First I want to say thanks to all. We have a diagnosis. First the battery cables do not fit correctly (thanks Pete and Scott). Second during my pre-purchase inspection I noticed that the speedo cable was not attached. I told the previous owner that I wanted him to have it fixed before I bought the car from him. He had it fixed by a rank amateur. Turns out that his mechanic disconnected the Vehicle Speed Sensor(VSS)in the process of re-attaching the speedo. This was discovered by a friend of mine (a Mustang enthusiast) who was kind enough to spend an afternoon with my Contour. I had read other postings and links I've found here on the CEG and The VSS seems to be quite troublesome for this CD4E transmission. In the end I'm going to have paid $2150 for the car and whatever it costs to re-attach the cable for the VSS. It's still not a bad deal it just didn't feel that way at all It looks like my "Tourture" is over! Now I'll have more cash for the mods (and maintainence) I've had in mind. If I can just figure out why the e-brake won't engage and what that whining sound in the engine is I'm in business.
