Update on o/d wiring and suspension

LukesCougar

LukesCougar

1st Gear Poster
Joined
Dec 27, 2023
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54
Location
Olney Illinois
Vehicle Details
1996 Cougar 4.6L v8
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So to say the least.. i will be doing most repairs myself and finding a new mechanic :D

Got under the car to do new struts, to find that the sway bar link on the drivers side was hanging off loosely ( ill assume its been this way since i got the car back.. bolt threads were stripped in the area it would tighten down so they probs ugga duggad it tf on) I found a nut that works, and put washers on until the stripped area was covered up. Took it on a test drive and the front end handles a million times better. I have already ordered a new sway bar link with new nuts, and rear sway bar links cause they need done aswell when i do shocks.
Also when they "fixed" wiring issues they dissconected my od from shifter.. after cleaning contact points, and putting everything back together o/d works for a split second then blows the run 5 amp fuse... Im lost but what i do know is my mechanic was hiding a lot from me instead of digging in to fix the things i wanted fixed.

So when i have time again ima see whats up with the o/d wiring and why its blowing a fuse. When sway bar links get here im going to finish front suspension ( by me and myself and i and not some lazy mechanic)

Im not very experienced so it blows my mind that an ASE certified mechanic and his boys screw me over and my car. Should i request they do me right? Legally can i do anything about this or should i just leave it be and find a better mechanic?

Edit: forgot to add context to suspension issue but i gave my mechanic a whole 10pc kit to refresh the front end and it appears he didnt install half the parts i gave incorrectly and one part he stripped the threads
 
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I would probably just move on, but I don't know how much they charged you for the work. The front ends on these cars aren't too bad to work on if you have to tools and a place to work.

Your O/D switch is shorting to ground which is causing the fuse to blow. I don't know which fuse it is on or what else is on that circuit. I'm sure if you google how to find a short to ground in a car you can come up with some good information. You might get lucky and see something obvious by pulling the console cover off to expose the connector for the O/D switch. What wiring issues were they fixing for you?
 
KevinVarnes said:
I would probably just move on, but I don't know how much they charged you for the work. The front ends on these cars aren't too bad to work on if you have to tools and a place to work.

Your O/D switch is shorting to ground which is causing the fuse to blow. I don't know which fuse it is on or what else is on that circuit. I'm sure if you google how to find a short to ground in a car you can come up with some good information. You might get lucky and see something obvious by pulling the console cover off to expose the connector for the O/D switch. What wiring issues were they fixing for you?
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I completely agree.. i have little to no experience but was able to make a short term fix. Also the sway bar link is incredibly easy to replace so im just really mind blown they even screwed it up. Ill assume they just impacted it on and the threads came with. (my jerry rig fix was a nut that remotely worked and washers to hold it past the point the other nut stripped and that bandaid fix nonsense is holding and riding better than whatever the shop did with my BRAND NEW parts) Even for someone with as little experience as i have i feel like i would have done it better :/

On the od wiring. i have a multimeter and just not exactly sure where to start looking ive reassembled everything and replaced the 5 amp run fuse just left overdrive unhooked so im not blowing anything else up until i can get it fixed. What sucks is the o/d switch worked just fine before sending it to this mechanic



Will have more updates when i dig into o/d wiring and try to figure out what else my mechanic forgot to torque on the front suspension :D replacing strut assemblies tomorrow and when new rear/front swaybar links are here doing them and shocks. Cant wait for the car to ride good that and a heater core leak are the biggest concerns on the car as of now. Its all i got left on my plate and then a car thats set for 5 years is highway ready again!
 
KevinVarnes said:
I would probably just move on, but I don't know how much they charged you for the work. The front ends on these cars aren't too bad to work on if you have to tools and a place to work.

Your O/D switch is shorting to ground which is causing the fuse to blow. I don't know which fuse it is on or what else is on that circuit. I'm sure if you google how to find a short to ground in a car you can come up with some good information. You might get lucky and see something obvious by pulling the console cover off to expose the connector for the O/D switch. What wiring issues were they fixing for you?
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Also about 600$ with a couple small parts i did not provide to fix wiring issues and install front suspension parts. No alignment included and all they fixed in terms of wiring was something preventing break lights/ turn signals from working they said it was a grounded out wire not sure to the truth in that but thats atleast one thing they did right (while creating other issues) the wiring may not be all their fault id imagine a car this old that stuff is finicky. The suspension though was just their pure lack of awareness
 
Legal recourse or leverage to use would depend on your state laws and what your written estimate specifically states as far as their liability and obligation to make repairs. 🤔

If your OD button was working fine before / and it does not blow the fuse when disconnected ( I'm assuming at the shifter ) ; it would appear that your shifter was damaged / where the short exists.

I guess you could chock it up to a $600 learning lesson on why it would be more cost effective to do your own repairs. There isn't anything we haven't fixed on this forum as a collective whole; unless your in a hurry to get a repair finished or lacking a work space, the forum can be your best resource.
 
dDUBb said:
Legal recourse or leverage to use would depend on your state laws and what your written estimate specifically states as far as their liability and obligation to make repairs. 🤔

If your OD button was working fine before / and it does not blow the fuse when disconnected ( I'm assuming at the shifter ) ; it would appear that your shifter was damaged / where the short exists.

I guess you could chock it up to a $600 learning lesson on why it would be more cost effective to do your own repairs. There isn't anything we haven't fixed on this forum as a collective whole; unless your in a hurry to get a repair finished or lacking a work space, the forum can be your best resource.
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Agreed. I usually leave the hardest stuff to the shop but after learning a bit more and seeing how the main shop ive been going to treats the car it is a good lesson.
 
If you now plan on working on your car yourself, it's a good idea to pick up a factory service manual and an evtm for your model year. You can pick them up cheap on ebay. They are a great help that will help you through just about anything. Just enter "93 (or your specific year) thunderbird manual". You can usually pick both up for $30-$50.
 
Screenshot_20240211_185214_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20240211_185257_Gallery.jpg
Wired in a button for overdrive in center console, and have a lincoln ls black leather shift knob otw. The short for the od was right before the wires lead into the piece that fits into the shifter boot a wire was exposed and grounding.
Also the coin/ cupholder panel came off my 97
 

How-To: Lincoln LS Shift Knob

The Lincoln LS came with either a leather-wrapped or a genuine wood shift knob. This how-to specifically applies to the wood version. The internals of the leather knob are the same; however, it is more difficult to take apart because the leather is glued all around whereas the wood version is...
forum.birdcats.com forum.birdcats.com
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
I have a detailed how-to thread in the Interior section about the LS knob installation. However, that's based on the wood knob which is easier to disassemble.

The leather shift knob is essentially fully glued together. The guts are the same though.
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So would i be restricted to the shifter being up higher or would i not even beable to get inside it to place screws without tearing the leather apart?
 
LukesCougar said:
So would i be restricted to the shifter being up higher
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Yes.

LukesCougar said:
would i not even beable to get inside it to place screws without tearing the leather apart?
Click to expand...

You access the screws by pulling the plastic shroud down from the knob. That's identical, whether wood or leather.

You need to ensure that the screw(s) don't interfere with the plastic inner rod.
 
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