Lincoln TOWN CAR Taking on WATER! How To Repair the Cabin Water Leak on a Lincoln or Ford Crown Vic.

[@danielbroughton6792]

I think you convinced me... I want a Lincoln.

[@Dhalin]

They're comfortable to drive. I bought mine a few months ago and at first I wasn't sure about the whole thing, but it kinda grew on me as I kept driving it and now that I got the suspension system in it fixed, it feels nice. Also, doing 85+ MPH uphill and leaving these modern SUVs and small cars in the dust is fun whenever some idiot thinks they're gonna pass me, lol. Also, the trunk is spacious, like, ridiculously spacious. You could fit a couple bodies in there, easy. Maybe even three.

[@etwilli2]

My buddy got one a few months ago, a 2003 and I scoffed. After looking at it/researching/driving it...I went out and got my own 2005 w/ 72K on it just last month. Ive been saying to myself, what took so long....@@Dhalin

[@JohnWilliams-bx2zs]

I have a 2005 Town Car Signature Series. Instead of the RTV stuff, I used Frost King rubber seal. I don’t like the messy goop. Love my Town Car. Not a quick car but I can go down the freeway at 90 mph while sitting on a couch! It’s a beautiful thing!

[@bucksgarage]

I have to admit, after driving the car for a bit, I could see the appeal. Couple the couch with the one tire burnouts and you have a winning combo!

[@alb12345672]

Is that water proof? Isn't that just for drafts? Need to do this on my 98 MGM soon.

[@JohnWilliams-bx2zs]

@@alb12345672 Its airtight and it’s been raining here for a day and a half. Hard ! I checked it today and carpet was dry as a bone. 😃

[@alb12345672]

@@JohnWilliams-bx2zs Got it from HD and installed it. There wasn't much left of the old seal. I'll be waiting for the next rain!

[@Dhalin]

I just bought an 03 Signature a couple months ago, and it's a nice classy old lady. Feels quite comfortable to drive though with mine, the air suspension was shot and instead of dumping potentially upwards of $3,000 I opted to pay $800 and get a complete suspension re-do, front and back and replaced the air suspension with passive coils and shocks. She still feels rather good on the road, maybe not _quite_ as smooth, but way better than before with the bad suspension system. I just saw a video on another channel about doing this same fix and it's something I plan on doing with mine, as when I first bought it, the passenger footwell was holding some standing water.

[@LTDan-pk3mx]

Thanks Pal... I have the exact car but 2003 and it leaks water passenger side only.. so now i shall fix thanks to you!!

[@bucksgarage]

Awesome, glad the video helped you out. Thanks for watching!

[@hairycat6095]

no lincoln here. got an old police car (crown vic) leaking right there, thanks for the video. thumbs up

[@feelthesteeltatt00piercing]

I watched 6 or 7 videos on this your video did more direct explaining. I finally can tackle this . Thanks

[@bucksgarage]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@CHICKEN25-m5t]

CLEAN MAN I HAVE A 1998 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

[@shauncarragher4687]

Thanks for your video. In Australia it's hard to find out about problems concerning the Lincoln. I was worried about the water in the car and was suspicious that this was the problem. Thanks for the help. 👍👍👍

[@17GMills]

As the owner of both an 01 Z3 2.5 manual and an 03 Town Car Cartier, I can vouch for them being surprisingly fantastic compliments for each other. The Town Car makes a great parts hauler for the Z3. 😋 Thanks for the vid...made doing this as a preventative measure super easy.

[@bucksgarage]

That is a good combo to have in the stable. One of my family members has a Z4, fun little cars! Thanks for watching, glad the video was useful for you.

[@briandavismurphy]

for the drivers side firewall leak look for a bad grommet/gasket where the hood release cable goes through to the cabin.

[@feralfeline2101]

USA

[@williamramsay1]

Almost every time, and too few know about it!

[@Dan-fl1ci]

I have this happening, can I just caulk or silicone around the cable?

[@dwightdawson3578]

Thanks for doing that smoking burnout!

[@bucksgarage]

You bet! It did take a bit of persuasion to get it to go, but it did alright once It broke loose.

