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Need some help cars not right

  • Thread starter Thread starter brandon mathes
  • Start date Start date Aug 27, 2020
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    3.8l manual sn95 v6
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brandon mathes

New Member
Aug 27, 2020
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Tennessee
Aug 27, 2020
#1
  • Aug 27, 2020
  • #1
all right I got a 97 mustang 3.8 L V6 that cranks and barely sputters when you tap the gas. if I don’t tap the gas it will just crank. It has spark and fuel pump kicks on. spraying some starter fluid in it makes it act like its flooded. The antitheft light comes on for one second then goes off and stays off during cranking. After about 15 to 20 minutes of cranking it will start and idle rough. The only code it has is a “Engine coolant temperature circuit high input”. After it starts it has very little power and struggles to move itself. it does not smoke out the exhaust . Is it a timing problem or something else? where should I start?
 

wmburns

SN Certified Technician
Aug 14, 2009
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514
204
Houston Texas
Sep 7, 2020
#2
  • Sep 7, 2020
  • #2
brandon mathes said:
Engine coolant temperature circuit high input
Click to expand...
This is where I would start the trouble shooting. Why? The PCM needs to know what the true air temperature and motor temperature are. This is necessary for the fuel "enrichment" to work correctly.

The DTC would indicated the ECT sensor return is shorted to power or open.

Do you have an ODB2 scanner?
 
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