My t-bird hates the cold...

madmax0877

Registered User
So, I've been in Germany for about 6 months now, and my t-bird (93 SC manual, everything stock other than the radio/speaker setup) has been here for 4 of those 6 months. I've started running into issues recently and I assume they come from the temperature here (the temperature dropped a good 20-30 degrees to about in the last month...currently fluctuating between 10-30 degrees).

None the less, here are my new issues. Any guidance you guys could give would be most appreciated (keep in mind the facilities/knowledge for mechanic work here are VERY limited).

1. Heater doesn't work unless I've been driving for an extended period, or extremely fast. In both cases the heat only lasts as long as the car is in motion above 50ish MPH.
2. Temperature gauge has been moving toward the high end of the spectrum. Hasn't went into the red yet, but I haven't taken the car out for more than 30 mins max recently.
3. Intermitent issues with fuel injectors (I assume it's the injectors, at least). Some times, when I hit the accelerator (close to the floor) it feels like I've hit a governor in my other car. If I let off the accelerator, everything rights itself.
4. (I don't think this one is heat related, but...) My automatic seatbelts have almost stopped functioning. Very sporadically the seatbelts will move forward when the door is opened, but for the most part both seat belts remain in the back positon. (On occasion, the seat belts have remained in the forward position as well). The seatbelt light/warning ding also comes on intemittently.
5. I think this one is related to the seatbelt issue. On occasion, when I turn the lights on the car dings (like keys left in the ignition, lights left on, or seatbelt not fastened). I haven't narrowed it down 100%, but I think this only happens when the seatbelt light is on as well.

Thanks for any help/guidance you guys can offer. I've loved the SCs since my dad bought his 89 brand new, and would like to keep this one, but I can't justify keeping it if these issues are going to keep it from running properly in Germany (I'll be here for 3 more years, and can't have a vehicle sitting around that I can't use).
 
No heat, temperature gauge high=poor coolant flow, or very low level.

Seat belts creeping and sticking=low voltage

Both could be related to a badly slipping belt or lack of anti-freeze. That's all the answers I have so early in the morning, but you will get plenty of aid later in the day. I think you are very mistaken about the lack of mechanical talent in Germany though. Good luck.
 
Change your coolant with a 60/40 mix and replace your battery-BTW check all of your hoses for leaks as well as pressure test your radiator-from the symptoms you describe you defintly have a low coolant situation
 
I changed the coolant recently (less than a week ago). Put a whole bottle of antifreeze in plus whatever water it needed to completely fill. It did relieve some of the symptoms, but the ones I listed are after that solution.

I thought it was a coolant leak, actually, but I have been watching the ground, and have yet to see any coolant on the ground either.

The battery was replaced in September, as well as the connectors and cables. Nothing else seems to be sluggish other than the belts.

Thanks for the tips, guess I should have included some of this info in the original text of the post.
 
Take it somewhere and get the cooling system properly backflushed. I don't think you told us just how cold it is there. Below 10f above, I doubt if 1 gallon of anti-freeze is adequate. Just cuz the battery is new, does not necessarily mean it is any good. Get a load test done on it. Low voltage is the only explanation I can come up with for sluggish passive restraint problems.
 
If your thermstat is sticking you could be blowing out coolant through the overflow in the catch tank while driving and not notice it.
 
My opinion also is that your coolant is low. When you filled the system did you get all the air out? These cars are sometimes hard to get all the air pockets out. You did open the vent tube when you filled, right?
About seat belts---It's likely that the tracks need lubing. The old lube dries out and gets crap imbedded in the tracks causing them to be sluggish. Take off the inner trim and clean out the tracks, then relube with some white lithium grease, should be good to go. John
 
3. Intermitent issues with fuel injectors (I assume it's the injectors, at least). Some times, when I hit the accelerator (close to the floor) it feels like I've hit a governor in my other car. If I let off the accelerator, everything rights itself.


This could be as simple as new spark plugs and Motorcraft wires, or it may be a timing issue due to bad harmonic balancer. Make sure the crank bolt is still holding the balancer on. The balancers tend to break and rotate on the crank out of position and cause retarding of the spark. This causes the no power condition under boost.


Jerry
 
I store my car in the winter. Living in Wisconsin the bird would be ditch bound all the time. Well I try to start it once a month. Last month it would start. I'd try to but would start. Must be too cold out.
 
Another option for the lack of heat & fluctuating gauge is the water pump could be going bad. You may really want to take a look at that as your simptoms happened to me as well. Didn't realize it because I didn't see leaks under the car either, so I tried the thermostat & antifreeze mix first. But that didn't help, then did the water pump & back to normal.

Anthony
 
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