300A vs. 300B?

[drkknight196]

How do I find out if my MM is A or B? Sure feels like traction control, though there's no toggle switch. Sticker said traction control .......................?

[MAD-3R]

There should be a switch next to the pedal adjuste switch.

[MMM2003]

Do you still have the window sticker? It should state it on there.
Also if you had the option of heated seats, that would make it a 300B.

[RF Overlord]

^^^what they said^^^

If there is not a switch next to the pedal height adjust switch, to the left of the steering wheel, then you do not have traction control. Ford calls its version of limited-slip "Traction-Lok", maybe that's what you saw on the sticker? All MMs have Traction-Lok, but only 300Bs have traction control.

[drkknight196]

Thanks for the quick replies! It's clear I have a 300A. So now, for someone who thought he knew more about some automotive stuff than he does, what's the difference between "traction control" and limited slip AKA "traction lok?" Apparently, I thought the terms were synonomous.

:confused:

[RF Overlord]

No, they're not exactly the same thing...Traction-Lok, otherwise known as limited-slip, or positraction, uses clutch packs in the differential to direct power to the wheel that has the best grip.
Traction Control is an off-shoot of the ABS system; it senses wheel-spin via the ABS sensors, and actually applies the brakes to the wheel that's spinning.

They both accomplish more or less the same result, but not in the same way...and they do drive slightly differently, so people tend to prefer one over the other, depending on what you're used to.
It's kind of unusual to have both on the same car...

(edited for clarity)

[duhtroll]

OK, so traction lok vs. traction control? Which should I be looking for in my soon to be acquired ride? :help:

Which, in your opinion is better and why? I will be purchasing a MM this summer and want to know if I whould be aiming for an "A" or a "B" To be honest the other options (roof, changer, organizer) mean nothing to me - I don't need them but won't mind if I end up with them. Heated seats, either. The one that DOES sound like it will be something to know about would be this traction thing.

Thanks for any help in advance!

Also, this board absolutely rocks. It's great to have guys around who know far more than I would ever need to know. Be kind to the noob out here in Iowa, as this seems to be the only place I can get reliable info on one of the greatest cars ever.

:bows:

-A

[RF Overlord]

Originally posted by duhtroll
OK, so traction lok vs. traction control? Which should I be looking for in my soon to be acquired ride? :help:

It's really a personal-preference thing...if I could have only one or the other, I'd take Traction-Lok, but if the car comes with BOTH, like the 300B, that's cool, too. I like the simplicity and ruggedness of Traction-Lok...with traction control, there's just something about the car putting on the brakes while I'm stepping on the gas that goes against the grain with me...but, you can always switch it off when you don't want it.

Traction control is only available on the 300B cars, but there are a lot more 300As collecting dust on dealer lots, so you will probably be able to get a better deal on one of those...

[dok]

Originally posted by duhtroll
Be kind to the noob out here in Iowa, as this seems to be the only place I can get reliable info on one of the greatest cars ever.

:bows:

-A [/B]

I'll be nice! I grew up on an Iowa corn farm.

I ordered a 300B because I wanted silver. 300A only comes in black. As previously stated, you can probably get a better deal on a 300A, but if I remember correctly, those Iowa winters can be pretty cold. Heated seats might feel good.

[jgc61sr2002]

As RF stated " It's a personal preference". I wanted the traction control and heated seats so I waited for a 300B. Most 300B's have some items changed or deleted such as a mini sapre, clock in now in radio (instead of stand alone), map pockets on front seats and remote fuel door deleted. John

[drkknight196]

Sounds like I did well to have the 300A. I like the traction-lok, the seat pockets, and the remote fuel door opener as well. My wife would have liked the heated seats -- I bought her one that also massages via 12v -- now she's happy!

[Bigdogjim]

duhtroll: I have a 300A. I had heated seats and remote start added by my Ford buddies after I got the MM. Winter can get cold in the Phila. area. Remote start is also real good for cooling off the (black) car in the hot sun:beer:
Just go get one and enjoy it
Big Dog

[duhtroll]

Actually, I am not so much worried about warmth (eg heated seats) as I am about Iowa snowfall.

