REPAIR: Third Brake Light Bulb Replacement

Third brake light.
Center brake light.
Center high mount brake light.

Whatever you call it, sometimes you need to change the bulbs inside.  I knew I had one of the two burned out, but last month while backing up I noticed via glass storefront reflection I had TWO burned out.

The good thing about the situation was I finally was forced to fix the package tray, which someone misaligned at some point, probably while removing some police equipment. 

If you haven't done this simple job before, here's all you need to know:

TOOLS:

- two human hands

- Phillips screwdriver

- bulbs, in this case Sylvania 912 

- OPTIONAL:  awl or other pointy object

STEPS:

1) remove the two screws from the side of the light housing

2) pinch the two white plastic tabs, slip assembly out of housing

3) pull bad bulbs UP and out of assembly

4) PUSH IN new bulbs (I like to make sure there's no grease/dirt/finger shmoo on them)

5) Push the while assembly back into the housing until you feel a click

6) Align the housing to the two black mounts on the rear deck.  You may want to use a thin screwdriver or awl to locate the holes and keep things aligned.

7) tighten screws

8) apply foot to brake pedal and ask someone to see if you accomplished your mission, OR use a mirror/window (glass won't congratulate you for a job well done, though)

UPDATE: Oil and Refrigerant

5/7/26

Vic's A/C had been acting strange.  I remembered that last year, it would take a while to kick in and blow cold.  This season, the few days so far that have been warm, it would take anywhere from 10-60 minutes to go blow cold!  Thing is, I didn't hear the compressor go on and off like usual when the refrigerant is low.  For kicks, because it was on clearance, I tried one of those DYI rechargers.  The built-in pressure gauge was pinned to the max.  Wellp, long story short, "Taxi Guy" is up from Florida for the season and working at a local repair shop, and they did an oil change and filled the refrigerant.   They told me if I notice it ever acting up again, to come back in since they used a UV dye to detect any leaks.  Next week it's supposed to get into the 80s, so it will get a good test!

5/13/26

Over the last month or so, I've caught a whiff of gas odor when parked in the driveway.  The other day, it seemed even stronger.  I didn't see any drips anywhere on the ground, and the filler-neck was also dry.  My boyfriend actually got under the car yesterday after I said "what about the fuel filter?".  Taxi Guy was able to replace it today.  He said he actually needed help removing the old filter without breaking anything, it was so stuck onto the fuel lines!  He thinks it may very well be ORIGINAL... Should be interesting watching for any changed in fuel mileage and acceleration.

UPDATE: Fastback Vic Returns!!

After having a Crown Vic parked in the same section of the driveway since 2000, I usually know what things will look like after snow.

As I type, Massachusetts is in the middle of a "Noreestaa", or "nor'easter" to foreigners.  That means the return of FASTBACK VIC!

The wind blows snow in such a way there will be a totally bare spot on the upper-driver corner of the windshield, and a big snow wedge on the trunk, making the entire car look like some sort of sleek, frosting-covered fastback car.

MILESTONE: 200,000 MILES!!!

FINALLY!

I have gotten a car to hit 200,000 miles!  

Vic 3.0 hit 200,000 miles on 1/19/2026

Vic 3.0 wasn't expected to still be on the road today!  I assumed it was going to be way too rotted at this point.  But it just keeps running and driving GREAT!

Cars that ALMOST made it:
1986 Pontiac Parisienne - Mechanical problems
1987 Mercury Grand Marquis - Transmission problems
1998 Ford Crown Victoria LX - Rust/Wear
2006 Ford Crown Victoria P71 - Accident

REPAIR: Transmission Lines (approx 177,000 miles)

(June 2024 - approx 177,000 Miles)

This one's almost too painful to recollect!  But here's an abridged version of the repair experience... 

There had been some random drips appearing under Vic's front end for a while, but I couldn't actually see anything dripping.  Fluid levels all were pretty OK.  Then the drips got worse, and I was actually getting wispy smoke from under the hood, so we got under and looked around.  Sure enough, the transmission lines were rusting through in two areas.

LONG story short, as many of you know, these lines are no longer available from Ford, and it appears NO ONE offers them aftermarket.

I managed to score an NOS set, and we thought we could install them ourselves in Todd's driveway.  ANOTHER long story short, do NOT try this job at home unless you have a lift and LOTS of patience.  In the end, especially after one fitting snapped off in the housing, we had to give up with the old lines still stuck on the car, and have the car towed to a transmission shop I had used before for my Javelin.

Other than their obviously using another vehicle to push the car into their shop, they did a great job.

Transmission fluid had been seeping through these areas, then actual drips began

Take a good look... HARD to find

Car vs. Man... guess who won that day?