[@rev.randall2292]

Love my 01 Towner , 300,000 m . and some things done to it , just cuz I could. Recently did this repair to it also. Nasty water on floor smells funky.

[@c-LAW]

Same issue on 02 Grand Marquis. Seems this is a common issue. Thanks for posting.

[@bucksgarage]

Thanks for watching! Hope it helps out.

[@Pantherforlife]

Love it and everything you said about it. Yes been there and done that with mine. It's a common problem for these Panther Platform cars. Your almost at a 1,000 (885) I like old German cars to, I'm in. 101

[@bucksgarage]

Thanks for watching and for the sub!

[@pedropena1338]

excellent coments, thank you. I will going to repair my car.

[@christen1075]

Alternate solution. I found RTV, at about 12 bucks a tube, messy on so many levels, but agree the foam "drys out". I used a product called "M-D Building Products" (Oklahoma City, OK) Platinum Expandable Foam Weatherseal. Claims to be WATERPROOF when compressed. 1/2" wide, 1/8 to 1/2" high when it expands. It is malleable and bendable which creates a perfect seal when it turns a corner. I'd cut the seal not on a 90° butt type joint, but use a carpenters 45° cut (like when a guy joins 2-8 foot section of wood molding) giving you a cleaner joint. A little dab of sealant can't hurt. Product #03120. Tip: After installed on the plastic, gently warm the gasket with a heat gun or hair dryer set on low to expand the gasket. Or leave it out in strong sunlight to get the same effect-expanding the foam strip fully...just takes longer. I just bought the car (03/2023) and only by resealing do you have likely an 80% or better of getting rid of this common leak. Another thing. On a 2007 Lincoln Town Car (Designer), there are FIVE bolts holding the plastic piece in. "Professional" installation (what an overused misnomer) held it in with only FOUR bolts. D'oh. Make sure you use ALL fasteners...check and double check but your bolt # may vary model to model, year to year. One nice feature of the foam is you can "feel" the gasket being compressed when screwed into position. Appears to have solved the problem on my car, with only 38K on the odometer. I purchased the product at either Home Depot or Lowes...I just can't remember where. One last thing I'd also do is peel back the carpeting from the passenger front and back footwell only. It's an easy job, surprisingly. Back seat's a snap to remove-push lower cushion BACK, then it'll lift up (then out). Front seat as well...4 bolts (1 is a different size and you may need a deep socket.). I removed the seat thru the rear door, and re-installed it thru the front. Two wire harnesses under the seat. Standard 3/8 socket set and a #50 Torx on a 3/8 ratchet driver for the seat belt is all you need. Once the carpet is freed from the side molding (they simply lift up and out-3 pieces, IIRC) removed, carpeting simply peels back and you can prop it up with scrap wood. I used a GOOD cleaned out ShopVac to suck out as much water from my wading pool in the back seat and the cushioning/sound deadening foam, then put a heater in the closed rig (two windows open about 1 1/2 to 2") and let it run on moderate temp sporadically over 3 days and it's dry. Hit the floor where it was rusted with a wire brush, then Rust-Oleum automotive primer (2081830) and buttoned it all back up. Once the carpet it pulled up, you can easily see WHY water flows to the back footwell. Simply the lowest point on the car, AND there's a channel between the front and the back ribbing with a cut out and water simply flows downhill. Look for rust here as well. Surprisingly easy job...and yes, you can do it.

[@nylabest9940]

I am trying the fix for my 2000 Grand Marquis. TY

[@bucksgarage]

Hope the video helps. Thanks for watching!

[@maryvancompernolle9544]

My dad has a Lincoln town car and had the same issue. The water has saturated his carpet a few different times. Is it easy to replace the carpet?

