98 contour electric problem

[trb333333]

Car is 98 with 2.5 dohc

there is a power drain/ short ??? which occurs through the circuit fusebox wires. with the car off and all lights etc. off there is a power drian through the foglight fuse/wiring...
I pull the fuse and the battery will noy discharge over night... but the alternator will not engage/ charge if the fuse is out when i am driving.

Alternator and battery have been tested...GOOD..

? a wiring / ellectric what ......

[trb333333]

Contour 98 with 2.5 / 6 dohc

there is a power drain/ short ??? which occurs through the circuit fusebox wires. with the car off and all lights etc. off there is a power drian through the foglight fuse/wiring...
I pull the fuse and the battery will noy discharge over night... but the alternator will not engage/ charge if the fuse is out when i am driving.

Alternator and battery have been tested...GOOD..

? a wiring / ellectric what ......

[HIDSVT]

not sure exactly but contour svt's are notorious for wireing nightmaers! Have you took the car any where to have it checked?

[beyondloadedSE]

Originally Posted by HIDSVT

not sure exactly but contour svt's are notorious for wireing nightmaers! Have you took the car any where to have it checked?

Actually, only the 95-97s were prone to wiring harness insulation cracking, which is covered on recall 99M03.

Id say wiring issues with 98-00 Contour/Mystiques are pretty slim from what I've experienced with my own Contour's and seen on the contour message forums for the last 7-8 years ive been apart of CEG.

Are you the original owner? Does the car have foglights? If so the previous owner may have modified the foglight wiring to come on with the parking lamps which is a pretty popular mod amongst the CEG community. Take a read: http://contour.org/mods/mods.php?s=howto&displayid=7

[Farmer15]

How do you post these messages? I have a 98 cavalier z24 with electrical problems also

[beyondloadedSE]

Originally Posted by Farmer15

How do you post these messages? I have a 98 cavalier z24 with electrical problems also

Check out the cavalier forums at www.j-body.org. I doubt Contour owners are going to know anything about typical cavalier electrical issues.

[HIDSVT]

wiring harness insulation cracking for those years yes, however contoursvt and contour any year has had many trips to ford for a new whole car harness. Not contridicting you just sayin what ford taught me the short time I was there.

[beyondloadedSE]

Originally Posted by HIDSVT

wiring harness insulation cracking for those years yes, however contoursvt and contour any year has had many trips to ford for a new whole car harness. Not contridicting you just sayin what ford taught me the short time I was there.

Which of the 4 main harnesses were failing in the 98-00s? And what exactly was failing? Since Ford recalled the 95-97 harnesses due to cracking insulation, Ford revised the wiring harnesses on the 98-00s.