5000 Mile "Check-up"

[vpalhories]

My baby is about to hit 5000 miles. I have elected to take the car to Mercury for it's check-up. I think for the time being I feel more comfortable. I know that a lot will probably disagree but .. for now .. good enough.

In anycase, the manual says rotate tire, change oil and filter. Is there anything else that you seasoned Marauder owners would recommend I have checked at the same time?

Thanks a bunch.

[Haggis]

My baby is about to hit 5000 miles. I have elected to take the car to Mercury for it's check-up. I think for the time being I feel more comfortable. I know that a lot will probably disagree but .. for now .. good enough.

In anycase, the manual says rotate tire, change oil and filter. Is there anything else that you seasoned Marauder owners would recommend I have checked at the same time?

Thanks a bunch.

This is a no no. :nono: , do not rotate your tires, at least not front to back. You could have them check all fluids and tires for proper wear.

..and don't forget the squelch grease for the radio and grid squares in the trunk. Another good idea is to have them check the condensation-tank in the tail pipes. Have them drain it if it is more then 3/4 full. ;)

[RF Overlord]

Val:

At only 5,000 miles, your MM shouldn't need anything but an oil change...and to be sure all the fluids are topped off. Switching the tires side-to-side *may* produce a small increase in tire life, but it would be very small.

See if they'll check the front-end alignment and if they're willing to adjust it to the CORRECT specs, not the factory specs...it's worth a shot and WILL improve your front tire life significantly. If they won't do it, it's worth paying a good alignment shop out-of-pocket...

[fastblackmerc]

Val:

At only 5,000 miles, your MM shouldn't need anything but an oil change...and to be sure all the fluids are topped off. Switching the tires side-to-side *may* produce a small increase in tire life, but it would be very small.

See if they'll check the front-end alignment and if they're willing to adjust it to the CORRECT specs, not the factory specs...it's worth a shot and WILL improve your front tire life significantly. If they won't do it, it's worth paying a good alignment shop out-of-pocket...
If you want the dealer to do the alignment under warranty tell them that the car pulls. Make sure they have the correct adapters so your wheels don't get scratched. I was in the shop when they did mine and I gave the tech a print out of the alignment specs I wanted (search for them) and a $10.00 bill. Set it up perfectly.

[vpalhories]

Val:

At only 5,000 miles, your MM shouldn't need anything but an oil change...and to be sure all the fluids are topped off. Switching the tires side-to-side *may* produce a small increase in tire life, but it would be very small.

See if they'll check the front-end alignment and if they're willing to adjust it to the CORRECT specs, not the factory specs...it's worth a shot and WILL improve your front tire life significantly. If they won't do it, it's worth paying a good alignment shop out-of-pocket...
Thanks for the Advice. I'll give it a shot.

[vpalhories]

If you want the dealer to do the alignment under warranty tell them that the car pulls. Make sure they have the correct adapters so your wheels don't get scratched. I was in the shop when they did mine and I gave the tech a print out of the alignment specs I wanted (search for them) and a $10.00 bill. Set it up perfectly.
Sounds like good advice to me. In terms of searching for alignment specs, would that be on this site or somewhere else? I'm really "mechanically challenged", why would you have specific alignment specs? If that car doesn't pull to the left or the right, isn't that enough?

Thanks a lot.

[ncmm]

Are you headed to a Ford or L/M dealer? I took mine to Sight in Lee's Summit.

[RF Overlord]

why would you have specific alignment specs? If that car doesn't pull to the left or the right, isn't that enough?

No, it isn't enough...

Even though the factory alignment specs are wrong, our cars still handled perfectly so the issue wasn't discovered until sometime later, when members started noticing that the inners of the front tires were wearing at an alarming rate. These are the specs I used, which were provided by ASE Master Tech & front-end expert (and fellow Marauderer) David Morton :

camber -0.1L , -0.2R
caster 6.0 (both sides)
toe -0.13 (toed out)

Just as a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to have the alignment checked once a year; more often if you've hit a lot of pot-holes.

[vpalhories]

Are you headed to a Ford or L/M dealer? I took mine to Sight in Lee's Summit.
I went to my L/M dealer in Olathe where I bought the car from. I was surprised. The guy new everything about Marauders. (Different size tires, front and back, etc).

[vpalhories]

No, it isn't enough...

Even though the factory alignment specs are wrong, our cars still handled perfectly so the issue wasn't discovered until sometime later, when members started noticing that the inners of the front tires were wearing at an alarming rate. These are the specs I used, which were provided by ASE Master Tech & front-end expert (and fellow Marauderer) David Morton :

camber -0.1L , -0.2R
caster 6.0 (both sides)
toe -0.13 (toed out)

Just as a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to have the alignment checked once a year; more often if you've hit a lot of pot-holes.
Thanks for the information. I'll save it and look for a good alignment place here in Kansas City.

Appreciate the tip.

-- Val