The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

[XR7-4.6]

Thanks for that, I think I remember reading that a while ago (in a faraway land...). From the how-to, you mentioned either 1st or 2nd gen Taurus SHOs have this keypad option. So that means the 2nd gen as in '91-'85, yes? You wouldn't happen to have the part number or the official name for it (looking on RockAuto, can't find it there) like from a service manual, yes? Step 3, the plastic retaining clip is a separate part, I assume, would you know it's name or number? Step 6, why do you say to untape and remove the plastic shield on the back of the new keypad?

You don’t need to lock yourself into that specific one, Explorer/Mountaineers had body colored ones made of metal that look just like ours other than color(you could repaint it satin black if you wished to make it look stock but stronger) and Lincoln Town cars had metal ones that were metal and chrome plated. Lots of options there if you check out used listings. There’s nothing that really goes bad on them to get a used option

 

[rampagingsloth]

You don’t need to lock yourself into that specific one, Explorer/Mountaineers had body colored ones made of metal that look just like ours other than color(you could repaint it satin black if you wished to make it look stock but stronger) and Lincoln Town cars had metal ones that were metal and chrome plated. Lots of options there if you check out used listings. There’s nothing that really goes bad on them to get a used option

Oh good. But do they all fit better in the door like the Taurus one compared to the pasticy Thunderbird version? I assume so if they're also metal instead of the brittle plastic.

 

[XR7-4.6]

The plastic thunderbird version fits good when it’s not broken lol but yes they fit like it’s supposed to fit

 

[97 30th]

I had to modify my Explorer housing and reuse the original keypad.












As you can see in the pics the explorer is taller. I sanded the metal housing down to match the mn12 one and redrilled the roll pin holes and then resiliconed the backside.

 

[Derphound01]

Thanks for that, I think I remember reading that a while ago (in a faraway land...). From the how-to, you mentioned either 1st or 2nd gen Taurus SHOs have this keypad option. So that means the 2nd gen as in '91-'85, yes? You wouldn't happen to have the part number or the official name for it (looking on RockAuto, can't find it there) like from a service manual, yes? Step 3, the plastic retaining clip is a separate part, I assume, would you know it's name or number? Step 6, why do you say to untape and remove the plastic shield on the back of the new keypad?

I don't have a part number for the Taurus keypad, but any 1986-1995 one will be the same. Submodel doesn't matter. The one on my Thunderbird came from a SHO. Our 1995 GL wagon had the exact same one.

The retaining clips are the same for the Taurus and MN12 and they're metal.

Later Fords referred to the system as SecuriCode. Earlier ones just called it keyless entry.

I removed the plastic shield off the back because it caused the wiring harness to hit the door lock and handle mechanism. YMMV.

You don’t need to lock yourself into that specific one, Explorer/Mountaineers had body colored ones made of metal that look just like ours other than color(you could repaint it satin black if you wished to make it look stock but stronger) and Lincoln Town cars had metal ones that were metal and chrome plated. Lots of options there if you check out used listings. There’s nothing that really goes bad on them to get a used option

This is also correct, however the Explorers used a round connector. I am assuming it can be rewired if you need a whole new keypad like I did, but I can't confirm that.

I saw the same thing when I went to the junkyard re: the size of the Explorer keypad and that's why I didn't snag one. Didn't want to do major surgery to it.

 

[Vicinity]

Man we gotta ditch this thread. Theres no stupid questions about most of this

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Man we gotta ditch this thread. Theres no stupid questions about most of this

Yeah, we've been through this. It's become the Official Good Questions thread.

It's ok though. Everyone loves this thread. It doesn't have to make sense...

My only concern is that some questions and answers get buried here and are therefore difficult to find in the future. Some questions definitely deserve their own thread; that would make the content more easily searchable, plus it would help site growth.

 

[rampagingsloth]

Man we gotta ditch this thread. Theres no stupid questions about most of this

Well, I see it as a lot of "stupid" questions (as in, how do you not know this already), I'm certainly guilty of that, with a few good helpful answers to most of them. I mean, just based on what I ask, I feel like I'm the last person to know the solutions, hahaaha, there are so many knowledgeable responses. Many of them are of the I've done that multiple times and here's the fix variety.

