BUZZ needs advice on car?!?!?

Buzz-sawyer · August 28, 2005, 05:03:03 PM

I have a 1991 ford /mercury topaz/tempo.....2.3 litre.......My daughter has it for getting to school she is OFF_BEAR_ERR from the forum.(she is the one who needs help!)

I recently had trouble ....and did a tune up , but it persisted in running ruff, well I had collected a spare tempo, so I switched out the electronic contol module.........AND IT RAN GREAT.....for 2 weeks

then it ran slugish and would not start again .

I have looked through it and am thinking ECM again.........
WHAT component failure on the engine is usually (or possibly) the one causing it to get fried..............the voltage regulator, temp sensor...........I need some ideas befor slaping another in .they aint exactly cheap.....

Has anyone out there had similair problems .......HELP

;) :D

woodbeard · August 28, 2005, 05:26:41 PM

Maybe try pulling the box out again, and putting it back in again, just to check if it's a bad connection, or ground that is getting rattled around. Maybe not, but at least it won't cost anything. ;D

Buzz-sawyer · August 28, 2005, 05:51:26 PM

Actually .I pulled it and put the bad on in ..and it tried to start....kinda confirmed my suspicions....then re connected ...nothing.

Lenny_M · August 28, 2005, 07:51:40 PM

My son had a 87 topaz. Wouldn`t start. It had spark and turned ok.
Gave it a shot of gas in the intake started and ran fine.
Changed the Throttle positioning valve And was ok.
We were also thinking control module.

Ironwood · August 28, 2005, 08:21:47 PM

Grounds have been a nemisis in the past on control modules. Reid

Buzz-sawyer · August 28, 2005, 09:19:40 PM

The engine wont run with fuel added or either...........
The chasis of the ecm is not grounded on this model.......
Any other ideas tonight?

DanG · August 28, 2005, 09:24:13 PM

Bad ground sounds like the most reasonable guess, but check the alternator. Linda used to drive an old Dodge truck that started blowing headlamps, computers, etc. She complained of a bad smell in the truck, too. She works at night, so I'd get the report in the morning and check it out later in the day. Never could find anything. One evening, I replaced the headlights, checked the charging voltage, then headed for the store. I got about 2 miles up the road and both headlights blew out. Switched to the dims and got back home, popped the hood without shutting down, and checked the voltage again. 26 volts!!

The voltage was between 15 & 16 as long as it was charging the battery. When the voltage regulator kicked off, it went wayyyyy up. The stink in the truck was the overcharged battery boiling.

woodbowl · August 28, 2005, 09:42:44 PM

Same thing happened to me that happened to DanG. Showed 17 volts. Blew my headlights, bad electric smell and fried other things. The voltage regulator was in the alternator. Replaced it and everything was fine.

DanG · August 28, 2005, 09:56:22 PM

Mine had a seperate regulator. It drooled all over the firewall.

Furby · August 28, 2005, 11:46:22 PM

My 89 Probe blew a headlight at the Grand Canyon.
Replaced it and blew the other one several days later in Redwood N.P.
Also had that bad smell.
Replaced it and blew the alternator a day later.
Sounds to me like I may have had the same trouble as DanG and Woodbowl. :'(

Buzz-sawyer · August 28, 2005, 11:51:09 PM

If anything my lights have been dim....Voltage has not been odd as I checked it fairly recently.....I will look for a bad ground.....but I am off to buy another ECM tommorow.... :

ScottAR · August 29, 2005, 12:00:21 AM

Voltage reg on the Deere went out once. 17 volts. The battery exploded.

Usually the ECM ground is the bolt in the ECM plug on Fords. V8s anyway.

Have you run the onboard diagnostic yet? Get a shop manual for it and run the test to see what codes it spits out.

Furby · August 29, 2005, 12:05:27 AM

You can pull all the codes up online, the tester for that car is about $40 at autozone.
Least that's what I paid a year ago.
Don't forget the free online manuals at http://autozone.com/

This link goes to the ECM.
There is testing info for it.
It does also mention grounding.
Link

Buzz-sawyer · September 23, 2005, 11:10:17 AM

Just to let ya know.....got her running the day after the last post on this thread

Furby · September 23, 2005, 12:26:13 PM

Um, what was the problem?

Buzz-sawyer · September 23, 2005, 04:07:02 PM

the simple thing that little voice in my head told me in the first place..........i advanced the distributor about 1/4 inch RAN LIKe a top

>:( >:( >:( :D :D :D :Dop

Furby · September 23, 2005, 07:35:12 PM

Ya gotta listen to those voices sometimes..........even if it means you ARE crazy, ya know. ;)

rebocardo · September 24, 2005, 03:23:21 PM

FWIW: You should check the timing before and after replacing the CPU. I bet you are now at the factory 10 degrees. Make sure the shorting block (called SPOUT connector - two wires?) is securely fasten in its harness. I run a piece of plastic tie around it to prevent problems.