Rough running 96 thunderbird 3.8

dan1973ct

Registered User
OK here it goes. I have been trying to get this car running right for over a year now. When I start it, it runs rough and hesitates when I hit the gas. For a while it hardly ran at all but a friend of mine changed the fuel pump and that helped alot. Now it runs but I am left with this rough idle and hesitation when I step on the gas. I brought it to my mechanic and he changed the head gaskets. $1,000 later and the car did not run any better. I checked the plugs yesterday and they are black and smell like fuel. I am hopping someone here can help me because I'm stuck. Thanks for your time.
 
when you say you checked the plugs and they are black and smelly, you mean you changed them right...? fuel filter..?
 
OK here it goes. I have been trying to get this car running right for over a year now. When I start it, it runs rough and hesitates when I hit the gas. For a while it hardly ran at all but a friend of mine changed the fuel pump and that helped alot. Now it runs but I am left with this rough idle and hesitation when I step on the gas. I brought it to my mechanic and he changed the head gaskets. $1,000 later and the car did not run any better. I checked the plugs yesterday and they are black and smell like fuel. I am hopping someone here can help me because I'm stuck. Thanks for your time.

check you maf sensor because my dad has 95 n/a bird and it was a dog and would pop in the air box's till it got warm idk if this has anything to do with your issue but its worth a try....;)
 
do the 96 N/A's have a DIS ?

i know 89-93's didnt. they have the regular cap and rotor.

Man thats a good one because if they do I cant find it on my 2, 96lx`s. They have the sc coil pack but I cant find a DIS under the hood. Anyone know how to pull codes from newer birds? I have a code reader for the EEC IV but these have the plug under the dash.
 
Man thats a good one because if they do I cant find it on my 2, 96lx`s. They have the sc coil pack but I cant find a DIS under the hood. Anyone know how to pull codes from newer birds? I have a code reader for the EEC IV but these have the plug under the dash.

yea i dont think any of the N/A birds have a DIS.

by the way, your 96's are OBD-II so u'll have to pick an OBD-II Ford scanner.
 
It's in there somewhere. The 96-97 N/A T-Bird 3.8 does have an ignition module. So does the 96+ Windstar. Think about it - if they have coil packs, cam and crank sensors, they have to have some kind of control module. On the Windstar, it was mounted to the back of the upper intake manifold. I have heard that some of the Explorers have a DIS system where the ignition module is integral to the EEC unit.

(Actually, "DIS" means "Distributorless Ignition System", although on this forum it's usually used to refer to the Ignition Control Module. So if you have no distributor poking out of the timing cover, then you have a DIS.)
 
Ford did some strange crap here as it must be a part of the computer as I have had the entire engine out of one of them. Even better is the 2 birds made the same year both without ABS have diffent brake systems. Both the booster and master cylinder. One has a four line and the other has a 2 line. What gives they were made about one month apart at Lorain? My Haynes manual says that the ignition module is located on the right fender apron on all 94 and later models, Its not there.
 
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