hey guys my neighbor has a 1997 thunderbird that were gonna try to get back on the road it had been in a previous wreck and being an older couple didnt neceesarily want to fix it at the time but now shes decided to restore it and is paying me and a friend to do it.
my main question is where is the hook up for the obd2 scanner? i didnt feel it under the dash.
also when the car is running the rad fan wont come on nor will the ac come on any suggestions?
not sure what the mileage is on it
Hmmmm…what I think, based on your questions, is that you are already in over your head before you’ve even started.
If you are really going to do this get an actual Ford factory repair manual for the car. This will likely run about $120-150 and you can find them at www.books4cars.com Your local library might have such things as well.
At the very least spring $20 for a Haynes from an auto parts store. It will tell you about these things that you want to know.
I would recommend that the OP get the factory manual too, but there are more options than the $150+ cost for new. You can find quite a few used ones on ebay pretty cheap. Helminc.com is the seller for Ford factory service manuals. They now also offer subscriptions for monthly or yearly on-line access to the manuals.
i will try to get a manual and i found out the spot for the obd2 connector but what do you guys think is causing the fan not to turn on?
It’s not hot enough for the fan to come on (some cars have to be working really hard to get to that point-- on an old Buick Century I owned for years it came on exactly once, while climbing a hill in Death Valley in the middle of August), and it’s probably not coming on when the AC is on because it’s out of refrigerant.
The fan should come on regardless of temperature when the AC is turned on.
It could be the fan motor, the fan relays, a fuse, wiring, or a fault with the PCM.
Can you turn the fan freely with your hand (while the fan connector is disconnected, just in case).
The OBD-2 plug will be located along the bottom edge of the dash within a foot of the steering column…
the temp gauge gets to about 3/4 of the way up and the fan doesnt turn on and thats when i decided to shut it down to not risk over heating. and yes i can turn the fan pretty easily.
The fan should come at or before the half-way mark. Have you checked fuses and relays and wiring?
update: the fan finally came on but one thing concerns me about the car when fully warmed up it stays about 3/4 of the way up the gauge and the owner said its always ran like that since they bought it new.
also the ac is still not working i turn on the ac and the compressor doesnt respond
It could be that the gauge is reading incorrectly. You should measure the actual temperature.
As for the AC, check the system pressure first. If it’s empty, then the compressor won’t start. If it sat unused long enough, the seals may be ruined.
ok ill try to find a ac gaugue kit and if need be some freon