A resurrection: 2003 MM fix!

[offroadkarter]

I am still in such disbelief that someone is trying to fix this car.


This car used to belong to a good friend of mine, which is whom you purchased it from. If you'd like to see this cars history on MM.net, search username "rossv1". You should find all the mods it had (some it still has).


After this car got wrecked (for the third and final time), I went down with another friend of mine and we left with:

All 4 door panels
Rear bumper
1 good headlight
Spare tire cover and hold down
Center caps
Tail lights
Addco front swaybar (couldn't get the rear one off, way too rusty)

When he told me someone bought the rest of the car and was planning to put it back on the road, I remember thinking who would be insane enough to try and resurrect this 3 accident, high mile, very rusty philly car. Then I found this thread, and here we are.

Here are some photos of your new marauder from happier times

Good luck and God speed on your restoration

and of course, this is probably how it looked when you picked it up

Here is the autocheck history on that car, starting on 2/05/2010 is when my friend owned it

https://autocheck.remorainc.com/aut...Y9c15CFsmRIRgZk2wR99RXPzK+YzEw74lhpVNc19pvqu5

 

[Cosgrandmarquis]

Yikes!!!

 

[Agent2006]

Thanks for the info offroadkarter:

Ross is a stand up guy, good seller, I recommend him 100%. MM readers: He also has a nice Buick GN so don't worry he's still going fast..

17 autocheck score LOL! I guess the car has nowhere to go but up.

Rust: spent time in ME, then RI then Philadelphia, that about covers the rust belt. I'll get some under car pix posted in the future, pretty crusty. HF wire wheels and emory cloth will be my constant companions.

No time to worry about that for now ---the MM is in a nice warm garage, and I'm putting in a Ford Escape CD player and replacing the EATC this AM...(the EATC in there when I got it was missing a valve spring, ---replaced that and the O rings, but still it blows fuses)...

 

[Gerry24]

I think that's cool how the story of the MM keeps going as well with photos.

 

[Serge]

Looks to be in better shape than rusty pos that I had. Minus the smashed and missing parts that is.

3 CVPI doors, a fender, trunk lid off another Marauder, rockers made from scrap washing machine and $3000 Marauder turned into $6000 Marauder.

 

[Agent2006]

Round 12,996....this evening I tackled odd/various interior components not working. My new Motorcraft Blower control module is on the way...

..checked all the fuses in the fuse panel under the dash...then hit the power lock button. Promptly blew the #15 fuse and the interior lights, stereo and HVAC don't come on. locks dont work...Thinking it is my junkyard Drivers door module. XW7T-13C791-AB. scrounged out of a smashed 2001 GM. Ordered a 2003 MM module allegedly "tested". Stay tuned...

 

[offroadkarter]

Round 12,996....this evening I tackled odd/various interior components not working. My new Motorcraft Blower control module is on the way...

..checked all the fuses in the fuse panel under the dash...then hit the power lock button. Promptly blew the #15 fuse and the interior lights, stereo and HVAC don't come on. locks dont work...Thinking it is my junkyard Drivers door module. XW7T-13C791-AB. scrounged out of a smashed 2001 GM. Ordered a 2003 MM module allegedly "tested". Stay tuned...

It's very possible you have the wrong switches

I ran into the same problem on my 03 (if I find your old switches I'll see how they're pinned out but that could be a couple weeks.)

My 03 had the passenger door lock switch unplugged. If I plugged it in, the driver or passenger door would blow the interior lights if I held it down to long. From what I found out, sometime during the 03 year the wiring changed and they moved a couple pins on the harness. I had to go to the dealer and order new lock switches (gave them my vin) and thankfully the correct ones showed up. I am pretty sure on the switch itself, one of the pins either moved or isn't there, which is partly how I discovered this.

My 03 and 04 Marauder have a different pinout on the lock switch pigtail, I bet you have the wrong switch hooked up. Essentially what was happening was when you hit the lock or unlock button, it was sending power through the illumination circuit causing all the lights to blow.

Oh yeah, I sold your DDM as well to a member on here, sorry

 

[Agent2006]

My 03 had the passenger door lock switch unplugged. If I plugged it in, the driver or passenger door would blow the interior lights if I held it down to long. From what I found out, sometime during the 03 year the wiring changed and they moved a couple pins on the harness. I had to go to the dealer and order new lock switches (gave them my vin) and thankfully the correct ones showed up. I am pretty sure on the switch itself, one of the pins either moved or isn't there, which is partly how I discovered this.

