Questions and Answers
Strange Acting Tempo
Q. I need help with my car. Here's the information you ask for:
1991 Ford Tempo
2.3 liter 4-cylinder
Automatic transmission
127,000 miles
Fuel injection
No ABS brakes
A/C-does not work
Power steeringMy wife was driving and was waiting to make a left turn. When she put on the turn signal, it almost caused the car to stall. Later on down the road, she approached a slower car and had to brake... again it almost stalled. When she got home, I tried to investigate. I turned the key to start it and it started fine, but as soon as I let off the key, it stalled immediately and would not restart. The temperature gauge and fuel gauge each maxed out strangely, and a relay, located behind the glove compartment was buzzing. If I turned the key, the starter would not even engage. I sometimes could hear a relay clicking somewhere.
I took the battery leads off and put them back on several times, each time, trying to restart the car. Once it restarted and I decided to turn the lights on and off a few times to test it, each time the car nearly stalled. I started to rev the engine a little bit to see if it could "recover" from the lights being turned on, and it stalled immediately. It would not restart. I cleaned the battery leads and posts and checked its voltage, 12.5V.
The next morning, it restarted the first time and seemed to run fine. The battery voltage was up around 15V, so it seemed that the alternator was fine. I had my wife turn the lights, rear defroster, radio, etc. on and off a few times, but the battery voltage didn't drop a bit. I decided to take it for a test run, but when I got about ¼ mile out, it stalled as I was coasting down a hill with my left turn signal on. I coasted into a parking lot and tried to restart it several times, taking the battery leads on and off, but nothing worked.
The battery light and oil light were the only things that would come on when I turned the key, and when I took out the key, the "service engine soon" light remained on! Nothing else worked, such as the horn, headlights, dome light, radio, brake lights, etc.. only the few warning lights. After trying several times, it started and I raced to get it home, but it stalled on me three more times, each time acting very strangely, but the same as I have described. I think it only stalled when I had to slow down or let it coast in idle.
Now, it is back in my parking space, but nothing works except those few warning lights. I checked the ignition switch, but it seems to be fine. I really have no more ideas. I need help!
Thank you!
TrevorA. When you got the 12.5 volt reading, was it with the engine running or not? 12.5 is about normal for a battery at rest but not with the engine running.
I think the problem is with the alternator. the diode pack inside the alternator can do some very strange things when they go bad. You can do a charging system test on it and it will check out as good, even though the diodes are bad. If you take your alternator to a speciality auto electric shop, they can test the alternator and diodes to see if they are good or bad. But it sounds like they are shorting out to me.
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