I bought a 94 cougar (3.8 v6) for my gf for $400. It needed a new steering rack- which I just finished installing a week ago. It runs good but soon noticed the following problems....

engine light is on,,,,

The coolant temp sensor may be bad since it reads normal but the upper radiator hose is pressurized which leads me to believe it needs a new thermostat as well,,,,

The radiator fans do not run- I tried turning the AC on but the fans still didnt kick on and the AC compressor locked up and the belt was smoking,,,,

I ran the codes the car pulled...

and got 3 codes,
one that points at the egr sensor
one that points at the air charge sensor
and one that states hard faults present...

Which I was told -hard faults present could mean the computer needs replaced.

I would like to get the fans running so thecar can be driven and I will get the sensors replaced when I can.

But I dont know where to start?

Should I replace the thermostat/tep sensor first ,
or replace the relay module that controls the fans/AC?

Any help is appreciated!

The fan for the air conditioning system needs the air conditioning compressor running to check out the system.
Run the car up to operating temperature. Get a small hammer and tap the fan motor if it runs you need a new fan motor. Swap the AC fan relay with the normal fan relay if it runs buy a new relay. Check the fuses for the system.