Great info thanks! The problem you had sounds alot like my symptoms. I've had to re-learn this lesson- JUST BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR PLUGS, IN DOESN'T MAKE IT COMPATIBLE! I ordered 3W7T-13C791-AA ...if (please don't spend a ton of time looking for it) you ad a photo of that part/part number - I'd really love that info. Knowing what I know now, what a fool I was to grab one out of a 2001 MGM. When the fuse blew and I plugged another one into #15 --there was an orange spark! ugh. I'll run this part number past the dealer parts guy and my VIN ---THANKS, great tip. I bought a new Ford drivers door master switch assembly, I'll see what that PN number is as well. Other Idea I had was: Is this short due to the keyless pad shorting/shorted out? Any more problems after I swap the new DDM, and I'm unhooking that.

Funny without any DDM, the HVAC lights up, interior lights come one, compass works, and the stereo works. I bought a 2005 Escape radio - ED suffix. Of course it was the base model --the one NOT to buy. Had to buy two connectors and solder all 8-10 wires together. I wish I bought -FC the Audiophile one. Oh, well...

While I'm waiting for that new-to-me DDM and my Motorcraft Blower module, I'm replacing the battery/starter harness tomorrow night. Stay tuned!

 

[offroadkarter]

My 03 had the passenger door lock switch unplugged. If I plugged it in, the driver or passenger door would blow the interior lights if I held it down to long. From what I found out, sometime during the 03 year the wiring changed and they moved a couple pins on the harness. I had to go to the dealer and order new lock switches (gave them my vin) and thankfully the correct ones showed up. I am pretty sure on the switch itself, one of the pins either moved or isn't there, which is partly how I discovered this.

Great info thanks! The problem you had sounds alot like my symptoms. I've had to re-learn this lesson- JUST BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR PLUGS, IN DOESN'T MAKE IT COMPATIBLE! I ordered 3W7T-13C791-AA ...if (please don't spend a ton of time looking for it) you ad a photo of that part/part number - I'd really love that info. Knowing what I know now, what a fool I was to grab one out of a 2001 MGM. When the fuse blew and I plugged another one into #15 --there was an orange spark! ugh. I'll run this part number past the dealer parts guy and my VIN ---THANKS, great tip. I bought a new Ford drivers door master switch assembly, I'll see what that PN number is as well. Other Idea I had was: Is this short due to the keyless pad shorting/shorted out? Any more problems after I swap the new DDM, and I'm unhooking that.

Funny without any DDM, the HVAC lights up, interior lights come one, compass works, and the stereo works. I bought a 2005 Escape radio - ED suffix. Of course it was the base model --the one NOT to buy. Had to buy two connectors and solder all 8-10 wires together. I wish I bought -FC the Audiophile one. Oh, well...

While I'm waiting for that new-to-me DDM and my Motorcraft Blower module, I'm replacing the battery/starter harness tomorrow night. Stay tuned!

Here is a video I took when I was troubleshooting mine, you'll see how it was behaving

https://offroadkarter.smugmug.com/2003-Mercury-Marauder/Door-Locks/n-VTZs8n/i-88vZrxf/A

I'll pull a switch out of my car tomorrow after work it should have the engineering # on there at least.

 

[Agent2006]

That's an interesting video, much easier to understand the symptoms than trying to describe it. The passenger door switch I have came with the passenger 2003 Marauder door panel. The master switch (driver's door bunch of switches, master lock button, child button etc.)..I ordered new for a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis...I did see your DDM number. same as the one I ordered. When it comes in I'll report back. Meanwhile, replacing the battery/starter /alt harness, the worst part is one heat shield bolt next to the pass . exhaust manifold. tough one to get to! ...assembling u-joint/extensions now...

 

[Agent2006]

Update:

replaced the battery/starter/alt wiring harness. I take back everything I thought or said about Ford using too-small of a wire gauge, the thing was difficult enough to route and bend the wires where they were supposed to go. Executive summary - my salt-mobile harness was in OK shape at 131K miles, except for the top part=- both battery terminals and those top connections...in case you are on the fence about replacing yours. Attached pic is the bastard of the whole job, the harness is attached to the back of the engine block on the pass side by this metal bracket. KEEPS the harness off the pass side exhaust and burning the whole car down. Don't zip-tie/say F it. The stud is a tough one to get to, too tight for a long socket, stud is too long to seat a std 13MM socket.

If you replace this harness, take VERY careful note of where the harness goes over/under various lines , it wont fit well otherwise.

