89 LX Electrical Troubles

fun331

5 Year Member
Jul 14, 2018
101
43
38
East Coast of Canada
I've been cruising my 89 around the last month and I had a problem with the ignition module under the steering column. The tabs that keep the plastic joined to the aluminum frame separated enough to give me problems (no signals or blower motor, engine stops running intermittently). I took it out and rebent the tabs to keep it together until I had a chance to get another. When I took it out it came apart in two pieces and there is a BB sized ball bearing that fell out onto the floor. When I put it back together I put the ball bearing in the wrong place. I thought it was to help the two copper faces slide easier so I put it in between them instead of up in the aluminum housing. Shut the car off last night and there was a quick electrical snap under the steering column. Popped the hood to disconnect the battery and I could smell that electrical smell (is it ozone?). Took a minute or two but I could smell it inside the car too. Not real strong but something shorted.

Today I took the module apart again and that's when I realized that I had put the ball bearing in the wrong place, so I relocated it to the aluminum housing. Reinstalled it, reconnected the battery, turned the key and nothing happened. No fuel pump and no crank. My blower motor and turn signals are not working either. I do have the door chime and lights though. I'm lucky enough to have my 87 (works fine) to pull parts from, so I removed it's ignition module and put it in my 89. No change. went through the fuses with my multimeter and they're all good. So now I'm thinking I really screwed up. Went and pulled the computer (A9L) so I could take the SCT switch chip off to eliminate that, reinstalled the A9L and no change. Is there any other electrical component I may have fried that's not my A9L? Also my 87 is an auto and the 89 is 5 speed but would I be able to swap the computer to see if the engine will crank?
 
Spent some time this afternoon reading my Ford manuals and learning about fusible links and I may have found the issue. Looks like I melted the 14 gauge link to the left of the red wire. IMG_20251025_181659.webp
 
Thanks for the update on this issue, I was wondering what could have caused this. Glad you found the culprit. Fusible links are still kind of black magic in my mind, I need to label everything and re-do mine at some point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fun331
So I did a continuity test on the fusible links on the starter solenoid and they aren't shorted, they didn't blow. Anyone know of any other fusible links that might be my problem?
Also the circuit breaker that's attached to the starter solenoid (in the pic), any chance it's the culprit? IMG_20251103_150427.webp