Automobile / Ford / Topaz

Question:  1991 Ford Topaz mileage: 130,000  Hi, really hope you can offer a suggestion...the car has a mind of it's own - sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn’t and there is no rhyme or reason to it.  We’ve had it to a garage that we've dealt with for some time and have had everything checked out to no avail.  It looked as though there was short in the running lights so we've had the modem removed.   We even had a new battery installed.  This week it decided not to start again so we boosted it again and it was fine for a couple of days.  Now it needs another boost today...what do you think we're overlooking.  Nothing is being left on that could drain the battery but every couple of days the battery appears 'dead' and the car requires a boost to go.  Help?!?!?

Answer:   Here is the procedure we use to isolate a battery drain.  Remove negative battery cable from the battery.  Using a 12-volt test light, hook one end to the negative battery post the other end to the negative battery cable you just disconnected.  The test light will glow or “light” if there is a drain.  If the “light or glow” is faint, that is probably normal draw for the clock or computer.  If the “light or glow” is bright, then there is a large drain.  That should be corrected.  Now start removing and replacing the fuses one by one until the light goes out; that one will be the circuit with the drain.  Remember to hold in the button in the door jam for the interior lights.

Question:  1990 Ford Topaz mileage: 122,000.  My car is been over heating and I've replaced the thermostat, radiator cap. For 2 weeks, it ran fine but it soon started up again.  It gets hot suddenly not slowly but rapidly.  I have also flushed the radiator twice.  Could you please give me an explanation or how to fix it?

Answer:  Your cooling system may be low on coolant.  Check the radiator when cold, not the overflow reservoir. Replacing your radiator with a brand new one solves the problem.

Question:  1989 Ford Topaz mileage: 130,000.   My mechanic doesn't seem to know what the problem is with my car so I have come to ask you. The engine light keeps coming on.  It doesn't stay on long enough to register on the computer.   Maybe 10 seconds at most.  Some time it just barely flashes.  It will go off if I accelerate, brake, or just wait.  The engine does seem bogged down sometimes when the light is on, but not all the time.  Another thing, (I don't know if this is related or not) sometimes the signal lights don't work.  I can go for months where it is fine then a day or a week where they don't work.  The heater also doesn't work if the signal lights are not working.  I know those two things are related, but the engine light might have nothing to do with them.  Please help!   If there is, more information that you need just let me know.

Answer:  The “check engine” light will “light” when there is a malfunction in the engine management system.  The fault code is then stored in the computer.  The computer must be scanned to retrieve these stored faults to pinpoint the malfunctioning component.  Also, take a 12-volt test light and check out the power to the heater and turn signals when they are not working.

Automobile / Ford / Topaz

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