Cougar

The pathway to the problem is the with melted wire. That is where the excessive current flowed and damaged the wire. If the wire goes inside the radio then that is where the problem is at. Check for power getting to the fuse you replaced and the things that aren't working. It sounds like power isn't getting to them even though you repaired the wire damage. There may be a blown fuse in the panel under the hood.

If you just have a fuel problem then you should be able to spray a small amount of starter fluid into the intake and make the engine fire up. You might have a problem with the power to the injectors. EDIT: After reading "mikaleda's" comment below about the multipoint injection and starter fluid I have to say I wasn't really thinking about that when I made this suggestion. His suggestion is definitely a safer way to check the ignition. I guess you could also see if the plugs are getting wet if the ignition isn't working. If you have a spare plug it would be easy to insert it in one of the plug wires, set it on a good ground point, and check for spark getting too it if you don't have a checker.

You need to verify that power and ground connections are getting to the corresponding pins of the connectors going to the cluster. If you didn't already verify that power was getting through the correct fuses you should do that first. A good fuse with no power applied to it doesn't do much good.

Spray a small amount of starter fluid into the intake to see if the engine will run on that. If the fuel pump won't turn on the pump relay may be a reasonable bet to replace.

You need to verify power is getting to the ignition system. If that is okay then the crank sensor operation should be checked.

Glad you got it fixed. As far as the pump motor resistance goes I think the reading of 198 ohms got on the bad pump is too high. I would expect the resistance to be around 10 ohms possibly for a normal resistance of the motor windings but that is just a guess on my part.

You most likely have a bad connection to the temperature sensor. Try cleaning the connection to it at the tank but the trouble may be somewhere else at a different connector. You should be able to monitor the voltage on the wire going to the sensor itself. The voltage should vary slightly as the fuel temp changes. I'm not sure what the voltage level will be normally but you should be able to figure out a normal and abnormal level if you monitor it. You may have to replace the sensor itself but I would verify it is bad first. You could also check the resistance of the sensor while it is working normally. Disconnect the wiring to it first and then check the resistance across the sensor. I'm not sure if the return wire is isolated from ground or not. It may use a common ground return. If the sensor itself is bad it will most likely show a very high resistance in the fault mode. The fuel pump is on a separate circuit from the temp sensor. You would be very wise in investing in a factory service manual for the car. It can help you immensely with problems like this and aren't much money. That and a digital meter will get you far and save you a lot on repair bills if you know how to use them.

As far as I can tell you still haven't verified DC power is getting to the ignition system. You can replace parts all you want but if power isn't getting to things you have nothing. Whenever you have an ignition problem the first thing to check is to make sure power is getting to it. If you do have power and have an igniter in the system then I suggest you replace it as the next step. They are prone to failures. A low battery won't cause the ignition to not work. If the battery has enough power stored in it to allow the starter to work then there is plenty of power to run the ignition system. By following proper diagnostic procedures you will find out what is causing the issue.

I don't think the return for the 5 volt supply is different than chassis ground but I may be wrong on that. You may have found that the 5 volt supply isn't working.

The battery voltage at the battery posts should be around 11 volts while the starter is cranking the engine. If it is below that then the starter may be bad and is drawing too much current or the battery charge is low. The trouble could also be with the engine if it is causing the starter to work harder than it normally should due to excessive drag from the engine components.

I suggest you try a new MAP sensor to see if that will fix the issue. You might be able to get a used one from a salvage yard. To activate the fan relay locate the wire that ties to the ECU for the relay circuit you want to test out. Grounding that lead should turn on the fan. You can also what the voltage on that lead. The voltage should be close to zero volts when the fan is supposed to be ON. A grounded lead. When the fan is turned off the voltage will go high. If the fan is supposed to be ON and the voltage doesn't go low then the ECU has a problem.

This might not work on your model but it does on mine. Turn the ignition key ON-OFF 3 times with the driver door open. Activating the keyfob also disarms the alarm system.