Vic takes a trip to the transmission shop

REPAIR: Front Brake Pads (approx 182,000 miles)

Front Brake Pads (only) - 10/28/24 (mileage approx 182K)

REPAIR: Rear Brake Rotors & Pads (approx 170,000 miles)

Rear Brake Rotors & Pads - 12/2/23 (mileage approx 170K)

Went with Bendix

Crusty old rotor

Old vs. New Rotor

Old vs. New Pad

Emergency brake shoe... the less said, the better!

REPAIR: Gas Tank Straps (approx 167,000 miles)

On 10/5/23 (mileage approx 167K) I noticed something was making a noise under Vic.  At first I thought maybe a spring had broken, as it had a metallic rubbing/scraping sound, and seemed to have to do with the car moving up and down.  Then, one day while driving home on the highway, I noticed the gas gauge was reading all funny.  

When I got home, I looked under the car, and didn't see as much sunlight as I expected.  Why?  Because the gas tank was hanging down!

One of the two metal straps that hold the tank up had rotted away.  The other wasn't far behind.

Parts were ordered, arraignments were made with "Jeep Guy", a friend not afraid of rust work, and we towed the car to his shop.

"What's that strange noise?"

Strapped up off the ground

Borrowing municipal parking lot for a few minutes...

Ready to hit the road the next day!

HOW TO Replace Driver Side Window Switches in a Crown Victoria

NOTE that all versions of the plastic switch panel are prone to breakage of the mounting tabs.  If you are like me, it will annoy you to no end having a panel that pops up all the time.

These photos are from my '08, but will help you with older versions as well.

The job is otherwise very simple.  The hardest part is removing the switch-block from the panel.  I suggest two thin screwdrivers to keep the panel pried apart for easier removal.

New switches

Look for the small slot where it is safe to insert a flat screwdriver

Try not to mar the plastic

You do NOT want to break this tab!  Older versions are worse...
The plastic is more brittle and has an added metal "gripper"

Electrical connectors that need to be removed

There are four locator tabs that you need to deal with

NOTE the location of more mounting tabs!

Old switches removed.  Notice the "shmoo" that collects around them!

UPDATE: Almost 200k!

For a car that was never intended to still be on the road, Vic 3.0 is almost at 200,000 miles!  The odometer doesn't display properly, but the last time I could read it (12/21/25), it said 199,124 miles.  I've always wanted to watch an odometer hit 200K, but since it is broken, I probably will miss it (or already did).

This is also the first year in around 27 years I am NOT running snow tires.  Long story short, I never took them off so worse them out.  So Vic has RS-A's on.  SO FAR, so good.  I've only had to drive through light snow, so time will tell how the season ends up.

Of note, December 2025 was the first Christmas season that was white in recent memory.  Hopefully this isn't a trend...

REPAIR: Replacing the Wiper Motor on Dad's '11 Crown Vic

When my mother passed away, her low-mile 2011 Crown Vic was taken over by my father, after we sold his 2010 Grand Marquis in 2023.

He recently told me his wipers weren't moving very fast.  I checked, and sure enough, they were moving slooow.  When I switched them to high, they moved at normal speed.  So I knew what was coming: a new wiper motor.  It wasn't making any struggle-noises, but I knew things weren't good.

Sure enough, in between snowfalls, the motor quit altogether.  Panic set in, as we had just got snow, but were due to have a warmer, rainy day.

Panic set in, as I no longer had access to indoor work space.  So I decided I was going to brave the cold and swap in a spare rack/motor unit we had in storage for just such an emergency.  

I started the project at roughly 1PM, and finished at about 3PM.  Even though it was well under freezing outside, my fingers worked just fine.  Probably because they never got wet with snow.  One thing's for sure, having done the job a couple of times before AND finally having power tools made the job easier and quicker!

The snow has stopped, the job begins...

Top cover removed

New (used) unit installed... this is where tons of organic "ick" collects

Job DONE.  Wiper arms had to be reinstalled a couple of times, since the
locator pins are always missing

196,471 Mile Update: A WICKED OVERDUE UPDATE!

I haven't posted here in a LONG time, mostly due to "stuff" that happened after COVID that led me to just not be interested in many things anymore.  BUT things have progressed a bit, and this afternoon I suddenly realized I haven't posted in a LONG time.

