1996 Cougar 4.6; seen 22OCT23

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Only here for about an hour. Need anything, tell me asap please.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Carefully remove that Instrument cluster, radio bezel, shifter knob and shifter cover trim! Those are keepers! I'd be interested in all of it. PM Me a price and let's talk!

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

See PM.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Piece over PCM.

My car doesn't have this. 97s don't, or did someone take it from my car and forgot to put it back?

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

...or rather, area below PCM.

 

[theterminator93]

Behind the kick panel? Yeah, mine still has it.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Behind the kick panel? Yeah, mine still has it.

I need to look in there again. My PCM loosely sits on its harness. It can't be right.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Mine looks like this:



Do your all's sit higher up?

Also, that white plastic piece there, apparantly it should be screwed to the sheet metal? Mine is loose. What type/size bolt is that? I forgot to check when I was at the junkyard.

 

[XR7-4.6]

The plastic piece is supposed to hold the PCM up in place, so yeah that's definitely not right

 

[Grog6]

That reminds me; I need to tell Habbe to bolt his back in; it never got bolted in after I replaced it, lol

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

The plastic piece is supposed to hold the PCM up in place, so yeah that's definitely not right

I'll fix it...

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

...is it just that one bolt, or are there more?

 

[Grog6]

I think there are two, and I fairly sure they're 8mm heads
It being a 1997, that's a good sign it's been replaced. You might want to look and see what the original catch code is on that eec, but it's unlikely to match the sticker on the pass fender, at the hood gasket. FTE1 was one of the more common fails.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I'm reading the workshop manual: removal/installation of the PCM. It pictures the white plastic bracket and two bolts; however, for removal it just says to pull the PCM downward. No mention of removing the bolts.

So...I guess it's supposed to be loose?!

I'll look at it tomorrow.

 

[XR7-4.6]

Technically I think you're supposed to be able to push the PCM towards the firewall and it'll drop down past the bracket, but in practice it fights you like hell because the bulky harness is resisting your effort, I always unbolt the bottom bolt of the bracket instead.

It's not supposed to be loose either, someone for whatever reason accessed your PCM for something in your cars past.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Back where it belongs.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

By the way, this was the only marking on the unit, though I believe there was a label on the other side at one point which has fallen off.

Does this mean anything to anyone?

 

[XR7-4.6]

Remanufactured, for some reason your PCM was replaced in the cars past

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I guess after 26 years I can't blame the car for having a past.

 

[XR7-4.6]

It's curious though, I remember when you first got your Bird it had the Cougar bezels on the dash portions only, before you changed the others to match. It always made me think the whole dashboard had been changed for some unknown reason, I don't see any logical correlation to the two things but the PCM is certainly easier to access with the dash removed. I know my car had a past with some of the things I've found but a few of them completely confound me, I want to know lol

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I want to know lol

Tell me about it; I wish I could interview the first owner.

Yes, my car came with a few oddities. The windshield also doesn't appear original. But there are no indications at all of a front end collision.

Hey, as long as everything works I'm happy.

 

[Derphound01]

Windshieds get replaced all the time. Rock chips turning to cracks, sandblasting from bad pavement, you name it.