Originally posted by vlad:
3 areas where i'm currently having weird problems.

1)my speed shows +10mph of what the actual speed is.
need help to fix it.

2)all the time when i start the car it takes 3 crancks (doesn't matter if its cold or warm outside)
while holding the ignition in start
- this concerns me the most. what can be the cause? brand new spark plugs have been installed. is it ignition related?

3)and the rpm seem to be way high comparing with the
, and the fuel economy is pretty bad in 5th gear on highway!
like 24miles/gallon

help



1> Check the tire size. If it is correct, the speedometer head has probably lost calibration. Of course, if your speedometer is reading incorrectly, any fuel mileage calculation you have performed is inaccurate. You can easily check the accuracy of your speedometer on any interstate highway using the mile markers and a watch with a sweep second hand. Just maintain a steady 60-mph speed and time the exact amount of time for travelling between each milepost. A correctly indicating speedometer will cause each mile to take exactly 60 seconds. A ten mile trip will give you a very accurate assesment of how close your speedometer actually is (or isn't).

2> Might be fuel delivery problem or air intake problem.

a> Crack the throttle 1/4 way before cranking. If this solves the hard starting, service the IAC.

b> Cycle the ignition switch 3-5 times from OFF to RUN then back to OFF again before hitting the START postiotion. If it starts reliably after doing this, you have a fuel pressure problem. If this makes no difference, run the codes and see if you have any CID-related error codes stored. A faulty CID will interfere with correct injector timing and can cause multiple hard start attempts.

3> "Way high" is not exact enough to describe the function of the tach. Use the exact displayed numbers for idle speed and for certain indicated (on the speedometer) speeds. In any event, the only way to know for certain if it is incorrect is to measure the actual engine speed with a known accurate tach such as a shop tach or an aftermarket add-on.

BTW, what brand of spark plugs were used? While they are unlikely to be causing your immediate symptoms, some plugs are definately better than others when it comes to proper fit and to long, trouble-free life in the Contour engine.

Steve

98 Contour SE Sport 2.5 Duratec ATX The wifey's car 89 Taurus SHO - 246K miles 94 SHO ATX - 190K 1997 F-150 5.4L ATX - The Workhorse 150K. ANY THREAD WITH "OMG" or "WTF" ETC IN THE TITLE WILL BE IGNORED!