A little help if you please!

[SID210SA]

I have two questions before my warranty goes out in about 500 miles.

1. When its dark and you have your headlights on, is the panel where the switch is supposed to light up? I thought it did at one point but I am not sure. It just looks awfully dark over there. The only thing that lights up on that panel is the little green light when the fogs are on.

2. I know it has been said that the gauges in the center console are not a true representation of what is going on with the car but, often times my voltage gauge often reads as low as the mark before 12 and as high as 14. The low comes with everything on ie....a/c, headlights, highbeams and break lights. Is this something that needs that I need to worry about?

Ok maybe a third question also

3. Under normal driving conditions ( not using the breaks hard all or most of the time) How many miles before I have to start worrying about the break pad life?

Thanks in advanced for your help.

Mike

[magindat]

1) Nope, yours is right.
2) Mine does that, too. Comes back up when revs go up. Made worse with underdrives.
3) All depends on how you drive. Visual inspection periodically will indicate.

[SID210SA]

Thank you sir!!

[Tallboy]

I have two questions before my warranty goes out in about 500 miles.

1. When its dark and you have your headlights on, is the panel where the switch is supposed to light up? I thought it did at one point but I am not sure. It just looks awfully dark over there. The only thing that lights up on that panel is the little green light when the fogs are on.

2. I know it has been said that the gauges in the center console are not a true representation of what is going on with the car but, often times my voltage gauge often reads as low as the mark before 12 and as high as 14. The low comes with everything on ie....a/c, headlights, highbeams and break lights. Is this something that needs that I need to worry about?

Ok maybe a third question also

3. Under normal driving conditions ( not using the breaks hard all or most of the time) How many miles before I have to start worrying about the break pad life?

Thanks in advanced for your help.

Mike

My switch [the icons] lights up.

[Rider90]

My switch [the icons] lights up.
03/04 thing? Mine doesn't light up...

[SID210SA]

Hmmmm.......Well I have an 04 no light

[ckadiddle]

Just had to have brake work done at approx. 32000 miles. Second owner, mostly city driving.

[DEFYANT]

My "icons" light up.

[Pat]

Mike;

My headlight panel doesn't lite up either.

My "fake" guages are still working normally, faking me out. Ha

I would have the brakes inspected/pad's replaced and/or rotors turned around the 30K mark. Based on other Mercury car's I've owned.

Also the battery may need to be replaced before it leaves you in the parking lot all alone in the dark on a weekend when your out of town.

Modern batteries have to carry a lot of load from today's cars and when they go they don't give you much warning. Three years on a battery is about the end of it's service life. Again based on other Mercury car's I've owned.

Don't forget to have your front wheel bearings inspected and repacked.

There, that should take care of your next few paychecks.

Pat

[Drock96Marquis]

The headlamp switch is supposed to be illuminated, the small bulbs are prone to burning out, however.

[RoNiN77]

1. My headlight icons work.
2. My volt gauge works fine, my oil pressure guage stays at 75. I think that the oil pressure readout should change depending on how much throttle the car is getting (like in my dodge). I'd call the dealer on the oil gauge if yours doesn't work....it's there so it should work. That is something I forgot to do before my warranty expired.

[cyclopsram]

front wheel bearings are sealed units and must be replaced as a unit.... my CV Panthers get about 150000 miles before new hub is required..honest.. RAM

[bigjohn]

My '04's icons didn't light when I got it (used). After seeing that my parents '03 GM did, I took mine apart to find the little bulb burned out. They seem to be impossible to get though, none of the parts stores around here had anything like it and the two dealers I went to said they couldn't get one but offered to sell me a whole new switch assembly for $75! :eek:

No, thanks, went to Radio Shack and found a small 12 volt bulb and used it to replace it. Had to thread the bulb wires through the little plastic bulb 'holder' but it works fine. It might be just slightly dimmer than some of the other back lighting but is close enough. I bought an extra bulb so I can get the Radio Shack part # if anyone's interested, just have to remember where I put it.

