change, and fuel filter if so motivated
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you'll find thorough directions on how to do these tasks if you search the forum
 
Zoe said:
wassup i just bought a mark 8 used and im tryna figure out where i can go in tx to get a tune up?
Also when i crank my car and press the accelerator it takes a while to accelerate can anybody tell me whats goin on wit my vehicle?
Click to expand...

I bought it like 5 months ago and its idling ive been told a tune up bt I took it to Ford and they told me Catalytic converters and wanted 2200$ to fix em....any suggestions
 
First off thanks for all the responses its nice to have a response other than "thats a ford I cant tell you. So its a 1998 Mark VIII, my first car (i'm 21) yes I would love to fix myself but have experience on working on cars (though my mom is looking at getting me the repair manuals for my bday). I got codes that indicated o2 sensors and took to ford and they replaced them all. Was still having problems and ford said that if i got a full diagnostic test ($130) they could tell me exactly what was wrong. Here I will state again my first car, so I did that for them to wait till the end of the day before they closing telling me my car was ready, so I went and they gave me a "STATEMENT" saying catalytic converters and a price $2200. So of course I went home and told my mother (which would help me pay for it) but she asked where is the actual diagnostic test print out, so next day called to see if I can come and get it and they said they deleted it from their computer.

Next steps was taking to a muffler shop (old nice gentleman) he raised the car and said their are three catalytic converters on it and there is no way to tell which one is bad . He also was at least honest enough to tell me he could fix two of them but would not be able to fix the one connected to the manifold............. So, I have been working on saving money to get it fixed and trying to find someone other than ford (I feel like they could tell I don't really know and was possibly telling me anything). So now the car is not accelerating over 20 miles per every right after idling or stoping then after like 3 minutes it will accelerate higher (most i have tested is 40 mph). I am just lost but of course this is my first car I bought on my own and its my baby problems or not. Any help is appreciated.
 
20130708_134546 (2).jpg

heres a pic

20130708_134546 (2).jpg
 
OK your trying that the main thing. A big TIP for you put your rims on correct! The swirls all swirl BACK on top of rims. If you want to test which cat is bad take out the O2 sensor on one side and drive car. If it hauls butt it was that side cat. If its still slow its the other side. So put first 02 back in and take out other one and run car to make sure its the cat. The hole that mounts the 02 sensor is big enough to let engine breath and rev. You stick with us and you'll help you out. Oh BTW the muffler guy should have known this.

ALSO hope you are NOT driving car alot. DON'T till fixed.
 
I've changed all four o2 sensors after i went to autozone and got diagnostics. problem still consisted.
 
ok my bad i had to read it again lol i bought the car with the wheels on just like that lol bt appreciate the ill try it....
 
Zoe said:
ok my bad i had to read it again lol i bought the car with the wheels on just like that lol bt appreciate the ill try it....
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You think I told you to reread my post because of the rims? LOL NO. I explained how to check for bad cat by removing 02 sensor(s). BTW are you a M or F?
 
Zoe said:
ok my bad i had to read it again lol i bought the car with the wheels on just like that lol bt appreciate the ill try it....
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He was talking about the O2 sensor part for you to read again. The wheels are not what is causing your problem. It doesn't matter if you changed your O2 sensors, one of your catalytic converters is clogged. So to figure out which one is clogged, you are going to have take the upstream O2 senors off from one side and see if it makes a difference. If your problem is solved by removing that O2 sensor, then that is the side that needs to be replaced. If it doesn't resolve the problem, it is the other side. (just paraphrased what "Right on the mark" said but hope it helps)

Edit: looks like ROTM got to it before haha

But since it seems like working on cars is new to you, I would suggest you take it back to the old guy explain this procedure to him. The O2 sensors are a PITA to get to from what I have heard.
 
I'm going to come in here and open my mouth...

First off what state are you located in, sometimes someone on here local will offer to give a hand. If you were in Florida, I'd help you out.

Secondly... I am a "retired" Ford Master Technician. While I worked for Ford, I had a lot of pride in the company, even though I thought about 97.8% of the "technicians" were parts changers only. While I worked there, I got mad when people knocked the dealers. But now I see how things really were.

That said... I wouldn't trust a DAMN thing a dealer tells you. They have a reputation and a stigma that, "well, they built my car, I know they can fix it!". That's bologna though, so many times I saw vehicles mis diagnosed. Engines/transmission assemblies, when it was something minor and inexpensive. What if you let them perform $2200 worth of work and the problem is still there? The tech panics, finds out it was a $5 sensor puts it on the car and doesn't tell you. Or the next thing they want to throw at it is a PCM, I'd put money on it. You need to find those hole in the wall places that you can trust, and its usually best to get a second opinion AND ask them what happens if their repair doesn't fix the problem, before you give them the OK. That way, they know you aren't paying for what doesn't fix the car. ALSO, the latest Ford scan tool doesn't give any kind of print out, that's bull. It's a laptop, and in all my years, I never printed anything, and Diesels especially were watched like hawks by the Ford Warranty department. (They can, but its not general practice. we printed things like info from the Ford website). This sounds like a dumb Ford tech throwing the most expensive stuff at your car, right off the bat.

