Cougar

There is no accessory relay that I am aware of in the car. Power normally passes through the ignition switch and then to the dash fuse panel. The power for the radio appears to have been modified since it should pass through the ignition switch. When you disconnected the ignition switch the radio should have cut off. If you are sure that the ignition switch wiring has been disconnected then either someone has modified the way power gets to the radio through the fuse panel or power is getting bypassed to that area somehow. The dash fuse panel is the first area to check for a problem. Power coming from the ACC position of the ignition switch should be on a blue wire going to fuses 13, 14, 15, and 16.

Try using a product from Chevron that is called Techron. It helps clean the fuel system and the cylinders. That may fix the trouble. There are a number of things that can cause the trouble, including the engine sensors. There are a lot of places you can order a code reader from for a lot less money. The slightly more expensive readers can do more than just read the error codes and can make finding problems easier. If you're into that you might consider the better grade models. Personally, I like the Equus models. Ebay is a good place to purchase units at for a decent price.

Depending on what kind of injection the engine has determines how the fuel pump relay is controlled. Either it is by the rev sensor or the ECU.

In this case the meter is showing things as they are. Most of the voltage readings are low. It is when there is a bad connection in a wire connection and the voltage shows normal (12 volts) due to no current flow that you can be fooled into thinking there is no problem with the wiring. There should be 12 volts on all the fusible links. Since there isn't it means there is a connection problem to them.

My bad.... Almost as soon as I posted the reply I realized my error and corrected it, but it still wasn't fast enough to go without notice.

See if spraying some starter fluid into the intake makes a difference. If it does then the fuel system would be suspect.

It sounds like you are now making good progress. My info shows that the return side for the fuel pump ties to ground so if you have voltage getting past the fuel pump relay to the pump then the pump should turn on unless there is an open wire connection on the blue wire to the pump or the pump itself is bad. To verify things are working otherwise, you should be able to spray a small amount of starter fluid into the intake and make the engine fire up. I think the yellow wire not only ties to the tach but it also is used to provide the pulses for the fuel safety circuit.

You're welcome for the help. I think the panel is tied to the battery by a single wire. You are seeing 12 volts on one of the links so it appears that wherever the four links are spliced to the battery wire is where the problem is at. You may need to solder the connections.

Well this is pretty easy. All the links should have close to battery voltage on either side of them. If the supply side for them is low then the connection to the battery needs to be checked. You had 12 volts on one of the links so the bottom side of the link panel might have a corrosion problem.

I think the ECUs are the same for either transmission.

Thanks for the update.

I agree with Gloyale, if power is getting to the various power leads of the ECU then it appears it has a problem since the LED isn't working.

Since there is no sign of power getting to the ECU and the fusible links are good you need to check the ignition relay since it switches and supplies power to the ECU. You don't need to be concerned with the ignition area at least until the ECU has power to it. The ECU must have power getting to it first. The info I have for an '88 model (hopefully it matches yours) shows power should be on the following pins: Pin 27- power from fuse 5- blk/wht Pin 29 an 41- power from ignition relay- wht Pin 49- power from ignition relay- red/blu

You're welcome for the help. The fact that you didn't have voltage on any of the wires would seem to indicate there is a more basic problem with the power distribution system. Check the fusible links and make sure they are making good connection. They are located in the plastic box mounted on the coolant reservoir. Along with checking the links check the connections on the bottom of the panel. Some folks have found bad connections there.

If you have 12 volts on the violet wire you be able to ground the org/wht wire and force the lights on full.

My info for an '88 model shows the power wire is blue/yellow for the radio (good memory Justin). Fuse 13 provides power to the radio. Verify power is getting to that fuse. If it isn't then check the ACC position of the ignition switch, it may be faulty. Fuses 14,15, and 16 also come from the ACC position so if they have low voltage on them then for sure the switch or the wiring from it has a problem. Ebay is a good place to find factory service manuals at a good price. You should at least try to purchase the wiring manual for your car. There is no substitute for them.

The fuses may be ok but have you verified power is getting to them? If that checks out then you need to see if the fuel pump relay is getting power.

Before replacing the module I suggest you check to make sure that power is getting to the lights. You should have 12 volts getting to the lights possibly on a violet wire. The module controls the return side of the light circuit.

Even though the ignition isn't working you should be able to hear the fuel pump turn on for a couple of seconds when you first turn the key to the RUN position. First verify that fuses 5 and 12 in the dash have power getting to them. If the horn works fuse 5 is good. Also verify that the fusible links are good and are located in the plastic box mounted on the coolant reservoir.

I assume that you have voltage on the minus side of the coil while the ignition is on. Make sure fuse 5 is ok and has power to it. Then check for power to the disty leads.

Please remind me of that next July.

The trouble you describe is the classic symptoms of either a low charge on the battery or bad connection to it. Make sure the battery connections are clean. Check the voltage on the battery and if it is below 12 volts while cranking the engine or just at rest then you need to charge the battery. The clicking is due to the battery trying to supply high current power to the starter motor. A battery with a low charge on it will drop in voltage and the solenoid opens up due to the lack of enough current to drive it. Once the solenoid opens the battery voltage increases, the solenoid closes again which makes the battery voltage drop again. It's a cycle of events.

I think the ignitor module is mounted on the shaft of the disty or close to it. It isn't real easy to test it. From what you describe about the trouble it sounds like it is bad.

Thanks for the update. Glad you found the problem. As far as the cold goes, it hits some places more soon than others.

Spray some starter fluid into the intake and see if that helps get it going. If it does then you have a fuel delivery problem. Be sure to replace the fuel filter.