Sold OMG gas guzzler Yank tank: Bid accepted, car delivered!

[hauserplenty]

 

Sounds like a corroded circuit board somewhere. In some ECU or module. Or the speed sensor wiring: did you check the terminals? Clean and retension them refittingisthereverseofremoval &c.

 

GLWTS.

[eddyramrod]

Anybody fancy this as a raffle prize?

[eddyramrod]

So, here is what we've been doing, with pics.

This is where it's living at the moment, on SORN in Dave's driveway.  We've now had a few Saturday afternoons fiddling with this and exhausted both my skills and his.

Having checked the wiring to the sensors as best we could, plus the fuses and even the transmission oil, it was time to take the instrument cluster out.

Here's the printed circuit on the back...

And this is the front, obviously...

Lightswitch looks fine but the plug that goes into it has seen better days...

And here's the control circuit I pulled from under the dash, which appears to carry the signal from the sensors to the speedo...

I took this and the cluster to a local sparky so he could test the circuits for continuity, which I thought might show up something needing replacement on the circuit board.  It didn't.  At least he didn't charge me for his time.

So I put it all back together and tested it by launching the car up and down Dave's driveway a few times.  When cold, it was no better.  When warmed up, it showed speed instantly.

 

So that's where we're at.  I haven't got a clue what to do about it now, except maybe offer it as a raffle on here.  Whoever takes it on will need to be handy with the electrics, but they'll get a bloody lovely car.  A lovely car that hurts me even to think about now, I just want it away.

 

[Sloth in a bowl]

Speed, Odo not working while other items are. That sounds to me like a sensor issue.

Can you unplug the sensor and feed a false signal into the wires to see how the dash reacts?

If you get a signal then duff sensor.

If no signal then break in the wiring.

 

Gearbox, no idea, but could be related if expecting signals from that sensor to work correctly.

[eddyramrod]

The same auto-electrician who checked the loose  circuits for me has already been over the car and failed to find anything, he had it all afternoon before I took it off the road.  Frustrating?  Can you tell from my tone?    Yeah, just a bit, especially as it's meant having to buy (and tax and insure) another characterless blob just to get to work.  I've spent money on brand new sensors (two of, plus carriage x2 because the first one didn't fix the problem), and buying the factory manuals from ebay.  If I hadn't renewed the suspension last year I seriously would just weigh the fucker in, but that seems such a waste with brand new springs and struts on it.  Even so, it's looking more and more attractive.  One way or another it does have to go.

[Bobthebeard]

Had a slightly similar problem many years ago that turned out to be an internally corroded and almost broken (Internally! The insulation was intact) wire from a speed sensor. The wire was clipped up in a loom that ran quite close to the exhaust. Once heat reached the loom the expansion within the copper wire resulted in a working speedometer and auto box, but intermittent.

The ecu kept logging the codes but often wouldn't communicate with the test equipment. A partial new loom cured it eventually. Not the same car btw. Wasn't even American, but a possibility maybe? The wire looked perfectly fine from the outside so took a LONG time to diagnose.

[Richard]

It sounds as if something heat-dependent is trying to earth through the speedo circuit or vice-versa.

[Bobthebeard]

The burnt out light switch plug needs further investigation IMHO. Collateral damage may have resulted.

[hauserplenty]

Eddy, you've thrown enough parts at it, so why not:

1. Replace the light switch plug

2. Replace the control board.

 

I think the problem could be a component on the board itself, as this is sounding like a familiar problem with PC board circuits. The light switch plug also can affect the amount of current available to these circuits which require a steady current to operate, or they simply fail.

You (or the lucky* new keeper) could also try clamping new terminals onto those light switch wires, then attaching them to the switch one at a time...

I would, but it's so far away.

Let me know if u need any parts, as I now have many new sources and a trip to the junkyards might be...well, that's another thread!

[hauserplenty]

P.s. most components need removing from the board to be tested anyway. They all do that, sir...

[eddyramrod]

That light switch plug is almost the most interesting thing.  I have considered rewiring it, with individual terminals rather than a plug, which I'm simply not going to get here, but dismissed it as being more work than I'm prepared to do.  (You can tell how much mojo I've lost, can't you!)

Lou, thank you for the offer.  I may yet have to take you up on that.

As for the circuit board, the electrician did say his tests would have shown him if any of the components were not functioning.  I trusted him, as just removing the thing tested my abilities.

[eddyramrod]

I'd like to add.... if any of the above sounds ungrateful at all, I'm sorry, it's not meant to be.  I've had far more and better-quality help off Autoshite than I have off the Taurus/Sable Owners Club forum, and I do appreciate it.  But I was living with the fault for months, and finally laid it up; before I laid it up I'd already spent a bomb on new parts and since, another bomb on a cheap old shed for daily duties.  Daily duties the Mercury is supposed to be performing.  I have put far more effort into it than I ever intended, and way beyond that level for money.

My big mistake was buying a car so young.  22 years old?  Whatever made me imagine that could end well?

