Taking Car To Dealership....

[01honestabe]

Well I bought my 01 Lincoln Continental with 61k on it for $10000. It runs pretty good but there are a few things I would like them to fix. My car has the same problems a few other members on here have posted about. It has the squealing belt when I shift hard from 1st to 2nd only, it has a slight hesitation or miss sometimes when I accelerate, but not all the time, also I have very squeaky brakes and sometimes the rotors make a slight vibration feeling.

Ok I bought the car about 3 weeks ago and I took it to them the following week to look at the problems.

-The thing they told me about the squealing belt was that when they detailed the motor something might of got in there making it do that and that if it gets worse or squeals all the time they would fix it.

-The thing about the slight hesitation was it might of had bad gas from sitting a while and to run high octane in it to see if it stops, I tried 92 octane and fuel injector cleaner with no help.

-The thing about the brakes squealing was they said that my brakes were fine and it was normal. And it might of had some rust from sitting for a while and it should go away.

Ok I think all the answers they gave me sound like they are giving me the run around and dont want to fix anything. I got the 115 pt checklist and it says they put new brakes, resurfaced rotors, changed fuel filter and spark plugs, and everything else checked out.

My question is before I have this car too much longer and they feel that they dont need to repair anything, should I bring it back in and demand that they fix the problems I am having free of charge. I would hate for something to get worse and it have to fall on me to fix when I am about to go to school fulltime and work part time only and my funds will be low.

[98TC-Cartier]

If you have a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar, you can remove the belt and check that the idler pulleys, etc have quiet bearings. You could also wash the belt and the pulleys to clean them.

Sorry, thought I was in the TC forum, removing the belt on a V8 Conti is not so easy.

Jack up the car and remove a front wheel and check the brake pads and rotor finish yourself. Don't forget to turn off the air suspension.
If the car sat a while and the rotors got some surface rust, it can take a while to get it out of the pads, best way is find a nice quiet road or empty parking lot and do a couple of panic stops from 40-60mph. If the squeeks don't stop after a few of those, then take it back.

[ContiDave]

All those issues should be taken care of right now--unless you get a written guarantee that they will take care of those problems if they do not resolve.

[v8_dave]

Yep, might as well take advantage of the warranty. They wont intentionally screw something up b/c they are mad at you, thats used car lots. Start off friendly and do what you need to do after that. :)

[Howard]

I had Squealing and progressively worse vibration for the first six months after I got my 98 conti. The dealership had put new calipers on before I bought it. When I took it back after two months they turned the rotors, but three months later I was back at square one.

Took it to my local mechanic and he said that the dealers put on the cheapest new calipers they can get and that's why they squeek.

Also from guys here I found out that this car is just too powerful and too heavy for the factory front breaks to handle. Replaced the fronts with ceramic calipers and high quality rotors, and haven't had a problem since (over a year). Be aware that ceramics take more pressure to slow and stop the car though. The first time you drive it after they're put on give yourself plenty of room to stop, 'till you get used to them.

[Nick]

I've had better experience with EBC pads and Hawk pads. I am not sure what brand they were, but the readily available "ceramic" pads that went on our car from a mechanic were the worst POS pads ever. It took more travel and longer distances to stop the car than even with the OE pads.

[TheSweetRossLg]

you might have semi metalic pads wich are cousing the brak problems and get them to fix the belt problem now not latter

[Fordace]

LINCOLN:
1999-2002 CONTINENTAL

ISSUE:

Some vehicles may exhibit a hesitation, buck or surge during a steady state operation at 40-60 MPH (64-96 KM/H). This may be caused by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration.
ACTION:

Reprogram the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with a revised calibration. The revised calibration should reduce the possibility of hesitation, bucking or surge. Refer to the following Calibration Information Chart for details.
SERVICE PROCEDURE


Reprogram the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with a revised calibration. The revised calibration should reduce the possibility of hesitation, bucking or surge. Refer to the following Calibration Information Chart.

[01honestabe]

LINCOLN:
1999-2002 CONTINENTAL

ISSUE:

Some vehicles may exhibit a hesitation, buck or surge during a steady state operation at 40-60 MPH (64-96 KM/H). This may be caused by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration.
ACTION:

Reprogram the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with a revised calibration. The revised calibration should reduce the possibility of hesitation, bucking or surge. Refer to the following Calibration Information Chart for details.
SERVICE PROCEDURE


Reprogram the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with a revised calibration. The revised calibration should reduce the possibility of hesitation, bucking or surge. Refer to the following Calibration Information Chart.

Or I could just get my superchip and it should take care of everything.

[Philip]

Sorry, thought I was in the TC forum, removing the belt on a V8 Conti is not so easy.
QUOTE]

yipper, big fat InTech sitting sideways...lol. I'm still amazed by that. I'm not touching anything under there. The Mark is less intimidating.