Don't know if any of you have seen my Questions questions post, but I'm having a couple of issues with the 88TC I just acquired.
First thing I noticed was the temp and oil pressure gauges would read high when the lights are turned on. I just ran a simple test to see if this happened from "dead cold" and it didn't seem to. So I fired the TC and let it sit, watching the gauge and occasionally turning the headlights on. Nothing seemed to happen till the pointer got to the "O" in "NORM" Then with the lights on the pointer went to the top line of "NORM" range within about 20 seconds. Turn the lights off, and the gauge will begin to drop....slower than Christmas. Also, at about that point on the gauge the radiator started flowing water.
So I put the radiator cap back on and continues to let it sit. Eventually the LEFT fan came on. (I'm guessing this is for cooling, and the RIGHT is for the A/C?) At any rate, the longer it runs, the higher the gauge reads. And with the headlights on, the gauge will PEG and stay there as long as the lights are on.
I'm thinking there is something flaky with the IVR and am going to replace it. I've also got a new temp sender, thermostat, and water pump (which came with the car). But after making a 3 day 2000 mile trip I just can't believe the car is actually overheating. The car ran beautifully.
So....you think the IVR is the culprit?
I'm changing the headlamp switch also because if the headlights AND fogs are BOTH ON, they will eventually BOTH start to flash off and on. Ya think the switch is the most likely cause?
Also, what about that passenger's side fan? Is that one dedicated to the A/C? It didn't come on when I turned the A/C on. But by this point everything was a bit warm to be pulling connectors and checking for voltages at the fan.
Any and all help appreciated.
Not sure about your other issues but I do know your light switch is bad if your lights starting flashing on and off. What's happening is the switch is getting hot and causing a short which in turn makes the lights flash on and off.
As far as I know, both fans should be working, I know on my TC I have two fans pulling and one fan in front of the radiator pushing air through. So you may have a bad switch or connection there also.
Most likely you have a short going on somewhere, it may well be the IVR but, I don't really know what to tell you there.
Wish I could be of more help, let us know what you came up with.
+1 on the headlight switch. It has a built in circuit breaker that opens when it gets too hot. It could be a loose connection to it that is getting hot.
Yep. I'll be real interested to see if the used switch I have on the way is in any better shape than the one in the car. Worse comes to worse, I'll get new headlights and fancy new bulbs for better lighting. That will have to do till the new switches are available again.....IF that happens
Tomorrow I'll be doing another check, this time with a thermometer so I can see what it's really doing.
in the mark when i turn on my head lights my tach and gas gauge peg
bad ground to gauges
I'll check the ground when I replace the IVR. Thanks for that info!!
im not sure if the tbird is the same as far as gauge wiring, but what we have to do is splice in a wire on the ground and ground it and it fixes the issue.
Man I hate cutting and splicing factory harnesses. But if it's got to be done, it's got to be done.
Again, thanks for the tip!!!
not a problem
like I said thats in the mark, which is VERY similar to the bird
not sure if it makes a difference in the bird or not
http://www.lincolnsonline.com/tech/00109.html
The factory manual has the Mark, Tbird/Cougar, and Mustang bundled together. So I'm guessing they're all pretty close to the same. I'll take a look to see if it looks like it really is. If I learn anything, I'll pass it on.
Been studying jcassity's 87 EVTM for a way the temp gauge and headlight switch can be connected.
There is an 18 pin connector on the instrument cluster. Pin 9 is the temp gauge input, red/white wire.
Pin 13 is hot with the headlight switch on for illumination, light blue/red wire.
Pin 12 is the ground for the illumination, black wire.
I think this connector is the type that slides onto a printed circuit board with contacts on both sides of the board.
jcassity...If you could rescan page 105 and post it up, it has a layout of connector C285. Mine is too fuzzy to read.
turbo 88
while you are in there in such an easy working area around the headlamp switch,, set your radio to AM whatever low band,, wiggle test wiring and listen for pops or cracks.
Helps isolate high resistance / intermittant or defective connections just about anywhere. Thanks TOM for that trick btw!!
softtouch
Yeah, page 105 sucks ass berries! gotta rescan but im beat now. I said it sucked a year ago and it still remains the same. I gotta get off my lazy butt and fix a few of those puppiesy prints.
here are shop manual pages for now.>>>>located in my DIY link. see page 2 of this thread http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=17053
who was it that did a write up on that thermal fuse in the light switch> cougarSE im pretty sure?
whoever it was, they also posted pics and i forgot to steal it.
now we need it.
where you at claude?
UPDATE
Yesterday I bought a digital thermostat to see what the actual temp of the TC was. So today I dropped the lift, fired it up, and "checked it's temperature".
Ultimately I let it run in the shop for about 40 minutes. I ran it with, and without the lights on. And while the gauge didn't peg, (with the lights on) it was almost to the red. The GOOD news is, it isn't running hot. At about 218' the fan (right side) came on, and it flowed water like mad. And when the temp got back down to 190something the fan would shut off.
I was double checking this using my SnapOn laser on the radiator right where the top hose connects. And as usual, when I turned the lights off, the gauge dropped back down to the "OR" range (think "NORM")
SOOOO......now I know it isn't running hot, although I intend to drive it and take the SnapOn with me to re-check the check. And when the headlight switch and the IVR get here I'll change them, reground the gauges, and see what happens.
i would re ground them for shiznits and giggles. I did my car today and it COMPLETELY changed how my gas gauge reads.
I find it really odd your not having issues with your charge needle.
Yeah. You'd think it would act up as well. But it sits right in the middle as if all is right with the world. I suppose it's messing with the gas gauge some, but it seemed to be "tilt sensitive" on the trip and was sorta up and down anyway.
When I got back, it was reading about 1/4 down from full. After letting it run in the shop (today for 40+ minutes) it's now reading about 1/2 a tank. I don't think it idled out 1/4 tank in 40 minutes, but anything is possible. (probably ran an hour between the two test sessions)
page 105 of the evtm.... still gotta upload it to the photobucket..........