Do I Have GREMLINS?

I am having some problems with my SC it's an 89 Automatic with
101,500 miit's had the head gaskets done about 12ooo mi ago the alternator about 3000 mi and the idle air bypass valve about 2000 mi ago, and I just had the trans. rebuilt but i'm having some weird problems, they are all intermittent and come and go when they want to. Please help me if you can?

First the Anti lock brake lite comes on and goes off, also the brake lite comes on , sometimes with the Anti lock, sometimes by it's self, but the brakes are fine. Other times the brake pedal goes hard and makes a groaning sound, and it's all i can do to stop. but the brake idiot lights are never on when this happens. I also hear a high pitched whistle at the brake pedal sometimes, almost like a vacum leak but I know that the ABS system has no vacum or brake booster.

second it wants to stall out at stop lights. or at idle but only
intermittently. it will start and run rough and stall then it will
run fine when i restart it for a while, or it will start and run fine
then just shut off when i stop. It seems like all these are related
but I am going nuts!

HELP!

The ABS accumulator is known to go bad on these cars. It is under the cowl behind the ABS assembly. It looks like a black, metal lightbulb. The best route is to buy one from Priorreman for like $100 and diy. One of the telltale signs of the accumulator going bad is you will hear your ABS pump cycling on/off a lot.

The idle problem is harder to track down. Check you maf (the small metal tube between the airbox and the black air tube ). Remove it and see if you can spot any dirt/oil on the tiny filaments that sit inside the smaller tube inside.

Dirty spark plugs, bad wires, vacumm leaks can all contribute to poor idle/ stalling.

Good luck!

First, I would suggest replacing the accumulator on your ABS unit, it is most likely shot if it hasn't been replaced before. Contact Prior Remanufacturing www.priorreman.com and order an accumulator for a Teves Mark II ABS. Should run around $100.00, give or take a few. Also, get a new ABS Pump Relay (GP Sorensen #MR120) and replace the "brown pump" relay located next to the firewall on the passenger side. You may want to bleed you brakes in order to replace the old fluid while you're at it. It's probably gotten contaminated over time.

Secondly, check your engine mounts. The hydraulic (OEM) mounts collapse after just a few years causing the engine to sit on the frame x-member. This causes some odd idle/stall problems and also will potentially cut through your power steering lines. Replace them (if necessary) with solid rubber ones. They last about three times as long.

Most of what you are describing is common with these birds. There is a lot of info on how to correct these things on this site, but if you have some specific questions, feel free to contact me.

Hope I'm not too late to jump in on this dicussion, I have a similar problem with my 91 5 speed. Lately when I am coming to a stop on a downhill incline, my car stalls. It doesn't happen all of the time, but it has happened several times in the last few weeks. I replaced the motormounts last year, I don't believe that is my problem. So that leaves me with wires and plugs. The plugs were changed last year, motorcraft, the wires as well. I do notice that I have an occasional miss only at highway speed if I accelerate to pass. I am guessing a wire has rubbed and may be arcing. I am prepared to change the wires, do you thing they are the cause of my stalling while stopping? Again stalling is only occuring on declined grades, and 1 time while coming to an abrupt stop. Any other possible causes? Thanx for any information you can share.

Another possibility for the idle and breakup prob.

Remove the DIS, clean both surfaces and install with fresh dielectric grease. That stuff can dry and thin out over a period of time.

Definitely replace the brake accumlutator.

Actually, I think its better to use heat sink compound under the DIS module. It can be bought cheaply at Radio Shack, and it helps draw heat out of the DIS and into the mounting plate and away... Dialetric grease helps to conduct an electrical charge - but I've heard people do use it under the DIS as well...

Some ideas

Big Old Bear,

I've experienced both these problems. Here's what I had to do.

First, on the ABS, my light stayed on...it wasn't intermittant. Anyway, do you have an engine code reader? If not, you can pick one up at Walmart for about $25. Luckily, the ABS system will produce codes that can be read with this reader. I discovered one of the eight valves in the ABS hydraulic manifold (2 for each wheel) was not operating properly. I had a short in the hydraulic manifold wiring and that is not repairable. The wiring looks like the old style flat parallel printer cables for computers. So I had to have the whole hydraulic manifold replaced. I tried Priorreman.com but they did not have one like mine in stock. So I got on the web and found one from Raybestos, contacted a local distributor and picked it up. About $350. The part numbers are in Ron's database on the SCCoA website under aftermarket parts. I also wrote an article about this in the September 2001 Chargin' Thunder.

The idle problem was a vaccuum leak on my bird. There is a vaccuum hose on the passenger side of the engine that connects back into the fuel tank. If I did not have the original Ford Shop manuals for this car, I would have never thought to look at that. I replaced that hose and have not had a problem since.

Good luck!