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  1. #26

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    Were back into the higher 80's already, it wont last long. Thank god for our lack of humidity.
    2 1986 cougars (both 4 eyed and 5.0)
    1 1987 cougar

  2. #27
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    Well, I finally got back to the Mustang. Got it up on the lift, and dropped the tank.
    Looks like the problem wasn't really electrical at all. Maybe another ethanol problem? The picture isn't real clear, but you should be able to see the hose in the pump assembly itself is all rotted away. If I had waited to but my parts until now, i could have saved some money. As it is, i will replace the pump with the new one. I also removed the sending unit and repaired it--Now i should have a functioning fuel gauge!!!
    Hopefully it will be running today, or tomorrow, and then I can see if the original electrical problem was fixed with the new ( used) alternator.
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  3. #28

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    Whats really weird, we have had ethonal fuel 10% blend here for at least 10 years. My old 86 had 318k miles on it when the original fuel pump died. I reused the stock hose since the new fuel pump came with one that didnt fit. It was a bit bloated around the hose clamps, but much heavier duty then the junk parts store hose.
    2 1986 cougars (both 4 eyed and 5.0)
    1 1987 cougar

  4. #29
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Mine did that whole rotted hose thing when the car was only 10 model years old!

    What I traced it back to was fuel additives. Several octane boosters back then were ethanol based and my car had been set on killl for about 5 years at that point which made running even premium 91 octane a little risky. Plus fox body Mustangs are one hell of a lot more fun to drive with high octane fuel in the tank.

    Its happened since too, but it's been a long time.

  5. #30
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    Well, now it starts and runs.. THAT problem is solved. Yeah!!!

    Now back to the original problem---still have the wipers running on intermittent when "off", and the amp meter in the dash pegging to the "D" side with every swipe of the WSW.
    Best guess now is the ignition switch?

  6. #31
    FEP Power Member Ourobos's Avatar
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    Looks like post #18 called that problem LOL.. 3rd time I've seen it this month.. Only had seen it one other time in 20 years.. I'd lean on ethanol blends being the culprit.

    Check ignition switch to see if it's split. Could also be the multifunction switch if not.
    1986 CHP SSP Coupe

  7. #32

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    To be fair, i also mentioned it i my post #17 .

    Im surprised the amp meter does anything. Mine doesnt move even with the key off.

    Everytime ive had an issue with the wiper motor, it was a dirty ground. Pull the motor out and clean everything up well.
    2 1986 cougars (both 4 eyed and 5.0)
    1 1987 cougar

  8. #33
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    One of my observations is " All electrical problems are poor grounds". Sometimes, you just have to know where to look. I will try your suggestion. Thanks.

  9. #34
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    Slight change in symptoms....Amp meter in dash no longer pegs to the discharge side. It actually show a high charge rate at the same time as any lights that are on ( dash lights , hand brake warning light, even head lights if they are on) flicker. Engine stumbles at the same time.
    I have replaced the alternator with a used one.
    I completely removed and cleaned the w/s/w motor ground wire and the attaching screws and surfaces. Showed good continuity from the motor case to ground before and after the cleaning.
    Still think its the ignition/ starter switch?

  10. #35
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    It is not the starter/ignition switch. I replaced it today with no change in symptoms.
    I was able to get all the play/ wobble out of the steering column--that is an improvement....and I'd feel pretty good about it if i could solve the electrical gremlin.

  11. #36
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    I walked away for a few days. Sometimes that helps clear the mind.
    I decided to start at square one of the electrical system....the Battery. I have a battery tester/ charger, and hooked it up, and the battery tested at about 95%+ of full charge. Then I removed the negative cable from the battery, and hooked up one of those booster batteries ---negative to the (disconnected) negative cable, and positive to positive--thus using the same cables and connections to the chassis as before. Then I started the car---or tried to start the car, but the booster wasn't strong enough. So i slipped the negative cable back onto the negative post of the battery in the car, and clamped the booster battery cable over it. Then I started the car, and things behaved as has become normal---with the W/S/W making their intermittent stroke. Then I pulled the negative cable off the battery, leaving the booster battery negative cable still attached to the negative cable. In effect, all I have done is removed the original battery from the circuit of the running engine.
    The W/S/W stopped their intermittent travels, and the engine settled down to a good idle.....
    So, help me interpret the results.....
    Does this mean that the original battery is defective, and causing the problems? Or is the booster battery not a proper enough load for the alternator, so the test means nothing?

