Welcome to the Crown Vics ETC blog!

On April 6, 2000, I purchased a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria LX HPP with 23,490 miles. I decided to start a little website for it featuring a running log of my experiences with the car. Vic 1.0 was retired in 2015 due to rust and electrical issues. Vic 2.0 was a 2006 P71 in Blue Pearl that belonged to my boyfriend. It was a Ford demo and never saw actual police use. It was damaged in September of 2018 with well over 186,000 miles. It was replaced by Vic 3.0 in October 2018, a 2008 P71 in Silver Birch with 120,971 miles. To read posts prior to 2010, click a link at right, or go to Crown Vics, ETC.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Vic... Getting Old...


It’s been a while since I posted an update on Vic.  I had to replace 2 of the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice snow tires due to wear and cracks starting to show on the sidewalls.  They were replaced with 2 used ones that I like to call “generic snow tires”.  My boyfriend Todd had them hanging around and were still good, so on they went.  I am not big on having mixed tires on a car.  So far, it seems they have less dry/sand grip than the Goodyears, which are on the front.  Haven’t driven in real snow yet.

The rust situation hasn’t improved much.  It KILLS me driving around with rusty fenders and quarters…

I have had an intermittent issue with the ABS acting up in wet weather.  Slowing to a stop, even a controlled stop, would set the ABS off and make it unsafe to stop due to the added distance ABS causes.  When the problem started up, I would pull the ABS fuse under the hood.  After a few days, or when it was dry outside again, I’d put the fuse back in.  Thing is, it didn’t ALWAYS do it!  My mechanic said it could be a wheel sensor or under-hood ABS component.  Knowing my financial situation, he said to just keep taking the fuse out. 

I am starting to wonder if the actual issue is a wire somewhere, because it hasn’t happened since we swapped on the winter tires.  Time will tell…

Another issue has been the speedometer.  Sometimes the speed stays at “0”.  If I jiggle the key, it will try to work.  Another issue that only happens now and then.  Worn ignition lock?  Is it the chip in the key?

Over the holidays, Vic didn’t move.  When I finally took it for a ride, it was bucking a lot.  I chalked it up to moisture in the gas tank.  Put in some dry gas, and over time it got better.  I had a new bottle of Stabil that was supposed to go into my Javelin, and decided to add a little to the Ford as a precaution.  So far, so good.  Todd’s ’06 was also running rough, and we now wonder what garbage is being put into the gas around here lately…

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