94 Cougar / Where to start - Ford Forums

deezdrama · 08-09-2009, 10:08

I bought a 94 cougar (3.8 v6) for my gf for $400. It needed a new steering rack- which I just finished installing a week ago. It runs good but soon noticed the following problems....

engine light is on,,,,

The coolant temp sensor may be bad since it reads normal but the upper radiator hose is pressurized which leads me to believe it needs a new thermostat as well,,,,

The radiator fans do not run- I tried turning the AC on but the fans still didnt kick on and the AC compressor locked up and the belt was smoking,,,,

I ran the codes the car pulled...

and got 3 codes,
one that points at the egr sensor
one that points at the air charge sensor
and one that states hard faults present...

Which I was told -hard faults present could mean the computer needs replaced.

I would like to get the fans running so thecar can be driven and I will get the sensors replaced when I can.

But I dont know where to start?

Should I replace the thermostat/tep sensor first ,
or replace the relay module that controls the fans/AC?

Any help is appreciated!

351LSC · 10-18-2009, 15:59

The first thing I would do is eliminate the fans as being the culprit by locating the hot wire going to the fans and connecting it directly to the battery. If the fans work, then you can eliminate them and move on the the sensors. If they still will not work then you have located the problem with the fans.

**rtg143** · 10-18-2009, 16:21

Here is the wiring diagram in 2 parts. How hot does it get? The cooling system is pressurize and the hoses will fell hard when the engine is hot. The fans don't come on until the engine gets about ¾ way up the gauge. The A/C compressor must be froze up. The compressor has to build up pressure to make the fans come on. If you connect the red/yellow and pink/light blue wires together the fans should work if everything is okay other than the A/C compressor.

Keep track of the codes and clear them to see if they come back. Disconnect the battery for 5 min. and then recheck. What codes did you get?