'04 DTR Marauder w/ blown engine! (I don't mean supercharged)

[tta197]

I took my 03 Marauder in to have my computer reflashed (to improve my tranny shifts). While I was waiting for the mechanic to get done, I asked if I could go over and ask a few questions concerning my car. So I go and chat with him about the car, I asked if he had any pointers on the Marauders in general. He says, come with me you'll never believe what I'm going to show you. We walk down to the last bay and there is an 04 DTR Marauder with exactly 56 miles on the odometer sitting there with the hood open. He tells me to stand back because he is going to lift the car off the ground. Once the car is up, he points to rear section of the engine block. There is 3" hole in the left side of the block and a 2" hole on the right side of the block (a few connecting rods came apart). He tells me that owner was running late for work and just started it up, threw it in gear and floored it to about 5500 rpm ( it was about 18 F degress this morning). Immediately after, the engine shut off along with a loud bang or two. The mechanic says that when he took the readings from the computer, the temp. still had not moved and the last rpm reading was 5500. (does the computer really store these readings???)

So his moral of the story is that since these are high compression engines you should always let them warm up before you drive the car really hard (this should be common sense to most on any engine).
Anyway, whether this was the reason for the engine failure or just poor workmanship on Ford's part during engine assembly, I don't know. It was a real eye opener to see holes on the sides of the block like that on a new car.


By the way, the computer reflash did improve my tranny shifts. Thanks to those who suggested this.

Oh one more thing, this was at Crossroads L/M on the southside of Indianapolis. Which by the way, they have a new silver 03 sitting in the showroom floor with 5,000 miles for those looking for a left over 03.

[Agent M79]

No way... that didn't happen...ItS nOT tRuE! Nanaanaaanana I can't hear you!!

[frdwrnch]

All of 'em can be fixed, some of 'em just take longer and cost more.

[SergntMac]

Yes, the on board computer CAN tell stories, so, if you ever come to feel guilty about your behavior, pull the hot battery cable for about 10 minutes or so, K?

This silver '03 on the floor at Crossroads, is a very clean demo used by Tim Hembree, MarauderHombre here. Tim is Crossroad's Fleet Manager, who supplies all the FMC stock for Kenny Brown. Last price I heard on it was before 12/1, and it was 26, 632 out the door then. This '03 300B is perfect.

[merc406]

Black box or mainframe taking the info?

[woaface]

Hey remember now, that car had 56 miles on it, it wasn't broken in! This isn't poor workmanship...you just don't push a car hard when it's new and you've just started it.

[ap2003]

Hey... here's one... The latest BMW M3 and M5 have a "variable redline" (uses LEDs) that actually changes based on the engine temperature.

ap

[TJH]

Funny that they're asking over $26K for a USED car, when brand-new '04's can be had for the mid- $25's.
Now, I wonder if that engine will be warrantied, or if proper break-in operation will be cited (as, really, it ought to) as rationale to deny the claim...

[SergntMac]

'o4s for mid 25K? Where?

[jgc61sr2002]

Originally posted by TJH
Funny that they're asking over $26K for a USED car, when brand-new '04's can be had for the mid- $25's.
Now, I wonder if that engine will be warrantied, or if proper break-in operation will be cited (as, really, it ought to) as rationale to deny the claim... Show me I am from Missouri. Mid 25K's

[Glenn]

Sarge:

Does our MM have the "Black Box" that I have heard about recently on the news that records all of your driving habits (WOTs, speed, rpms, braking, etc.) and complete engine and car operation??? Will disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes erase everything in the black box. Do you know how long of a time period the data is recorded i.e. number of driving days???

Thanks,

Glenn

[nexstar7]

where is the black box located?

[CRUZTAKER]

The stories here refer to the EEC in the car, not a so called 'black box'
The EEC is capable of storing certain data to assist technicians in resolving problems. One can clear the EEC codes by merely disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes or so.

[vegasmarauder]

The EEC stores some of the info, but the other is the Crash Sensor Module for the airbags. It is basically to tell Ford (or whomever) what the car was doing for a short period before the air bags deployed. We had a CVPI black and white that was in a serious frontal crash and the air bag didn't go off. Ultimately Ford had the dealer remove the bags, seatbelts, and crash sensor and send them back to them. Never heard what the problem was though. The module records throttle position, speed, brake on/off, seatbelts on/off, ABS on/off. There is a company that sells a reader for police accident investigators to use, but not too many departments have them until the cost goes down. The info the module records can usually be figured out from other more established accident investigation methods anyway. I saw on some other website an explaination of what they record but I can't recall which one.

[SergntMac]

My Davis CarChip EX reads the ECM and records up to 300 hours of vehicle operation. Every time you start the car, all aspects of your drive is recorded in a "trip file." You can download this to your PC, and monitor dozens of operations, from engine temp to top speed. Anytime you hit the "hard brake" threshold, the last 20 seconds of vehicle operation are saved in a "accident file," and 20 seconds just before a collision, is quite a long time. This could be helpful 411 if your're innocent, and bad 411 if not.

