[AE Donn]

Well the engine is back in the car, but doing it myself I manage to break the vacuum piece with the 4 leads and my AC line on that round black bottle type thing at the firewall...after all the freon stop spraying the engine was in...this weekend I hope to finish hooking up everything after I get to the junkyard to get the parts.

 

[Blitzter]

Today put in a pair of Burmuda head lights. Tomorrow I am taking out that ugly auto shifter knob and replacing it with a all wood T shifter. Still working on my frankinrear wagon lights.

 

[AE Donn]

First i want to thank everyone for the suggestions and help. Yesterday, finished the getting the 98 wagon running, bolted in the chassis braces under the car, and filled the radiator, power steering topped off, change front brakes and rotors, swapped tires and rims from the 95, change drivers side visor. Well I told you all that I had no power, no dome light, no dash lights nothing. After checking all the connections, grounds, and under the dash for any broken wires, it turns out the fricking battery was dead. Talk about a bone head move, but you wouldn't think from not being used for 3 weeks it would of lost all that power. But I am happy no exstatic to say that wagon is running and running great. Today i will be installing the stereo and cleaning inside and out.

 

[Intuit]

I've found that if you insert the key in the ignition it will drain the battery after a week, even if you never turn it. Just inserting it is enough.

 

[denisond3]

There are a couple of lights that can drain the battery, without the light being noticed. The small maps lights in the dome light for instance. My sister in law used to have that problem when her son was 9 years old - and going through a 'brat' stage. They would be noticed if it were dark when you left the car. Then if the mercury switch for the hood light malfunctions, it might remain on. Isnt there a light in the trunk too? If that switch is bad then the light might stay on.

intuit: If leaving the key in the ignition drains the battery, I would suspect you have something wrong, maybe in the chime module: Because I think its the chime module that turns on the little light next to the ignition switch.
Being fortunate in where we live, we leave the key in the ignition of our Escorts most of the time; although the 91 Escort in VA never sits for more than a week without being used, and in TX, our Escort seldom goes 48 hours without use.

I dont know if the 2rd gen Escorts have any other lights; like maybe a dome light that (should) go off a minute after you leave the car.

 

[Intuit]

Nothing wrong with the vehicle. Might've been a weak/old battery at the time. Only chimes if the key is in the ignition with a hood/door/trunk open. Key light (LED?) always goes out after a period. Only relevant modification is an after-market alarm. It never sits except for when being worked on and are trying to acquire (quality) replacement parts. Had it completely drain a battery once and memory serving, weaken it (slow crank) another time.

 

[AE Donn]

Well stereo is in, installed the brace that I found in junk yard for front shock towers and now no speedometer...cig lighter works and this morning check engine light came on from all that I have read its the VSS, so I will be making a run to the JY to pick one up to try it out. Do you know if putting a stereo could have any relation to no speedo, is there a common wire or ground that might be related.

 

[AE Donn]

Once I get a wash and vacuum on it I will post pics of it.

 

[johnny gear]

today? i had to replace the vaccuum line from the brake booster, cut out the check valve out of the old rotten hose, push it into the new one and put it back on, guess what, now it doesnt idle like crap, lol, this is what happens when you get your car from parents who dont take care of their vehicles

 

[csu6473]

What were they supposed to do, wipe Vaseline jelly on the hoses to keep them from dry rotting?

 

[AE Donn]

found all the clips for the doors, and dash panels as well as the little cover in the trunk area of wagon that covers the fuel switch...

 

[AE Donn]

new plugs, wires, and changed out the VSS...the one in the was working then stoped. i took the clip of the green gear and the little cable was broke..i tried for an hour to see if i could remove it and replace but no luck. So i went to 3 JY and the last car i looked at was a manual and there was my prize. installed and speedo is working like a champ. However, this morning I started to hear a squeal sound, then it went away. on the way home i heard it again and it faster when i give it throttl. new Timing belt was on the car when i got it and the water pump looked good but a bit dirty, tension pulley new but i am wondering if the serpentine belt pulley could be going bad. has anyone ever removed and regreased one, i just need it to hold on till the weekend.

 

[LariRudi]

new plugs, wires, and changed out the VSS...the one in the was working then stoped. i took the clip of the green gear and the little cable was broke..i tried for an hour to see if i could remove it and replace but no luck. So i went to 3 JY and the last car i looked at was a manual and there was my prize. installed and speedo is working like a champ. However, this morning I started to hear a squeal sound, then it went away. on the way home i heard it again and it faster when i give it throttl. new Timing belt was on the car when i got it and the water pump looked good but a bit dirty, tension pulley new but i am wondering if the serpentine belt pulley could be going bad. has anyone ever removed and regreased one, i just need it to hold on till the weekend.

My speedo cable chweeeps mildly sometimes, so I'm expecting somebody is going to seggest a way to me to "lubricate" it? or some others say if the cable is not supported properly it sounds off? And since you just did VSS, wonder if there is a connection? Mine is periodic too, and that's why I'm wondering if that could be it?

Or is it coming from much further up front?

LarryR

 

[Intuit]

That noise is the speedometer.
http://www.feoa.net/threads/crazy-speedometer.65302/page-2#post-610184

 

[LariRudi]

That noise is the speedometer.
http://www.feoa.net/threads/crazy-speedometer.65302/page-2#post-610184

You/this say it so well.
That is a great explanation you put on that thread.

thx,

LarryR

 

[denisond3]

I dont think the pulley bearings for the serpentine belt tensioner and idler were meant to be greased, as they are the kind with a plastic seal on each side. The pulleys-with-bearing can be bought as separate items, but they are different sizes for the tensioner and the idler.

I have put grease in one well worn pulley bearing just to see how well it would work. I have a grease fitting adapter that fits into the nozzle of a grease gun, and has a sharp needle on the output end, like a hypodermic needle. So I removed the pulley, slid the needle through the plastic grease seal on the bearing, and injected grease.
Once in the case of a noisy 'sealed bearing' for the serp belt idler of a in-law's car, I removed the idler, pried out one of the plastic seals, and worked grease into the bearing then snapped the seal back on and re-assembled the thing. That was only a temporary/emergency measure though.

 

[AE Donn]

Well whatever it is/was this morning I could hear it and then suddenly a small pop sound and then I heard something hit the underside of the car. Everything is working, no loss in timing, water pump, alternator, oil pressure, I did check and belts are all tight. And I was able to drive to work with no problem. I will do more looking at lunch but I will hope for the best and do a search over the weekend when I can get under and remove covers.

On a completely different note, does anyone know how to tighten the tension in the seat belts so they pull back after you have unhooked them. They do go back on their own but it takes some time, or could just the retractor assembly just need lubed?

 

[denisond3]

Its fairly common for the lube in the seat belt retractors to get sticky or hardened with age - and replacing the old lube with new would be a help. But I also think the coiled springs loose some of their strength with time.

 

[AE Donn]

well I think I might of found what it was. This car had the timing cover cut in half so it was easy to remove...and I remember both the lower cover bolts sticking out of the front, but know there is only one. Maybe the jingling noise was the bolt came loose and then this morning came all the way out and bounced under the car while I was driving.

 

[AE Donn]

I just wanted to post a photo of the 98 wagon after all the engine work to show it...not a bad looking ride and I will have more to do to make it what I want.