Never Anything Easy Nor Simple

[electra225]

I wouldn't want to buy a Challenger as a used car. People drive them like they stole 'em. Most are driven hard, then put away wet. Rex is better off with his Explorer. Glad to hear the fix was successful. That the computers can be rebuilt is a comfort to someone who owns and drives a 2003 Tahoe.......

[William]

Rex, do you still have your P/U?

Bill

[19&41]

I do, It's back to doing it's hot weather routine. As soon as it turns cold out, I'm selling it.

[William]

I don't blame you, and good luck when the time comes.

Bill

[Firedome]

3 of our 5 have computers: Mustang and 2 Xterras, hope the parts are available. The '87 SAAB and '69 Olds do not, well the SAAB has an early APC but they're plentiful and pretty bulletproof.

Of course none of it may matter: the other day Jim Farley Ford's CEO announced they are going to eliminate dealerships and instead move to a "direct to consumer model" and become a "mobility provider". Whatever that means, like Tesla I guess? (one car I'll never buy... our next and last car will be an electric Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Mazda, whoever makes the kind of mid-size SUV we need. We schlep too much junk 300 miles to VT and back for a regular "car").
But I imagine all car Co's will go that way and it may become impossible to buy and replace our own parts at some point.

[William]

If I'm not mistaken, Tesla makes an SUV, not that I would buy one.

Bill

[maxidyne]

HOA's around here won't let you install recharging facilities in home garages due to the fire hazard. Did you ever see a Tesla burning? They burn totally up.

[TC Chris]

3 of our 5 have computers: Mustang and 2 Xterras, hope the parts are available.

My Mustang has something called either a thick film or a thin film module; it's an engine control that was notorious for failing due to heat. And t was mounted somewhere near the exhaust manifold. Go figure, as they say. One day on the way to court in another county the engine just stopped. I was still in town and had enough way to coast into a gas station and call my office for rescue. It was towed to the dealer while I kept going in a co-worker's car.

Because these were a very well known failure point, I have always hoped that Ford produced a new, improved model for replacements. So far, so good (I knock on wood because I'm heading off in the car tonight to drive 142 miles). I'm probably lucky; V-8 Mustangs are popular and somebody must make the modules.

By the way, I got a 2nd thumbs-up from a teenager last weekend when driving the Mustang. The Fox bodies must be back in style.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

The component I always called a thick film module is in the distributor. I used to keep them in my toolbox I put so many on cars. If I kept some on hand, I could get people's cars going after the parts store closed. Heat had nothing to do with failures. They were a crappy design. They made an earlier module that mounted externally from the distributor that had the same amount of failures. You identified them by the color of the connecting plug. IIRC, they called that Thunderbolt ignition. They were square aluminum boxes, as you say, usually mounted in the hottest part of the engine bay. Awful design as well. "Ford Had An Awful Idea...." Remember that ad slogan.....?

[19&41]

The TFI was both mounted on a heat sink separate from the distributor or directly on the distributor. Between those harebrained locations and the service advisories having dielectric silicone grease instead of heat sink compound to mount the modules they killed 'em off quite regular.

[TC Chris]

So should I buy one and keep it in the Mustang, just in case, like the extra serpentine belt (try finding one of those at 9 p.m.)?

And did they improve the design of the thing, or is my replacement just as cheesy as the original?

Chris Campbell

[19&41]

I usually would look one up on Ebay and get it cheap and keep one with a fastener removal tool in the glove box, so when the engine would begin to cut out, then surge and repeat until it'd die, I'd have that ace in the hole. They saved me twice.

[19&41]

I returned the Challenger this morning, and have been running errands in the Explorer in the 91 degree weather. It seems to be doing well.

[electra225]

Great news, Rex. It always feel good to have the old "horse" back in the stable, ready to ride......

Some of the modules mounted to the distributor needed a 5.5 MM 1/4" drive, deep well socket in order to remove the bolts in the module. I liked using genuine Motorcraft modules. I have seen SOME aftermarket modules cause other issues, such as injector pulsewidth concerns. That causes the vehicle to fail emissions, makes them run too rich at times. I chased my tail with an '89 Crown Vic that would fail emissions with no apparent reason. Turned out the aftermarket module was messing up the fuel ratio. I would still be chasing that obscure issue had it not been for a buddy who worked for the local Ford dealership and was familiar with the tech service bulletin on the issue. Keeping a spare is not a bad idea. Assuring it is still good when you need it might be a challenge.....