Which would be better on snow? Traction control seems like the logical choice, right? :confused:

Right now I am in a Dodge which is like a large sled in the winter -- I can only imagine what this "testosterone-laden behemoth" (as my wife calls it) would be like. :depress:

I have a nice 25 mile drive to/from work (nice 3 out of 4 seasons that is), and ALL highway.

Gonna have to wait until school is out and either find a good auction or be able to do some driving (I teach and once we hit June there's more time).

Thanks again,
-A

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by RF Overlord
with traction control, there's just something about the car putting on the brakes while I'm stepping on the gas that goes against the grain with me...but, you can always switch it off when you don't want it.


We had some bad snow about 2 days after I bought my MM. As I was backing up my driveway, I found it odd that I wasn't having a harder time considering the wide rear tires (my GTA would have been fishtailing all over the place in LESS snow). I drove back down the driveway and tried to reverse back up the whole length once again, but this time with a sharp stab at the throttle. Initial bad wheelspin, followed by a very very very calm and collected application of the traction control... and absolutely perfect traction up my driveway once again.

Truly marvelous, this traction control. My previous interpretation of a good traction control was the one in my WS6, which now seems violent and unrefined in comparison (it's still absolutely amazing, but the MM's is unreal).

[jgc61sr2002]

Originally posted by TripleTransAm
We had some bad snow about 2 days after I bought my MM. As I was backing up my driveway, I found it odd that I wasn't having a harder time considering the wide rear tires (my GTA would have been fishtailing all over the place in LESS snow). I drove back down the driveway and tried to reverse back up the whole length once again, but this time with a sharp stab at the throttle. Initial bad wheelspin, followed by a very very very calm and collected application of the traction control... and absolutely perfect traction up my driveway once again.

Truly marvelous, this traction control. My previous interpretation of a good traction control was the one in my WS6, which now seems violent and unrefined in comparison (it's still absolutely amazing, but the MM's is unreal). TripleTA I agree with you completly and Traction Control is also very effective on wet, sandy, or roads that are slippery due to some other foriegn matter. John:up:

[CanMar]

I have a Canadian 300A. And it does have traction control. I wonder if the Canadian Maruders are different than a 300A that is exported to the U.S.?

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by CanMar
I have a Canadian 300A. And it does have traction control. I wonder if the Canadian Maruders are different than a 300A that is exported to the U.S.?


From what was told to me here back when I was agonizing over the decision to purchase, there was no 300B for Canada. Both 'versions' of the Marauder were sold as 300As up here. I have a 'decontented' 300A and was agonizing over buying this one or an early 300A.

Alberta... whereabouts? I have family in Edmonton.

[jgc61sr2002]

FMC decontented the 300B (US model) and all Grand Marquis at the same time. I believe it was in late Nov. or early Dec. of 2002. John

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by CanMar
I have a Canadian 300A. And it does have traction control. I wonder if the Canadian Maruders are different than a 300A that is exported to the U.S.?


Originally posted by TripleTransAm
From what was told to me here back when I was agonizing over the decision to purchase, there was no 300B for Canada. Both 'versions' of the Marauder were sold as 300As up here. I have a 'decontented' 300A and was agonizing over buying this one or an early 300A.

Funny, I was just thinking that it's the 300B exported to Canada...

Anyway, I'm wondering what other differences between these cars may exist beyond the obvious decontent and so on. Do you think the differences may be deeper? Safety equipment? Emission requirements perhaps? US/Canadian Customs and the payment (or non-payment) of duty on parts in, car out?

It's not that important to me, don't break a sweat. But, I never really understood why it took so long for a Marauder to be available to you guys when the "kitchen" is open, and just down the street. Any clues?

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by SergntMac
Funny, I was just thinking that it's the 300B exported to Canada...


If the 300Bs are exclusively decontented (I believe I saw some on here that were not), then we did get the equivalent of US 300As *AND* 300Bs. The first car I considered buying was a 'first edition' Canadian 300A, and I ended up buying the 'second edition' Canadian 300A. On the list of options, though, one does see a note about 'second production' or something similar (I forget what the actual translation was).

