Help Major Problem With Car!
 

Hey guys trying to help my mom out with here piece of shazbot mustang, It has a few problems:

1. Battery dies all the time.
2. stumbles when floored.
3. AC doesnt work.
4. Revs to 2000prm when heater is turned on.
5. Blows cigerate lighter/ auxillery output fuse quite often.

Sounds to me theres a short in the car somewhere beause the battery dies for no reason and the battery is fairly new, for the AC, I recharged it and It worked fine till the next time I started it up the car again, compresser cluth didn't engauge, and a bunch of pressure is held between the condensser and compressor? The stumbling is kinda weird, its almost like a cylinder is missing, but theres no check ebgine light, maybe a cloged fuel injector im not sure but all I know is this car has some major problems. HELP ME OUT!

The solution, sell it and buy her a supra!

Amen! 3 words, ITS A FORD.

this is another classic example why ford panicd after the supra was made

jus buy your mom a supra get the head done and that's it
as long your mom doesnt wanna got running 15 lbs of boost going to the grocery store,, lol

Thats exactly what were doin just need to sell it first, shes getting a tacoma and Im getting a mighty powerful SUPRA!:offwall:

But I cnat sell it all f**ked up, so help me out!:)

I guess you need to join a mustangy forum.

I WILL NEVER JOIN ANY KIND OF FORD FORUM!:mad:

Sounds like you have a major short. Make sure all the grounds are hooked up and not broke, sounds like the short is in the heating and/or ac system. Does it run ok if the heat and ac is off? Lagging when floored is usually a fuel issue, check the fuel filter make sure its clean, check fuel pump if needed, pressure regulator(s), injectors etc. Does it have the stock stereo in it? If not could be a bad install, if its not stock maybe check behind the stereo and make sure the wires back there did not get cut or pinched or something. Another thing you can do is check the alternator, start the car, remove the positive cable from the battery and if it stays running you know the alt is good, if it dies your alt is crap. Only keep the pos cable off for a few seconds, not good for the alt for it to be off long, about 3 seconds will let you know because it will die right away. Make sure that your ac system is charged right to. The high reving could be from a sensor, check the heat ones first. O2 next. Not sure this helps any but I owned a mustang about 12 years ago and it was an electrical nightmare, did not keep it long.

Yea, for some reason mustangs had electrical problems, It drives me crazy! but i'll try those things tonight.

Well Suprasforlife said basicly what i was going to the only thing i have to add is that the high rev could be caused be an improper ajusted high idle i have herd of fords doing this befor basicly the alternator dosnt put out enough power at idle when the heater is on so the car goes to high idle and if it is ajusted wrong the car idles exsevly high

I dont think I can adjust Idle, its all computerly done by the ecu, do you know if I can adjust the high idle?

Well i am not totaly sure how you can ajust it. You might try swinging by you local ford dealer tell them your problum. See if they can tell you what they think it might be more than likly it is a problum they have seen before ,and can give you some pointers.

OK, anyone know anything about shorts?

I know a lot about them, the machine I use at work has about 20 miles of wire in it and it's 35 years old, so it has had just a few shorts in it from time to time. (It has stumped me and 3 certified electricians) If you see smoke there is your problem. No smoke means it's not grounding out really bad. Get a tester with ohms on it and trace the wire, put a lead on each end, 0 ohms means it's broke. You can also test it with voltage, same process as ohms. Voltage only works on wires with voltage or current running through them, so you have to do it with the key on in the car. If you have an idea where it is start there. With most parts on the car, for example, the wires going to the wiper motor, you can unhook the harness from the motor, turn the wipers on and check for voltage that would or should be going to the motor to make it operate. Put the negative pole of your tester on something that will work as a ground like the block of the engine or a inplace ground wire or something and then take your hot (red) pole and put it into the plug or harness and you should get a reading. Not all wires have constant current running though them so voltage will not work on everything, some wires just have a short brust of voltage to engage something, if you can catch it when it sends the current then you'll get a reading otherwise you won't, that is where ohms comes into play.
You do want to be carefull while doing this, use one hand when possible and put the other behind your back. A car will only give you a little shock because its only a 12 volt system. If you ever have to test 120/240 volts, USE ONE HAND. The one hand behind your back prevents the volts from having a path to connect back to itself, if you have both hands on it and you touch it wrong it will travel through you, back to itself then to the ground, that's how most people get fried. A single path through you is enough to blast you across the room when it reaches the ground, a double path(through both arms) can kill you, quickly, a single path can kill you to, but most people who die where using both hands, so be careful.
Hope this helps

Damn man! I think Im going to sell it with the short after that talk, but I'll try it soon.

It's not that bad, just takes time, nothing really to worry about, I just put the info about 120/240v in there in case you have to check the dryer or something, a car shock you'll hardly notice most of the time. It takes awhile and is boring but not hard to do by anymeans.

Well if you are going to sell it i know how to dumb it fast. Go to a used car lot and ask how much he well buy it out right for. Look around like you are looking for a car to bye but never say you are looking for one. Just make sound like you are and when he comes back with the check just take it and leave. If he gets pissy about it tell him i was only looking to sell it i never said i was going to buy anything. Cars gone and no longer your problum.

Some helpful info that will let me help you is what year, motor and trans, And theni should be able to help a little bit. But in a general way, If it is carbed, When you floor it and it dies, Its because its either out of tune or glogged up. Get some in tank carb cleaner. And the electrical issue does sound like a short. Look inside your cig lighter....Is there any loose change or anything inside of it? this happens to cars all the time...get change in the socket. Just pull the heater fuse and see if the battery keeps dieing. And if it does, Pull one at a time untill it holds its charge. It could even be as simple as a bad alternator or a bad battery from the factory

Its a 1997 Mustang SVT Cobra, with a 280, I got the stumbleing taken care of, everything is fixed, we put a new battery in it and it works fine, I think the alternator is bad though, so Im going to get it tested, thanks

Start the car, remove the positive cable from the battery, if the car dies your alt is crap, if it runs it's good.