97 crown with keyless entry problems

[gblsc]

Hello everyone, My mother in law was driving her 97 Crown Victoria a few days ago and the driver's door started smoking and the window went up and down until it finally stopped. I pulled the panel and found the module at the lower front corner of the door and it's plugs were burned up. I think this is the keyless entry module??? I unplugged and removed the module and all the windows work except the driver's. I can get the window up and down by hot wiring it, so I know the motor is okay. My plan was to cap off the wiring because she doesn't have a lot of money for repairs and doesnt use the keyless entry anyway. I'm wondering if the driver's window is controlled with this module because it has an "express down" feature, or is there a burned wire that I missed. Also, what can I use to get the horrible burnt smell out of the car? Any help is much appriciated, Thanks, Glen

[Marcudemus]

Howdy Glen. I can't much help you with your window problems,

But as for the smell of burnt plastic, I can. I bought my '91 Explorer from a man whose wife called it "the rolling ash tray". The husband smoked quite a bit. My mom suggested an old method of clearing out the cigarette smell. She suggested setting an open bowl of fresh coffee grounds on the floorboard, as close to the center of the cabin as possible, for a few days. I used a Tupperware bowl for the coffee grounds in my Explorer so that whenever I needed to drive it, I just snapped the lid back on the bowl, and drove away.

It'll take at least three days to lessen a pungent odor to a smell that's tolerable (at least in a cabin with as much volume as an Explorer's). If you're worried about your mother in law sending an avalanche of coffee grounds skidding across her floor boards, then I would suggest putting the coffee grounds in the Crown Vic over a weekend, or whenever she might have a good two days without any need of the car, and repeating that as many times as may be needed.

In the end, it did not leave the interior smelling like a caffeine-crazed coffee maniac's dream-mobile at all. Any coffee smell that might remain will leave the vehicle with as little as driving with all (or most of) the windows down for a day. Seeing as how this might not be entirely possible in the Winter, a cheap air freshener or a shot of Frebreeze can take care of coffee's scent a lot more easily than it will the smell of burnt plastic.

[gblsc]

Hi, and thanks for the response. I actually found the magic wires to bypass the lock module and got the window working. I'm going to try the coffee idea. My mother in law loves coffee anyway , so that smell won't be a problem! Thanks again, Glen

[Marcudemus]

Good good! You're quite welcome.

If you're still around, I apologize for my nearly 2 months of absence =( But, I'm happy that all seems as though it went well for ya.