Emissions requirements USED to be a difference, but I think both countries have been aligned in that respect for about a decade and a half. Safety equipment should be identical, with the exception of all the related stickers being present in both official languages. There's the mandatory DRLs, of course. And for some reason, we *usually* get a better deal, dollar for dollar, on new cars, regardless of exchange rate (my MM, for some reason, did not respect this... probably due to the rarity up here).

As for the late arrival... I really don't know. I think since it's a smaller market (population-wise), the focus is probably put into regions where volume may be greater (ie. the home market). The weather may also have something to do with this... snow-prone areas tend to deal with specialty cars in a different manner (storing for winter, etc.) and sales may reflect this, since it's more of a pain to own such a specialty vehicle. The current (?) Pontiac GTO is a good example... limited edition and not scheduled to be available in Canada.

There are 3 MMs on the road around here that I've heard of, possibly 4. One (maybe two) dealer demos, my own car, and the car I first test drove back in February (ironically purchased by someone living not far from myself!).

I didn't realize the Grand Marquis were also decontented!

[drkknight196]

OK, I give ............... what does "decontented" mean in this context?

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by drkknight196
OK, I give ............... what does "decontented" mean in this context?


If you perform a search on this site for 'decontented' you'll see that FoMoCo decided to remove previously-standard items completely, while at the same time introducing certain optional items, in the MM line.

[FLA RAUD FAN]

You guys are killing me. I just brought home a 300B today and live in Florida, I am agonizinlg over whether I made the right choice B over A model as both are available at my local dealer. The car I test drove was an A model I Iliked it . I am thinking I will not need the traction control as much down here, but my main concern is the Paint having been sitting for 8 months versus 2 in the Florida sun. .............JeeeeZ .
I am going to have the car detailed and have AUTO ARMOUR paint protection applied next week. I still have a choice.
The other consideration is if only so many 300A's were manufactured will this not make this model possibly more valuable 20 yrs from now...
WOW this igetting kind of deep here. I''ll step back and listen to comments. Let Em Rip. ......Thanks guys.

[RCSignals]

All the Marauders sold in Canada are called 300A, but they are the equivalent of the 300B sold in the US.
300A for Canada because they are the first of the Marauder series sold there. The MM was not made available for sale in Canada until Traction Control became available, and the introduction of traction control in the US created the second series 2003 Marauder for the US market, therefore the 300B designation.
There are early 300Bs (300A in Canada), not decontented, and later (about December 2002) 300Bs (300A in Canada), decontented.

Mac should be able to understand that ;)

[FLA RAUD FAN]

No offense to the guys up north EH!! But is TC really worth having down south in the warmer states. I kinda like the little goodies on the A cars.

Any southern owners have a take on this?

What really irks me is why did Mercury not just keep the same package and just add the TC to later versions. Seems kind of cheesy to try and save money on these items. I would have gladly paid an extra couple hundred to have the A goodies with the TC.

Friggin FOMOCO

[RCSignals]

FLA RAUD FAN, the first 300Bs did have all the "goodies" with the exception of a full sized spare

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by RCSignals
The MM was not made available for sale in Canada until Traction Control became available, and the introduction of traction control in the US created the second series 2003 Marauder for the US market, therefore the 300B designation.


Excellent summary, RC. I did not realize that TC was the trigger for the 300B designation, and that it marked the intro in Canada. So there are essentially 3 different runs... the 300A (USA only), the 300B(300Ac) with TC/no-decontent, and the 300B(300Ac) with TC/decontent.

One thing for sure... seems like heated seats were on 'de-contented' cars only.

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by FLA RAUD FAN
No offense to the guys up north EH!! But is TC really worth having down south in the warmer states. I kinda like the little goodies on the A cars.


Never having lived in Florida, I can't comment on the everyday usefulness of this feature. But then again, by the same token, it's not like we're up to our tits in snow all year round either, up here, and I've had it kick in once while getting up my driveway. Montreal sees the occasional snowstorm but throughout *most* of the winter, the streets themselves are clear or at the very worst: slushy. It's still good to have it available.

