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Car Broke Down First Drive

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  • simplyconnected
    Administrator
    • May 26 2009
    • 8778

    #46
    Originally posted by jopizz
    That's why it's imperative for a mechanic to take the car for an extended test drive after working on it. That way it would've broken down while he was driving it instead of you. It's a shame that what used to be a common practice years ago is no longer seen as important.

    John
    Yeah but John, you speak from great experience. Most mechanics today rarely work on classic or cars without an onboard diagnostics port. The last thing they suspect is rust in the gas tank. I guess I can appreciate 'Bob' replacing a laundry list of things that may have been old, just to eliminate potential problems but... The car ran for nearly an hour before it died and it ran when he worked on it.
    • Distributor caps are keyed (as mentioned). They won't set flat unless the cap key is broken. Evidently THAT didn't deter the engine from running.
    • Points may have been worn but THAT didn't deter the engine from running.
    • Initially, no mention of the starter solenoid when that was the first issue. Turns out, the solenoid stuck on more than one occasion during the time with 'Bob'. I've never heard of a battery terminal that caused a starter to continue running but evidently that was blamed.
    • If the starter ran soooo long that current melted the disconnect and drained the battery, I'm amazed the starter motor still works! I suspect this was the reason for replacing the wire.
    • No mention of a fuel filter check (for debris).
    I think 'Bob' is covering his 'towing bases' by blaming other issues than parts he worked on. Sounds like the tow took an hour and he is not shy about his charges. I hope I'm wrong. There is no reason why this car should fail after a qualified mechanic serviced it. - Dave
    Member, Sons of the American Revolution

    CLICK HERE to see my custom hydraulic roller 390 FE build.

    "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
    --Lee Iacocca

    From: Royal Oak, Michigan

    Comment

    • ssj335
      Experienced
      • Jul 13 2018
      • 289

      #47
      Yeah I feel like he is not listening to me when I told him I thought it was the starter solenoid at first he didn't check that out but looked at what he thought would be the issue. I know I am not a mechanic but still it felt funny that he didn't find out the solenoid was bad until he was ready to let the car leave the shop he "accidentally" discovered the solenoid was bad.

      He seems very pricey but I am happy that he offered to tow the car back to the shop for free. He could have charged me $300+ and I would have no option but to do it or to go someplace else where they know nothing about classic cars.

      This is NY - everybody is potentially shady.

      Comment

      • jopizz
        Super-Experienced


        • Nov 23 2009
        • 8308

        #48
        Originally posted by simplyconnected
        The car ran for nearly an hour before it died and it ran when he worked on it.
        Kirsten indicated that both times it died it was during stop and go traffic so the amount of time it ran may be irrelevant. I don't know if she mentioned this to the mechanic but it would be important for me to know if I was working on it.

        John
        John Pizzi - Squarebirds Administrator

        Thunderbird Registry #36223
        jopizz@squarebirds.org 856-779-9695

        https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm

        Comment

        • ssj335
          Experienced
          • Jul 13 2018
          • 289

          #49
          Yes both times it died was when I was in stop and go traffic and either I was in the process of stopping or I was already stopped. This actually happened 3 times - the 3 times I drove it thus far since owning. Lastly, it was raining all 3 times.

          Actually there was a 4th time I drove it (sunny) for a short 5 minute ride and nothing happened.

          I will point out that after Bob worked on that car the drive feels much smoother than before. Last time the steering wheel was kind of shaking a little bit the entire time. This time that was not the case so whatever he did improved things somewhat but didn't prevent the stall out and refusal to start. At least this time the battery terminal didn't melt off.

          Comment

          • Woobie
            Experienced
            • Apr 1 2016
            • 146

            #50
            And there is a real possibility that you flooded the engine while repeatedly trying to restart it.
            Austin

            Comment

            • ssj335
              Experienced
              • Jul 13 2018
              • 289

              #51
              Could be!