I'm sorry for my rant, but I worked at 3 Ford dealers and while not every tech was bad, most were.

Look around at salvage yards for parts, especially something like cats. IF you had a actual problem with your cats, I would probably just get them deleted. And, I don't recommend it personally, but you could punch them out if that was your only option.

Lastly, what these guys are getting at with the O2 sensors, if I understand correctly, is remove the sensor so that the restriction in the cat will allow the exhaust to blow out the O2 hole. That will become the path of least resistance.



I apologize for the rant, but I also hope this was helpful...
 
that's a fine rant DD,lol....
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Zoe, 10 spoke rim direction has little to possibly no effect on exhaust
you mentioned looking for a manual, imo that is 30-40 bux very wel spent... blindly trusting EVERY bit of advice you get here would be a mistake; as Ronnie Reagan said, trust but confirm by your own resources
 
dnsherrill said:
that's a fine rant DD,lol....
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Zoe, 10 spoke rim direction has little to possibly no effect on exhaust
you mentioned looking for a manual, imo that is 30-40 bux very wel spent... blindly trusting EVERY bit of advice you get here would be a mistake; as Ronnie Reagan said, trust but confirm by your own resources
Click to expand...
Rim direction has ZERO effect on exhaust;) As for info if peeps see bad info they will call on it. Threads have 10 inputs and 9 say same thing and 1 says different then odds are 9 are close.
 
Am I missing something here? I thought diagnosing clogged cats was pretty straightforward for a shop and doesn't involve removing the O2 sensor. Fortunately for the OP the O2 sensors would come out pretty easily since they have just been replaced. I thought most shops have an exhaust back pressure gauge where they can tell if the exhaust is restricted by drilling a small hole and inserting a probe into the exhaust. Maybe I have it wrong.

If I wasn't going to diagnose the exhaust restriction myself and was bringing the car to a shop, I would sure rather the shop use a back pressure gauge than to try to remove my O2 sensors and possibly ruin them in the process.
 
i thought the back pressure probe screwed into the pre cat O2 sensor bung?

but if you don't have the pressure probe, removing the O2 sensor gives the exhaust some where to go around the clogged cat. that's the point.
 
sprocket said:
Am I missing something here? I thought diagnosing clogged cats was pretty straightforward for a shop and doesn't involve removing the O2 sensor. Fortunately for the OP the O2 sensors would come out pretty easily since they have just been replaced. I thought most shops have an exhaust back pressure gauge where they can tell if the exhaust is restricted by drilling a small hole and inserting a probe into the exhaust. Maybe I have it wrong.

If I wasn't going to diagnose the exhaust restriction myself and was bringing the car to a shop, I would sure rather the shop use a back pressure gauge than to try to remove my O2 sensors and possibly ruin them in the process.
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So you think its easier to drill 2 holes to insert gauge and then what do they do to close those 2 holes? Where you already have threaded ports to do same thing. Redundant. Lets see way I described NO drilling NO closing drilled holes and NO buying gauge. Hmmmm?
 
Right on the Mark said:
So you think its easier to drill 2 holes to insert gauge and then what do they do to close those 2 holes? Where you already have threaded ports to do same thing. Redundant. Lets see way I described NO drilling NO closing drilled holes and NO buying gauge. Hmmmm?
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In this case it is clearly not easier since the O2 sensors have been recently replaced. However, if the O2 sensors had been in for several years, then yes, I believe it would be much easier to drill a 1/4" hole which could be plugged with a self tapping screw or spot weld. I'm talking about a car that has been brought to a SHOP not one that is being worked on at home. If they have the gauge that can fit a 1/4" hole, then why would I want them to risk breaking my O2 sensors which might be good?
 
sprocket said:
In this case it is clearly not easier since the O2 sensors have been recently replaced. However, if the O2 sensors had been in for several years, then yes, I believe it would be much easier to drill a 1/4" hole which could be plugged with a self tapping screw or spot weld. I'm talking about a car that has been brought to a SHOP not one that is being worked on at home. If they have the gauge that can fit a 1/4" hole, then why would I want them to risk breaking my O2 sensors which might be good?
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I think think you have it backwards. Since the 02's where just out its easier now. I have never broke an 02 removing one. Easier? drill hole , install gauge, WELD hole or remove sensor,install sensor.
 
love the feed back by the way from everybody first off im a male and i got exactly what you said about the cats. the thing is the cost in texas for people to fix or remove and install parts is expensive whether its the dealer or not. i took my car to autozone and did the diagnostics and it read a spark plug so im gonna start with that and see if the problem consist. i cant say i know how to properly remove o2 sensors so i would have to find someone to do that(for a cheap price). i cant take the cats off completely because im moving to atlanta in a few weeks and it wont past admissions or smog or what ever you call it.
 
i 'think' a tune could cover the lack of cats...idk...where in the ATL are you gonna be? I'm nw of downtown, Cherokee County; I got a guy here that will cut out your cats for ya
...many M8 owners feel plugs should be changed every 10-15k miles...I like autolite 764's; change em when the block is cool, torque enough but not too much; when I changed plugs recently 4 CEL's disappeared
 
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