However, I have spent a LOT of time in Florida in short bursts, thanks to work. I spent the equivalent of 5 weeks working up and down the Miami-Ft.Lauderdale-WestPalmBeach corridor in the summer of 1994, and since 1998 I have spent an average of 3-5 weeks per year in the Orlando-Lakeland-Tampa corridor. You folks get A LOT of RAIN. That leaves a LOT of standing water, sometimes up to flood standards. KDWS tires are supposedly all-season compromised versions of KDW tires, so you might find yourself in a situation where you'll need to keep the rear planted during a takeoff in deep water.

The thing with Mercury's TC is that it can be pretty unobtrusive. It feels like there are several stages of application, and I only got to see the TC light once it was very clear the TC was working hard to keep me moving. Smooth activity though, whereas my WS6 will literally reach out and smack me hard for being a bad boy anytime I wiggle the rear end with TC activated.

That's just my humble take on the matter.

[TripleTransAm]

I just thought of something:

On my 98 WS6, the presence of Traction Control actually resulted in an enhanced ABS system. Non-TC F-bodies would receive a 3-channel ABS system (2 in front, 1 for the rear axle as a whole) whereas the TC-equipped cars also received a 4-channel system (2 in front, 2 in back, essentially one for each wheel).

I haven't dug through the service manual for the MM yet, but does anyone know off hand if this is the case with the MM? ie. does the presence of TC dictate an improved ABS?

[TripleTransAm]

Was the CD changer ever available standard in the US 300A or 300B?

By the way, shall we come up with an alternate designation for the Canadian 300A cars? Like 300Ac? ;)

[RF Overlord]

3TA:

The trunk-mounted CD changer was, to the best of my knowledge, always an option; in fact, it was one of only TWO options the 300A was offered with...the other was a trunk organiser.

[TripleTransAm]

Originally posted by RF Overlord
The trunk-mounted CD changer was, to the best of my knowledge, always an option; in fact, it was one of only TWO options the 300A was offered with...the other was a trunk organiser.


Interesting. Seems like the CD changer was always standard up here. The only two options by the time I purchased (second edition 300Ac) were heated seats and trunk organizer. Seems the earlier 300Ac cars only had the trunk organizer as an option.

[drkknight196]

Got my 300A in 09/02 with optional CD changer.

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by TripleTransAm
Interesting. Seems like the CD changer was always standard up here. The only two options by the time I purchased (second edition 300Ac) were heated seats and trunk organizer. Seems the earlier 300Ac cars only had the trunk organizer as an option.

That's true, in Canada the CD changer is standard. Canada also gets a 5 year powertrain warranty in addition to the 3 year bumper to bumper warranty.

The CD changer was always an option in the US, even for 300A cars

[RCSignals]

Originally posted by TripleTransAm

One thing for sure... seems like heated seats were on 'de-contented' cars only.

That's tue, all the coloured cars are decontented as well.

There were a few Grand Marquis built with factory moon roofs, but it seems they all went to Canada.

[jgc61sr2002]

Most of the 300A's were ordered with the trunk mounted CD changer and the trunk organizer. I would have bought one but the were all pretty beat up from laying so long on the dealers lot and the really didn't want to deal. I bought a fresh 300B even though it is decontented. I was delivered on Fiday and I took it home on Tuesday with all the factory plastic in place. John:)

[Macon Marauder]

My 2 cents: unless you live somewhere with LOTS of snow and ice you're better off without T/C.

We've had it on other vehicles and it was just a PITA. I don't miss it on my Marauder and I don't need it.

Just IMHO.

[Constable]

i just gave my dealer hell for ordering me a car with the t/c and not looking for a leftover 300a first. I cant stand the electronic t/c on my 99 CVPI. I have to shut it off EVERY time i start the car up. Nothings worse than stepping on the gas and having the car cut out on you.

[Pantherman]

Don't worry about the traction control. Marauders have a much improved calibration (much like Mustangs). It even allows you to spin the tires a bit.