adiktid

I got a 88 3.8 Taurus. I recently changed the alt and battery, but I have a weird symptom. Sometimes when I am driving normal, the car will just shut off. Sometimes it will start again, sometimes it needs a boost.

I was told my someone that the "ignition module" could be screwed? What are some symptoms of a bad module?

What are some other possible ideas?

Thanks for your help.

Adiktid

Gary1234

Could be the ignition module .. module can cut out when it gets too hot. Check the module by spraying it with can of coolant (non-combustable gas in a can .. available at electronics stores). Could also be a bad alternator or regulator (you don't say if you replaced the regulator .. I think the '88 has a seperate regulator but I may be wrong). Make sure the voltage across the battery is at least 14 volts when engine is idling (engine may stall on low voltage).

You say that you sometimes need a jump? Does that mean the engine turns sluggishly on start? That's a sure sign of a bad charging system.

harryt

Hey I had a problem like that where my car would just die usually when i was coming to a stop or idling on a red light and the car would just die and once in awhile would start. It turned out for me it was my module since my car was sitting it must have died out.. All I know is after I got a new used module my car has been working fine.

adiktid

Where is the regulator located? What does it look like?


Thanks for the help guys.

Gary1234

The voltage regulator is a small box about 4"X4" located inside the engine compartment on the drivers side .. it's fastened to the side wall just in front of the wheel shock tower. There is a plug with 4 wires connected to the bottom, only one of these wires connects to the alternator (org/light blu).
It's a common practice to replace the seperate alternator and regulator with a "one wire" combination alternator/regulator from a newer Taurus as a replacement (about the same price as an alternator alone) .. so don't be surprised if your present alternator has the regulator built in.

I wouldn't automatically suspect the regulator ... a low battery voltage is much more likely to be a bad alternator, even if you have replaced it recently. It only takes an instant of heavy load to blow half the diodes in the alternator (this can sometimes result in a audible "whistle" from the alternator). Some of these componants can be expensive .. make sure you have a cheap voltmeter ($10 at Walmart) to measure idle voltage before you replace charging componants.