83 Lincoln Continental

[Adam]

Whether there was still power getting to the fuel pumps was one of the first things I checked.

I got a free rental car for a month through my job, so I have time now to figure this out. I'm hoping I can just sell my Firebird and buy another truck before the rental runs out.

This only has 97k, had 86k when I bought it in 2019. I like this car, but it's hard to work on. Took me over a week (working on it all day, every day) to replace the heater core. But I repaired the cassette deck and put new speakers in the dash when I had it apart - then this problem developed shortly afterwards and I didn't get to enjoy it.

This has always had ignition problems, it seems to eat those modules. Thanks, I'll check out all that info in a few days when I have time. (I'm working one job, and applying to another and this stupid application is eating all my time right now)

[Adam]

So I did the self diagnostic procedure and I got - code 12 engine RPM out of spec, and code 32 EGR valve position sensor shorted, open, or out of range.

I pulled the EGR valve and it wouldn't hold vacuum, but it wasn't stuck. I read that some of them won't hold vacuum unless there is pressure already coming in from the exhaust side, but didn't know if this was one of those or not so I replaced it anyway. (When I got my new valve it didn't hold vacuum either, so the old one might have been good.)

I checked the sensor with an ohm meter (it has 3 connections, and I don't know why 3 and not 2?), but I could see the resistance going up and down as I pushed it in and out.) But I replaced the sensor too.

And it's running way better. I need to drive it around to be sure, but I think that might have been it.

I removed the battery tray so I could trace some wires, so the battery is just sitting in there loose, and so is the radiator (for the same reason), so I have to put some stuff back together before I can drive it around.

When I removed the EGR valve I broke one of these hard plastic vacuum lines, and I noticed break in another one of those lines too. I repaired them by slipping heat shrink over the line and holding the two sides of the broken plastic line right next to each other before I heated it up, so there wasn't really any portion of vacuum line that was only made of heat shrink, but still I don't think those repairs will hold up, is there a better option?

[Adam]

I just replaced those broken hard plastic vacuum lines with rubber ones. With the new EGR valve and sensor, and vacuum lines it runs much better, doesn't stall at all.

But I do notice that after it warms up, if I'm sitting at a traffic light for a while, it will miss occasionally. It doesn't idle rough, it idles smooth, then misses once or twice, then goes back to idling smooth. It will do this a few times if you sit at a traffic light long enough.

[Username1]

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I don't remember you saying the car had O2 sensor or not. If not, then there is no way
the car can run in closed loop - so it depends on stored look-up tables for engine
parameters - This can result in a possible miss. Also don't forget ethanol fuel most
likely did not exist back in '83. There are so many little things that can cause
a miss in those older cars.

Any sticking valve (electric, temperature, or vacuum) can cause a miss, or stalling.
My parents had a 1979 Ford LTD back in the day and it would stall getting off the
freeway, turns out a sticking EGR valve was the trouble. Otherwise it ran great
for years.

Your best bet is to get the original 3" thick manual written by ford, and get to
know the system inside-out.

Also - the thin hard plastic vacuum lines were to get a faster response from the
item at the end of the line. Hard walls, thinner line, all for less volume in the
line to change when vacuum was applied. I have them on my 88 Dakota,
I think it helps the HVAC stuff respond fast.

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[Adam]

I don't believe there is an O2 sensor. There is an engine coolant temperature sensor (which I presume is working because the temp gauge works), a manifold pressure sensor, a throttle position sensor (which I replaced), an air charge temperature sensor, and the EGR valve position sensor (which I replaced).

The gas in there was 3 years old, but now I burned it all off and put in new and it didn't seem to make a difference.

The catalytic converters smoke and put out an awful smell after I drive it around for a while, I wonder if they are getting clogged up. They unbolt, I might take them off and drive it around with straight pipes and see what happens.

[Username1]

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You need the book.... My 91 accord has 3 coolant temp sensors, 1 turns on fan,
I goes to computer, and 1 goes to the needle on the dash. + Cars of that
vintage usually have an alignment procedure for throttle position sensor.
My Dakota has an alignment for the TPS, If you mess with yours
you might have to do it to fix it right. I cleaned my TPS with
tuner cleaner a few years ago, had strange stalling, and
a dead spot as you moved the gas pedal....

Some of the fine points of diagnosis are only covered in depth in the
OEM service manuals.....

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