Cougar

Check the fusible links for a loose connection.

I would check to see if you have spark at the main coil lead. If you have it there then see if spark gets to one of the plugs. If not, the rotor is missing.

I wouldn't count the fuel pump out. In fact that would be my first choice as the source of the problem. I would set up a test light to monitor the voltage to the pump. If the light goes out when the problem occurs then you can check the control circuit to the pump.

There are many OBD2 code readers on Ebay. I purchased mine off Ebay. Check out the Innova 3100 and 3110. There are many others also. I purchased the 3110 since it also handles the up coming Canbus protocol.

I think the car is too new to do that Bernie. The OBD2 system started in '96 and you need a scanner to read the codes as far as I know.

I repaired mine that had this problem. It had a bad transistor. If you would like me to try and fix yours let me know.

Are you getting spark to the plugs? If the ECU doesn't see the proper signal pulses from the CAS in the distributor then it will turn off the pump. Also be sure fuse #5 is good. If the horn works it is ok.

One trick you may be able to use is to get a piece of rubber or flexible tubing with the inside diameter slightly less than the bolt head. Insert the head into the tubing and then start the threads by turning the tubing.

I agree about shaving a new tire to the proper size. This will cost you less and you can get the rest of the value out of your current tires. Then you can start saving your money to replace all of them when they are ready to be replaced. Along with getting the road hazard policy. Costco provides a policy when you purchase tires from them.

Welcome to the board Macm. You guys did an incredible job working like that. Outside, and on a hill no less. I'm sure there was ordinance against what you did but no harm done. Thanks for the link to the excellent photos, they were a joy to see. Hopefully you will now have a lot of trouble free miles driving that nice car. Drive on.

It's too bad the dealer didn't look into this further but they may have been trying to be easy on your pocket book. I would check the temperature sensor for the ECM first, as others mentioned. You can check that using an ohmmeter. While the engine is cold first measure the resistance of the sensor disconnected and then measure it after the engine is at normal temperature. There should be a good difference in the readings. I think the hot reading should be lower but I don't know what the specs are.

The yellow goes to the minus side of the coil and the blk/w goes to the positive side if those are the only wires to the disty.

I assume you are talking about the battery leads. The black lead should go to the engine block and this would be the negative or ground lead. Most ground wires are black in color.

Since the car won't start even with starter fluid then I would check for a broken T-belt. The passenger side may have broken. Checking the compression will tell you the story about that. Since the spark is working this means the driver's side belt is ok as it drives the disty and the ignition. After you get it running then check these things. If you are getting some hesitation and jerking the problem may be with the fuel pump. They can have a problem like that, especially going up hills. You should also check the throttle position sensor for dirty contacts and the intake manifold gaskets for a leak.

I agree with NorthWet. You either have a battery with broken post connections or the cables are bad. You need to see where the sparks are coming from but this is dangerous being near the battery. It could explode if the battery has gas vapors coming from inside it. You should be able to see where the sparks came from and go from there. Hopefully you didn't reverse the polarity when you stated you swapped the leads. That could cause other problems.

Check my reply to this question in the newer generation section.

My info shows that power is supplied to the radio illumination pin by a wht/grn wire that goes to pin 1 on the radio. The return wire is a yel/blu on pin 7 and it goes to a illumination module by the steering column. Fuse number 3 supplies the circuit to pin 1. I would suspect you have miswired the new unit somehow. You should be able to prove that by disconnecting the radio and then see if the fuse still blows. If it doesn't then the problem is with the radio wiring. If the fuse still blows then there is a problem elsewhere on the illumination circuit.

I agree with the others about the problem being with remote and not the receiver. You should be able to find a replacement remote on Ebay for around $10 dollars.

I would purchase a test light probe if you don't have one so you can actually see if there is voltage getting to the circuit. If the outlet really is tied to the place you said it is and there is power through the fuse then either the wire to the outlet is open or the ground wire is open or, the outlet is defective.

The codes are checked by viewing the LED that is seen through a hole in one end of the ECU. The ECU is a box that is mounted above the drivers feet. It will have several connectors going to it probably. The panel under the dash has to be removed to access it. The codes are flashed out by using long pluses as units of 10 and short pulses are single units. Two long flashes followed by three short would be code 23. More than one code can be flashed also. My '88 manual shows the O2 sensor connector my be near the transmission area on the passenger side. For a manual transmission it shows a harness that has three connectors at the end. One of them ties to the sensor. This system is OBD 1, not 2.

A rapid clicking of the solenoid usually means the connections to the battery are bad or the battery has a problem. This happens because the battery tries to run the starter when the solenoid is turned on but due to a resistance in the leads to the starter the voltage drops off and the solenoid shuts off. When the solenoid shuts off, the voltage rises and the solenoid engages again, the process keeps repeating. If cleaning the battery connections doesn't help I would have the battery checked. It may be time to change it. The main starter cable may also have internal corrosion.

Have you checked the ECU for any code errors? I would think there would be some. One possibility is the coolant temperature sensor may have gone bad and is causing the engine to run rich.

I hope the devices are not going bad due to coolant getting into the exhaust.

Since you are having problems with the spark not going to the plugs as it should it means that the coil is not getting a good ground to the engine. The spark then will not have a low resistance path through the plug for the return. The problem could be internal to the coil but first make sure the body of the coil and the coil bracket are making good electrical contact. You should be able to measure the resistance of the coil by putting ohmmeter probes between the high voltage output lead and the coil body. Be sure that the ignition is off if you do that. If there is infinate resistance then the coil has a problem. I think a normal resistance may be around 3,000 ohms or less.

Try a rental store.