The crank sensor signal needs to be checked out to make sure it is picking up the correct signal from the reluctor mounted on the shaft. That is how the ignition signal is generated by the ECU. You will need a O-scope to look at the signal. I suppose all the power and ground connections to the ECU should be checked out also if that hasn't been done already. If the compression of the cylinders is okay then the engine itself should be good.

If the fan doesn't work in the TEST mode you could verify that the ECU isn't making the ground connection to the relay coil by manually grounding that point. If the fan now works and there is no trouble with the wire connection to the ECU you have found that problem. This is a fairly common issue. The purge problem may happening because some hoses got hooked up incorrectly to the wrong points.

You stated that you now have 12 volts on all 3 wires. That would mean that the ECU isn't making any connection to ground on the two wires. In post 6 you stated that you put a load on the signal wire and saw a slight difference in voltage. I'm not sure what you mean by signal wire. Are you taking about the 12 volt center wire?

Use your meter to check the power to the ignition system.

Whenever you have an ignition problem the first step is to make sure power is getting to it. Make sure the fusible links are good along with the fuses under the hood and the dash. Then make sure power is getting to the ignition system. Purchase a factory service manual for the car off of Ebay. The best source of information you can have for the car. Since it is an older car you will need it for various things as they come up. Also purchase a digital voltmeter and learn how to use it if you don't already know how. Another vital piece of equipment. You will really like how the Soob drives, especially in the snow.

If it is possible that the connections to the CAM and CRANK sensors could be swapped around then check for that. There was someone here that happened too. If that is okay then I would have think you have either a valve or ignition timing issue causing the trouble. If the compression is okay then it seems the ignition timing needs to be checked

If you have removed all the SBF main fuses in the main panel one at a time and it made no major difference in the current draw then move on to the smaller fuses in the panel. If pulling those fuses makes no difference in the current draw then you need to check the leads going to the positive battery post. There should be only one smaller lead going to the battery post that supplies power to the main panel. Check for a added lead at the starter solenoid also tied to the main battery lead.

I'm not sure if 12 volts is supplied to the TPS sensor. I thought it was only 5 volts. Fairtax4me, can you help with that?

There are fusible links inside the little plastic box that is mounted on the coolant reservoir. Open the top and make sure the wire connections are making solid connection. Sometimes the connections get weak and cause a bad connection which then causes a voltage drop when the contacts heat up. This may well be your problem. If the link connections are okay then you need to check for spark getting to the plugs when the trouble is happening. If spraying a small amount of starter fluid gets the engine to fire up when having the trouble then you have a fuel delivery problem. Logical trouble shooting will lead you to the problem(s). You would be wise to invest in at least a cheap digital multimeter as it is a big help in finding electrical problems. At least get a test light probe if you can't afford a meter. The CEL light should come on when you turn on the ignition switch. Check the bulb if it doesn't work to make sure the bulb is okay. The ECU makes a ground connection internally to activate the light. Power should be getting to the lamp when the ignition is ON.

Both of the previous post ideas are good I think. Along with those ideas check the engine an transmission mounts and make sure the tires match up in tread wear.

I agree with the good advice from Fairtax4me. You may have to remove the main output lead to the alternator and not just the smaller connector going to it. The main lead is hot to the battery at all times so be careful if you work on it. The safest way is to remove the negative battery cable connection first and then disconnect and isolate the alternator lead.

Maybe something inside the ECU is causing the trouble. Replacing it shouldn't be much of an issue to see if that is where the trouble is at. Another thought is, have you verified that the TPS sensor is getting the 5 volt reference power when the trouble is occurring? Maybe there is a intermittent problem with that power source (which as we know, comes from inside the ECU). I assume you have already made sure that the 12 volt power to the injectors is good when the trouble is happening along with the return side of the injector circuit back to the ECU.

Thanks for the update and glad to hear you are back on the road.