The good news, get a socket on there U-joints its not on there that tight, break it loose and you can spin it off by fingers. Other bad news for me--my forearm is too fat to get up in there, had to take off RF tire and pull forward the inner fender liner, take off one upper retaining bolt/fender washer, and you can jam your arm in there. Minus a little O+ fluid.

Next task - grind down and repaint (Rustoleum) cross over tube, was kinda flaky but got down to solid metal OK. scariest parts are the tube near the temp sensors, but they look solid. I can't pay $350-400 for an OEM replacement right now. I used emory cloth and a sander. This came out OK.

What is WAY too crusty is the heater hose return tube, I ordered one from RA -it is the wrong tube. This tube along the pass side engine is MM specific.... So the plan is to get 3 ft of 5/8" heater hose and bypass the metal tube, this car is NOT a resto. see last pic, looks like a metal coolant line from the Titanic.

BSCM and the new DDM came today...woo hoo!

 

[Invective]

Inspiration

You are a true inspiration!

 

[Comin' in Hot]

The hose coming off the heater core is 3/4”, you’re going to need a reducer somewhere to go to 5/8”. I’ll try to get a picture of mine, but I used pre-bent universal 90° hose sections to make it follow the factory routing better than a straight piece. I’ll try to find some photos of it. If not I’ll take some tomorrow.

 

[MyBlackBeasts]

The hose coming off the heater core is 3/4”, your going to need a reduced somewhere to go to 5/8”. I’ll try to get a picture of mine, but are used pre-bent universal 90° hose sections to make follow the factory routing better than a straight piece.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Invective]

Huh?

If you get bored...

 

[Agent2006]

Originally Posted by Comin' in Hot View Post
The hose coming off the heater core is 3/4”, your going to need a reduced somewhere to go to 5/8”. I’ll try to get a picture of mine, but are used pre-bent universal 90° hose sections to make follow the factory routing better than a straight piece

Thanks! great info ....I hadn't noticed the heater core exit was 3/4" and the crossover tube was 5/8". I got a 3/4" to 5/8" adapter from A.Z. was $3 bucks.. I'm running all 5/8" hose on this one,no 90 degree bends on this one.

To invective-what was the design inspiration for those lovely spokes? Looks like a 76 Chevy Nova steering wheel.

https://www.ebay.com/p/75-79-Chevy-Nova-LN-Impala-Malibu-Monte-Steering-Wheel-W-Horn-Pad-9754887/1322653555?iid=202308925279&chn=ps

 

[a_d_a_m]

Glad to see this one getting a 4th chance. And of course offroadkarter knows about this car; he's a MM historian

 

[Agent2006]

Whew! The cross over tube plug is giving me a good fight.

So far:

--KROIL
--PB blaster
--Acetone/Mercon V
--propane torch
--cutting a slot/trying to chisel
--vice grips, vice grips , and more vice grips. plus cheater bar
--tapping on the sides/on the top
--paraffin wax candle drips

...so rusted , you can't see the seam between plug and tube...

all have failed to budge the plug. I'm thinking: drill out the center, then larger and larger drills until I can chisel and tap...hope that won't destroy the tube threads.

Or disconnect the overflow tank and raise that up to form the burp point. If this were bypass kit, how do they burp that? I would think by raising the overflow tank to be the highest point.

if it does...I'm think of buying a Cobra or Aviator style tube which aren't a zillion bucks, then getting a 180 degree silicone hose and a couple of 90 dgree bends to allow the MM radiator hoses to be hooked up...thoughts? NOT GIVING UP!

Or is it better to hacksaw horizontally and remove the plug and maybe a thread or two, then try to clean up whats left of the tube threads??

On the positive side, I've obtained a drivers door panel from a wrecked charcoal interior taxi, the arm rest is in good shape (shocking, I know), unlike my trashed MM Dr door panel, So I'm dremeling out the plastic weld/plugs to allow removal, then install on my MM panel. To reinstall, I plan to use self tapping screws and fender washers on the backside of the panel.

 

[a_d_a_m]

Propane wouldn't budge my COT at 103k, and it wasn't even rusted. Neighbor used his MAP torch on it and it begrudgingly let loose.
If you know anyone that welds, maybe weld a larger nut atop the plug and see if you get anywhere with that?

 

[Agent2006]

Thanks Adam - good thought, but I don't have anyone nearby who can weld. One more thought -- drill it out, and tap it for a smaller "hydraulic plug". That's what these plugs essentially are, a hydraulic plug you can get from McMaster Carr etc.. Anything to allow air bleeding and resealing. Then get a delete kit later.