Okay, so we'll start with a little back story. I drive an automatic v6 94 mustang roughly 200k miles (odometer stopped tracking.) well, I had this on-going problem for about 6-7 months where my car would die randomly, and short the eec fuse under the hood. well through hours of tracing my car and hundreds of dollars later I found out the wire that runs to that fuse melted on my wiring harness. No problem had an extra harness from my 95 parts car, well one of the connectors on the replacement harness had a torn connector, so we spliced the one on the burnt harness onto the replacement harness because visually it was in good shape. We changed the harness out got it all back in place and tucked away to where it wouldn't happen again. After that we hooked up the ac compressor and filled it up with freon (never used ac because it has a leak, unhooked it a few months ago.) Well, I took my girl friend to work that same day, about 40 minutes there 40 minutes back. well about halfway home on the way back my car started to idle rough and just crapped out. checked the fuse, not the problem this time..... tried to start it back and it wouldn't, sometimes it would but would choke out almost immediately. I got it to run one time after sitting a while, and it was struggling very bad and I had to hold it above a 1.5k rpms to keep it from dying. (very dangerous ride home.) I have tried everything and cannot figure it out. it seems as if it starts too happen when it gets warm. well, today I went outside to start it and it fired up; I started pulling plug wires from the coil pack one at a time (luckily didn't get shocked as the car was still running..) and i pulled the front row with just a usual miss, and when I pulled the one in the top right the car did almost the exact same thing it did when it dies randomly. Now it wont start at all replaced all of the plugs and still no luck. I have also replaced the fuel pump and the coil pack. ........ Also about a year ago when I would cut it off, I would have to take the black battery coil off to get it to start back.
1994 3.8L Mustang Dies intermittently
- Thread starter Mttwgns
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UPdate changed the fuel filter and some of the gas in the filter was black. Which brings the concern of my lines being cloggged. I know it's a fuel problem, because starting fluid spurts keeps it running. I got it to start one time after neutral bombing and slamming the brakes in my car. Hard rough start struggled I held the rpms up it almost cut out twice but after like 3 minute she of holding. Then gas in intervals the car idles and make sure short drives fine. Too afraid to take it to work as I drive all day from cabin to cabin.
UPDATE, the car drove fine for 2 days on day 2 My radiator busted. Bought a new radiator and installed it. Drive it go for I don't know me maybe 3-4 hours of drive time and it choked out on me going up a hill. Started it about 10-20 times and it would start for 5 second straight or so then die out sometimes it would immeediately die out. Is there's something on that 98 wiring harness that's not the same as the old one? All the connectors visibly looked the same but one was in bad shape so we cut it off and spliced the old one on. THere were two red wires that looked the exact same so we figured they've worked we're both hot wires. Someone please help me. I cannot afford to keep dumping money in my car
jozsefsz
15 Year Member
You were certain earlier you had a fuel problem, as starting fluid keeps it running. I'm prone to agreeing with you, the IAC would not cause the symptoms you were having (it controls air at idle, that's about it). Earlier you were advised to check the fuel pressure - a good idea when it's acting up to see if you have an intermittent fuel problem. Also cheap.
Yeah, honestly I didn't think the IAC would fix it it just got for a few days after changing in so it was a coincidence. The only reason I even changed it is because my neighbors scanner was showing it was unresponsive. I wonder if that spare wiring harness I put on is getting hot and arcing off on something again?