[SID210SA]

Well they are replacing the whole switcht assy. And getting to coulpe of other minor issues...chirping a/c when engaged, voltage problem....the voltage kept getting lower and lower while my service writer hooked up his little reader to it so they are looking into that also. This is the 2nd full day they have had the Marauder.....maybe something else caught their eye....

[merc6]

When I was in texas with the mm sometimes the voltage dropped in traffic to the point the battery light came on. Since I did the lidio the only time the voltages drop is when the alt shuts down at wot. One isolated time when I was stuck in traffic in woodbridge, Va(when isn't there traffic in Va?) the light came on. I slightly raised my idle and never had that issue again.

I need to see if my headlight icons switch works as well. Window buttons and steering wheel buttons also light up.

[SergntMac]

Yes...The "fake?" voltage gauge has a back-up, a panel light will illuminate when voltage drops dangerously low. Low = like totally broke...

Have to look at my headlamp switch again before I say more on that.

You can watch all this ***** live, directly from the EEC via the OBD II port with a ScanGuage EEC scan tool. No better 411 on your Marauder can be had any easier, or, any cheaper.

This tool replaces a half-dozen analogue gauges, dash lights and fake gauges. You will need to learn about what it says, but, it pays for itself almost immediately.

www.scanguage.com (http://www.scanguage.com)

Works for me, a never-fail mod.

[ScottB]

As your battery gets older it doesn't charge as easily or as fully, especially if you do a lot of short trip driving. The best solution is to get one of those solar battery chargers and leave it on your dash plugged in in the parking lot during the day. Get one of the newer models that offers the pulse wave rejuvenator. This will make your batteries last a really long time. It is almost a must on a powerstroke used for daily commuting.

[SID210SA]

Yes...The "fake?" voltage gauge has a back-up, a panel light will illuminate when voltage drops dangerously low. Low = like totally broke...

Have to look at my headlamp switch again before I say more on that.

You can watch all this ***** live, directly from the EEC via the OBD II port with a ScanGuage EEC scan tool. No better 411 on your Marauder can be had any easier, or, any cheaper.

This tool replaces a half-dozen analogue gauges, dash lights and fake gauges. You will need to learn about what it says, but, it pays for itself almost immediately.

www.scanguage.com (http://www.scanguage.com)

Works for me, a never-fail mod.

Thanks Mac, I will look into that.

Mike

[SID210SA]

Ok....here is the stuff I took my Marauder in for:
1. Headlamp switch: is supposed to light up, replaced under warranty.
2. Low voltage on guage: Voltage checked 14.29 reading ok Internal volt guage reading 11 volts. Guage malfunction. replaced guage under warranty.
3. A/C would chirp when engauged. Performed tsb 5-20-09. Replaced pully and redisgned to reduce squeak.

After I got home I found a door ding in my passenger side door. and four screws in my cup holder. Waiting to hear back from my service writer.

[RF Overlord]

I think that the oil pressure readout should change depending on how much throttle the car is getting. I'd call the dealer on the oil gauge if yours doesn't work....it's there so it should work. The dealer won't help you because the OEM oil pressure gauge is a fake. It's working exactly as it was designed; that is, it was designed to ALWAYS read the same pressure. Most of us have replaced it with the "real" working version from AutoMeter, part #4327. There's a "how-to" in the FAQ.

[merc6]

you didn't take it to tysons ford right? They are a bunch of lazy flocks! I had to ship my car here to va to get stuff under warrenty fixed.

It's off W I-10 near callihan and the carmax I got my car from. theres a toyota dealership next to it. Not only did they tell me they weren't going to do it, they managed to damage my key.

[SID210SA]

You Mean Red McCombs Ford? Its on the opposite side of the Highway from Carmax. The Toyota Dealership is also Red McCombs.
But no....I take mine to North Park Lincoln Mercury. Thats where I bought the Marauder from and had been going there for years before I bought the Marauder.....they are very good and I am always taken care of.