So fella's, I have a list of things wrong with my car as followed, but I can't afford to take my car to repair them, nor do I want to sell. I'm just hoping I'll be able to fix them myself. Car is an NA Fairlane. Here is the list:

My biggest problem is when the car is cold, it idles very roughly, even when I take off, it's still very rough and the power is laggy as hell. This lasts for the first few k's, then seems to almost go completely, only when taking off again, it can lag a little still. Any ideas what this could be?

Fuel usage. Going by the trip computer (which I know to be true as I've tested it), I seem to be burning through a quarter to half a tank more than I should be.

Electrics! They're all over that shop!
My outta door keyhole lights stay on permanently
My interior lights don't work at all
My dash lights will sometimes go
My electric windows will sometimes not work
And my head unit doesn't work (factory)
All were fine a little more than a year ago.

so ya got a problem with ya electrics....

check all wiring & relays in ya engine bay 1st

Hi,

Do you have a circuit and a multimeter ? Or a friend that know electrics ? Most are probably unrelated, so start working on 1 at a time. If you have a MAP sensor, it may be worth checking for the idle and fuel issues. Make sure all the electrical plugs are secure, and pull them away slightly and push them back on firmly. In time the contacts get a slight oxide coating, and doing this will " clean " them. In IT this is known as a reseat, and is why when you swap in a part it works, then you try the old one again and it works. All the " Bells and whistles " are great with a new car and they all work, but can be troublesome as the car ages. If you are near the coast the salty air will add to your issues. Good luck with it.

I'll try to help with a few of these:

My biggest problem is when the car is cold, it idles very roughly, even when I take off, it's still very rough and the power is laggy as hell. This lasts for the first few k's, then seems to almost go completely, only when taking off again, it can lag a little still. Any ideas what this could be?

Fuel usage. Going by the trip computer (which I know to be true as I've tested it), I seem to be burning through a quarter to half a tank more than I should be.

For both of these, I'd start with a good service and tuneup and go through the basics; air filter, spark plugs, leads, dissy cap and rotor. I'd also be checking for any loose vacuumn hoses, particularlly around the MAP sensor. It'd also be wise to clean the throttle body and intake tubing. a new Fuel filter wont hurt eithier.

Electrics! They're all over that shop!

My outta door keyhole lights stay on permanently
Check for a bad earth somewhere, both inside the door near the light, and around the battery, make sure all the connections are clean and tight. a light being on permanantly will cause your battery to die quickly also

My interior lights don't work at all
Could be a bad fuse, or maybe ALL the bulbs are blown (Unlikely)

My dash lights will sometimes go
Most likely a bad earth or a loose connection somewhere. Check all the earths, and make sure the cluster is firmly plugged in.

My electric windows will sometimes not work
Generally what happens with these if it is an intermittant fault is the switch cluster plays up. It can sometimes be taken apart and cleaned out with contact cleaner, or you can just replace it. They aren't dear

And my head unit doesn't work (factory)
Again, it could be the fuse. Always remember though if a fuse has blown, it's generally blown for a reason, they can blow just from being 20 years old, but generally they blow for a reason. This could very well be related to why your interior lights don't work, because I think they both run off the "CLK/CRT LMP" fuse. I'd start by replacing that fuse, and see if it blows again.
All were fine a little more than a year ago.[/quote]

Hope this helps, Gab

Thanks heaps fella's!

the power issue from cold and take off sounds to me like a dirty fuel filter, or a dodgy fuel pump.

failing that i would also be changing the ht leads

Your car hesitating for the first few moments sounds a lot like an issue this guy had:
ford-4l-and-6-cylinder-f1/car-hesitates-t118315-30.html

Coincidentally also something iv been experiencing, Although iv yet to get it sorted. I'm giving mine to a mechanic tomorrow to go nuts.. It's got way to many issues for my liking.

So yeah.. i agree with distributor & coil change. The other issues i wouldn't have a clue.. Sounds like you got many electrical faults to start finding. Multimeter is looking like a worthwhile purchase.