1998 Lincoln Mark Viii

THE BRAKES CAN QUIT WORKING AFTER THE AUTOMATIC PARKING BRAKE RELEASE SOLENOID FAILS TO RELEASE THE REAR BRAKES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED OUT OF PARK. THE REAR BRAKES WILL THEN OVERHEAT AFTER SEVERAL MILES, WHICH CAUSES THE BRAKE FLUID TO EVENTUALLY BOIL AND BE EXPELLED FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE FIRST SYMPTOM IS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING BECOMES ERRATIC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE BRAKING SYSTEM TOTALLY FAILED TO STOP THE CAR DUE TO LACK OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER. PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL RAPIDLY AND SHEER LUCK ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT HAVE PREVENTED A MAJOR CRASH (SO FAR...)! THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND FLUID HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO FIX AVAILABLE THAT WOULD PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM RE-OCCURRING. THIS SAFETY DEFECT APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY THE PARKING BRAKE POSITION SENSOR SWITCH FAILING TO NOTIFY THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE THAT THE PARKING BRAKE IS SET,, SO THE CONTROLLING SOFTWARE DOESN'T BOTHER TO RELEASE THE BRAKE AT DRIVE-OFF. THE WARNING LIGHT ALSO FAILS TO INDICATE A PROBLEM TO THE DRIVER, WHICH MAKES THIS A VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FAILURE AFTER THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO MY WIFE TWICE, I BEGAN TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SURE ENOUGH, AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE ONLY WORKAROUND IS TO USE THE EMERGENCY MECHANICAL RELEASE BEFORE DRIVING OFF. IF ONE FORGETS TO DO THIS, THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE REAR BRAKES ARE DRAGGING AND IMPENDING BRAKE FAILURE IS A CERTAINTY..

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR ABS FAILED. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE REAR WHEEL ABS SENSOR WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. REPORT 238373 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE PART, BUT THE PART WAS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION; THEREFORE; THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER DISCONNECTED THE REAR ABS SENSOR TO ENSURE THAT THE REAR BRAKES WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY; YET, IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND THE ABS LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE CONSTANTLY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,000. UPDATED 8/25/10 *CN UPDATED 08/27/10

THE FRONT ABS SPEED SENSOR HAS FAILED ON MY 1998 LINCOLN MARK VIII. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 50K MILES ON IT. THESE SENSORS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED BY FORD STARTING 2005. THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE AND NO AUTOMOTIVE PARTS STORE CARRIES THEM. FORD MADE CLOSE TO 18,000 LINCOLN MARK VIII IN 1998, THE ABS SENSOR IS CRUCIAL IN THE PROPER OPERATION OF THE ABS AS WELL AS THE TRACTION CONTROL, AS IT IS RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENTS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. THE MARK VIIIS THAT HAVE AND WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION AND COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCES AND EVEN ACCIDENTS. *JB