If your 1996 Lincoln Town Car is overheating and you have topped off the coolant in the radiator, the thermostat may be sticking or failing. You can access the thermostat on the Town Car with minimal work because it's mounted on the intake manifold. Buy a thermostat from an auto parts retailer and replace it yourself to save the cost of taking the car to a repair center.
Place a large drain pan beneath the radiator drain on the passenger side of the Town Car. Open the hood and remove the radiator cap.
Loosen the radiator drain plug using a wrench. Wait until the coolant is below the level of the upper radiator hose.
Trace the upper radiator hose to the thermostat housing. Loosen the hose clamp on the housing with a flat-blade screwdriver. Slide the clamp back and remove the hose from the housing. Use a wrench to remove the two mounting bolts from the thermostat housing.
Slide the housing off of the intake manifold. Clean any remaining gasket pieces from the thermostat housing with a flat scraper and clean rag. Remove the old thermostat from the housing.
Insert the new thermostat into the housing. Position the new gasket on the outer edge of the housing and position it over the mounting area on the intake manifold. Replace the two mounting bolts and tighten them using a wrench.
Replace the upper radiator hose on the thermostat housing and tighten the hose clamp. Top off the radiator with a blend of equal parts antifreeze and distilled water. Replace the radiator cap.
