Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Well...it's almost time to burry the Contour...

Thing is, the correct wire isn't that much more expensive... 3/10ths of a cent per foot for 18AWG wire (based on 1000' roll pricing from Waytek Wire).

OTOH, we're talking about a company that likes to take out $1 lightbulbs and sockets to save money on a car...

I think you guys are overlooking a more likely possibility on the source of the wiring fiasco. I'm thinking the vendor that supplies the wire decided to use a slightly cheaper wire for their own benefit, rather than what Ford spec'd out for the car.

Seriously, you think Ford decided, "OK, for the Contour & Focus, lets use this cheaper wire, but all our other cars will get properly spec'd wire. Nobody will ever notice."

Considering the cost savings VS the potential liability, a company like Ford would not even consider it - management or otherwise. A small supplier of harnesses or wire vendor for that harness manufacturer might do something like that to churn that extra buck because that savings would have a real impact on their bottom line - new boat for the boss time.

I can just hear the wire salesman now, "Oh, yeah. That wire is the same as the spec calls for, you'll see. It's exactly the same, just a diffent label on the spool. We put that 'LIGHT DUTY ONLY' sticker on it just to keep one of our old computer component clients happy. Don't worry about it."

In that case, why didn't Ford inspect the materials the vendor was using in the wiring harnesses?

There is a big, noticeable difference between the two types of insulation. And even then, if you can't tell, a high-tech piece of test equipment known as a cigarette lighter can be used to test whether the insulation is the correct type.

I believe I mentioned this in one of your other posts, but it sounds like a classic TPS problem. You can take the part off and ohm it out. All it is a large variable resistor (pot).

As recently as a number of months ago, the Ford Focus was having problems with the wiring causing fires....so it looks like Ford still hasn't learned..........

I think it's because the wiring harnesses were designed in Europe. I don't know about the Focus, but the Contour uses some strange in-line connectors not found on any other Ford vehicle. I'm talking about those round-pin terminal connectors with the individual wire seals found all over the car (like the ones used for the precat oxygen sensors, the ones used to connect the fuel injection harness to the computer harness, etc). No other Ford vehicle that I've seen uses them.

I believe they were made in Germany