[Bobthebeard]

Given that I like a challenge I am prepared to swap the car for my moped collection. No strings attached. One of them almost works and has been restored, the other three don't work and haven't. Can deliver/collect.

Fair?

😄

[eddyramrod]

That's almost tempting!

[Bobthebeard]

That's almost tempting!

It may* make sense! The Honda PC50 has been restored and has no speedometer as not required, the rest have no electrics to speak of. An oasis of calm.

[eddyramrod]

Nothing about this entire project has ever made sense!  The mopeds are of little interest tbh, but I could be persuaded to consider other swopping options, as long as none of them cost me any cash.

[Bobthebeard]

£100 deposit via PayPal now then £250 on 25th June? Collect in July?

Feel free to tell me to FRO of course...

[garethj]

The amount of heat generated to burn that light plug is huge, I'd look at a wiring diagram to see where it goes to and hard wire it in (maybe via a 25A fuse).

 

I had a similar problem with my old Porsche 924, the copper wire had too much internal resistance in awkward places, so I just chopped it out and ran a new wire to the end, all sorted.

 

There was also a wiring problem with Mrs_garethj's S Type, it took hundreds of hours to find but 5p and 2 minutes to fix.  Mechanical problems are usually easy to see but take ages to fix, sparky problems are the opposite.

[eddyramrod]

A deal is looking likely!  Watch this space.

[eddyramrod]

Logistics being arranged.....  This is looking promising.  I'm afraid of jinxing it now!

[Bobthebeard]

Logistics being arranged..... This is looking promising. I'm afraid of jinxing it now!

Fear not Mr Ramrod. All will be well! I can personally vouch for the buyer. He is a jolly nice chap who's word is his bond etc. He also provides bacon butties occasionally.

😄

[eddyramrod]

I can now vouch for the bacon butties.  Photos to follow, but let's just say, Bobthebeard is now a Mercury owner and I'm not, and we are both happy about that.

[danthecapriman]

Well done Eddy, I'm glad it's found a new owner that's not going to wreck it! You still on the look out for an older yank?

 

Bobthebeard, best of luck getting it sorted!

[eddyramrod]

I'm not actively looking, Dan, but I keep a casual eye on ebay and other possible sources.  Money is an issue just now, so I can't see anything chrome-bumpered in my immediate future.  In the long term, who knows?  Something like your Merc would be ideal.

[wuvvum]

What you need is a nice Oldsmobile to fill the Mercury-shaped hole in your life.

[hairnet]

keep telling him that

 

digi dash hed set usain bolt world record running away tho

[eddyramrod]

As promised, here's the delivery story.

So, the deal was struck with Bobthebeard, who isn't a Bob at all.  Delivery was arranged through the very kind offices of Dave862, who is a Dave, and has been guarding the car for some weeks now.

This is Dave's Transit, moments after we unloaded the Sable...

You can almost see it sighing with relief!  And here is Bob, who is really Duncan, celebrating his new toy.

Tea and coffee were consumed, along with bacon butties; papers signed and... well that's it really.  I even managed to nod off on the way home, which is a high compliment for Dave's driving!

Over to Duncan now for a whole new thread.  Good luck, good sir, you will have a fine luxury car when you've finished (or a heart attack... one or the other!).

[danthecapriman]

You managed to nod off. In a smiley Transit. You must have been knackered!!

 

Hopefully the Sable will be fit for the road soon.

[Bobthebeard]

As promised, here's the delivery story.

So, the deal was struck with Bobthebeard, who isn't a Bob at all. Delivery was arranged through the very kind offices of Dave862, who is a Dave, and has been guarding the car for some weeks now.

Grasmere 15 003.jpg

This is Dave's Transit, moments after we unloaded the Sable...

Grasmere 15 002.jpg

You can almost see it sighing with relief! And here is Bob, who is really Duncan, celebrating his new toy.

Grasmere 15 001.jpg

Tea and coffee were consumed, along with bacon butties; papers signed and... well that's it really. I even managed to nod off on the way home, which is a high compliment for Dave's driving!

Over to Duncan now for a whole new thread. Good luck, good sir, you will have a fine luxury car when you've finished (or a heart attack... one or the other!).

Despite looking gloomy (and fat) I am loving the Mercury so far! Had a good poke around the car and all looking good. Some rust on one wing (fender) and a lot of inexplicable cigarette type burns on the rear headlining being the only problems so far. Will tackle the problem with the speedometer/transmission at a later date. My aim so far is to clean and polish the paintwork and clean up the interior first. This will kick start my mojo for tackling the actual problem!

[eddyramrod]

a lot of inexplicable cigarette type burns

 

From a previous owner, obviously.  I've never smoked, and nobody ever smokes in my car.  Shows you how much time I spent in the back: I'd never even noticed them!  You might find one or two on the front seats, from memory, but not many, considering it's 22 years old with no history.  I'm sure it'll clean up really well, and yes, it'll look so much more enticing.  Has MrsBeard offered an opinion yet?