Buying '90 CV LX Need To Know Problem Areas - Ford Forums

Quadsteer · 03-20-2007, 10:35

The car has 116K and looks to be in good shape, seller wants $1600. It's going to be used as a first car for my 17yr old son. I'm not familiar with this car (I am a mechanic) and I'd like to know what the problem areas are so that I can make sure to ckeck them before buying. Not small stuff, just things that would be expensive to fix. The AC dosen't work and I can see that the hoses are cracked. The seller says he put a thermostat in, due to a low heat condition?? The exhaust is brand new. I can't really drive it far because it's not registered and has no stickers or plates. I caught him in a few lies so I'm a little leary about the purchase. THX

**Nathan in MN** · 03-20-2007, 17:57

Number one thing to check is the TV bushing. It's the bushing up near the throttle body where the cable that goes down to the transmission attaches. That cable tells the transmission how far down the accelerator pedal is pushed, and so it varies the line pressure. The problem is that those bushings are made of plastic, and after many years of heat and vibration they tend to go to pieces. When that happens, the cable falls off and the transmission defaults to the lowest line pressure setting, and your transmission burns up REAL fast.

Here's an article that talks about how to diagnose the problem and how to fix it:
Lincolns OnLine | Tech Tips and Articles

Oh, and if you've already caught this seller in some lies....I'd be VERY wary of buying it. I'd be very tempted to steer clear altogether.

Quadsteer · 03-20-2007, 18:08

Thanks!, great link. Any other problem areas I should know about? I'm really worried about the engine and trans. If the engine overheats or the trans slips, I might as well drive it straight to the junk yard.

**Nathan in MN** · 03-23-2007, 18:15

Other than that TV bushing, these cars are surprisingly bulletproof. Just check the engine like you would any normal car--look at the fluids and make sure everything's okay there, same with the trans (if the fluid in the trans is brownish and smells burnt, run away). Overheating usually isn't a problem with these things; if it does overheat it probably just needs the cooling system flushed or t-stat replaced or something minor along those lines.

Hope this helps.