My Mark VIII is done...

[mark0101]

So my sister was driving my car when the message popped up to "Check engine temp". Of course it was on high but she kept driving it because another message came which said "Engine error" apparently which I guess to some people means keep driving. Also she says the temp gauge totally went to "C". She drove the car for 9 miles like that when she took an exit toward our house and the car completely stalled/seized. so I come over and a road ranger is there behind her and apparently jump started the car. I run over as she is pulling out into the traffic and is waiting on a light. The cars temp gauge is pegged to "H", low oil pressure light is on and the car is making a grinding/knocking sound. Can't pull over any where since she is back on the road, no shoulder and the light is red. After the light turns green, we find the closest place to pull over and shut her down.

Tow it back to my house, and let it cool down. At this time I am thinking it is the oil pump that went bad. But I started it after it had cooled down but there is no low oil pressure light. Seems to run fine except the the knocking noise. haven't run it to see if it overheats. Now I am thinking it was a maybe a stuck thermostat or something blocking the oil pumps neck.

Going to go take a short video but looks like the engine is shot now. It sucks because if it would have been cooled down, it would still be running probably.

 

[Right on the Mark]

This again shows why you don't let others drive your car. Sorry to hear the bad news.

 

[opalescent 96]

Sorry to hear this man! If it's the car in your sig, I hope you grab another engine for it! What is :temp gauge went to C?

 

[mark0101]

You can hear the knocking in the video and it still over heats. Don't know why...

[video=youtube;Bj5aLGcCBjs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj5aLGcCBjs[/video]

I don't think it would be wise for me to put another engine in it. It has chipping paint on the driver side door and front fender. For it to be a nice car, it would need a new engine now and a new paint job. You can find decent Mark VIIIs for $4000 - $7000. Don't know if it will be a Mark VIII even . Still have three Mark VIIIs, so not gonna be without them. we need a four door or an SUV maybe.

About the gauge... she described it as not working since it went to cold on the temp gauge.

 

[opalescent 96]

Doesn't sound that bad at all! Doesn't sound like a rod knock either... if it was it would be doing it all the time. If there is no loss of power then what's the problem? Sounds like maybe a timing chain tensioner or something. I would fix the overheating issue and go from there, new thermostat etc.

 

[driller]

About the gauge... she described it as not working since it went to cold on the temp gauge.

It does that when the air pocket hits the temp sensor... no coolant, no temp to measure. Probably overheated and puked coolant out, sucking in air.

A fast fluctuating temp gauge is a sure sign of air in the cooling system.

 

[BigPip]

:i:i:i:i

 

[soduka]

Sounds exactly like your thermostat picked a really great time to stick closed. When the needle starts practically bouncing around like that it means the sensor's hitting air. The coolant reservoir likely had a blowdown from the pressure backing up.

 

[My Great 8]

Beautiful house!! I agree with driller. My son overheated my 93. It made the same noises you are hearing. After burping it and fixing the loose plug at the fan, I changed the oil and added a quart of Lucas. I let it idle for about 30 minutes and the engine was once again quiet until he burned it to the ground. I have a 97 lsc as a parts car. Your car is too nice to part out. Maybe we can work a deal for the engine. Don't part out such a nice car!

 

[mark0101]

If there is no loss of power then what's the problem?

That noise just can't be good and can't drive like that knowing when it will give out. I am going to see if I can fix the overheating by burping the system and go from there.

Beautiful house!! I agree with driller. My son overheated my 93. It made the same noises you are hearing. After burping it and fixing the loose plug at the fan, I changed the oil and added a quart of Lucas. I let it idle for about 30 minutes and the engine was once again quiet until he burned it to the ground. I have a 97 lsc as a parts car. Your car is too nice to part out. Maybe we can work a deal for the engine. Don't part out such a nice car!

Thanks. Yeah, Coolant was definitely low after the whole ordeal. Filled it up but didn't burp it. Will try that and see if it still overheats after that. What lucas product did you use. It might be worth a try if I can get it to stop overheating. And if I go the engine swap route, I will hit you up.

 

[opalescent 96]

Yeah agree with driller, not enough coolant in...

You have a tick, not a knock... just saying don't start parting her out just yet.

If you don't have a low oil pressure light on at hot idle and you didn't blow a head gasket you're OK

Remember these engines have programing that saves the engine from melting down when it over heats. You can drive a 100 miles on alternating cylinders with no coolant or some such thing.

If it were mine, I would change out the thermostat and look over the cooling system, burp it etc. I would change the oil and put a quart of Marvel mystery oil in there. After 500-1000 miles or so it might get rid of that tick

 

[Bangster]

I don't think that the Mark VIII got failsafe cooling. I know that my 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis does, and it was added in the 1998 model year for the Panthers (grand marquis, crown victoria, town car).

