Cougar

The code will generated because the CAS signal is not present. The system doesn't look at the ignitor signal. Hopefully you just have a bad connection to the CAS or the ECU.

The reason the dash lights didn't work is because the power for them runs through only one of the headlight relays. My manual shows it is supposed to be the relay for the right side but it may be wrong. The print does have at least one error in it and this may be another one.

The problem is most likely due to a faulty warning light. Did you ever check that?

You need to find out if the plugs are getting spark when the trouble happens again. Carrying a spare plug with you will make it easy to put it in one of the wires when you need to check it. If it is a fuel problem then using some starter fluid will help prove that out.

DanO, The alternator warning light should turn on when the ignition key is turned from the OFF to the On position. If it doesn't, then check the lamp to see if it is ok. It may be burned out and this is the most likely problem. If the lamp is ok then start the car and check the voltage on the smaller wire. It should be near the battery voltage if that is ok.

It sounds like you made your test voltage measurement while the wiper switch was ON but the motor didn't run. If so, the problem would seem to be with the connector to the motor. When you did your check of the voltage, did you check the pins on the motor side of the connector or the switch side? It would seem the green connection or ground connection contact in the connector may be bad. The wire colors you stated are the same as my manual shows for an '88 model. Green is the motor power, the blue/red wire should have power on it always from fuse #20. The blue/black wire is the park switch lead that will be hot while the wiper is not parked and grounded when it is. The reason the wiper stayed on with the switch OFF is because you bypassed the park switch. At least you know you have power there. My manual shows no relay but you may have one in your system.

It must have been a bad connection. Glad you got it going. You're welcome for the help.

There should be a LED in the side of the ECU you can count the code pluses from. The ECU is a metal box above the steering column.

I would also check the ECU for any codes. Another possibility is T-belt on the passenger side has broken.

The minus side of the coil is basically the switched side of the coil. The circuit is either opened or grounded breifly and that causes a spark to happen. Make sure the coil body has a good ground. Also check the wiring between the disty and ignitor to the ECU.

It does sound like the pump is bad. Also check the fuel filter if you haven't already done so.

You really should test the plus and minus leads of the coil using ground as the reference. If the light glowed brightly by putting the leads on the plus and minus leads leads then that would mean either the coil is open or the minus side is grounded. A good coil should have voltage on both sides of the lead connections when the ignition is ON, with reference to ground. After looking at your posts again it appears you have confirmed that the fuses are ok. Make sure the coil body is getting a good ground. One other thing it seems we have over looked is to check the codes in the ECU. You may need to replace the pickup in the disty.

Ok, lets fix this thing! Using your meter, check to make sure that voltage is getting to fuse #11. Place the common meter lead on a good ground and then with the ignition turned to the ON position see if there is voltage on both sides of the fuse. If you look at the top of the fuse closely you will see some small test holes you can put your probe on to check each side of the fuse. If there is voltage there then the next check is the fuel pump relay. The relay should be near the right side of the steering column under the dash. Tapping on the relay lightly may help get it going if the problem is a dirty contact. The manual says it is tied to a blue connector. Check for voltage on the black/white wire and the blue/white wires. If that is ok then you need to check the wire to the pump.

As previous posters have stated, I also think you have a connection problem in the main power buss, ignition switch, or a internal connection problem inside the battery itself. I would suspect the battery as the problem last. I would check the main fusible link connection first off and the small wire connection that runs to the positive battery terminal. This is the power wire to all the accessories in the car. Having a test light handy in the car to check for power while this problem is occuring will be real helpfull in tracking this problem down. You may be able to find the problem by tapping on suspected trouble areas with a screwdiver handle.

The end of the wire that you remove from the battery to hook to the amp gauge will be the positive or charge end. For safety, I would recommend you install about a 100 amp fuse in the line at the battery connection. This wire to the amp gauge will be hot at all times and if it gets shorted somehow without a fuse to protect it, there will be a real quick problem in the wiring and maybe a fire in your car. I prefer a voltmeter to watch the charging of the battery. It is easier to install and safer. The temperature sounds fine as it appears you have a 190 degree thermostat installed and would guess that this is the correct one to use in your car. I would be more concerned about the other car. It sounds like it may be a little too high.

I'm not sure what you mean by check and still dead. Are you saying that the fuse and coil show no signs of voltage? If so, then you need to check your fusible links and and ignition switch for a bad connection. To Dxrflyboy: Using a test light to check for firing pulses to the minus side of the coil while cranking the engine will work fine. The light will flash with the pulses.

Have you checked fuse #5 yet? You should invest in a test light so you can check for voltages. You should be able to purchase one for under 10 dollars. The plus side and the minus side of the coil should have voltage to them when the ignition is ON. You don't need to crank the engine. If all the fuses are good and you still have no voltage then I would check the ignition switch connections.

Check to see if you have voltage getting to the plus and minus sides of the coil with the ignition on. If you don't have voltage there then check fuse #5. Make sure the coil body has a good ground. If those things are ok then check the wiring to the ignitor and ECU to make sure that there is a broken connection. Further things to check are the ignitor, disty, and ECU.

I would suggest you make a about a 10 foot long ground jumper using at least a #12 gauge wire. Then tie one end to the negative battery post. Check suspected bad areas by placing the other end on a ground point and see if that cures the problem. I think the ground for the headlights is at the dash area so you may want to test that first.

I suspect the transmission light is trying to show a trouble code. The hard starting may be due to a ignition problem. You need to check the spark when this happens.

Your welcome. Hope you work something out.

If you replace the thermostat I would recommend you get a OEM one instead of a general replacement. Some people have had trouble with other new, none OEM t-stats. Many years ago I opened up a radiator cap on a overheated system. I got a burn on the chest and hand from it. I have never been burned again from a hot radiator. You just never touch a hot system. I did get a more serious burn from my house hot water baseboard heater. I was very tired from working on it most of the night and into the early morning. I removed a plug I had put in the pipe earlier while the system was hot. Another lesson learned the hard way.

Since you have 14 volts at the battery it means the alternator is doing its' job of charging the battery though it would be nice to have about 8 tenths more voltage. One thing to be aware of with the dash gauge is there are normal wire loses to gauge and most gauges normally read about 1 volt lower than the actual battery voltage. There may be excessive loss at the connection point that Skip mentioned. That connection is a common failure point. If you have a digital volt meter that has autoranging be sure it isn't holding in a higher scale than it should be. You should be able to see at least one digit past the decimal point when taking a reading.

I think installing the unit from JC Whitney will be easier for you to do. You can conceal the unit under the dash or mount the speed potentiometer behind a spare switch panel in the dash. This will give you the variable delay action you really want. Looking at my service data it appears that you may be correct in stating there were no intermittent wipers available for that model year. http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ItemBrowse/c-10101/s-10101/p-100000159811/mediaCode-ZX/appId-100000159811/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000159811

You could try swapping the coils to see if that makes a difference. If that doesn't help then I would suspect there may be a connection problem causing this to occur and swapping ECU's happened to correct the real problem at the time.