Cougar

It is pretty obvious that the battery isn't getting charged for some reason. The alternator may be bad but there could be connection problems with the alternator and battery causing the problem. From what you stated about the warning lights and other things it makes me think the alternator has some bad diodes inside it. Have the alternator output checked to see if that is ok and also check the AC voltage across the battery while the engine is running around 1,500 RPM. There should be no more than .1 volt of AC voltage if things inside the alternator are okay. You should also have around 14 volts DC at the battery while there is a pretty good load on the system. You are most likely going to need a replacement alternator. If the AC ripple voltage is really bad that would explain the short battery life problem you had.

I think the fourth relay is for the rear defroster if I remember correctly.

I think your model has external voltage regulator so that might be the problem if the alternator isn't. If cleaning all the connections in the charging circuit doesn't help clear the trouble then the regulator may be the trouble but I don't think the alternator is exempt as the trouble yet either.

Most of the time this kind of trouble is due to bad socket connections to the bulb. If one side of the lighting is ok then the connection ground for both sides is most likely ok though it is possible there could be a faulty connection between the two sides. To see if the connection to ground really is the trouble and not the bulb socket check the voltage to ground on the ground wire going to the dim light while the lights are on. If there is very little voltage on the ground wire then the ground is ok and the socket is the trouble. Also verify that full voltage is getting to the light.

Glad to hear you got things fixed up. I suspect the light wire problem was near the fuse panel but it could of been the other end. Instead of cutting both ends of the link I would have tried to hunt down the trouble because I hate wire modifications. There most likely was a connector in between the end points and the problem is in the connector. This is where having a factory service manual pays off in spades. It will show you where to find any connector in the line.

My factory manual is showing me exactly where the grounds are tieing to. According to my info it shows the ground for the data port, the fuel gauge sensor, and some ECUs grounds tie to connector B22/E3 and go to a common ground point called GE, which tie to a point on top of the engine area, about in the center, on the rear end of it. All the wires are blk/red and also bond to a black wire at the engine ground point, which also runs to the ECU. It looks like fixing that ground point will also solve all the other problems you are having. My info shows the blk/'yel grounds tie to the same common point but are tie together seperately from the b/r wires. So if the engine ground point is ok then the trouble is most likely at connector B22 where they all tie through to the ground. Seperating and reconnecting the connectors may fix the problem.

You have proved that the ground wire going to the OBD2 connector is defective and has a high resistance to chassis ground, good work. I'm not sure where that ground bonds to but I will try to find out. I suggest you clean all the grounds you can find under the hood, especially the battery to chassis ground. Even though the fuel pump is working there still can be a problem with the Main Relay. As I mentioned earlier, the relay has two sets of contacts,not just one set like most relays.

Thanks for the update and good to hear all is well now.

Along with the AC relay there should be a fuse for that circuit and that needs to be checked.

From what you state about the code reader display going dim when you turn the key on it means there is a problem with the connection to power on that circuit. If you don't already have a voltmeter to test with and help you with this trouble then you must get one. I first suggest you check for power getting to the fuses in the panel under the hood while the key is ON (there is a load on them). Looking at the top of the fuses you will notice that there are small slits on each side of the fuse you can place your probe tip on to check for power. Place the common meter lead on a good chassis ground point and then check each side of all the fuses using the other meter probe looking for good voltage level. I think fuse SBF-5 is of particular interest for your problem. I believe it provides power to the Main Relay which provides power to the data port along with a lot of other engine related systems. The relay has two sets of contacts so perhaps the relay contacts may be bad. Another possible trouble area is connection to the Main fuse panel itself located under the hood. So even if the fuse has proper power on it, the output wire connection for that circuit may not.

After checking my service data again it looks like I missed a couple of more things that tie to the main fuse besides the main alternator lead. The data shows that fuse panel connection MB-1 ties to the AC relay/fuse holder which may be under the hood. It also ties to fuse SBF-8 which ties to the ABS system. I think that fuse may be under the dash near the fuse panel there but it is separate from the panel.

The ignition switch itself is a seperate device than the key lock mechanism. You just replace the switch portion of it.

While replacing the starter didn't solve the issue you were most likely getting near the end of life of the solenoid contacts anyways so it wasn't a total waste of time and money. From what you say about the trouble it does sound like the ignition switch is bad and you need to replace the switch section of it. Clean the battery cable connections and see if that helps. You can check the voltage on most of the fuses in the dash fuse panel to see if power gets to them when you turn the key to ON.

Ebay is a good place to find manuals on CD and book form at a good price.

Some folks have been finding trouble under the fuse panel that is located under the hood. Moisture damage to the wires in the connectors under the panel has been found by some folks.

If a blocking diode fails inside the alternator it can cause this kind of problem and the path can be overlooked. Since the starter solenoid has to be working for current to have a pathway to ground that path isn't possible unless someone has added an extra power connection to something at the battery connection to the solenoid.

Check the intake manifold gaskets for a air leak. That is a fairly common problem with these cars.

Since you pulled out the fuses in the main panel under the hood and the problem was still there then that limits the problem area down a lot. Try removing the main lead to the alternator and see if the current draw is still there after that is removed. That lead is hot to the battery so I suggest you remove the negative battery lead before you work on it and then isolate the wire end so it can't touch anything and short to ground when you reconnect the negative battery lead.

You're welcome. Having a meter to test with gives you a lot possibilites and ways to test circuit problems out. Checking for voltage drop problems is one good method.

You're welcome for the help Hflier. The factory service data shows the connector number of every connection of the wiring. It also has various pictures of the car along with the wiring harness routing through it and where the locations are of the numbered connectors that are shown on a list that you can compare with the connector number and the fuction of the device it ties to. There is also a ground wire pictorial and list that shows the grounds. If you think there is a ground problem to the light switch then use your voltmeter on the lead to see if that is true using a good ground point for your meter reference. If the connection to ground is bad then there will be voltage on that lead while the circuit is on. If the voltage on the lead is near zero volts then the ground is ok.

For the passenger side high beam issue check to make sure the headlight fuses are ok and have voltage on each side of them by probing the slits on top of the fuses.

My info shows that blu/red wire going to pin 12 supplies power through the switch while in the Park position to a red/yel wire on pin 11 that ties to the solenoid. If there is a security system installed then it gets a little more complicated.

Look for a gray 12 pin connector near the top center of the transmission. The switch should tie to it and it might be near the shifter, on top of the transmission.

The tach has nothing to do with the clock reference frequency that it uses to operate. The clock is a stand alone device, just add power.

I suggest you check the voltage at the switch since the trouble could very well be at that point. The ground for the lights should tie to a common point through the switch and then to ground. If there is a voltage drop across the switch and chassis ground while the lights are ON then you have found the trouble spot. If there isn't a significant voltage drop across the switch and the voltage is near zero then the problem is between the light return wire and the switch connection to ground. When dealing with this kind of trouble it pays off big time to have a factory wiring manual to refer to. It will show you where every connection point is in the wiring for the circuit. Ebay is a good place to get factory reference manuals at a good price.