  12. #37
    FEP Member brianj's Avatar
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    It really sounds like a poor ground somewhere. Just for the heck of it, try running everything as normal, but run a jumper cable from the negative post of the battery to various spots on the body, firewall, motor, etct. while the car is running, and see if it helps. Regular car starting type jumper cables work well for this. Only takes a second. If possible, I'd definitely try grounding the dash out as well.
    Last edited by brianj; 07-01-2017 at 09:21 AM.
    1983 Mustang G.T. No-option stripper- I like strippers.
    5.0, GT40P heads, Comp Cams XE270HR-12 on 1.6 rockers, TFI spring kit, Weiand 174 blower, Holley 750 mechanical secondarys, Mishimoto radiator, Edelbrock street performer mechanical pump, BBK shortys, T-5 conversion, 8.8 rear, 3.73 gears, carbon fiber clutches, SS Machine lowers, Maximum Motorsport XL subframes, "B" springs.

  13. #38
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Pull the "4 wire in, one wire out" copper welded ground bundled off the clip at the fender. Solder a solid 8 gauge to them. Put on a loop connector. Secure it to the negative on the battery with a second nut. Don't just inspect it! It can all look fine but measuring current flows can show flows are actually all over the place. Don't make the mistake of visual inspection only to have it prove to be the problem --- just redo it as I described!

    The other notorious problem is an iffy block to firewall ground. They move around and eventually develop breaks. They get corrosion under the bolts too. There can be more than even two problems here.

    Start by checking the negative lead where it attaches to the battery and the front cover of the motor. Replace the cable or ends as needed. Get out a wire brush can clean the crap out of it where it attaches st the battery and the front cover.

    just assume your flex strap is bad. They get old and become unreliable. Add a second cable where the negative bolts to the front cover. connects the other end securely to the K member.

    Also clean and re-install the ECU to body ground in the passenger kick panel.


    The other thing you could do if you have an big aftermarket amp (albeit I don't recommend this) is add a stiffening cap at the amp. If the ground is bad ECU to battery and grounding strap to block it will cause the cap to compensate. Voltages readings will jump around. It creates a current backflow condition too on the ECU circuit which cooks the fusible link in minutes or even just a few seconds - guaranteed to make a person fuming mad after a while!

    Took us weeks to identify and fix root cause on my son's 86 that had the ground faults I describe above and a cap. Super aggravating and it took a fellow members time to ultimately isolate and solve. (Thanks Brock!)

    Stupid part is my 1986 has over 450K miles compared to 100K on my son's. Mine hasn't given 1/4 these fits. His was the one that acted up.

    Ive called it an antichrist Mustang a few times. It's a great car but we've had our moments! Perhaps the biggest problem with his is it's a horse with no name.

    I named mine Trigger a good long while ago. Partly as a jab to the black "bandit edition" TA's - because my foxbody is the car the bandit only wishes he had and partly in reference to Roy Rogers.

  14. #39
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    Thanks for the suggestions--i will give them a try...and report back in a few days.
    thanks.

  15. #40
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    Yes, it has been a while, but I wanted to post back and "close the loop" on this problem.
    I was ( or appears to have been) a simple bad ground.
    I chased a LOT of possible solutions, but the one that seemed to actually fix it was the ground connection by the attery and solenoid. There is a black plug-in ground that branches to 4 more ground wires. I found a few ohms of resistance in that connection, so i removed the screw from the fender apron, and wire brushed it, and the fender apron, and the eye. Then I cut out the plug-in and crimped and soldered in a new connections and covered it with heat shrink tubing.
    When I started up the car, everything behaved as Ford designed it. The Ammeter showed a little charge that quickly diminished to near zero. No off flashing, or W/S/W operation; no surging. Nothing but a sweet running 5.0 SEFI.
    I shut it off, and then re-started about 8 more times--with the same sweet result every time. I even took a brief (undocumented) test drive on public roads just to be sure and then back into the garage. I repeated the starting, again this morning with the same results.

    I am so stoked! This has been a real nightmare, and now it is over!

    One more (very little) problem. With the other issue going on, I never really checked out the headlight operation. So now, when I turn on the headlights, the turn indicators in the dash BOTH glow. I have 2 good low-beams bulbs ( he outside pair, right?), and 2 bad hi beams--moisture-filled. I unplugged the high beams, and that made no difference. Also this car is a GT, but a previous owner ripped out the fog lights.
    Any ideas on where to look for this? I fully expect another bad ground.

  16. #41

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    Check the ground for the lights. Probably parking lights. When ground is missing a circuit can be completed through the second Filiment of a bulb and back through the harness on the incorrect wire/s. This is how you get a bunch of dimly lit lights. Power is likely going down a parking lamp wire through the parking filiment then up the turn signal filiment through the turn signal indicators then back down to ground via the rear signals or Signal bulb on the other side of the car.
    Last edited by Lowetlx; 12-23-2017 at 01:17 AM.
    84 LX Vert. 5.0 5speed canyon red on white
    99 cobra, electric green on medium parchment, vortech s-trim

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