1992 Ford Thunderbird

THE HARNESS AT THE ALTERNATOR HAS CAUGHT FIRE TWICE AND I HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR THREE TIMES IN TWO YEARS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT STARTS SMOKING AND SUET COMES OUT AND YOU THINK THE CAR IS GOING TO BLOW UP. IT IS A VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. THE MECHANIC FOUND SERVICE BULLENTIN ARTICLE #96-21-4 WHICH DESCRIBES THIS. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. I AM VERY DISTRUBED. PLEASE HELP ME.*AK

HEAD GASKET- CAR BEGAN SKIPPING AND THEN WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF EXHUAST. I DROVE IT HOME (3 MILES). I PULLED THE SPARK PLUGS AND FOUND THAT THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER PLUG CLEAN AND WET. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR AND CYLINDER. WHY WON'T FORD HELP? I HAVE YET TO BRING IT TO A GARAGE SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE HEAD OR BLOCK IS DAMAGED. I AM HOPING NOT! TRANSMISSION- AOD MODEL STARTING AT ABOUT 79,000 MILES IT BEGAN TO SHIFT FUNNY AND GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS TIME WENT ON. NOW SHIFTING ERATIC, WAS LOOKING INTO FIXING IT WHEN THE HEAD GASKET PROBLEM CAME UP!!!!!*AK

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT LIMP UNDER MY FOOT. HOWEVER, THE CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING. PUMPING THE PEDAL CHANGED NOTHING. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR KEPT GOING AT 55 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP BY PUTTING IT IN PARK WHILE IT WAS STILL MOVING AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION. I WAS ON AN EMPTY ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED THE CAR UP AGAIN AND IT WAS RACING AT FULL THROTTLE WHILE IN PARK. THE THROTTLE IS OBVIOUSLY STUCK WIDE OPEN AND I THINK I PROBABLY INCURRED TRANSMISSION DAMAGE GETTING IT TO STOP. I THEN CALLED A TOW TRUCK WHICH TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY RESIDENCE. I HAVE NOT YET HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR. I THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE THIS REPORT FIRST AND WAIT FOR YOUR ADVICE AS TO WHAT TO DO. MY GUESS WOULD BE THE THROTTLE CABLE SNAPPED BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE PEDAL SUDDENLY WENT LIMP AND THEN I LOST THE ABILITY TO EITHER ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE.*AK

THE DAY AFTER HAVING THE WATER PUMP REPLACED AFTER A FAILURE, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE RAISED TO THE MAXIMUM THAT THE GAUGE CAN DISPLAY (NO SPECIFIC TEMP, JUST C-NORMAL-H). TOOK CAR BACK TO THE GARAGE WHERE THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THEY SAID THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN AND REPAIR WOULD COST $1100. FOR A SECOND OPINION I LIMPED IT TO A PERSON WHO "SECIALIZES" IN SUPER COUPES AND HE CONFIRMED THE DIAGNOSIS. HE SAID HE HAD SEEN MANY TBIRD SC'S COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND MILAGE DID NOT PLAY A PART IN THE DEFECT. HE REPORTED TO ME THAT THE MAIN MALFUNCTION WAS NOT ONLY A POOR QUALITY GASKET, BUT THAT THE HEADS WERE MACHINED TO TOO HIGH OF A TOLERANCE. THE HEADS WERE MACHINED, THE GASKETS REPLACED, ETC ETC, TO THE TUNE OF $1000.*AK