ok i finished with the gaskets, no oil leaks as far as i can tell. but the radiator is now leaking. so while i'm swapping it out i figure i'll get rid of the hard wired fan. i'm just wondering where can i find the wires for my fan? i have found two wires cut on the harness. they're in about the same spot as the ones for the fan on my mercury. thanks.
wiring harness question.
- Thread starter cetroutt
- Start date
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Storm-Chaser
New Member
First, what model-year SHO - and if it's 93-95, ATX or MTX?
Can you tell where the leak is?
Have you pressure-tested the cooling system?
Why are you getting the rid of the hard-wired fan? More importantly, what are you replacing the fan with?
The best way to "research" a harness issue such as this, is the get the color-codes for the wiring harness from the EVTM (Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual), and see if the wires in the clipped wire harness match. Realize that you can have more than one wire using that color-code, but I don't recall ever seen this in the latter-portions of a wiring harness (ie. a harness-lead).
For example, the 1994 MTX has four wire feeds from the CCRM to the Electric Cooling Fan, that drive the 3-phase motor. Two feeds off the CCRM (Constant Control Relay Module) are BR/O (Brown/Orange stripe) that are joined at harness splice S134 into a single BR/O wire prior to the harness connector C190. The second two feeds from the CCRM are DB (Dark Blue), join at splice S135 into a single DB wire at connector C190. At harness connector C190, there are three wires in the harness that then leads to the fan - wire 181 (BR/O), wire 228 (DB), and ground wire 57 (BK). The base part number for connector C190 is 8K621, which is a black 3-wire connector.
The 1994 ATX SHO (dual fan) is completely different for the most part.
Can you tell where the leak is?
Have you pressure-tested the cooling system?
Why are you getting the rid of the hard-wired fan? More importantly, what are you replacing the fan with?
The best way to "research" a harness issue such as this, is the get the color-codes for the wiring harness from the EVTM (Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual), and see if the wires in the clipped wire harness match. Realize that you can have more than one wire using that color-code, but I don't recall ever seen this in the latter-portions of a wiring harness (ie. a harness-lead).
For example, the 1994 MTX has four wire feeds from the CCRM to the Electric Cooling Fan, that drive the 3-phase motor. Two feeds off the CCRM (Constant Control Relay Module) are BR/O (Brown/Orange stripe) that are joined at harness splice S134 into a single BR/O wire prior to the harness connector C190. The second two feeds from the CCRM are DB (Dark Blue), join at splice S135 into a single DB wire at connector C190. At harness connector C190, there are three wires in the harness that then leads to the fan - wire 181 (BR/O), wire 228 (DB), and ground wire 57 (BK). The base part number for connector C190 is 8K621, which is a black 3-wire connector.
The 1994 ATX SHO (dual fan) is completely different for the most part.
Storm-Chaser
New Member
Oh, almost forgot to ask - I see you list your location as "SEMO" - Southeast Missouri.
Are you in the Cape Girardeau / Jackson area?
Are you in the Cape Girardeau / Jackson area?
it's a 93 MTX. i've been tracing wires. the only connection i can't find is for the fan everything else has a place and nothing else seems cut. from the looks of it it has to be the wiring for the fan. i'm going to replace it with a stock taurus fan, i just don't feel like dealing with the hard wire. it was put in sloppy and it doesn't look good. as far as the leak i can't pinpoint it but it appears to be on the bottom of the rad. but as to where exactly i don't know. and i guess you could call it the jackson/ cape area. i live in a little town about 30 miles west of cape called marble hill. it's on hwy 34.
I had good luck with the blacklight juice. Just get a bottle of the stuff at a car store, and a $1.50 black light bulb, run the car at night and see where the pretty fluorescent colored water is coming from.
If you're ghetto you can use a couple HI-Lighters...
If you're ghetto you can use a couple HI-Lighters...
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i was just thinking. after reading about how a bad rad cap wouldn't allow coolant to be pulled back in, could the leak be from my coolant tank? it does have a hole in the bottom and i've just been topping off the radiator before longs trips. does this make sense to anyone?
Storm-Chaser
New Member
Whats happening, is that the hole in the coolant recovery bottle is causing coolant loss everytime the engine goes through a heat-cycle.