              I only tried twice for a few moments each.
              And then a third time a few hours later again for just a few moments.

              So hope not but yes it's possible!!

              Originally posted by Woobie
              And there is a real possibility that you flooded the engine while repeatedly trying to restart it.

              Comment

              • simplyconnected
                Administrator
                • May 26 2009
                • 8778

                #52
                Originally posted by ssj335
                Yes both times it died was when I was in stop and go traffic and either I was in the process of stopping or I was already stopped. This actually happened 3 times - the 3 times I drove it thus far since owning. Lastly, it was raining all 3 times.
                Does your Temp gauge work? Did you notice where the needle pointed when the car died?

                I'll stick my neck out here and say, if you don't have a fuel issue then your problem may be a bad coil or ballast resistor or loose wiring to those components. Heat expands and moves things, especially copper. Five minutes isn't enough time to warm up electrical components. Again, when this stall happens I would want to check for ignition spark (and fuel).

                A coil at NAPA auto parts store costs ~$30 (Part #MPE IC10SB)
                A ballast resistor at NAPA auto parts store costs ~$5.50 (Part#MPE ICR11SB). Other auto parts stores may offer them for a lower price. These parts are easy to install.

                I do NOT believe in throwing parts at a problem because you end up with a basket of good parts that cannot be returned. Instead, all the suspect parts can be tested before replacement. - Dave
                Member, Sons of the American Revolution

                CLICK HERE to see my custom hydraulic roller 390 FE build.

                "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
                --Lee Iacocca

                From: Royal Oak, Michigan

                Comment

                • JohnG
                  John
                  • Jul 28 2003
                  • 2341

                  #53
                  if the distributor/points assembly was set up poorly, it is a wonder the car ran at all, let alone smoothly.

                  Basic rule of life for old cars: assume nothing. Take nothing for granted.

                  They were well designed and well made but age, rust and suspect mechanics all take their toll. You never know where.

                  Driving such a car is only part of the adventure. Getting to where you can do that reliably, is also part of the adventure.

                  I remember not having many (any?) lights when I went for the first ride. No problem . . .I'll check out the fuse box. Much later . . . what fuse box? Horn? only blew if I pressed on one side of it. Did it run cool? sure! The temp gauge never budged from T since the ground was all crud. And on and on.

                  The many members of Squarebirds have all experienced different parts of the latter, and can share alot, as you have seen.

                  Good luck!

                  john
                  1958 Hardtop
                  #8452 TBird Registry
                  http://tbird.info/registry/DataSheet...r~equals~8452)

                  photo: http://www.squarebirds.org/users/joh...d_June2009.jpg
                  history:
                  http://www.squarebirds.org/users/johng/OCC.htm

                  Comment

                  • scumdog
                    Super-Experienced

                    • May 12 2006
                    • 1528

                    #54
                    Originally posted by ssj335
                    Labor $200
                    Parts $118

                    (PARTS)
                    Starter Cable - $25
                    Starter Solinoid (Ford Motorcraft) - $60
                    Points - $19
                    Condencer - $15 (what's a condencer?)

                    (LABOR)
                    Replace points, condencer, and set timing, fix carb - $100
                    Install starter cable and solinoid, charge battery - $100

                    I suppose this is $100/hr labor with 2 hours work
                    Wow!
                    They sound like New Zealand prices - and our dollar is only worth about 67 US cents!

                    Persevere, you’ll get there in the end - and you’ve already replaced items that may (or may not!) have caused problems.
                    BTW:
                    I’m surprised your starter still works OK given that it seems like it would have been trying to start the motor when it was already running?
                    A Thunderbirder from the Land of the Long White Cloud.

                    Comment

                    • ssj335
                      Experienced
                      • Jul 13 2018
                      • 289

                      #55
                      The gauge was just slightly to the right, beyond center towards "H". The gauge stayed toward the colder side for most of the trip maybe around the 1/3 mark. So it actually DID move but it didn't get into a zone that looked alarming. This doesn't mean that the gauge is functioning properly I guess but just an observation.

