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I thought with the weather getting like it is, it would be nice to have a place to put any tips you've picked up on helping your car in the winter. And I had a couple questions too:
1. My driver door is freeze-shut happy. When all of the other doors work fine, either the door itself will freeze shut, or the lock will freeze locked/unlocked. When it wasn't 10 degrees out, if I ran the car with the heat way up for about a half hour the door would finally open. Sometimes it would open when i first got to my car, but then it wouldn't latch shut for at least 15 minutes. What can I do to help this? My passenger door works flawlessly, doesn't even stick.
2. When trying to get my doors open last night, part of the weatherstripping tore off of the door frame, about halfway along. What can I do to prevent this from happening again, and how can i re-attach the weatherstripping?
3. My lights got left on last night when I got out my passenger door, the ding-er didn't come on to tell me they were still on. I got it started, and let it charge for a while. This morning I plugged the EB heater in for a while and then it started right up. But now my rear defroster doesn't work and my intermittent wipers won't come on. They work fine in normal mode, but when I put the lever in the intermittent position, they do nothing. I noticed when trying to jump my car from another contour, if it didn't get enough juice, it would click, the speedo would jump, and the wipers would run a couple times. But the wipers were frozen to the windshield at this point. Perhaps something burnt out?
So if you've got answers to these questions or any other general tips, post 'em!
"Mod your car tastefully because other people have to look at it."
-Me
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Originally posted by PurpleMystique:
2. When trying to get my doors open last night, part of the weatherstripping tore off of the door frame, about halfway along. What can I do to prevent this from happening again, and how can i re-attach the weatherstripping?
I can 100% help you with this one. Mine does the same thing. To prevent... get silicone spray, and spray along the whole length of the weatherstripping. To reattach, you need to heat with a hair dryer while pushing it back onto it's track. For some reason the junk won't reattch in the cold.
As far as the weird electrical stuff... start pulling fuses and checking them.
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Originally posted by PurpleMystique:
3. My lights got left on last night when I got out my passenger door, the ding-er didn't come on to tell me they were still on.
This is a little off-topic to the actual questions you're asking, but check the switch that turns on the dome light when you open your door. Mine got stuck all the time before I regreased it ... this might have prevented the "your lights are on" warning from going off.
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I've heard Vasoline helps prevent the stuck door problem. Mine froze just the other day, but instead of the adhesive letting go, my weather stripping just tore. A chunk of if is still frozen to the door. I never did understand why Ford used those stupid felt-like excure for door stripping. IMO, it doesn't seal as well as traditional rubber.
As for the lack of rear-defroster and wiper issue, I honestly think it's a fuse. As stated, pull any that relate to either issue, and I'll bet you'll find your culprit.
~Eric
2000 CSVT Silver Frost: #942 of 2150
HID Projectors and Fog Light Mod, Optomized TB, MSDS headers
2003 Silverstone Z
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Originally posted by PurpleMystique:
... I noticed when trying to jump my car from another contour, if it didn't get enough juice, it would click, the speedo would jump, and the wipers would run a couple times. But the wipers were frozen to the windshield at this point. Perhaps something burnt out?
...
An almost dead battery usually causes these events. Happened to quite a few of us before.
"Always do the cheap and easy ones first."
1996 V6 ATX 96K miles
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Thee dead battery could be the culprit for the wiper freakishness, but I would look for (search) the test posted by btrautman on the Central Timer Module test.
the CTM controls: door dinging, intermittent wipers, defrost, and a host of other things (interior lights, etc)
'99 CSVT - Silver #222/276
In a constant state of blow-off euphoria.
Originally posted by Kremitthefrog:
I like to wear dresses and use binoculars to watch grandmas across the street.
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Originally posted by Matt R:
Originally posted by PurpleMystique:
2. When trying to get my doors open last night, part of the weatherstripping tore off of the door frame, about halfway along. What can I do to prevent this from happening again, and how can i re-attach the weatherstripping?
I can 100% help you with this one. Mine does the same thing. To prevent... get silicone spray, and spray along the whole length of the weatherstripping. To reattach, you need to heat with a hair dryer while pushing it back onto it's track. For some reason the junk won't reattch in the cold.
As far as the weird electrical stuff... start pulling fuses and checking them.
AAAAAAAaaah I have had the same thing happen to me. 
Thanks for the tip!
"Do what you like, Because you have to drive it!"-Me
99 Contour LX
95 Mustang GT Convertible
97 Z24 Cavalier
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Okay, My tour hates the cold. Right now it is below 20 and All it wants to do is sputter and die unless I'm on the accelerator. I had this problem last year and I put it in a heated garage for a couple of hours and it was fine, but I don't have that option now. Any tips for this? What is the mechanical reason for this?
Thanks
Plain Jane 2000 Contour SE Duratec V-6
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Originally posted by ThomasBrown:
Okay, My tour hates the cold. Right now it is below 20 and All it wants to do is sputter and die unless I'm on the accelerator. I had this problem last year and I put it in a heated garage for a couple of hours and it was fine, but I don't have that option now. Any tips for this? What is the mechanical reason for this?
Thanks
4 things come to mind. Water in gas (use HEET or fuel stabilizer), Fuel filter, MAF sensor and IAC valve.
Fuel filter.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=v6maint&Number=958655&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=186&fpart=1
MAF
http://www.contour.org/mods/mods.php?s=howto&displayid=36
IAC cleaning
from Ray's UIM/LIM how to in Duratec Maintenance how to.
"Replacing the IAC gasket:
(From IAC faq)
Over time, the IAC (Idle Air Control) valve becomes sticky due to buildup from the EGR and PCV systems. It can stick partially open such that idle quality is adversely affected, and engine RPM's will not drop below 1500. For a while, blipping the throttle will restore normal idle, but this only works for so long.
The fix is to remove the IAC valve by unbolting the two 8mm bolts that hold it on and disconnected the wiring plug. If you are careful enough, replacement of the gasket will not be necessary. The gasket costs less than US $1.00, so it is no tragedy if you destroy it. Once the valve is off, spray it out with some carb/intake cleaner and make sure any gunky residue is gone. Reattach, and you are done. It is a lot cheaper than a new IAC, which runs around US $70. Note: Ford claims the IAC cannot be cleaned, but this is not true in my experience." Ray.
"Always do the cheap and easy ones first."
1996 V6 ATX 96K miles
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Added two bottles of Heet last night, and the tour is still pissed . Moving on to the fuel filter.
Last edited by ThomasBrown; 12/05/05 02:32 PM.
Plain Jane 2000 Contour SE Duratec V-6
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