It was designed for Fleet managers, but this is a great feature if you have teenaged drivers at home. Even the plug in and unplug to the OBD II port is recorded, so, it can't be fooled. About 175 bucks at;

http://www.davisnet.com/home_flash.asp

Happy motoring.

[Smokie]

The mechanic says that when he took the readings from the computer, the temp. still had not moved and the last rpm reading was 5500. (does the computer really store these readings???)

So his moral of the story is that since these are high compression engines you should always let them warm up before you drive the car really hard (this should be common sense to most on any engine).
Anyway, whether this was the reason for the engine failure or just poor workmanship on Ford's part during engine assembly, I don't know. It was a real eye opener to see holes on the sides of the block like that on a new car.Quote from page 6 of Marauder's Owners Manual:

Breaking-in your vehicle

There are no particular guidelines for breaking-in your vehicle. During the first 1,600 km (1000 miles) of driving, vary speeds frequently. This is recommended to give moving parts a chance to break in.

There are no instructions in the manual that state you cannot exceed 5500 rpm's before reaching operating temperature.
We know that it is not wise to go WOT right after a cold start, however what happened should be covered under warranty. There is no section of the manual that states: WOT right after starting voids your warranty.

The owners manual states on page 190 under Habits section: Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may reduce fuel economy.

[uncle daisy]

1st, where the hell can you get a brand new 04 Marauder for under $26,000??? I am looking into getting one soon and will not mind traveling to save between $6000 and $10,000. PLEASE TELL ME WHERE???????????

And 2nd, can anyone tell me if making modifications to the Marauder will void out any warrantees that come with it. (supercharger)

[BillyGman]

It depends on what dealer you are using, but almost all of them will not honor drivetrain related failures IF you've S/Ced the car. However, just keep in mind that what a dealer will overlook, and what they won't greatly depends on the dealer in question.

As far as where you can get outstanding deals on 04 marauders, The dealer in Wayne, NJ is one of them since they do have 16 2004 Marauders just sitting in their lot. That's the first place I'd go if I had $$ for a second Marauder. You might even be able to walk away w/one for 24K. I've heard of that happening.

[uncle daisy]

Dude, thank you soooooooooooooooo much. I have been really looking to get one. Looking to trade my custom caprice/impala ss. I live in NY, and out on L.I. so that seems like it may be close enough. Thanx again.

[BillyGman]

Dude, thank you soooooooooooooooo much. I have been really looking to get one. Looking to trade my custom caprice/impala ss. I live in NY, and out on L.I. so that seems like it may be close enough. Thanx again.They have a website. Here's a link....


http://northjersey.autochooser.com/dvSearchResults.asp?dlrID=15&DEALER=true&CALLINGPAGE=dealer&submit=TRUE&optSellType=new&fuzzymatch=true&makemodel=merc%20marauder%25&RecordsPerPage=25


and incase that one doesn't work, then use this one.....


http://www.waynelincolnmercury.com/#

[buckyboy]

I think the owner of that car is on this site and wrote a thread about it when that happened...anybody remember that also?
I took my 03 Marauder in to have my computer reflashed (to improve my tranny shifts). While I was waiting for the mechanic to get done, I asked if I could go over and ask a few questions concerning my car. So I go and chat with him about the car, I asked if he had any pointers on the Marauders in general. He says, come with me you'll never believe what I'm going to show you. We walk down to the last bay and there is an 04 DTR Marauder with exactly 56 miles on the odometer sitting there with the hood open. He tells me to stand back because he is going to lift the car off the ground. Once the car is up, he points to rear section of the engine block. There is 3" hole in the left side of the block and a 2" hole on the right side of the block (a few connecting rods came apart). He tells me that owner was running late for work and just started it up, threw it in gear and floored it to about 5500 rpm ( it was about 18 F degress this morning). Immediately after, the engine shut off along with a loud bang or two. The mechanic says that when he took the readings from the computer, the temp. still had not moved and the last rpm reading was 5500. (does the computer really store these readings???)

So his moral of the story is that since these are high compression engines you should always let them warm up before you drive the car really hard (this should be common sense to most on any engine).
Anyway, whether this was the reason for the engine failure or just poor workmanship on Ford's part during engine assembly, I don't know. It was a real eye opener to see holes on the sides of the block like that on a new car.


By the way, the computer reflash did improve my tranny shifts. Thanks to those who suggested this.

Oh one more thing, this was at Crossroads L/M on the southside of Indianapolis. Which by the way, they have a new silver 03 sitting in the showroom floor with 5,000 miles for those looking for a left over 03.

[RF Overlord]

can anyone tell me if making modifications to the Marauder will void out any warrantees that come with it. (supercharger)

uncle:

As BillyGman indicated, it is "somewhat" up to the dealer as to whether a specific mod affects the warranty. Bear in mind that ANY mod you make CAN void parts of the warranty. For instance, if you put in an aftermarket torque converter, as many here have, the dealer CAN refuse to repair under warranty any issues with the transmission, but most likely will not hassle you if the fuel pump goes bad. Installing something obvious like a supercharger or nitrous WILL in all probability void your entire powertrain warranty (engine, transmission, rear axle), but not the warranty for the power windows. Get the idea? The degree of hassle you get depends on the dealer; some are more "mod-friendly" than others...SVT dealers, as a group, tend to be more tolerant of mods that are done professionally, like the ones available from the vendors on this board, but it can still be a crap-shoot...

