Convertible Holding Water And Losing Radio Presets

[TiffanyGT]

Hi! I am new to the group and I am the proud owner of a 1988 Mustang GT convertible. This is my second, as I bought my first in 1991. She was my first car and she was my pride and joy. I had her until 2005 when I reluctantly sold her. I missed her. This past August by happenchance I came across a Mustang that looked identical to my original vehicle with the exception of the mods the former owner had made. I do have some experience and a bit of knowledge about the vehicle in general, but this one has some “quirks” that my previous vehicle didn’t have. I will make a proper introduction when she is put back together and I can take a photo. She is currently pulled apart in the garage receiving some TLC.



Issue One

I had this same issue with my first 88 Mustang which makes me wonder if it is a manufacturing problem. I decided to sell my first car when it really became an issue so I never pulled it apart to find the problem. The back of the car fills up with water when it rains. There is so much water that I can hear a sloshing sound coming from the back of the car while I’m driving. I had a fairly significant puddle on the floor behind the driver’s seat. I also had some standing water in my trunk. We pulled it apart looking for the drains. We removed the back seats and the black shroud that covers the convertible mechanics. We then nosed around the trunk and found the drains and the rain channel. We discovered the rain channel had come loose and was hanging almost completely down while the gutters were bone dry. The drains were not plugged. I finally got the black adhesive removed from the body and the channel (if you’ve every touched this black goop you know it is NO fun). I needs to be put back together now. Has anybody else had this problem? My concern is that we can bond the rain channel back up, but I wonder if over time it is going to fall down like this one has. I am guessing my first car had the same issue.


Issue Two

I should begin by saying while I know every car is different, I am comparing my current Mustang to my previous one. It was factory stock except for the wheels. It always started up quickly without hesitation when I turned the key. This car does typically start on the first turn, but I noticed immediately that while I wouldn’t call it a true hesitation it has never fired up as quickly as my first car. Fine. But, I have more of an issue now which I believe is likely related. It has become slower to fire up when the key is turned. While it does start and run great, after I park it and leave it overnight, when I start it in the morning my radio presets are gone. It starts fine the rest of the day and the presets will hold throughout that day. But sure enough, first start in the morning is fairly sluggish and the presets are gone again. I have also noted that when I have my heat and blower on when I have shifted gears on back roads it has hesitated or felt like it missed a bit. I turned the heat and blower off and it stopped. I also experienced this same feeling when I was driving 60 on the freeway and I put my front side windows up. They are a bit sluggish and worn out. All of these things may or may not be related. We have tested the battery and the alternator. We have also replaced the solenoid and the ignition control module. The problem persists. Thoughts? Has anybody experienced this? I found online how to test for codes with a paperclip. It threw no codes.

 

[85ragtop]

I had some of the issue number 2 with my 85. My wiring was horrible. I basically rewired most of it. I had some grounding issues that caused some of what you mentioned. However mine was a carbed car so my my starting problems were due to a lack of a choke.

 

[General karthief]

Ok first, when you say no codes it should give you a code 11 that means no codes detected.
Is the radio stock?
My well liner, thats the black material that covers the top pump was held up with bolts and I think a piece of the trim, been a long while so can't remember exactly.
Hard starting could be a couple things, first check fuel pressure, and cranking volts, if those check out good we can go for one of the check lists from an experienced member.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I'm going to guess and say you have a battery or alternator of wiring connection issue going on.

How old is the battery? How do the connections look? Nice and tight? Or corroded? Can you follow the wiring and see if it's broken or corroded at all?

I'd suggest testing the battery and possibly the alt if the wiring looks ok.

 

[jrichker]

No Crank checklist for 5.0 Mustangs

Revised 24-Oct-2013 to update voltage drop figures.

No crank, slow crank and stuck starter solenoid problems have the same root causes – low battery voltage and poor connections. For that reason, they are grouped together.
Use the same initial group of tests to find the root cause of slow crank, no crank and stuck solenoid problems.

Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…

1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery for low charge and dead cells. A good battery will measure 12-13 volts at full charge with the ignition switch in the Run position but without the engine running.
A voltmeter placed across the battery terminals should show a minimum of 9.5-10 volts when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position and the starter engages or tries to engage. Less than this will result in a clicking solenoid, or slow cranking (if it cranks at all) or a starter solenoid that sticks and welds the contacts together.

Most auto parts stores will check your battery for free. It does not have to be installed in the car to have it checked; you can carry it with you to the auto parts store.

The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or battery post cleaner tool. This little trick will fix a surprising number of no start problems.

The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a known problem causer. Any place you see green on a copper wire is corrosion. Corrosion gets in the clamped joint and works its way up the wire under the insulation. Corroded connections do not conduct electricity well. Avoid them like the plague...

If the starter solenoid welds the contacts, then the starter will attempt to run anytime there is power in the battery. The cables and solenoid will get very hot, and may even start smoking. The temporary fix for a welded starter solenoid is to disconnect the battery and smack the back of the solenoid housing a sharp blow with a hammer. This may cause the contacts to unstick and work normally for a while.


A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection while trying to start the car: more than .25 volts across a connection indicates a problem. The voltage drop tests need to be done while cranking the engine. It's the current flowing through a connection or wire that causes the voltage drop.

See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across connections and components. .

Voltage drops should not exceed the following:
200 mV Wire or cable
300 mV Switch or solenoid
100 mV Ground
0.0V Connections
A voltage drop lower that spec is always acceptable.

2.) Check the battery to engine block ground down near the oil filter, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall. All grounds should be clean and shiny. Use some sandpaper to clean them up.

3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter solenoid next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.

The rest of the tech note only concerns no crank problems. If your problem was a stuck solenoid, go back to step 1.

4.) Then pull the small push on connector (small red/blue wire) off the starter solenoid (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it cranks, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.

5.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then you have wiring problems.

Typical start circuit...
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds

6.) Pull the starter and take it to AutoZone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.


Starter solenoid wiring for 86-91 Mustang

Starter solenoid wiring 92-93 Mustang or earlier Mustang with upgraded high torque mini starter.

Electrical checks for the switches and starter solenoid

Remove the small red/blue wire from the starter solenoid. Use a screwdriver to bridge the connection from the battery positive connection on the starter solenoid to the small screw where the red/blue wire was connected. The starter should crank the engine. If it does not, the starter solenoid is defective or the battery lacks sufficient charge to crank the engine.

If the starter does crank the engine, the problem is in the clutch safety circuit (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) or ignition switch.


See the Typical start circuit diagram above for wiring information for troubleshooting.

You will need a voltmeter or test lamp for the rest of the checks. Connect one lead of the voltmeter or test lamp to ground. The other lead will connect to the item under test.
Look for 12 volts on the white/pink wire when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position. Check the ignition switch first.
No 12 volts, replace the ignition switch.

The next step will require you to push the clutch pedal to the floor (5 speed) or put the transmission in neutral (auto trans) while the ignition switch is turned to the Start position.
Good 12 volts, check the clutch safety switch (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) for good 12 volts on both sides of the switches. No 12 volts on both sides of the switch and the switches are defective or out of adjustment. Check the wiring for bad connections while you are at it.