Cougar

Here is a table for the sensor to the dash gauge also in case someone needs it. Sorry for the poor attachment. I'm not good at this. Doc1.doc

Thanks for the good info Skip.

Another thing you can try is turning the key from OFF to ON three times.

You most likely need to reset the alarm system using your keyfob.

Looking at some info I have it looks like you are correct. The reading will be between 7-11.5k ohms when the temp is around 14 degrees. At 68deg F. it should be 2-3k ohms. At 122deg it should be 700-1000 ohms. It appears the sensor is bad.

I would suspect the hard starting while cold has to do with the choke somehow. As far as wanting to know about the ignition system here is a link you can go to for some good info. The electronic ignition, which is what your car has, starts on page 174. http://books.google.com/books?id=ffunO_N8e60C&pg=PA170&lpg=PA170&dq=types+of+ignition+systems&source=web&ots=-ZPwRqpR3z&sig=UGgstT21fedkOiKtsOhytg--_88#PPA174,M1

I think the CTS sensor for the ECU has two leads rather than one lead as for the dash gauge. Are you working on the correct one? There should be a resistance reading between the two leads though I am not sure how much it should be. It may be around 400 ohms when cold and go lower when warmed up.

If the other good tips don't prove to be the problem I suggest you check the fuel pressure regulator to see if it may be bad.

A word about simple relays. They are used mostly to switch power on to circuits that require fairly high current. They are switched on using a low current control circuit that energizes a magnetic coil. When the coil is energized it usually closes (or in some cases, opens) some contacts that complete the circuit for whatever is being controlled. These contacts can get worn over time due to arcing and can fail intermittently or completely. Tapping on a bad relay can sometimes reveal an intermittent problem. They are a very common source of trouble in automotive electrical circuits.

The ignition relay supplies power to the ECU. If the connection in the relay is bad the scope would have showed there wasn't any output from the ECU but that doesn't mean the ECU was really the problem. It depends how well they tested things. I'm am going with the percentages by suggesting the relay as the trouble.

My money is on Skip's suggestion of the fuel filter. If that doesn't work then a new fuel pump may be in order.

I tend to think the ECU is ok myself. It would be nice to know if there was any spark to the plugs when this problem occured. I would suspect the ignition relay may be the real problem but that is a guess. If the ECU really is the problem then you should be able to find a replacement for around 30 dollars at a salvage yard.

You stated that the alternator had excessive ripple. This is different than a regulator problem and is what Skip and I mentioned may be the problem in earlier posts. The excessive ripple is due to bad output diodes. The old battery may have caused the alternator to work too hard and it killed some of the diodes and that causes ripple. There are a lot cases like this and with less mileage than you got. You should be good to go for a long time again with the new replacements. Be sure the new battery is fully charged before it is installed in the car.

A battery can just run down suddenly at times. The cold outside temps don't help either. How old is the battery?

A stuck PCV valve will do that also. Causes enough smoke to be eligible as the car for the next James Bond movie. Good call by Subyrally.

It sounds like the winter blues has stuck another vehicle. If the battery in the car is the original one then you are due for a new one. Even if it has been replaced it sounds like you are going to need a new one. I suggest you take it to a shop that can load test the system while the alternator is in place and see what they say. Check the main output lead of the alternator to the battery and make sure there isn't a bad connection there. Since the battery fluid level was low this very well could mean some of the alternator output diodes have shorted and AC voltage is getting to the battery, as Skip stated. This would be very bad and could cause the fluid to boil off along with damaging the battery. If you have a voltmeter handy you could see if you measure any AC voltage across the battery, with the engine running. Just as I guess I suspect you are going to need to replace both the alternator and the battery. Hopefully I'm wrong though and you won't need both of them.

Since the body is in good shape that is a plus alright. Check the tires also and see how they are. If they are in real good shape then I would think that if she wanted 1,000 dollars for the car it wouldn't be out of line. If you really don't want to spend more than 500 dollars for it then you may find it out of your price range. I suggest you ask her first what she wants for it to see what her idea of what the price should be. She may be close to your idea of a fair price already. It really would be good to know what the problem of the engine is. If it is just a matter of blown headgaskets then that wouldn't be too bad. You may be able to save the engine and some repair costs.

An intermittent pump may not show up on a fuel pressure test necessarily. You may need to just replace it and see what happens. I had a pump that would hiccup going up a particular hill. New pump and no more problem. The ECU doesn't look at the pump circuit so no codes for it.

The problem you describe could be due to a bad fuel pump. I assume the fuel filter has been changed recently. If not, try that first.

I would talk with the manager of the dealership and see if they will help you out with the expense of a rental car since it was their fault you are without transportation and this has gone on for so long. You may have some legal recourse on that if they refuse you.

I suspect that the gas level was low enough that when you accelerated the fuel went towards the rear of the tank and that allowed the fuel pump to suck in some air. This would have created some air bubbles in the fuel line and the bucking when they got to the engine. The specs for my '88 wagon shows the tank capacity at 15.9 gallons. As an experiment you could see what happens when you shift slowly when the tank is that low again. The price of 80 dollars for a knock sensor is about the going price for one of these and I suspect that the past owner didn't want to spend the extra money to fix it so he past it on to you that way. As I stated previously, you can fool the ECU using a resistor in place of of the knock sensor but I only suggest doing that until a new sensor can be installed.

To Silverracerkh2005: I think it is great you have a car like that, especially since it seems to be a father/son project. I'm sure it has brought you and your dad some good times in fixing it up. I would think your insurance company would provide you a special premium policy for the car. They would probably need proof of the costs you made in it. If you haven't talked to them about it I suggest you do that. If they can't help with it I'm sure there are other insurance companies that can do this for you, though I can't help you with any info there. Maybe places that handle policies for classic cars. To Gloyale: That is one nice Loyale you found there.

Since the lights came back on again at one point it sounds like there is a connection problem to them. The bulbs are probably good though they may be getting old.

You should be able to research used prices on the web at sites like cars.com and come up with some prices on good used ones. I would think a used motor would cost you around $3,000 to have one put in. If the motor really does need to be replaced and the body is in real good shape I would guess the car may be worth around $1000 dollars but you need to decide that really for yourself.

It's a small world isn't it. The current temperature here is -1 degF at the moment. You're on the right track now about the knock sensor. What you said is correct.