 

[mark0101]

It LIVES!!!

So I opened the crossover tube to burp the system, and there was no coolant at all. It took 2 Gallons of coolant and that tick went away. I am guessing it was just moving air which was creating that noise but I am happy to report that all is well again. Just got to see if it is the thermostat or the VCLM which caused it to overheat.

I did buy the marvel mystery oil, looks like people rave about it just like seafoam. I will just put it in now since i already bought it. Anyways, I am SO GLAD my baby is up running again!!!

 

[opalescent 96]

I would change the thermostat out just on principle. You can test it in a pot of boiling water next to a new one if you want to be clinical. Change the radiator cap also. Where did all that coolant go? Out of the cap or? Maybe have a leak

 

[opalescent 96]

I don't think that the Mark VIII got failsafe cooling. I know that my 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis does, and it was added in the 1998 model year for the Panthers (grand marquis, crown victoria, town car).

Not really positive but I thought it was part of the Lincoln Intech system. Pretty sure Cadillac has a similar system with their Northstar

 

[mark0101]

I would change the thermostat out just on principle. You can test it in a pot of boiling water next to a new one if you want to be clinical. Change the radiator cap also. Where did all that coolant go? Out of the cap or? Maybe have a leak

Don't really know. I haven't paid close attention to leaks but will check around. I saw some coolant around the coolant reserve bottle when it was being towed but didn't see a puddle or anything. Then again at that time all the coolant was probably gone. I will check it out though.

 

[soduka]

I would change the thermostat out just on principle. You can test it in a pot of boiling water next to a new one if you want to be clinical. Change the radiator cap also. Where did all that coolant go? Out of the cap or? Maybe have a leak

When a situation like this happens it'll blow a hell of a lot of coolant right out of the reservoir cap. I would know, it happened to me.

 

[chargerxr]

+1 on it blowing it out the reservoir. Glad to hear it survived.

 

[MN12hybrid]

My 94 currently makes that same noise! Its never been overheated before either. My car runs fine, it doesnt overheat but it can get warm sometimes. I have never had any oil pressure issues, or anything with the car stalling. Like you my noise goes away after revving the motor, and comes back when the rpms go back to around idle. I have wondered if that really is a knocking sound Ive been hearing for the past 2 years with my car as well... My car has around 240k miles currently.

I forgot to mention, when my motor warms up the noise seems to almost disappear.

I just noticed my fan doesnt seem anywhere near as strong as that! For a while I was thinking my fan is bad.

 

[soduka]

Unplug the coolant sensor to test it. That will trigger the fan into failsafe which means it'll run at 100% power all the time.

 

[MN12hybrid]

Finally got a video of my Mark doing the same thing as your Mark! Ticking goes away when it heats up, and quiets down when you rev it.

Had some idiot tell me my motor was trashed because of the sound, but couldnt explain why other than it sounds like the motor is ****ed up inside. He knew nothing about these cars, and about the common issue with the cam tensioners "knocking sound" when starting up - mine does that too but goes away in less then 10 seconds, then all you hear is this ticking.

Does anyone here have any good idea of what is causing this sound? Car runs normal, no overheating, etc... I had to rig my crossover pipe because the cap got stuck so I drilled into it and tapped it so I could twist a Kia bolt in their to plug it! I had this sound well before the whole fiasco with my crossover pipe getting stuck, and having to bleed through the coolant reservior and hose (took 4 hours to get all the ****ing air out!!)...

[video=youtube;_-z3bWdfjiw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-z3bWdfjiw&feature=youtu.be[/video]


Here is a quick pick as I approach my car to work on it for the day... Sorry for the crappy camera, it doesnt help also that I am very bad with cameras as well! :rolleyes

 

[Roadboss]

Sounds like a cam follower. Probably won't hurt anything as long as you don't rev the engine too high all the time. The noise will come and go as a result of how much oil gets onto the follower at anytime. To repair it requires removing the cam cover for the offending side. Drivers side gets a little more complicated by the master cylinder placement.

 

[97 Octane]

Ticking goes away when it heats up, and quiets down when you rev it.

Does anyone here have any good idea of what is causing this sound? Car runs normal, no overheating, etc...

My 97 is doing the same thing. The cause of the problem is that my passenger side #3 hydraulic valve lash adjuster has seized and it makes the tapping noise you hear when it only makes contact with the top of the cam lobe.

Upon closer inspection, my#4 is also showing the same problem. So, I had my local F/L dealer order me a pair. Also ordered a replacement valve cover gasket since they are not re-usable.