floater3

Two questions for you if you have tow-barred your car with the driveshaft disconnected:

1. Was logic defied and mileage was added to the odometer?


2. If you towed for several hundred miles and maybe over 2 days or so:

When you restarted the engine, did you get any clattering or otherwise very rough running noises for a brief time?

87_Crown_Vic

well, i know a guy that towedc his older Crown Victoria on a tow dolly... he had the driveshaft removed when towing it. he didnt have any issues and mileage shoulnt increase unless transmission can pic up moving signal as far as i know

__________________

my 1986 Grand Marquis LS... Rose...

floater3

Well,I might have been dreaming when I unhooked my CV in SoCal last December. I towed it 300 miles or so from Phoenix and I wondered if the sensor was on the front wheels or what, since I could swear that the mileage was added. Maybe I was just "addled". When I got everything hooked up again and started it, the thing ran noisily...like it was low on oil or something. I shut it down right away and checked the dipstick and it was full. I re-started it and the noise and roughness went away after about 15-20 seconds or so. I couldn't understand what the deal was...all I did was tow it!? It has run just fine since then, for the past 3000 miles or so.

Anyway, a car towed on a dolly wouldn't be quite the same situation if my theory about front mounted sensors was true...

ginolena

sounds like your timing chain need service
whenever it comes to oil change - check if there metal dust in the oil

floater3

Well, that's a possibility but I drove it 1200 miles from Kansas City to Phoenix and there was no noise on startups at all prior to towing it. And it hasn't made noise since, either. One suggestion I got was that the serpentine belt tensioner somehow vibrated loose during the 300 mile tow and caused the noise on startup.

From what I hear, 125K would be a pretty early failure for a timing chain on these cars. It was a state surplus car (not an Interceptor) that supposedly got oil changes every 3K...but you never know.

ginolena

I suggest that you forget about tow and concentrate on the noice source.
125K is enough mileage for timing cain tensioners and guides.
Belt tensioner might give similar noice, yes. Relatively eazy to figure out by removing belt and turn by hand.
If you wait too long on timing chain tensioners - you will install another engine instead. Check for the dust.

Bert

I don't know if you thought I said the belt tensioner but I said chain tensioner.

125k is early for it to go out though. Maybe if you could send an oil sample to a test station you could verify that.

floater3

Well, as I said, that's the only time it has made the noise. In 4 months and 3,000 miles since.. nothing at all.

I will check for wear though.

Thanks..

floater3

You're right, I was confused on that. The noise was more consistent with timing chain noise. I'm just not sure how a day-long tow would differ from the car sitting several days. But like you said..maybe the vibrations would do it or some other kind of fluke.

I'll definitely be keeping an ear open though...

floater3

Can you recommend a reputable lab? Googling gets quite a few to pop up.