[@Justin-ex7gg]

Great video. I missed around the bolt same as you and I'm hoping I just corrected it. On the BMW vs. LTC topic though... I'm 38, started with loving TCs then couldn't get enough of E38 740s, E39 and 34 540s, had a 2011 750i, 2016 Audi S4 6-speed, Lexus LS430 and a Mercedes GLS... I have come full-circle back to a mint, low-mileage 2000 LTC Cartier.... they are hands-down better quality, long-lasting cars than every single car I just mentioned except the LS430, which I'd say is roughly equal reliability-wise but I found it boring/void of any character. The LTC oozes character and has one of the best sounding engines out there. And they’re bulletproof because they're hardly working compared to what Ford's 4.6 modular V8 is capable of. Handling wise, the 98-02 LTC is excellent compared with older models... just last weekend I carved up the Saw Mill Parkway in NY with traffic at 80mph with ease... no bobbing/wandering like would have been the case in 90-97 TCs. BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Lexus fans, check out a 98-02 LTC Cartier when you're ready for a real car ;) You won't regret it.

[@easye5653]

My Driver side leak in my 2004 Town Car is in the Back seat floor mostly. I guess it could be that Firewall cable not sealed well anymore. Or maybe it's the gasket issue you pointed out in this video. Also another video pointed out that the plastic grate just below the windshield can leak water between the two. Some people have put gasket maker on there to keep water from going in behind that plastic.

[@edproulx2682]

Thank you for posting the video. I have a follow up question: did it work?

[@bucksgarage]

Wish I could tell you. My Grandparents up and moved to AZ and sold the car shortly after I fixed it. For the few months they still had it it was working fine as far as I know.

[@roberth9023]

I have a 2004 with same problem thank you

[@bucksgarage]

Glad I could help. Hope your repair goes well!

[@RuBaron715]

The problem is the drain outlet gets clogged with debris, at the 4:15 mark you can see a blue mark on the drain opening. If you let this get plugged up the water level overflows into the the air vent and leaks inside. There is just a rubber flap that acts like a one way valve to stop air from entering but will let water run outside. If you keep that drain clear that will solve your problem and you won't need to disassembly anything, simple fix.

[@unity454]

I just cleaned that little flap out. How does that stuff get in there over and over again?

[@larrysorenson4789]

The gasket is just a strip of foam. Cut another strip and glue it in place with trim adhesive.

[@jms4evr]

My 2003 TC just started leaking… Looks like somebody already did the repair with a RTV or similar product… Any suggestions how to remove the Cowl? It’s like super glued with the product they used and won’t lift off after removing the screws and nuts.

[@emanueldaggett1898]

You ever get it off?

[@EarlGuyton425]

Dont forget to take the rubber floor plug out from under the car on the rear floor board

[@JoseVazquez-qp1zm]

Can you tell me exactly where that is located?

[@EarlGuyton425]

@@JoseVazquez-qp1zm Open your back door or both back doors and under the middle of the floor boards underneath the car you have a round rubber plug. I got mine out with my finger or lay down and have a screwdriver ready. But if you drive through higher water put them back in after you drain your floor boards. If a person doesnt take those drain plugs out after water leaks on their floor boards they will rust through

[@summerforever6736]

Get a window gasket from home Depot better than original!! Comes in a roll choose your size!!

[@BlackTownie999]

PB Blaster can also get that black goopy sealant off...that black stuff sticks to EVERYTHING, PITA to clean off...even after I wiped my hands off with PB blaster it was on my fingernails for 2 days

[@bucksgarage]

Yeah it can make a mess for sure.

[@BlueL1n3]

Oh man, for a minute there I thought you were going to tell us that you were planning an LS swap.

[@bucksgarage]

Now that would be something, BMW with LS and open headers would definitely get some attention!

[@BlueL1n3]

@@bucksgarage oooo I didnt think about it in the BMW! that would turn some heads!

[@weslawton4400]

Hahaha I was like I think he has lost it.... But anyway Prius>BMW anyday. Haven't you heard electric is faster? Get with the times man....

[@bucksgarage]

@@weslawton4400 Send me a video of your Prius burnout and I'll consider it. :)

[@briandavismurphy]

actually I used to own lots of German junk, now I drive a Town Car. and yes the water is a big problem and maintaining the drainage is critical, so dumb for a modern car but.............