 

[GRWeldon]

Next stupid question...how many O2 sensors on a 96 4.6? I can only find 2 upstream. Asking because I'm not sure if my stock-looking exhaust has been modified. I would have figured there would be 2 downstream... Yes, this is one of those "how can you NOT know that" questions...

 

[theterminator93]

4

2 between the exhaust manifolds and cats in the end of the downpipes

2 just behind the main cats.

 

[GRWeldon]

Thanks for the post and the pic. I don't have my LX in a place where I can look at the moment, but would this be the same for an SC? My SC is on the lift right now and I swear, it only has 2 before the cats... going right now to look again...

Yep, SC only has 2 pre-cat.
That's OK, I was asking about the LX anyway.

So does the upstream work with the downstream to adjust fuel mixture? I'm getting crappy fuel economy and I'd bet the O2 sensors are original. No codes though...

 

[GRWeldon]

Got another stupid question: How do I tell if my SC has a blown head gasket. No milkshake oil, no oil in coolant and no white exhaust smoke. Do I have to go buy one of those test kits that detect exhaust in the coolant or are there other things to look for. I've never blown a head gasket on anything other than a Briggs lawnmower engine.

It misses at low RPM. Certainly could be the plugs. They might be original...159K miles...

 

[White Lincoln]

Got another stupid question: How do I tell if my SC has a blown head gasket. No milkshake oil, no oil in coolant and no white exhaust smoke. Do I have to go buy one of those test kits that detect exhaust in the coolant or are there other things to look for. I've never blown a head gasket on anything other than a Briggs lawnmower engine.

It misses at low RPM. Certainly could be the plugs. They might be original...159K miles...

It will usually be two things that really stick out:
1) Loss of coolant in the reservoir
2) coolant leaks from the heads

I thought I had a blown head gasket (again) and it turned out to be the exhaust manifold was warped from the last time I had blown a head gasket and overheated the engine too many times.

Missing can be several things from a bad plug wire to many other things.

 

[Derphound01]

Certainly could be the plugs. They might be original...159K miles...

This likely answers your question.

 

[MadMikeyL]

The SCs were all OBD1, so they only have the 2 O2 sensors before the cats. For the head gasket, they can blow in different ways. If it is misfiring, start with a compression check. Sometimes it will blow between 2 cylinders, and then you won’t lose any coolant or oil, but those cylinders will bleed compression into each other and cause a misfire.

 

[GRWeldon]

It will usually be two things that really stick out:
1) Loss of coolant in the reservoir
2) coolant leaks from the heads

Not sure if an SC has a reservoir but I'll look for coolant leaks or lowering level in the rad.

 

[GRWeldon]

The SCs were all OBD1, so they only have the 2 O2 sensors before the cats. For the head gasket, they can blow in different ways. If it is misfiring, start with a compression check. Sometimes it will blow between 2 cylinders, and then you won’t lose any coolant or oil, but those cylinders will bleed compression into each other and cause a misfire.

I suppose a compression test would be in order if plugs and wires don't fix it. Do you know how much crap you have to remove to get to the spark plug holes well enough to do a compression test on an SC? Not impossible for sure and if you found a leak then you would have to remove all that crap to get to the heads to fix it. Thanks for the post.
Y'all are way more responsive here than at SCCOA! I don't know the players there like I do here either...

 

[XR7-4.6]

As a non SC guy(though with many battle scars from them) I think I’d preemptively change the head gaskets if I’m pulling spark plugs for a compression test, might take less time/scars

 

[White Lincoln]

Got another stupid question: How do I tell if my SC has a blown head gasket. No milkshake oil, no oil in coolant and no white exhaust smoke. Do I have to go buy one of those test kits that detect exhaust in the coolant or are there other things to look for. I've never blown a head gasket on anything other than a Briggs lawnmower engine.

It misses at low RPM. Certainly could be the plugs. They might be original...159K miles...

Do you know if the heads have been worked on already? That would be helpful. You are dang lucky to go 160k on the OEM gaskets.

