Electrical problem?

[kregger]

I seem to be having a big problem with my Contour SE. A couple months ago it started sputtering and acting like it was running out of gas. When I took it to the garage, the guy said it was the mass air flow thingy(can't remember exactly what it was hehe). So I had it replaced and it seemed to work pretty well for about a month. Then it started doing it again. I figured maybe it was the air flow thingy again so I bought another one and put it in. But that didn't help at all. So I took it back to the garage and the guy said that about 8 different codes were showing up. So he figured it was probably the computer going bad. So I had that replaced. That worked pretty well for about a week. And now its sorta doing it again. I can drive it for 5 or 6 miles and it seems fine. But then after that it starts sputtering and trying to die. If I don't keep the RPM's up it dies immediately. So now I don't know what to do. A few times when I got out of the car it smelled like something was getting fried. Like a circuit board. So I'm thinking maybe something is getting too much juice and shorting out after a while? Sometimes it doesn't even sputter. Everything just dies while driving down the road. I usually push the gas to the floor it comes back to life after a few seconds.

I would really really appreciate some help with this one. Its really driving me crazy. Any thing you might be able to contribute would be most helpful. I love the car. Or I did. Starting to lose that loving feeling lately. hehe I bought it about 8 months ago. Its the 2.5 motor with DOHC and all that.

Thanks guys and gals!
Kregger

[beyondloadedSE]

It really would have helped if he gave you the codes so you could have seen what was wrong. A sputtering car could be dozens of things.....bad maf, vacuum leak, etc. Take it back and get the codes pulled.

[kregger]

Well wouldn't ya know. It has stopped screwing around now. I guess I'll have to break down to figure out what's wrong with it. hehe I wonder if the colder weather is keeping whatever from overheating. Hmmm....

[iorn eagle]

hey sounds like the some thing that happened to mine.
mine doesn`t do it all the time now every once in a while. knock on wood. i`ve changed the erg vavle the alt,belts plugs spark plug& wires done a comple tune up the belts.had the computer updated. the only coded i get now is the oxgen senor. good luck. i`m still trying. to find outmine.

[takeum]

Originally Posted by iorn eagle

hey sounds like the some thing that happened to mine.
mine doesn`t do it all the time now every once in a while. knock on wood. i`ve changed the erg vavle the alt,belts plugs spark plug& wires done a comple tune up the belts.had the computer updated. the only coded i get now is the oxgen senor. good luck. i`m still trying. to find outmine.

I don't know much about the 2.5 six cylinder motors,, but I have seen quite a few fords with multiple codes before as well as electical problems from not having proper grounds to the motor,, messes the computer up Bad,, Puts out alot of codes and causes car to run crappy as well,,, Just check your grounds,,,,, make sure every ground is in place and has a good connection,,,,, Good Luck,,

[carman2005]

I had a 99 contour that had the same symptoms, this car drove me & every mechanic I know crazy. I actually ended up replacing the engine with a known good running one. this was ok for a short time but started to act like the old one again. I decided to do something very simple & replace the fuel filter. wow ! what a difference it made, unfortunately it only lasted for a few weeks. To make a long story short I decided to remove the gas tank & clean it out, I was really suprised at what I found. It had about a gallon or so of water in it. After draining it out & reinstalling it, it ran perfect & has ever since & it's been over a year now. The water in the tank caused the fuel to not burn correctly thus causing the multitude of codes. I suggest replacing the filter first, the fuel tank was no picnic, Good Luck carman2005

[Slade901]

MAF can be cleaned and reused if it is just dirty. Are you using somekind of CAI (Cold Air Intake) system?
Just make sure you have checked the air filter and replace it if it is dirty or if it is old filter.

With regards to water in the gas tank, try using a bottle or two of ISO Heet water remover.

Go to Autozone and have the codes pulled out for FREE and have them tell you what error codes it shows.

[beyondloadedSE]

Im glad we revived this dead thread that was originally posted in 2003.