I have an 89 lx 5.0 with an aod. Mostly stock with 166k. The car has only an explorer manifold with the act moved to the air box. The car runs great most of the time and just passed emissions with very good readings.
This problem has plagued this car every time it gets warm for 3 yrs, and in Az its warm a lot. This summer it has stranded me 4 times and I'm sick of not knowing when I push the gas, if the rpms will go up or down. I have narrowed it down to the tfi is definitely overheating. I carry a couple and as soon as it dies, I switch the tfi out and the car starts right up.
Things I've tried to fix problem
New distributor, 2nd one since problem started ( parts store)
New plugs and wires, tried 2 different ford (used coils) and also tested them and they are within spec.
The tfi has been remotely mounted on the passenger side fender with a heat sink off a 94 thunderbird. It has been been this way for 2 yrs and I did have the overheating problem before I remotely mounted it. The problem doesn't seem any better but at least I can change the tfi in about 3 mins.
I have a 3g alternator that seems to be charging OK. If I have the AC on, the volts do come down, ( I tested, just can't remember the actual voltage).
I have 2, 4 gauge grounds added. 1 from front alternator bolt to passenger sway bar mount. 1 from a stud near the oil filter to the driver's side sway bar mount. From here a wire goes to the battery and the stock wire from the battey goes to the computer ground. When the car is hot, but running, I have checked resistance on all these grounds ( and also the one to the computer mounted next to the battery as explained in the checklists) to the battery and have no resistance issues. I know I have the orange ground wire on the back of the motor hooked up but I don't know and can't seem to find the other one mentioned.
I checked resistance from the wires at the dummy tfi on the distributor to the remote one and there was no resistance on the wires.
The only codes I get on KOEO are for neutral safety switch and egr not functioning. I can't check KOER because of the neutral safety code. After the tfi dies I get codes that seem to relate only to its failure.
I also have an 88 turbo tbird with a similar remotely mounted tfi and on warm days I have driven both to get them warm and used my infrared thermometer to compare tfi temps. The mustang general has tfi temps 20 degrees hotter than the tbird, which never overheats with a similar standard brand ignition tfi.
So any help on what to check to get the tfi to stop sinking too much energy till it overheats would be appreciated as I am certain on the cause of my problems, I just don't know what the remedy is.
Thanks
This problem has plagued this car every time it gets warm for 3 yrs, and in Az its warm a lot. This summer it has stranded me 4 times and I'm sick of not knowing when I push the gas, if the rpms will go up or down. I have narrowed it down to the tfi is definitely overheating. I carry a couple and as soon as it dies, I switch the tfi out and the car starts right up.
Things I've tried to fix problem
New distributor, 2nd one since problem started ( parts store)
New plugs and wires, tried 2 different ford (used coils) and also tested them and they are within spec.
The tfi has been remotely mounted on the passenger side fender with a heat sink off a 94 thunderbird. It has been been this way for 2 yrs and I did have the overheating problem before I remotely mounted it. The problem doesn't seem any better but at least I can change the tfi in about 3 mins.
I have a 3g alternator that seems to be charging OK. If I have the AC on, the volts do come down, ( I tested, just can't remember the actual voltage).
I have 2, 4 gauge grounds added. 1 from front alternator bolt to passenger sway bar mount. 1 from a stud near the oil filter to the driver's side sway bar mount. From here a wire goes to the battery and the stock wire from the battey goes to the computer ground. When the car is hot, but running, I have checked resistance on all these grounds ( and also the one to the computer mounted next to the battery as explained in the checklists) to the battery and have no resistance issues. I know I have the orange ground wire on the back of the motor hooked up but I don't know and can't seem to find the other one mentioned.
I checked resistance from the wires at the dummy tfi on the distributor to the remote one and there was no resistance on the wires.
The only codes I get on KOEO are for neutral safety switch and egr not functioning. I can't check KOER because of the neutral safety code. After the tfi dies I get codes that seem to relate only to its failure.
I also have an 88 turbo tbird with a similar remotely mounted tfi and on warm days I have driven both to get them warm and used my infrared thermometer to compare tfi temps. The mustang general has tfi temps 20 degrees hotter than the tbird, which never overheats with a similar standard brand ignition tfi.
So any help on what to check to get the tfi to stop sinking too much energy till it overheats would be appreciated as I am certain on the cause of my problems, I just don't know what the remedy is.
Thanks