 

[GRWeldon]

Do you know if the heads have been worked on already? That would be helpful. You are dang lucky to go 160k on the OEM gaskets.

I bought the car stock with 95K miles in 2003 or so. I believe the head gasket were stock at that time.

 

[GRWeldon]

As a non SC guy(though with many battle scars from them) I think I’d preemptively change the head gaskets if I’m pulling spark plugs for a compression test, might take less time/scars

Might be a good idea.

 

[MadMikeyL]

If you are pulling it apart to do the spark plugs, I would do a compression check at the same time.

Doing the plugs isn’t too horrible on the SCs. On the passenger side, remove the air intake and throttle body and unbolt the AC compressor and just move it out of the way, and you’ll have plenty of room. On the driver’s side, remove the upper intercooler tube, then the intercooler, then if you still have the bracket between the power steering pump and the water pump, you’ll have to remove the power steering pump pulley to remove that bracket and throw it away. Once that bracket is gone, unbolt the intercooler return tube from the plenum, then unbolt the driver’s side accessory bracket, then you can pull the accessory bracket forward with the power steering pump, alternator, and intercooler tube all attached, and just lean it forward into the area where the intercooler goes, and you’ll have plenty of room to get to all the plugs and wires on that side without having to disconnect the power steering lines.

 

[dDUBb]

It's not unheard of to go up to 200k miles on the stock gaskets. If the vehicle was well maintained - the 94/95 fixed the exhaust manifold restriction problem .. that cylinder on the passenger side tends to be the one that goes when it blows.

 

[3_97_Sports]

Does anyone have a picture of the door hinges with the fender removed? Is it actually possible to remove the hinge pins this way? I want to see how much working room there actually is accessing it this way.

 

[Grog6]

Ok. I think this is a stupid question. But y'all decide. Is it ever too early to laugh out loud at an idiot that manages to trash two cars I sold his family, at a sweetheart deal?. I had heard, last time I got weed, that both the Contour and the Tbird were out of service. (I sold the contour to his mom, who actually paid for both; dude lived off fhis mom until she died, now he lives off her boyfriend, and dude's longtime girlfriend.
So dude bought the tbird with an occasional mlps problem; it's annoying, but I've always been able to dink with the shifter and get it into 4th. He drove it back from the bar in 2nd, and blew a freeze plug out of the back of the engine, lol. But wait, there's more. :zdevil. The contour, I'm told, has a wheel bouncing up and down, making it hard to drive. I rode in it, and it has the exact same bad shocks on it, as when I sold it, two years ago.
But the most hilarious part is that there is a Koni sport shock set in the trunk, with the camber adjusters needed to install them. Never Been Touched.
I am sitting here,lmfao. Is it too early?

 

[Derphound01]

Is the Contour a MT? I'll give him $250 for it as-is if so.

 

[Grog6]

No, it's an auto, that I drove, lol. I sold it for about what the shocks cost, lol. I sold them for vet bills. Gotta do what you gotta do.
That is the weirdest car; when the shocks go bad,the wheels act like the tires are badly balanced. Monroes last about 3 years,and labor on those is about $600. I put 2 sets of shocks on it,bought the konis, had a stroke, and sold it. At the time I sold it, I couldn't use a phillips screwdriver. There's hope, I am recovering.

 

[White Lincoln]

Does anyone have a picture of the door hinges with the fender removed? Is it actually possible to remove the hinge pins this way? I want to see how much working room there actually is accessing it this way.

Check with Zep5.0, he ripped apart a Cougar, might have some pics.

 

[White Lincoln]

I bought the car stock with 95K miles in 2003 or so. I believe the head gasket were stock at that time.

There was a recall on my 94 to redo the heads due to blown gaskets. I took mine in to have the heads redone. A few years later the heads blew again the shop I took the heads to be planed said the heads looked like someone took a grinder to them.

The Ford shop that did them first job probably did use a grinder! LOL

 

[Zep5.0]

Does anyone have a picture of the door hinges with the fender removed? Is it actually possible to remove the hinge pins this way? I want to see how much working room there actually is accessing it this way.

Here's the correct angle, but no doors...