                      Originally posted by simplyconnected
                      Does your Temp gauge work? Did you notice where the needle pointed when the car died?

                      Comment

                      • ssj335
                        Experienced
                        • Jul 13 2018
                        • 289

                        #56
                        Yeah pretty costly!!

                        I am surprised too based on what everyone is saying. I believe that (knock on wood) the issue with the car trying to start itself is resolved. It hasn't done that again since the repairs were made. So perhaps that was resolved by changing the starter cable, the starter solenoid, the carb adjustment, or the distributor points/cap adjustment. Here's hoping.

                        Maybe it is possible the oil light coming on and the car stalling is a separate issue. Plus the fact that the car doesn't start now. Maybe after this next round of (expensive) fixes I'll have a clean bill of health.

                        Originally posted by scumdog
                        Wow!
                        They sound like New Zealand prices

                        I’m surprised your starter still works OK given that it seems like it would have been trying to start the motor when it was already running?

                        Comment

                        • Woobie
                          Experienced
                          • Apr 1 2016
                          • 146

                          #57
                          I'm not surprised by the bill. Your location is an exclusive enclave considered the Gold Coast. Of course we can find people of varying resources in every location.

                          Possibly send over a large cheese pizza or two .
                          Austin

                          Comment

                          • simplyconnected
                            Administrator
                            • May 26 2009
                            • 8778

                            #58
                            There are two places in the US that I will never have my car serviced.

                            Chicago - I'm from Chicago but grew up in Detroit. Chicago mechanics charge two grand, no matter what is wrong with your engine. They don't bat an eye, either. I tell my relatives and friends in Cook County to bring their car to Wisconsin or Indiana where prices are more down to Earth.

                            Boston - Again, these guys charge top dollar for everything. They are more slick than Chicagoans. They make you feel like they're doing you a favor before they drop the bomb. Saying things like, 'Hey, I like you and I'm going to give you our rock bottom price just so you can trust me...' Many customers never see it coming and they gladly pay because they simply don't know any different.

                            Over the years, I have found people who expect to pay high prices for their car repairs. This seemed odd to me but if they didn't pay a lot, somehow they felt their car wasn't in tip-top condition. After paying a huge bill, they felt much more confident in their car. Some things are beyond me like lines of customers waving their $40 for a rag doll called 'Cabbage Patch' or the five million who paid $3.95 for a 'Pet Rock' with paint on it. - Dave
                            Member, Sons of the American Revolution

                            CLICK HERE to see my custom hydraulic roller 390 FE build.

                            "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
                            --Lee Iacocca

                            From: Royal Oak, Michigan

                            Comment

                            • Woobie
                              Experienced
                              • Apr 1 2016
                              • 146

                              #59
                              For future repairs there is always the option of obtaining cost estimates first.

                              I am guessing that at some point the OP might have reasoned

                              oh, why not or

                              give it a try, something I've never done before on taking on this car.

                              Certainly brave to just hop in and go, not knowing what is ahead, in my opinion, not knowing the car and it's condition.

                              So with the car at the shop, this may or may not be an opportunity to drop off a disposable camera and ask how much it would be to put the car on a ramp lift and photograph the underbody.

                              I for one surely hope for the best possible outcome.
                              Austin

                              Comment

                              • JohnG
                                John
                                • Jul 28 2003
                                • 2341

                                #60
                                since we are talking New York State, possibly valuable reading from the state is here:

                                Smart Shopping for Auto RepairsYou can help avoid trouble with an unreliable or dishonest repair shop by following these tips:Deal only with a registered shop.
                                1958 Hardtop
                                #8452 TBird Registry
                                http://tbird.info/registry/DataSheet...r~equals~8452)

                                photo: http://www.squarebirds.org/users/joh...d_June2009.jpg
                                history:
                                http://www.squarebirds.org/users/johng/OCC.htm

                                Comment

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