After rattle after rattle and tools being slammed underneath my bonnet when my extractors where fitted, my ED went in yesterday for its 'complimentary' detail. Car was there for 6 1/2 hours when I got there to pick it up it wouldnt start. They had replaced the dizzy cap and rotor button and still no go. Out came the plugs, blew out and cleaned every electrical connections we could possibly find, and still no go. Having detailed cars when I first left school, Falcons can be a C*** not to get wet, but still with a bit of care, eg a plastic bag over the dizzy, anything is possible.

In the end I was going to leave it there over night, grab a ride home from the manager and he would pick me up this morning. Right when we were ready to leave I thought I would try it one more time and she fired first time running sweet as. No misses or hiccups. Turned it off and restarted it a few times, took it for a spin around the block and then decided to bring it home. I really didnt want my car near these clowns for any longer than it had to be.

Noticed I had no temp gauge though and then found the wire was no longer connected to my temp send. They tried to solder it back after I noticed it but it kept 'falling' off. That should be in at lunch time. At the moment it has some rather dodgy looking solder on it. Would only take the slighest of knocks and it would be off again.

This morning I have moved it out of the carport and turn it off. Started and ran fine. Shut the gates, dogs back outside, locked the house up and gone to start it again, and no go. Turns over fine but just wont run.

Lots of possibilites I guess and really hard to tell without seeing, but other than the obvious, wet some where still, dodgy dizzy cap, is there anything else that could be my drama? Probably getting a bit jumpy here but these C*** have damaged more than they have fixed in the past so nothing would surprise me.

Rain doesnt help either or I could just roll it out into the sun and let the f**k dry that way and hope all comes good.

So it was running fine untill they cleaned it? Geez - 6 hours - thats some detailing job. If ALL they did was clean (no mechanical repairs whatsoever) it might be a plug they removed and didn't put back right.

As for soldering the temp sensor wire on. Are we talking about the single wire version on the thermostat housing? If so, that pin is usually made of brass - good luck soldering lead to that - it won't work, and you will need a clip. A decent sized spade lug will slide over it nicely if you crimp that on and remove the outer insulation.

Do your standard Air/Fuel/Spark checks, and remove your dizzy cap to make sure thats bone dry.

put a new coil on it, it will most likely solve the issue.
Common pron with EA-EL (excluding EF) the coils crack, and a bit of moisture / water will stop the spark reaching the dizzy.

The boneheads that cleaned it said to do the coil, or get it towed there and they would do it there. So did that myself late this afternoon as ever wire/relay/clip had been opened, cleaned and blown out and still no go.

In the end I got the s**t about having a giant paper weight sitting in my driveway and called the RAA. After about half an hour of him checking the spark I noticed I couldnt here the fuel pump kicking it. Turns out the relay is shot on that, so that is now hard wired to the ignition until I can find a wrecker/fraud spares/or an auto electrician to get it sussed open to get another one. Change that hope for the best. Whether the relay decided it had had enough, or it had some help with water to cark it, who knows really.....To work sometimes and not others I think points to moisture but dont think it is worth fighting them for the cost of relay if that is all that it is.

Had to remove my interior light and turn the back ones off as they are staying on all the time, so thinking something is a miss with the electics some where and maybe not just that one relay. Cleaned all the switches and connections and everything looks as it should, but I have to wonder why they are still on? Could be moisture somewhere still hopefully but not liking my chances.

As for the temp sensor it is only the single wire. I knocked it off the first time, thinking f**k them they can get me a new one, but once the car had started I grabbed the solder and pushed the centre out to make the old clips stick as best as I could so I could get my car home again. Went past there at two o'clock this afternoon and they still had no temp sensor for me. The manager is supposed to be dropping it at my house tonight on his was home. It is half five now, so it should be any time soon one would think. That is if they bring me one.

I have been kicking myself all day for being stupid enough to take it back there for the detail, which I wouldnt call a detail. More of a polish the paint and leave polish everywhere were it meant we had to bend to take it off, slick the dash and smear the windows.

The interior lights are controlled by the smart lock module, so are wipers, and various other functions depending on series, ( low, medium & high), to do with luxury items. The more stuff ya got, the more stuff to go wrong.
It is found above the park brake and if i remember, it has 3 connectors, 2 at one end & 1 at the other. anyway have fun.

My smartlock module has been dodgy for easy three - four years now. Went to spares to get a new one and they laughed saying to leave it then no one can start it without knowing how. It used to s**t me, but then I learnt to take the hand brake off at the same time as turning the key and would hardly miss. So definately time to be getting a new one.

Guessing that would be why my power mirrors decide to stop working? And washer bottle motor? f**k! I got a one of them in the shed to go in over the holidays. lol

Strange coincidence they stopped working after the painters filled my engine bay with water and we couldnt start it when I was meant to pick it up. Because it went away I presumed it was just water sitting somewhere and leaving it in the sun dried it. I dare say that was the start of this relay trouble I have at the moment.

If you're having trouble with the original ford relay for your fuel pump, check its rating. You should be able to cut off the ford relay base and replace it with Jaycar's 60A relay base (SY-4075, $7.95), and a 60A relay to suit (SY-4074).

Makes parts availablilty so much easier later on, not to mention relay swapping when you get stuck somewhere.

The 30A version is also available: Relay - SY-4068, Base - SY-4069



Coils can be pricey - maybe you should check for a TFI signal first before springing for parts, as well as any other obvious component responsible for spark delivery.

Got a timing light? Use that to test it.

I had the same problem with my old EL flacon,
The relay had filled with water of time and eventually just s=it it self one day,

When I rocked the realay the thermos, fuelpump and smart lock light would turn on and off.


Ford wanted $60 for a new relay so I ended up just buying a relay from jaycar and using that, it worked well and as far as I know it is still working.


I also had a problem once where it would turn over but not start, this was after I washed the engine (ELs and Efs hate water!) it turned out the coil had cracked, replaced the coil and away she went.

So my try changing your relay, best bet is probebly the wreckers or pinch a part.

That problem is sorted now. Probably should have dug up the topic and said I had it sorted by now. Cheers to those that did help me out.

It was only the relay. Had no power on the injector side either so was hesitant on getting a new relay. Grabbed one from the wreckers, swapped them over, and away it all went. Was tempted to grab a new one and send the detailers the bill once I knew it was definately only the relay, but haven't heard jack s**t on them reimbursing me for the temp sender they broke. It's really not going to break me if they dont pay for it, but f**k them I didn't break it! If I have to pursue the $30 bucks for the temp sender, no doubt I will add the $96 for a relay to make the chase a little more worth while.

Decided to spend the cash and do the BEM or body control module depending who you talk to. Turns out I was quoted the week before on the smartlock module and not the BEM. Smartlock module you can still get new from Spares but not the BEM. And before I get told there the same thing, they are seperate pre EF. Grabbed one of them to from the wreckers but haven't got motivated to do that yet.

Read a couple of posts that said to solder all the terminal and connection, or take to a TV repair man. The best any of the Ford joints offer was sending it to Sydney to be reconditioned. So now I have two, when and if the one from the wreckers die, which no doubt it will, I will do something with the original one I am about to replace.