Cougar

It is possible that the fuel gauge may not be indicating the correct fuel level in the tank. As you sure the gauge is accurate? If the gauge is indicating correctly then there could be a possible connection problem to the sensor in the tank to indicate the low level. Those models used a thermistor I believe to turn on the light in the dash when the fuel got real low. When the fuel level went below the sensor it would heat up and change resistance to a lower amount and turn on the light.

You don't need the switch. It is only used for the electric fan. The TPS sensor may have a bad spot on it causing the stalling problem.

She should be able to hear the fuel pump turn on briefly when turning the key from OFF to ON. By spraying some starter fluid into the intake of the car the engine should start up if the problem is due to a lack of fuel. If it doesn't help then I would have to suspect an ignition problem. Possibly a faulty ignitor.

My guess is that the switch on top of the column is bad. See if the lights turn off by pulling the tail light relay located below the dash fuse panel. If they do go out then the trouble is with the light switch on the stalk. If they stay on then the switch on top of the column is most likely the trouble since that switch bypasses the relay.

Since the high beams are working then the relays should be ok. The trouble is most likely with the switch. Try grounding the return side of the low beams when they should be on. If they light up then the switch contacts are most likely the trouble.

The sensor may be behind the throttle body on the passenger side. It is a two wire sensor I believe.

Just a note about the statement mentioned on the points. When the points come together current flows in the coil windings which charges up the field of the coil windings. When the contacts open current flow stops, the field suddenly collapses, and then the high voltage is generated by the field for the spark.

The brake circuit passes through the turn signal flasher I believe. Unless the wiring for that side has been bypassed somehow I would have to thing the trouble is with the flasher unit. It would be interesting to know how the emergency flashers work along with the brake light.

If things are staying turned on while the key is in the OFF position and the wiring hasn't been modified from stock then the igntion switch has a problem. It sounds like the ACC position of the ignition switch isn't turning off as it should. Newer style radios usually have what is termed as a balanced output to the speakers. This means the wires to the speaker channels are isolated from each other and from chassis of the car. The older model cars used chassis ground for one side of the speakers so in order to make things right for the newer style radios a seperate wire should be run to each speaker to replace the connection to ground.

Before you purchase anything I suggest you have a load test done on the charging system. The results of that will tell you the condition of things and show you what needs to be done to correct the problem. You may need to get both a new alternator and a battery. If the battery is more than a few years old and you install a new alternator it would be wise to replace the battery also to help prevent any further trouble in the near future. There could also be other issues going on here, like a bad connection between the battery and the alternator output. The load test should check that possibility out.

Going from what you said the voltages are at the battery the charging circuit is working fine. The trouble you are having is due to a wiring problem between the battery and the wiring to the accessories of the car. It could be a bad connection in the ignition switch area so check the connector to it and look for signs of burning. It may help to check the voltages getting to the dash fuses. If they are all low then you need to look under the hood. There may be a problem with one of the fusible link connections as Ferox wisely noted. Make sure they are clean and making a snug fit. Check the chassis ground to the battery also.

I suggest you do what you can to find a suitable replacement for that solenoid instead of buying a new one. You would not believe the cost of a new one from a dealer.

This is a pretty common problem. There are two sensors in the tank and it sounds like one of them isn't working correctly. Some folks have used Techron in the tank to clean the contacts and had success. It may tank a couple of tanks and bottles to allow it to work. Seafoam may work also. Otherwise you will need to remove them.

Ohhhh, the agony.

From the sounds of it I think this case is closed and you are in good shape now. Good call by SubaruFred on the exhaust leak for the fix on this.

Good deal. Hopefully things be ok now.

On the plus side of things, the future Natalie II may be younger, have more power, and less mileage on her.

Ok. I hope they find the trouble.

I think it is part of the replacement piece. I suggest you leave the piece in place and get a new part. Then you should be able to figure out how to remove the old piece. There may be some tabs on the other side that need to be compressed together in order to remove it.

You check the wiring by using the resistance test mode of a meter. You make sure the sensor lead has a good low resistance connection to the ECU pin and also make sure that the lead is isolated from ground and voltage.

That eliminates a bad CAT then. Did you verify the wiring between the sensor and the ECU is ok before replacing the sensor?

I suppose another possibility is a plugged CAT since you have so many miles on the car.

You're welcome for the help. Thanks for the update.

The solenoid appears to be working ok. For some reason power from the battery isn't getting through the solenoid contacts inside the solenoid and to the starter motor windings. Either the main battery cable to the starter solenoid is faulty or there is a internal problem with the power wire connection to the starter windings.

There may be some blown fuses or fusible links. I suggest you check those to make sure they are all ok. The fusible links are inside a plastic box mounted on the coolant resevoir. If the fuses are all ok then make sure you have spark getting to the plugs.