2004 MERCURY MONTEREY Electrical System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE POWER TRAIN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHERE THE ECM MODULE WAS REPLACED BY THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER TRAIN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND OTHER UNKNOWN ELECTRICAL FAILURES OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE VAN THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD GOES OUT. THE SPEED DECLINES SLIGHTLY, AND THE HEADLIGHTS BLINK ON AND OFF. THE RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF. THE HEAT TURNS ON AND OFF. THE ALARMS INSIDE STARTS TO CHIME. THE POWER IS LOST TO THE WINDOWS AND THE DOOR LOCKS. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE DASH LIGHTS GO OFF AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU CANNOT SEE THE SPEEDOMETER OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WILL SOON CAUSE A FIRE OF SOME SORT. *TR

WHEN DRIVING THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD PANEL, BLINKS ON AND OFF CONSISTENTLY. STAYS OUT FOR 1-2 MINUTES.AFTER WHICH THE HEADLIGHTS START TO GO OUT STAYS OFF FOR 1-2 MINUTES. THEN THE CAR STARTS TO JERK AND DECLINE IN SPEED. THE SPEEDOMETER GOES TO ZERO THEN JUMPS BACK TO ACTUAL SPEED. WHEN THE POWER IS OUT THERE IS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER TO THE WINDOWS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS AND DOOR LOCK. TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE HE SAID THAT HE HAS HAD MANY PEOPLE COME IN WITH THIS TYPE OF VAN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THUS IS DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH LOSS OF VISUAL AID. HE SAID THAT ONLY A FORD DEALER CAN REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS IS FRIGHTENING AND WRECK LESS. *TR

SPOUSE [XXX] WAS DRIVING THE FAMILY AND ME OUT TO DINNER ON MAY 9, 2014 FOR MOTHER'S DAY.THE GAS TANK WAS ON ONE-FOURTH A TANK SO BEFORE ON TO THE EXPRESSWAY WE STOP TO GET SOME GAS. [XXX] MADE A STATEMENT HE SAID, "HE SAID THE GAS HAND STILL HASN'T MOVED MUCH AFTER WE PUT $40.00 TOGETHER OF GAS IN THE VAN. WE PUT GAS IN THE VAN AT THE GAS STATION AT 63RD AND CALIFORNIA. AFTER GETTING GAS WE PROCEED TOWARD WESTERN AVE. ON WESTER AVE. [XXX] DROVE FROM71ST AND WESTERN TO 111 & WESTERN WHEN WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. WE THOUGHT THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM A VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF US. WE MADE NO BIG DEAL ABOUT IT UNTIL THE VAN BEGIN TO SMOKE TREMENDOUS. [XXX] STOP THE CAR AN PULLED OVER. THE SMOKE INCREASED IN FRONT OF THE CAR ON THE DRIVERS AS [XXX] STOOD...

THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS WELDED IMPROPERLY AND THE WEATHER STRIPPING WAS FAULTY ALLOWING WATER TO POUR DOWN INTO THE CAR AND ONTO THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) AT ANY TIME AFTER IT RAINS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE POWER AND THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THIS IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM AMONG '04 MONTEREY AND FORD FREESTARS. WHEN THE PCM IS WET IT SHORTS OUT ALL TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND ENGINE REGULATION. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THE CAR WOULD NOT START OR RUN PROPERLY, HAD IRREGULAR ENGINE POWER, AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE ENGINE WAS TRYING ACCELERATE EVEN IN PARK. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT AND RAN FINE THE DAY BEFORE, BUT CAUSED TROUBLE THE NEXT DAY. IT HAD RAINED DURING THE NIGHT. WHEN THE PCM DRIED OUT THE CAR RAN NORMALLY AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME HOWEVER, THE PCM COMPLETELY SHORTED OUT AND IS...

IN EARLY 2012 BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS ON DASH WOULD COME ON SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING.THEN CAME ON MORE FREQUENTLY. SOON THE BATTERY LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON AT STOPS OR LOW IDLES. 8/2012 DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE BRAKE LIGHTS COMING ON, BUT REPLACED ALTERNATOR. 11/2012 STILL PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE DASH COMING ON NOW PLUS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. VEHICLE SPUTTERING AND STALLING (COULD NOT STOP WITHOUT VEHICLE TOTALLY STALLING AND HAD TO HAVE FOOT ON GAS AT ALL TIME, EVEN WHEN BRAKING, OR WOULD STALL.) 2ND DEALER STILL COULD NOT VERIFY THE DASH BRAKE LIGHTS BUT RESEALED CONNECTOR, REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, CLEAN MASS AIRFLOW, RESET KAM, REPLACED HEATED PCV HOSE. COULD DRIVE VEHICLE BUT BRAKE LIGHTS WERE BOTH STILL SPORADICALLY COMING ON WHILE DRIVING. 7/2013 STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BOTH DASH BRAKE LIGHTS COMING ON ONLY NOW THE RADIO DIES WHEN THEY COME ON, WHEN THEY GO...

1ST - RADIO STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF RANDOMLY - TOOK TO FORD DEALER - NO ERROR CODE, NO ANSWER. 2ND - HEATED SEAT ON DRIVERS SIDE QUIT WORKING - TOOK TO FORD DEALER - NO ERROR CODE, NO ANSWER. TOOK TO PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP - ERROR CODE OF LOW VOLTAGE BATTERY - REPLACED BATTERY FOR $125 3RD - AUTOMATIC LIGHTS QUIT WORKING, DASHBOARD CONTROL WENT BLANK - TOOK TO FORD DEALER - SAME LOW VOLTAGE ERROR CODE - DESPITE NEW BATTERY. NO OTHER ANSWERS. 4TH - AUTOMATIC SEATS STARTED MOVING WHEN USING CODE TO OPEN DOOR - TOOK TO FORD - FOUND THAT ALL PROBLEMS TRACED TO ONE RELAY BOX - REPLACED RELAY BOX FOR $650. 5TH - ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONE WEEK LATER - NO PROBLEMS STARTING/RUNNING, MADE APPOINTMENT TO TAKE TO DEALER IN 3 DAYS. 6TH - ENGINE DIED NEXT DAY, WOULD RESTART AND THEN DIE...

VEHICLE STALLS LEAVING FAMILY STRANDED IN TRAFFIC (NUMEROUS EVENTS). DEALER TESTED AND REPLACED FUEL RAIL PRESSURE SENSOR AND VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME, APPROX 8 MILES. VEHICLE FAILED TO START FOLLOWING MORNING. BASED ON ARTICLES AND TESTING PROCEDURES FOUND ONLINE, OWNER REPLACED CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, VEHICLE STARTED AND RAN FOR ABOUT 5 MIN. ENGINE DIED AND PRODUCED ERROR CODE P0320. EVIDENCE OF WATER HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE PCM CONNECTOR AND FAULT HAS NOT YET BEEN CORRECTED. OTHER ITEMS REPLACED ON VEHICLE; TRANSMISSION, EGR, FUEL FILTER, PLUG WIRES AND PLUGS.

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF HER PARKING SPOT, PUT THE VAN IN FORWARD, AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT THIS EVENT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. OUR REPAIR TECHNICIAN HAD TO REPLACE OUR PLANETARY GEARSET, BECAUSE THEY WERE DESTROYED, THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED AS A PRECAUTION, AND THE NEUTRAL SWITCH WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE ROOT CAUSE. HOWEVER A BROKEN "CAM SWITCH" WIRE WAS PREVENTING THE CAR FROM OPERATING NORMALLY. WHEN THAT WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR VAN BACK. *TR