Cougar

Since a replacement relay didn't work then the problem may be with the connector for the relay. You say one of the relays is getting hot and that leads me to think that may be the one that is having trouble. Did any of the lead connections on the old relay look like they got hot? That is a sign of a bad connection. Check the voltage across the larger wire leads going to the relay while the lights are on. A good connection will show very little voltage drop across the connection and no heat. You should also be able to check the voltage at fuses 7 and 8 with the lights on. You will most likely see the voltage on 7 is low due to the voltage drop across the bad connection. You can also identify the correct relay by monitoring the voltage at fuse 7. When you pull the correct one the voltage on fuse 7 will drop to zero. Hopefully you are working on the correct relays. My info says the sockets are black, but this is for an '88.

The problem may be with the switch in the right side door. It has a common connection in the up position with the driver's door switch. People have been able to clean the switch contacts and fix the troubles with these. If you decide to work on it be very careful of the small spings inside that will fly out if the switch is opened. I would do the work inside a clear plastic bag so it would catch anything if it got loose.

You're very welcome for the help Mark. Glad you got. I would have tapped on it also to find it though just pulling it out would have worked also to identify it. Thanks for letting us know the exact location of the relays. I have never had to replace one myself. Drive on, Glen

It sounds like something may not be protected with a fuse correctly. I would make sure that the circuit to the coil has a fuse tied to it and is the proper size. Glad you got it fixed and thanks for the feedback.

My info shows there are 6 fuses involved with the AC system. Two of them are in the A/C relay fuse holder. These may be in the panel for the fuses under the hood. Look on top of the evaporator also. Fuses #20,21,15, and 13 are in the circuit also. Make sure power is present on all those fuses using a test light or meter.

You're welcome for the help. Let us know what you find out. I forgot to mention you can check the voltage after the relays at fuses 7 and 8 in the dash fuse panel. You should see the left relay voltage on fuse 7 drop when you turn on the headlights.

Glad you got it solved. Thanks for the feedback.

The connectors are a single wire that should be only tied together when working on the car and looking for trouble. They are usually under the dash near the ECU or under the hood on the firewall. My data shows that one wire is orange and the other is blk/red.

It sounds like have tapped into the diagnostic circuit. I would disconnect it and see what happens.

If you have power getting to all the fuses in the fuse panel then it would seem the connection to the coil is at fault. The problem to the alternator is still in question then as I think it is on a different leg from the fuse panel.

You stated the alternator circuit isn't working also. This points to a common failure point of one of the red fusible links. If the links have been tested for voltage on both sides under load then there may be a failed wire connection underneath the links. You should have noticed a failure of voltage getting to some of the fuses in the fuse panel though if that is the case. If you have power on all the fuses in the fuse panel then the trouble would seem to be in the wire connection between what ever fuse ties to the coil and the coil.

What color is the wire going to the plus side of the coil? You might try looking for the same color going to the fuse panel. My data shows a blk/wht wire between the two points.

Well I don't have data for the Brat but this may be close enough. The info for a Loyale of that era shows fuse 12 provides power to the coil. Have you checked all the fuses in the dash fuse panel for a problem using your tester? I think you stated that you did that already.

So no power to the coil. Standby, let me check some data I have that may cover this. Well I don't have data for the Brat but this may be close enough. The info for a Loyale of that era shows fuse 12 provides power to the coil. Have you checked all the fuses in the dash fuse panel for a problem using your tester? I think you stated that you did that already.

Great, you have a test light. No spark. Just to make sure you are on the right track, have you checked for power getting to the positive side and the minus side of the ignition coil with the ignition ON?

Dang! Beat out by Gloyale again . One trick that may help get the plug started in hard to reach situations is using an old plug wire mounted on the plug and us it to spin the plug in place.

To me, and I think most will also agree, the most important thing to keeping the theads intact is to make sure the replacement plug is started in the threads correctly. This usually means starting the threads by hand and feeling for the correct starting position. Once the plug is in place it is then torqued to the proper pressure. I usually just go by feel on that and have never had a problem.

Before working on the switch I think you will find that the left relay for the lights is causing the trouble. The running lights run through this relay also. This a is pretty common problem. The reason the running lights and dash lights turn on when you turn off the headlights is due to the lower voltage drop across the bad relay contacts when the extra current isn't needed for the headlights. The greater the amount of current is needed through a resistance, the more voltage will be dropped across the resistance. In this case it is the bad relay contacts which should have no resistance. I think you will find the relay under the dash near the center. Look for a set of four relays close together. The left and right lighting relays are in the middle of the four I believe.

It would be very helpful to have something to test for voltage with to help you find this trouble. Hopefully you have a test light probe or meter to test things with. Since the dash lights and gauges aren't working I suspect that you have a bad fusible link causing this trouble. I will try to check some data on this.

Your tests show that the stereo isn't getting the proper power input. For a test, you can tie it directly to a power source and then check it out. Your power lead from the battery has a problem. Is is most likely the fuse holder. For the alternator, it is better to replace the whole unit with a rebuilt one.

I am still having a little confusion but I think I got it. The way I understand it, you have the stereo connected up to the power lead and the meter probes measuring the voltage on the leads. The meter shows 2.6 volts. If that is correct there is a high resistance in the power lead to the stereo. You need to move your meter probe closer to the power source to find the problem. When you read the proper 12 volts then the probe is on the other side of the connection trouble. If you are at the fuse connection then the connection is bad.

It sounds like a broken timing belt alright.

In post #21 you talk about the voltage being around 2.6 volts and you are not real clear on how you measured it. Was the common lead of the meter tied to ground when you made the measurement? It should have been at least. Check to see if you have 12 volts getting to the stereo while it is hooked up. The small fluctuation in the voltage isn't real bad but it most likely is due to something in the regulator circuit, inside the alternator.

If the old head unit doesn't have a seperate power amplifier then you can tie to the wires running to the speakers. One thing you should consider getting is an wire harness adapter. With it you will be able to tie into the exsisting plug and not damage it.

The first thing to check is to see if you have voltage on the plus and minus sides of the coil with the ignition ON. If you have voltage on both sides then the next check is to place a test light probe on the minus side of the coil and crank the engine. The light should pulse with the firing pulses to the coil.