[@rolls-royceowner1108]

I sealed 'Niagara Falls' 2-years ago on my 2004 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate which has only 22,800+ miles to date. When I removed the cowl and saw how Ford half-assed this air vent in the same proximity as a water drain - the word IDIOT, came to mind for the designer that actually was paid for a mess like this in a premium luxury automobile! I thought I was losing my mind. Water kept dampening the carpet on the passenger side in the front seating area. I looked high and low for the point of entry. Then I popped up the plastic cowl and low and behold, the dinky foam gasket was history...it had completely disintegrated on a car with hardly any miles on it. I didn't realize this was happening because the car was rarely driven and it sat in the garage most of the time. It wasn't until I left the car in the driveway when we had a torrential downpour that I noticed the floor mat looked wet - it was! To my horror, when I lifted the floor mat on the passenger side...boy was it soaked! This is when I removed the bottom of the dash panel and noticed where the water was trickling down from. I used a high-grade epoxy to seal mine and I haven't had any more leaks. I was so paranoid, I made sure to back the car out into the driveway when it was raining, and then check for leaks. I even removed the cowl again to see if my seal held. It has. So don't have a massive coronary like I did when I saw the passenger side front floor of my gorgeous Town Car! It isn't as bad as it looks! SHAME on you Ford - !

[@karlschmidt7258]

I’m searching now for a 3rd or 4th gen Town Car to make my primary driver…The only other 4 wheelers will be a 57 356 Speedster and a Unimog…

[@bucksgarage]

Unimogs are very cool, I got to ride around in one at a mountain biking hill, crazy the stuff it could climb in 6 wheel drive. I casually look for one now and then. Not sure what I would do with it once I had one, but it would be neat to have!

[@steveshea7725]

If the leak is only to the rear passenger side, not the front, it's the gasket. My 03 town car only filled up the rest passenger well with h20...

[@Dhalin]

Also, if you or someone you know has one of these Town Cars or equivalent with this problem, you will want to roll the windows down whenever possible to dry that water out, parking it in a garage if you can, but if not, a hot sunny day will do wonders. If you keep the windows rolled up, you'll never get rid of that water unless you vac it out, but it's simpler to just let it dry, but the vapors need to escape the car and that won't happen unless you roll the windows down. I bought an '03 Signature a few months ago and it had about 2 inches of standing water in the rear footwell and it took a couple days but it all dried out. It's bone dry, now! Anytime I park in the garage, I always roll the windows down and the floors stay (mostly) dry unless the car was sitting out in a heavy rain, then the front footwell gets damp but not utterly soaked. I still plan on doing this fix when I can find some time off work, but until then, rolling the windows down when possible helps a lot.

[@JohnTaylor-bd1uy]

Won't it rust out under the carpet now ?

[@Dhalin]

@@JohnTaylor-bd1uy If left alone, yes it will rust. But if you can get it dry before it starts rusting, it will only rust if it gets wet again, and keeps getting wet regularly and even then it takes a decent amount to get it to rust. The underbody of a car rusts out quicker because it gets pelted with salt and snow, but if your car is anywhere other than the northern states, you probably don't get much rust at all. The salt is a big part of the equation and there shouldn't BE any salt inside the car.

[@BlackTownie999]

I'm doing a PI swap and a few mods on my '99 for "some" more horsepower. with 260 hp it'll really haul ass! Lmao

[@bucksgarage]

Haha that’s awesome! You will get your Grandma to church in no time!

[@Dhalin]

My '03 Signature with no mods will do 85+ uphill. Idiots who think they're gonna pass me when I'm not in the mood to let them end up eating dust when they got these cheap ass newer SUVs and tiny cars.

[@ChristopheZ]

I actually drive a 1993 W124 400E ( V8 4.2). but decided to buy a Town car ( 2006+) when I sell my mercedes

[@patrickstar1439]

Had to take away the like I gave you,when you said you didn’t own it,

[@bucksgarage]

Hey ya never know, if I could find some more parking for these things I could do some more collecting!

[@donaldshimkus539]

Shame on your grandparents for leaving that beautiful car outside. Buy them a carport or something. Oh, and I'm sure there's a beemer out there somewhere that can smoke a tire at will.

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

Thanks for showing. Check out mine. Great vid.

[@sirjohn2696]

Muss er über seine eigene DUMMHEIT lachen!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@beinjar5634]

😂😂😂