Performing some of your own repairs and maintenance on your Lincoln can be rewarding in so many ways. Besides saving labor expense a successful repair gives you a nice sense of accomplishment. Over a period of time and several repairs, you as the owner can really get to know your car and how to go about diagnosing and approaching many of the issues that will confront you as a Lincoln owner.
Before “tearing” into a problem you should do a little research into the issue as it pertains to your vehicle. This can be done with the use of the correct Maintenance Manual and the correct Wiring Diagram for the car. Prior to embarking on a repair or adjustment etc., knowing the answer to such questions as when did the malfunction begin to occur, did it start immediately after another repair was performed or was the car purchased with the problem already happening? Being aware of the answers to these and other questions can really help in the correct diagnosis.
Knowing how to properly read your wiring diagrams is an art form in some cases as many factory publications are very congested and can be difficult to follow. Paying attention to the wire color codes etc. and having patience along with proper diagnostic habits and simple testing equipment can really pay off in the long run and save hours of frustration and unnecessary expense. As an example, consider that a fuse that is continuing to blow occasionally could be protecting other unknown circuits as well as the one that you are trying to repair. Learning this from the wiring diagram before starting a repair may suggest other logical avenues of approach in order to locate the culprit. On the other hand proceeding without this information can many times lead you to wasted hours and/or excess cost.
The above are just a few tips to help owners pinpoint some of the troubling issues that we all must deal with sooner or later. If any of these tips seem to help some of our customers, we will continue to include them occasionally in the Lincoln Land blog.
Sincerely,
Bill
- Parts/Service: 727-446-2193
- Fax: 727-447-6179
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