Computers
- Thread starter Hippie72
- Start date
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
Thanks so the ones before 86 are like older cars without all sensors and stuff? Ive worked on old cars and I want something like that without all the electrical nonsense
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
Do not fear a fuel injected fox body. You will have a much better driving car, with better manners, MPG, and performance. Many old timers felt the same way back in 86 when they first rolled out SEFI. You had guys ripping off the fuel inection parts because you couldn't "tune them" or upgrade them. It's 30 years later and you can do pretty much anything you want to a fuel injected motor Try getting 500hp out of a carbed 302 that is streetable. Guys are doing that all day long with these motors, a Vortech and a tune.
Here's a book that will get you started with how the Ford electronic engine control or "computer" works.
Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by Charles Probst :ISBN 0-8376-0301-3.
It's about $25-$50 from Borders.com see Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more . Select books and then select search. Use the ISBN number (without dashes or spaces) to do a search. Try searching using M-1832-Z1 instead of the ISBN number if you don’t get any positive results. You may only be able to find a used one, since the book is as old as the cars it covers. Or you order it from your Ford dealer as SVO part no. M-1832-Z1.
Use the ISBN number and your local library can get you a loaner copy for free. Only thing is you are limited to keeping the book for two weeks. It is very good, and I found it to be very helpful.
Most people who are afraid of computers are electrically ignorant. If you fall in that category, here is some help...
Automotive circuits are mostly simple stuff: a power source, a connection path, a control device, a load, and a ground.
The battery/alternator is the positive power source.
The wire and fuses are the connection path.
Control devices are switches, relays and sensors.
A load is a light, motor, solenoid, relay coil or heater element.
In automotive circuits, grounds are the return path so the electrical power can flow from the load to the negative side of the power source.
Electricity flows like water:
Voltage is like pressure,
Current in amps is like volume,
Resistance is like the kink you put in a garden hose to decrease the pressure or volume.
Power is pressure multiplied by volume or voltage multiplied by current (amps)
Digest that, and you just got the first 3 days of Electricity 101.
Use some jumper wires (connection path and ground) to hook up a switch (control device), a battery (power source), a light bulb (load). Now make the light turn on and off with the switch.
That's the electrical lab for the first week of Electricity 101. People pay hundreds of dollars and sit in hard chairs in a stuffy classroom to learn what I just told you for free. So smile, you just got an expensive lesson for free
For free automotive electrical training, see Automotive Training and Resource Site . I have personally reviewed the material and it is very good. If you are new to automotive electrical troubleshooting, I highly recommend you spend a hour or so going through the material. You'll save at least that much time troubleshooting problems.
Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by Charles Probst :ISBN 0-8376-0301-3.
It's about $25-$50 from Borders.com see Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more . Select books and then select search. Use the ISBN number (without dashes or spaces) to do a search. Try searching using M-1832-Z1 instead of the ISBN number if you don’t get any positive results. You may only be able to find a used one, since the book is as old as the cars it covers. Or you order it from your Ford dealer as SVO part no. M-1832-Z1.
Use the ISBN number and your local library can get you a loaner copy for free. Only thing is you are limited to keeping the book for two weeks. It is very good, and I found it to be very helpful.
Most people who are afraid of computers are electrically ignorant. If you fall in that category, here is some help...
Automotive circuits are mostly simple stuff: a power source, a connection path, a control device, a load, and a ground.
The battery/alternator is the positive power source.
The wire and fuses are the connection path.
Control devices are switches, relays and sensors.
A load is a light, motor, solenoid, relay coil or heater element.
In automotive circuits, grounds are the return path so the electrical power can flow from the load to the negative side of the power source.
Electricity flows like water:
Voltage is like pressure,
Current in amps is like volume,
Resistance is like the kink you put in a garden hose to decrease the pressure or volume.
Power is pressure multiplied by volume or voltage multiplied by current (amps)
Digest that, and you just got the first 3 days of Electricity 101.
Use some jumper wires (connection path and ground) to hook up a switch (control device), a battery (power source), a light bulb (load). Now make the light turn on and off with the switch.
That's the electrical lab for the first week of Electricity 101. People pay hundreds of dollars and sit in hard chairs in a stuffy classroom to learn what I just told you for free. So smile, you just got an expensive lesson for free
For free automotive electrical training, see Automotive Training and Resource Site . I have personally reviewed the material and it is very good. If you are new to automotive electrical troubleshooting, I highly recommend you spend a hour or so going through the material. You'll save at least that much time troubleshooting problems.
Last edited:
That happens for two reasons:
1.) They don't know what they are doing, so they throw parts at the problem in hope of fixing it.
2.) They don't know what they are doing, so they neglect maintaining the car until it gests undrivable. Then they do reason #1.
Get educated on what you want to do. The dinosaurs failed to do that and now they are extinct...
Look for a 79-85 if you want to stay with a carb. Those cars do need some different suspension/brakes/read end upgrades depending on useage compared to the later models. Most upgrades are just bolt in/on. I do second what was stated above. Do not be afraid of the EFI cars. There are plenty examples out there that were taken care of and there is plenty of info to fix any problems you may encounter.
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
Know that pre 86 mustangs have inferior brakes, rear ends, suspension, transmissions and motors than fuel injected ones. ,
Similar threads
