That’s how I would advertise my car if for some reason I had to sell it. The truth of the matter is that the car was given to me for free from a family friend and it has it’s share of problems.
1. the heat doesn’t work. my dad, who is a retired mechanic said it needs a new heater core and that the heating mechanism was detached for some reason. is it really expensive to fix? and should I take the car to a dealer or to a regular mechanic?
2. my driver side window is stuck. it won’t move up or down anymore but I can hear the motor trying to move the window. my question is what is the best way to keep rain from getting in so i can drive the car while its raining? I know it needs to be fixed, but again, I fear the expense is a little out of my price range.
3. the rear air suspension is broken, is it vital to the car to get it fixed ASAP? or can it wait until I can afford to fix?
basically the car runs well enough but since i got the car free, i am wondering if it is worth fixing or should i wait until it dies?
thanks for your time,
ashlee from NJ
Yo Ashlee from NJ
Glad to hear you got your car for free, but not glad to hear about the problems you are having with it. YUK! The heater core will be very expensive to replace, so start saving your money….or wear a second coat in the car during winter time.
The window could be something as simple as a bad window regulator chain, which Ford sells a repair kit to replace this plastic “chain” that connects the window glass to the window motor. It’s kinda like a bicycle chain that connects the front pedal sprocket to the rear wheel sprocket, although made of plastic not metal like the bike. I want to say this repair costs about $175 parts and labor.
If you don’t want to repair the window you can have someone remove the interior door panel and install a block of wood under the window glass to keep it propped up and permanently sealed closed.
Now, the rear airbags……hold on to your wallet there. That is one of Ford’s brilliant designs that went seriously wrong. If you are lucky, there is a problem with the electric motor that pumps up the rear air bags, and you can buy a used one from the junk yard for $70 and replace it yourself. If you are not so lucky, you might have an air leak in the rear air bags and that is big bucks.
I have seen air leaks a few times at the plastic air lines that plug into the electric motor. Ford sells a repair kit for this, which you can do yourself. If the pump works….use some soapy water and look for leaks at the hose fittings at the pump.
In my opinion it is not safe to drive this vehicle if the rear end of the car is sunken down low because the rear air shocks are not filling up with air to life the vehicle.
Good luck!
Blessings,
Austin Davis