Hikari_NOS

Hello again everyone, I'm back with another issue that I was wondering if anyone has came across before and had solved it. The problem that I'm having is that recently within the last several months, my car dies and then won't start back up. The computer gives a constant tone when trying to start and the theft light starts flashing quickly after said dying. In August of last year, I had the Ford dealership replace the computer, ignition switch, a deteriorated wire, and the instrument cluster, and then they had to reprogram the theft system. It ran fine with no more starting issues until roughly around late October. The symptoms that it has when it dies is the instrument cluster gauges drop all down to zero and the mileage display shows lines straight across, but there still seems to be power going to everything. No lights dimming, stereo remains playing, and wipers can still move at highest setting.

Just today though we've had a new problem pop up that we've not had before, this problem is once again related to starting and the instrument cluster. Upon starting the car again after the fan for the heater/ac stop working as we were driving to the store, it started back up very weakly as if the battery was drained and the instrument cluster gauges maxed out and then went all the way back to zero then slowly went back to normal operating ranges. And if I remember correctly the lights on the instrument cluster and headlights dimmed a little bit as well.
If anyone needs more info about this problem, just let me know. I'll try to help out as much as possible. Tomorrow(Sunday/2-9-2013), I'm taking it to a guy who's supposed to be checking my transmission out, so I may be delayed in response time. But thanks to anyone who gives any ideas or help. I'll really appreciate it cause I really love my stang.

*EDIT*

Okay, so I think me and my husband have fixed the starting issue that I was having, but some extensive driving will be done this weekend to see if that fixed it from dying randomly as well. So far from what I understand from the guy who's worked on ford's for the past 32 years, is that everything that I've got right now is probably all pointing to a bad connection in my electrical system. He told us this past weekend that there was a few things showing on his computer when he tested the car. Here's the list of problems which showed on his computer that I've got coming up now: 1-My brake lights have an open somewhere causing them to give off a light outage, 2-O2 sensors on bank 1 and 2 are both getting low voltage and are giving too lean codes, 3-ABS system is malfunctioning code, but technically I've not had a single issue out of the system. I stop just fine when I need to do so, and this last one has nothing to do with the guy checking my system, 4-Driving to the store and my fan for heating and a/c stopped completely, no slow dying nor any noises coming from it. Just all of a sudden the fan stops as if I turned it off completely.

Things I've done so far to try and fix these problems is cleaning all the electrical connectors next to the pcm and the blower motors connectors. I've recently tried to replace the blower motor resistor to see if that was the problem since the old one was rusted beyond recognition, but that didn't fix the motor not turning back on. Yesterday, we made a jumper wire and grounded it to the dashboard screw, but the fan didn't start up, so we're almost certain that the motor is probably shot. Unless we're doing the grounding for the jumper wire wrong. Does anyone know how to do it properly? You're just supposed to attach one end of the wire to the chasis(on screws, etc.), and then insert the other end inside the black wire on the motor connector, right? I really hate those Chilton/Haynes books. They're almost worthless now.

Anyways, I'll keep everyone up to date with my progress. And whether or not what we've done recently fixed the dying randomly. Thanks again for any help given. I really do appreciate it.

jthorn9

Honestly, at this point it sounds like you just need to sell the car for whatever you can get for it and move on. This is now the second major problem you've had in a years time. Your car is begging to turn into a money pit and that's not good.

Hikari_NOS

Actually managed to fix my blower motor for the heater/ac unit. Just had a lot of dust clogging it up. Eh, don't have the money to sell it and buy a new car. Nor the credit score. So we're trying our best to get it fixed as we go. My husband's boss drives them both to work, and that gives me time to do whatever I can with it. It's mainly becoming a project car at this point. My husband knows a bit about electrical so he's been helping me with that aspect.

So far though after cleaning those electrical connectors by the pcm, its been behaving a lot better than before. And it hasn't died again yet. Still waiting to see if what we did had any effect on the dying randomly. It's going to be a big test when we drive to Georgia this weekend to help his mom move.

darkpony04

Hope you don't get stuck a long way from home in Georgia.

Hikari_NOS

That makes two of us. lol Anyways if that happens my friend said they would come pick us up and tow us back.

darkpony04

That is good but I wouldn't take the chance..lol

Hikari_NOS

Well some good news, made it all the way to Georgia and back. Over 500 miles total and didn't have a single problem since we've cleaned the electrical connectors by the PCM. So either that helped or I got lucky about it dying like it was.

whudson1980

See my thread "Possible PCM or CCRM issue." I recently solved a similar ( not exact problem ) and my results may help a bit. . . .I haven't posted yet, I just got home, but I'll be posting detailed info within the next 5 - 10 minutes.

Hikari_NOS

Gotcha thanks I posted on your thread with some info about mine.

Hikari_NOS

Ok. So far its been over two weeks now and no more dying issues since then. I've tried to recreate the same situation when the dying happened but nothing has come of it. However, there is something new that I'm confused about. I've been told that my O2 sensors can't be the cause of the jerking issues that I've been having lately, but I've also been told that it can be the cause. Does anyone know or think that it can be the cause? I've also been told that it could be my torque converter as well.

Just today when I was driving it, being in rush hour everyone trying to get home time, I had to give a little more gas than usual to try and make the car move faster and when I did it acted as if it wanted to stay in first gear before finally jerking hard to switch gears. I had just checked the codes the day before when I added some Lucas Oil Transmission Fix to try and help it, and the only code that I was getting my EGR system insufficient flow. After getting home today, I checked again and now I'm getting the P0174 code which says that its "System Too Lean (Bank 2)". I have had the other code, P0171 as well before, but haven't had it since I erased the codes about a year ago.

Thanks for any help given.