Looking to Purchase First Town Car and Seeking Advice

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heykosal

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Hello everyone, I am in the market to purchase my first Town Car and I am asking for help or advice as to what to look for when I look at these cars. I've narrowed it down to 2003+ vehicles because of the updates Ford made. I do plan on taking the car to a trusted mechanic to have a look at, but I want to ask if anyone has any specific issues to look for. Is there any way I can check on the health of the rear air suspension compressor/air springs? I think I've read that there is some process of switching the compressor off and then on to make sure it is operable? Or is that just done by switching on the ignition?
Are there any other common problem areas to look out for? Any advice is appreciated. Hopefully I will be finding one soon and will become an active member of the site!
Thanks!
 
Welcome to the Forum.

The engine and transmission and drivetrain and suspension are bullet proof.

There is a switch to turn off the air suspension in the trunk on left side. When switched off there will be a message in instrument cluster saying the suspension is off. Otherwise if there is a problem you have to diagnose the problem thru symptoms. It is normal when turning the ignition on after the car has been sitting for many hours (eg overnight) for the compressor to switch on for 15 to 30 seconds to raise the suspension to normal ride height. This is because when the car was left for many hours the air suspension is lowered an inch or so by the suspension module. So the health of the system is how low the suspension sank overnight, where more than an inch may indicate a leak. The time the compressor takes to raise the suspension is the other health factor, about 15 seconds is good. If the compressor takes longer than 30 seconds then either the suspension has leaked of the compressor is tired or the drier (removes water from system) is fully saturated and needs to be dried out or replaced or a complete new compressor purchased. A noisy compressor is usually due to the rubber mounting feet being worn out and need replacing. To check for air leaks then raise the suspension off the ground after turning off the suspension switch and look at the bottom of the air spring rubber bladder. If it is smooth then spring is good but if the rubber has cracks, small at first then the cracks widen and leak, so replace when cracked to avoid a later problem.

The HVAC of 2003 and up Town Cars is a dual temperature control system. The EATC Electronic Automatic Temperature Control controls the 5 electronic actuators: 2 for temperature control (driver and Passenger) 1 for the fresh air intake and 2 for the mode doors controlling the floor and defrost and panel vents. We have an EATC self test procedure in our Tech forum here: https://lincolnforums.com/forums/threads/10459-Town-Car-EATC-Self-test that you can run under the conditions specified to see if there are any 4 digit (just numbers) DTC codes displayed in the screen. There is also a list of the codes and the problem description they indicate. The replacement of the mode door actuators requires the dash be removed for access, while the actuators for the temperature blend doors and fresh air intake can be replaced without the dash being removed.

Good luck.
 
Town said:
The engine and transmission and drivetrain and suspension are bullet proof.
Click to expand...

This may be the understatement of the year.

These Panther Platform cars go for hundreds of thousands of miles on just regular maintenance. I'm on my 4th Town Car and I bought this 2004 Signature Series at 211k miles - and never looked back. It was a 1-owner car that had an extensive dealer service history. I love the car and if I didn't need something that was Uber/Lyft compliant, I would not look to be selling it. It currently has 228k miles and would easily pass for a car with 28k miles. It's never once burned or dripped a bit of oil and the interior still looks new (it has never once been smoked in). I've spent less than $300 in maintenance in the four years I have owned it.

I will sadly part with it for just $3500 if anyone is interested. I would not hesitate to drive it anywhere.

Inquires: all2kooler@gmail.com

LTC_FMH2.webp
 
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The actual rear air springs I would not be too concerned with. They have a 10 year life and are so easy to replace yourself. The real repair costs will be the HVAC system as outlined by town. Then there's the Driver's Door Module (DDM) can be very costly to replace dependent upon your vehicle's vintage. The newer the vehicle, the more power modules it has.
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Nice! Impressive looking for one picture. I have a 2007, but if I was looking for one; this would be the one, particularly because of the service record.
 
Reyhook said:
Nice! Impressive looking for one picture. I have a 2007, but if I was looking for one; this would be the one, particularly because of the service record.
Click to expand...

I'm certain the Service Writer loved seeing the previous owner's name on the daily sheet. It got new Calipers just two years after being built. Seems the regular Oil & Filter change always included a Fuel Filter. Regular fluid flushes and maintenance. IMHO, it was 'over serviced' and that is precisely why I had no reservation about buying it at 211k miles. As I said, it could pass for a 28k mile Town Car easily.
 
Thank you all for your replies! I will definitely check out the HVAC systems. I've got a mechanic who has agreed to check out any car I look at and will talk to him about the diagnostic procedure.
Can you tell me more about the driver door module, what is that? Is that for like, soft-close doors?