I've still tried to keep track of repairs and happenings related to Vic 3.0, and just put together a quick list (Some mileage is approximate due to the odometer display finally quitting):

• 6/8/2023 – Driver side window switches
• 6/14/2023 - Driver side exhaust manifold gasket
• 8/9/2023 (186,000 approx) – Cooling fan controller
• 10/9/2023 – Gas tank straps
• 12/2/2023 – Rear brakes
• 6-7/2024 (177,000 approx) – Transmission lines
• 10/28/2024 (182,000 approx) – Front brakes
• 12/13/2024 (184,993) – Floor repair/oil change
• 4/8/2025 (190,000 approx) – Alternator
• 9/22/2025 – Cooling fan controller
• 10/18/2025 – Radiator
• 10/20/2025 – Cooling fan controller
• 11/1/2025 - Driver side outer tie-rod end
• 11/12/2025 - Radiator fan

I don't know if enough people are truly interested enough for me to type up posts about every repair, but I hope to do some for repairs I took photos of, which may help people with their cars, so STAY TUNED.

On the RUST front, things haven't got better.  The fenders just got a treatment of rust convertor but I don't expect it to help much.  

Notice the 12/13/24 "floor repair" entry.  I had noticed for a while a crunchy noise beneath my feet while driving, and asked a friend who does body work (aka "Jeep Guy") to take a peek underneath for me, and sure enough, there was at least one hole in the floor.  He fabricated a replacement for me.  The carpet in this car is nice, so I asked him why the floor rotted, and only on the driver side. He said the trooper assigned to the car might have got in and out and drove with wet feet a lot, since the passenger side was still solid.  All I know is we've never had to do a floor on a 1998-2011 Vic before.

Also this is the first car between myself and Mystery Mechanic that has had paint failure.  It does NOT make the car look very nice.  

I am also in dire need of tires.  The snows were never taken off (I honestly didn't expect the car to still be on the road this long!) and are almost slicks.  They handle GREAT on dry roads, but wet ones... well... 

Our now retired mechanic (aka "Taxi Guy") is up from Florida and helped us this weekend with the radiator.  He plugged Vic in and was able to tell me the mileage:  196,471.

HOW TO Change a Crown Victoria Grille

SO after installing nice new headlights in Vic 3.0, I decided to bite the bullet and also install the NOS grille I had been sitting on for MANY years.  

This is a simple install.  All you need to do is remove the black plastic filler panel/radiator cover, then use a socket (I forgot to note the size for you, I THINK they are 7/16") and remove the retaining nuts all around the back of the grille.  Swap grilles, and put the nuts back... simple!  But don't overtighten them... don't want to snap the posts!

Now is a good time to touch up the paint around the grille... you KNOW you need to!

Old on bottom... note the corrosion on the chrome

Looks like a new car!  Now that license plate holder needs to be changed...

HOW TO Change Crown Victoria Headlights

I am way behind with updates, so to catch up a bit, here's a quick rundown of how to swap your crummy, cloudy old headlights with nice, clear, shiny new ones.  A while back, I had scored a brand new original Ford and one super nice used example, and last year decided to install them and stop worrying that I'd be inviting some sort of smash-up simply by them being there (would be my luck, just like every single time I get brand new tires, I get nails and screws stuck in them!).

STEP ONE:  Open the hood, and remove the black plastic filler panel/radiator cover

STEP TWO:  Take a tool that you are comfortable with and slide these two retaining brackets UP to free the headlight

STEP THREE:  Unscrew the round plastic retainer around the main headlight bulb.  Mine was broken and slid right out.  You can now slide the headlight unit out of the car

Headlight removed showing wiring harness

STEP FOUR:  Replace any bulbs you want to update.  As you can see, my "blinkas" were nasty looking, so I swapped in new ones.  I also had a spare retaining ring from the used headlight to replace my broken original

Comparison of original, 15 year old headlight with NOS replacement.  Notice the positioning pins are also the adjustments to align the headlights once they are on the car

NOW just reverse the process!  I matched the alignment pins to the old ones, assuming that the lighting would then match.  I was wrong... Use either a small socket or plyers, etc to properly align them.  Not sure how?  Here are some links to help you out:

https://youtube/GWvSWBlAwnI?si=C0WH7aVmp_BqXyhq&t=20

https://raybuck.com/how-to-adjust-align-headlights/

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/r/car-projects/how-to-aim-and-adjust-headlights

Before... after...

RETIRED: Dad's 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis

Dad's 2010 Grand Marquis went to a new home today, with a whopping 70,615 miles on it.  It went to a local man, so we may see it out and about!  Dad is now driving Mom's 2011 Crown Vic.  

12/21/11-7/14/22

PINK Massachusetts State Police Cruiser Spotted in Concord MA

LOOK!  There's Barbie's Malibu Dream Car!

Nope.   

I finally spotted the Massachusetts State Police pink breast cancer cruiser! It was parked at the Concord barracks, so I had to pull in to take a photo! I didn't want to look too conspicuous (in an old police car??) so I only took a couple out the window. Of course, it was cloudy so the colors didn't "pop" but you get the picture.

This cruiser was created as part of the Pink Patch Project, and to "raise awareness and show support for all who have battled and continue to battle breast cancer or any other type of cancer."