Manual for 15-20 year-old Ford product?

Years and years ago I bought a Ford manual on CD for Capri/Tbird on Ebay. It was crude but often effective, running (as a 16 bit app) on Win2000. Now I have WinXP and I can't get the turkey to install.

I should have got the *real* (paper) Ford manual a long time ago. But I didn't. :-(

Any idea what can be done to acquire a manual for a 15-20 year-old Ford product?

TIA, Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles
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I don't know about the Ford shop manuals, but Chilton's and Haynes can be had for older vehicles, if that'll work for you. (I always preferred Haynes over Chilton's myself.)

What problem are you having installing the old CD app? Have you tried installing in Compatibility mode?

Read this article for some possible help:

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Reply to
SC Tom

for older vehicles, if that'll work for

installing in Compatibility mode?

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Even more important, exactly what ford product do you want themanual for??? I have the manual for a 1996 Mercury Mystique/Ford Contour. That matches your description perfectly at this point - 16 years old is between 15 and 20, and it's a ford product. The car will be retired this year so I won't need the manual any more.

I think I still have theCD too, and it DID run on XP.

Reply to
clare

for older vehicles, if that'll work for

Mea Culpa. I neglected to mention I've had the Haynes for years. Sometimes it's sufficient, but ...

installing in Compatibility mode?

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Here's the whole story as best I remember. The old Win2000 machine self-destructed. I put everything on the new XP machine. Like the old, I run VIEW16.EXE and the screen sez "Ford Tech. Svc. Electronic Publications", but when I choose "Service" to get a manual, it does the forever hourglass thing. When I am forced to abort the program, it sez

"Windows 16 sub-system may be unstable. Choose OK to terminate Windows 16 sub-system."

which doessn't match the messages listed in the kb article. The other stuff I tried were just "shots in the dark", totally undirected.

I wasn't aware of a Compatibility mode in XP. Are you sure it exists?

Thanks, Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles

I can say, without qualification, that you are "A Gentleman and a Scholar" for offering such help.

But it's a '94 Tbird that I'm after. :-(

Many thanks, Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles

for older vehicles, if that'll work for

installing in Compatibility mode?

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Right-click on VIEW16.EXE and pick Properties, and go to the Compatibility tab. Pick one of the operating systems in the drop-down list. If none of them work, you could try a combination of the other options, too. I have the Ford Truck CDs for 2002 and 1996 (which still use VIEW16.EXE- no updates for Ford, I guess), and it works fine on my Windows XP Home Edition 32-bit SP3. I haven't had to tweak anything to get it to run. Have you tried uninstalling it, and reinstalling? The shortcut for mine is "C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\INFO1.INI DEALER_ENV" without the quotes, so it looks like it's adding some switches to the executable. Actually, you might want to try Compatibility settings on the shortcut first before trying it on VIEW16.EXE, although I haven't had to do that to either on my machine. Is it possible that the CD is damaged? You could try using a program like ImgBurn (

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) to create an ISO from the CD,then writing it to a new CD. The only thing you have to watch on that is making sure the CD title is the same on thenew copy as it is on the original. If there's a read error on the old CD, ImgBurn will stop and tell you so whiletrying to create the ISO.Good luck. Let us know how it goes, and if you need any help, post back and I'lldo what I can :-)

Reply to
SC Tom

Pick one of the operating systems in the

options, too. I have the Ford Truck CDs

and it works fine on my Windows XP Home

I got it to run a little in Win2000 mode. Thanks.

"C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE

like it's adding some switches to the

shortcut first before trying it on VIEW16.EXE,

I'm running my system on d: and my path is D:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE, otherwise the same as yours. When I tried an install, I got unpredictable- looking BS.

I could likely manage an ISO, but the CD looks OK.

I was fishing for replacement of front stabilizer bar links, '94 Tbird LX 4.6. Like with Haynes, the details were omitted. But I got enough from the diagram that I could go out and locate the damned thangs on the cah-cah. At least I know what they look like on the auto (and that they are, indeed, bad).

I just got the little clunk-clunk in the front when I roll down the road, but it will drive me crazy eventually. I'm old and in poor health: sooner or later I'll have to go to a mechanic and talk $. Any idea where I might find a labor estimate for such work?

Many Thanks, Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles

tab. Pick one of the operating systems in

options, too. I have the Ford Truck CDs

and it works fine on my Windows XP Home

"C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE

like it's adding some switches to the

shortcut first before trying it on

that I could

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It's not new but should give you a rough idea for your area.

Reply to
SC Tom

tab. Pick one of the operating systems in

other options, too. I have the Ford Truck

and it works fine on my Windows XP Home

"C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE

like it's adding some switches to the

shortcut first before trying it on

that I could

I guess I should have said "for your area, if you're in the U.S." :-)

Reply to
SC Tom

for older vehicles, if that'll work for

installing in Compatibility mode?

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See:

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Reply to
clare

Here's one place:

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A quick search on 94 Tbird returned this:

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Not affiliated with this outfit, and to be honest have never bought from them, but have several friends who speak highly of them.

There are other similar online sites selling factory manuals... just go Googling.

Factory manuals of every description show up on Ebay now and again too.

Good Luck!

Erik

Reply to
Erik

That's a help. Thanks!

Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles

Well, I am, no sweat.

I'm gonna guess 2 hours labor for the end links. Lemme know if that sounds off a bunch.

Thanks, Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles

I would think that would be the max time, and only if the nuts are rusted on and have to be cut off. I replaced both links on my 2002 Escape, and IIRC, it only took about 45 minutes lying in the driveway to do it. That was including clean-up before the test drive.

Reply to
SC Tom

and have to be cut off. I replaced both

driveway to do it. That was including

Glad to hear. Not expecting much rust, etc, I'll think about 1 hour and maybe see what the local Ford svc. mngr. rates it at.

Again, many thanks, Will

Reply to
Wilfred Xavier Pickles

and have to be cut off. I replaced both

driveway to do it. That was including

You're welcome! Hope it all works out well for you!

Reply to
SC Tom

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