One more thing; although the Magnuson-Moss Act states that the dealer has to PROVE the mod CAUSED the failure in order to deny a warranty claim, remember that Ford employs an entire fleet of lawyers whose sole purpose in life is to look for ways to deny coverage...you WILL go broke trying to fight them, even if your claim is valid, so keep that in mind as well.

[marauderhombre]

I would like to set the record straight on the "blown engine Marauder at Crossroads! I still to this day hear stories about this car! First, Yes the motor was blown, but no one owned the car, it was delivered for the Indianapolis Auto show! A salesperson who had been fired took his last parting shot at the dealer by going out back and doing neutral drops and donuts! (Yes he was a Jackass, and yes he blew the motor) but so was the General manager that hired this idiot! ( Not to mention the Tech who told this story! you did meet the guy didn't you?) ( I will not even go into this story!)
As you have heard before Marauderhombre has left crossroads for Collins Lincoln Mercury! I did so because of the issues like the above mentioned!
Some of the Marauder guys stopped in to say hello while they were in town, Thanks for stopping by! I was unfortunately tied down here at Collins with a big Tent Sale! Sorry I missed those that were at Kenny's BBQ and at the track! Maybe next year!
Take care and I hope this straightens the story out!


I took my 03 Marauder in to have my computer reflashed (to improve my tranny shifts). While I was waiting for the mechanic to get done, I asked if I could go over and ask a few questions concerning my car. So I go and chat with him about the car, I asked if he had any pointers on the Marauders in general. He says, come with me you'll never believe what I'm going to show you. We walk down to the last bay and there is an 04 DTR Marauder with exactly 56 miles on the odometer sitting there with the hood open. He tells me to stand back because he is going to lift the car off the ground. Once the car is up, he points to rear section of the engine block. There is 3" hole in the left side of the block and a 2" hole on the right side of the block (a few connecting rods came apart). He tells me that owner was running late for work and just started it up, threw it in gear and floored it to about 5500 rpm ( it was about 18 F degress this morning). Immediately after, the engine shut off along with a loud bang or two. The mechanic says that when he took the readings from the computer, the temp. still had not moved and the last rpm reading was 5500. (does the computer really store these readings???)

So his moral of the story is that since these are high compression engines you should always let them warm up before you drive the car really hard (this should be common sense to most on any engine).
Anyway, whether this was the reason for the engine failure or just poor workmanship on Ford's part during engine assembly, I don't know. It was a real eye opener to see holes on the sides of the block like that on a new car.


By the way, the computer reflash did improve my tranny shifts. Thanks to those who suggested this.

Oh one more thing, this was at Crossroads L/M on the southside of Indianapolis. Which by the way, they have a new silver 03 sitting in the showroom floor with 5,000 miles for those looking for a left over 03.

[Nathan]

I would like to set the record straight on the "blown engine Marauder at Crossroads! I still to this day hear stories about this car! First, Yes the motor was blown, but no one owned the car, it was delivered for the Indianapolis Auto show! A salesperson who had been fired took his last parting shot at the dealer by going out back and doing neutral drops and donuts! (Yes he was a Jackass, and yes he blew the motor) but so was the General manager that hired this idiot! ( Not to mention the Tech who told this story! you did meet the guy didn't you?) ( I will not even go into this story!)

Aha! I'd heard both stories, but didn't know that they were one in the same. So... the cold weather/full-throttle story is a farce??

[Bigdogjim]

Thanks for setting the story straight:)

The dealer might be able to after the ex-employee in court for damages.

It is ashame the jerk took it out on the Maraduer:shot:

[Bigdogjim]

1st, where the hell can you get a brand new 04 Marauder for under $26,000??? I am looking into getting one soon and will not mind traveling to save between $6000 and $10,000. PLEASE TELL ME WHERE???????????

Lowest price I have seen so far.

Go to this thread

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11917

[BillyGman]

Lowest price I have seen so far.

Go to this thread

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11917
That might be the lowest price that he has seen, but I've seen two different members here posting claims of sale prices on NEW Marauders being 24K. BTW, thanks for that info Marauderhombre! :up:

[marauderhombre]

Aha! I'd heard both stories, but didn't know that they were one in the same. So... the cold weather/full-throttle story is a farce??
Yes it was a farce! I was talking to a one of the Marauderville II visitors who was here for an oil change, and he told me about the story! Sorry I didn't catch it earlier!
I have committed to being back on here alot more often for you guys, sorry I abandoned you! (new job responsibilities and all) I am going to run some numbers and see what we can sell Marauders for now and let everybody know! I also have 2 used 2003 Marauders, (300A's)!