As the engine comes-up to operating temperature, the coolant volume expands and is vented through the radiator cap to prevent over-pressurizing the gaskets, hoses, and seals. Once the engine is shut-off and begins to cool, the decrease in temperature creates a pressure vacuum. This would result in air being drawn back into the radiator via the radiator cap, which over time would result in progressive coolant loss (as you're now experiencing). The coolant recovery bottle prevents this by forcing the radiator to draw previously vented coolant back in instead of air.
The Taurus radiator is known for developing leaks from the saddle tanks. These are the two black plastic tanks that attach to both sides of the radiator. Over time, the repeated heat-/pressure-cycles results in the tank seal detriorating, and weakens the clamping pressure that prevents the seals from leaking.
This is the reason why most people will start by recommending doing a pressure test if you can, as the tester allows you test both the radiator and cap for leaks.
As the engine comes-up to operating temperature, the coolant volume expands and is vented through the radiator cap to prevent over-pressurizing the gaskets, hoses, and seals. Once the engine is shut-off and begins to cool, the decrease in temperature creates a pressure vacuum. This would result in air being drawn back into the radiator via the radiator cap, which over time would result in progressive coolant loss (as you're now experiencing). The coolant recovery bottle prevents this by forcing the radiator to draw previously vented coolant back in instead of air.
The Taurus radiator is known for developing leaks from the saddle tanks. These are the two black plastic tanks that attach to both sides of the radiator. Over time, the repeated heat-/pressure-cycles results in the tank seal detriorating, and weakens the clamping pressure that prevents the seals from leaking.
This is the reason why most people will start by recommending doing a pressure test if you can, as the tester allows you test both the radiator and cap for leaks.
The PO had the radiator gone over about a month before i bought it. the mech said it was the cap that was causing it to get hot on her and replaced it. i did however confirm that it is leaking from the overflow tank today. after a good look over i have found four holes so i'm going to try and patch the tank until i can find a good one in a JY or somewhere else for a good price. by the way where is the "Deep South"?
Storm-Chaser
New Member
Depending on where in the harness, the harness was cut - you're looking for two wires color-coded BR/O (Brown/Orange stripe) and BK (Black). Simply peel-open the harness where it was cut, count the number of wires and write-down the color-code combinations of the wires.
This is why an EVTM can prove very helpful. Not only does it contain wiring diagrams, it also includes tables cataloging the connectors and their placement, as well as black-and-white illustrations with the harnesses and connectors labeled.
More information to follow . . . .
This is why an EVTM can prove very helpful. Not only does it contain wiring diagrams, it also includes tables cataloging the connectors and their placement, as well as black-and-white illustrations with the harnesses and connectors labeled.
More information to follow . . . .
Storm-Chaser
New Member
AutoZone has a pretty decent *free* online vehicle repair guide, which includes many of the electrical diagrams.
Did I mention - IT'S FREE ! ! !
While not exactly verbatum, nearly all of the text and many of the illustrations are taken directly from the Ford/Helms Taurus Vehicle Service Manual and and EVTM (Electronics and Vacuum Troubleshooing Manual).
You will need to enter your vehicle, year, and engine type. Once entered, proceed as in the example for the 95 MTX below:
All of the above links are hot linked - so you can directly enter AutoZone's website from this thread.
Did I mention - IT'S FREE ! ! !
While not exactly verbatum, nearly all of the text and many of the illustrations are taken directly from the Ford/Helms Taurus Vehicle Service Manual and and EVTM (Electronics and Vacuum Troubleshooing Manual).
You will need to enter your vehicle, year, and engine type. Once entered, proceed as in the example for the 95 MTX below:
(1995 Ford Taurus 6 cylinders 182 Y 3.0L EFI DHOC SHO)
search the left column and click on the link:
search the left column and click on the link:
This will expand a drop-down menu, and you want to click on the first link in the left column, titled:
This will bring-up 10 vehicle-specific categories, under the title:
This will bring-up 10 vehicle-specific categories, under the title:
"Repair Guide
Ford Taurus/Sable 1986-1995 Repair Information"
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Ford Taurus/Sable 1986-1995 Repair Information"
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Covers all U.S. and Canadian models of Ford
Taurus, SHP [sic] and Mercury Sable
Taurus, SHP [sic] and Mercury Sable
- Click on the Chassis Electrical link
- then theWiring Diagrams link at the bottom of the list.
- Tab-down to the section for 1993 (starts with Illustration 35)
- and click on the reduced-image labeled:
Fig. 38: 3.0L SHO engine control wiring diagram-1993 vehicles
All of the above links are hot linked - so you can directly enter AutoZone's website from this thread.
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