As far as the EATC self-test process, where do trouble codes display? And what would be shown if there are no errors?
 
The DDM is the module that controls all the functions you see in the door; windows, seats, mirrors, locks, keyless entry pad, etc. They can fail but it's not a common issue unless you are in a damp climate from what I have read. When they do go bad, a replacement needs to be programmed for your specific car. I have read before that you can replace with used if the donor car has the same exact options as your car. Others may say that isn't true.
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All2kool said:
The DDM is the module that controls all the functions you see in the door; windows, seats, mirrors, locks, keyless entry pad, etc. They can fail but it's not a common issue unless you are in a damp climate from what I have read. When they do go bad, a replacement needs to be programmed for your specific car. I have read before that you can replace with used if the donor car has the same exact options as your car. Others may say that isn't true.
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I see. Never heard of anything like that. Thanks for the information.

Does anyone know what year they began including a tach?
 
heykosal said:
Does anyone know what year they began including a tach?
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Seems I recall that addition of the completely useless tachometer was in 2006. I mean, it's a Town Car, why in the hell do you need a tachometer?
 
All2kool said:
Seems I recall that addition of the completely useless tachometer was in 2006. I mean, it's a Town Car, why in the hell do you need a tachometer?
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Good point. I just want something 03+ is all.
 
The tach was introduced in the 2006 model along with updated electronics. I like the tach very much, and it helps in diagnosing some conditions. For prior models without a tach you can buy a device that plugs into the OBD2 port to display a number of features including tach while driving normally.

Prior to 2006 the DDM did not need to be programmed in place in the car on replacement, so a DIY job. Then the electronics architecture changed (in 2006) and with it the need to save the DDM program from the original module and save it to the new module which removes the error DTC that prevents a new DDM from operating. A used DDM may not be an option to some dealers doing the DDM replacement, although the DDM program can be obtained from the Ford library at no additional cost.

The EATC self test shows the screen with fan speed increasing and various parts being lit up, then the display of DTC(s) in the EATC screen in a repeating sequence so record all the 4 digit displays that may look like 2 digit displays. If there are no DTC to display then I don't exactly remember what the screen shows, but I think it is obvious the system has completed.

Good luck.
 
heykosal said:
It is very nice however with more mileage than I am looking for not to mention being across the county.

In any event, somebody told me that the Panthers in fact do have springs in the rear and the airbags are just helper/leveling springs? Is this true?
Click to expand...

I don't know about all Panther Platform cars but the Town Car has Air Springs and conventional Shock Absorbers as standard. The 2011 Town Car had an option for conventional Coil Springs as I recall.
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heykosal said:
It is very nice however with more mileage than I am looking for not to mention being across the county.
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If you purchase any car that has been in a 'salt the roads in winter state', check for rust to the undercarriage first. My 1990 limousine came from Ohio and although I got it at just 82k miles, it was rather rusted underneath. Personally, I would NEVER purchase a car that has seen a salted road, ever again that is.
 
All2kool said:
Seems I recall that addition of the completely useless tachometer was in 2006. I mean, it's a Town Car, why in the hell do you need a tachometer?
Click to expand...
Huh...I suppose this falls into the things that make you go "hmm" category. Or however Arsenio Hall said it. :D Myself, I've often pondered why the 2005 & older cars had the redundant function of both digital and analog speedo's? Why the hell do you need two speedo's in one car and NO tach? To keep the driver from getting tickets? Didn't work...I got a ticket two years ago. LOL
Myself, I would gladly relinquish the digital speedo in my dash in favor of a tach, be it digital or analog, I just want it to read true.
 
Slick Fan said:
...I've often pondered why the 2005 & older cars had the redundant function of both digital and analog speedo's? Why the hell do you need two speedo's in one car and NO tach?
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You make a good point but I think all 2003 and newer have the ability to show a digital speedometer but it must be turned ON by the user. When I first got my 2004, the digital speedometer was not active. I seem to recall just a blank spot there. Going to a 2004 from a 1996, I had become used to seeing the speed in digital so I activated mine. It's also good for Cruise Control use and for verifying your actual speed at signs that flash your speed. My 2004 happens to be 2mph fast at just about all speeds.
 
All2kool said:
You make a good point but I think all 2003 and newer have the ability...
Click to expand...

You mean from 2003 to 2005, where in 2006 they introduced the tachometer & analog speedo...the year they made the dash look like a cop car. Hehe :)

I agree that the 2006+ gauges did look more utilitarian, more of a "cop car & taxi cab" look, but myself, I like being able to monitor the drivetrain's vitals of my vehicles. That's my roots showing, I suppose.
 
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