Cougar

You are correct Frag. If we had looked into the discrepency then it would have saved some time. We should have paid more attention to that. I didn't know the connectors could be confused like that.

Coils can go bad, but I wouldn't change it out until you make sure it is bad first.

Good sleuthing Dan. It's usually the simple things that get'ya but you found it.

First thing to do is clean the the battery connections. If the battery is more than four years old I would replace it. You also need to check the alternator and fusible links for a bad connection, particularly the alternator output connection. If you don't have a voltmeter to see what the voltage is at the battery then I would get one. You should have at least 12.4 volts at the battery terminals while the engine is idling. You may also want to check for a drain on the system while the car is parked. There may be something causing the battery voltage level to drop.

No, behind the rear seat back rest I believe. You have to remove the metal strip that holds the carpet down I think. I have never done this my self, I am just going by my recollection of what others needed to do. I'm pretty sure this is correct at least.

If I remember correctly the shop adds a chemical to the coolant and tests the gases from the coolant to see if there are any exhaust gases in the coolant. It is a cheap test to have done.

I would only replace the normal wear parts if they are due to be replaced and replace other parts after they have been tested bad. What you want to spend some extra money on is a service manual if you haven't got one already. This is the first thing to buy. You will save yourself time and money by having one. Have you checked for power getting to the ignition area yet? That would be the first step in my book. By direct spark ignition, do you mean DIS, or distributorless ignition system?

The access panels are behind the rear seat area I believe. You remove the covers and then you can get to the tank panels. I think your suppossed to have less than 3/4 of a tank of gas before removing the covers.

I would have a block check done at a service shop. This will tell you the state of the headgaskets.

A real common problem with the starter motors is dirty solenoid contacts. These contacts can be replaced for under $10 dollars if you do the work yourself usually.

You need to verify that you have spark while this is happening. There may be an intermittant problem with the pickup loop. It sounds like the coil is ok but it may be intermittant also. If you have voltage on the minus side of the coil while this is occuring then it is ok.

Commuter is correct about the sending units working in parallel with each other and the tank separation. I'm guessing that the warning light comes on when the sender voltage goes below a certain level. I haven't really checked the circut out enough to know for sure.

One of the things you mentioned makes me think of the oil system with this problem. You stated that the pressure was slow to come back after you put the two quarts in. This may be due to a blockage in the filter. To me, the warning light shouldn't have come on at that level. I may be wrong though. I am now wondering if something has failed in the oil filter and may be causing these things. I have been there also with a screwdriver through the filter. It is not a good deal. If you can't find your wrench I would purchase another one that you can place on a socket wrench and remove the filter that way.

You need to check the stored codes in the ECU to help with clues to the problem.

Thanks for the feedback Forest. Glad you got it fixed. "Run Forest,run"

I agree with you. It would seem that the module is latching the high beams on after they are turned on. Disconnection the module will prove that out. I would assume that by disconnecting the module the lights will still work as they normally did before the change. It seems to my they would only need to parallel the existing light system to make this work.

Are you sure the other battery is ok? It sounds like it is bad. If the battery really is ok then you need to look for a bad battery ground connection or the small wire on the positive side of the battery may have a bad connection. Also check the fusible links for a bad connection along with the alternator main output lead.

I am wondering if the noise could be coming from the oil pump somehow. You also have a problem with one of the cylinders. The compression is pretty low in one of them as you most likely noticed.

I would remove the left tailight and clean the contacts of the socket and the bulb. If that doesn't help then I would swap the two sides to see if there may be a problem with the bulb filament. If the right side does the same thing then there is either a problem with the power to the running light or the ground side of the socket.

If you haven't had a block check done yet to check for hydrocarbons in the coolant I would have that done first. A bad head gasket would explain the disappearing coolant and the overheating problems. There may be a problem with the intake manifold leaking also. Having a partially blocked radiator would cause the overheating so I would check the cooling area with an infrared thermometer to see if there are any cool spots. I would check the exhaust system areas to see if you can find something that may be burning on it causing the smell.

The piston rings or valve seals will deal with the oil problem. You could try changing the PCV valve again to see if that helps. The misfire could be due to a bad plugwire or plug. If you have a throttle position sensor then check that for a dirty contact wiper. I doubt that the coil is causing these problems.

This sounds like it may be a head gasket problem. Have you had a block check done?

Good call Skip on the diagnosis. One easy test that can be done to see if the ignition pulses are coming from the distibutor is to place a test light probe on the minus side of the coil and clip to ground. While cranking the engine, the light should pulse with the ignition signal if things are ok. If the light just stays on then the problem is in the distributor area.

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Hi Dan, Good talking with you also. Since you got no reading on either of the two sensor wires to ground that means that the wires are isolated from ground, which is good. There shouldn't be any connection that way. The 1.5 ohms reading you got between the ground points seems ok but I was hoping for less than 1 ohm. One other reading I would like you to make is measuring the engine ground to the dash ground. Place one probe to a good metal spot on the engine and the other probe to a place under the dash. You may need a jumper wire to do this to extend the probe wire. You should see near zero ohms if things are good. One last test is to check the resistance between the sensor wires with the ends isolated still. You should have infinate resistance. This means the wires are not tied together somewhere.