First let me say that any help or advise you can give me on this would be appreciated.  I am currently kinda stumped on how to proceed, and would appreciate any input you may have.

Let me start by saying I have an 1988 Ford Mustang Gt, with a 302 HO engine, and a T-5 Manual Transmission (other specifics listed below)

I had a problem with my T-5 Transmission and it had to be replaced, while I tried to locate a transmission I decided to work on other aspects of my car and some of its engine problems.  My car was running rich, but was idling fine prior to my replacing
the following parts:
       A new Heater Core and Core Hoses
       A New water pump and Thermastate
       New Bocsh (+4) spark plugs
       New wheel cylinders
       New disk brakes and spring kits
       new rotors on front and brake shoes
       New fuel pressure regulator
       New Fuel Filter
       New Radiator (to include hoses and cap)
       New Map Sensor
       New PCV Valve
       New Throttle Position Sensor
       New Throttle Air Bypass Valve and sensor
       New EGR Valve Gasket
       New Throttle Body gasket
       New clutch cable
       New speed release clutch quadrant (from UPR Products)
       New starter relay
       New Ignition coil
       All Fluids (Manuel Transmission Fluid/Oil/Radiator)
       When I bought my car it came with a Chrome Oil pan, BBK Chrome Headers, BBK cold Air Intake, Ford Racing Ignition wires, and Auto Meter gauges (fuel ratio and oil pressure) it also has already had its catalytic converter removed and the smog pump was disconected.  

       I got my transmission and put it in, and went to crank the car up and it would not start.  My fuel pump was not pumping and I could not get my inertia switch to go back down.   So I disconected my fuel pump from my inertia switch and conected the pump directly to the battery to see if it was malfunctioning but it ran fine.    I still have no idea why my fuel pump/inertia switch stopped working.  I had to run new wires directly to the battery for the fuel pump.   I tried to crank my car up again and it still would not start, I heard a hissing sound and discovered that one of my injectors was not getting a seal, I pulled the injectors and discovered the pental caps were bad, and one injector was stuck open , I then replaced all 8 injectors.   I tried to crank my car up again and it still would not start, this time knowing it was getting fuel to the engine.  I sprayed starter fluid into the throttle body, and it cranked up and it began idling but it was running at three thousand RPM'S.   I had no idea why it was idling so high and I backed my throttle adjustment all the way out and it was still idling at three thousand RPM'S.   One of my neighbors came over and suggested that I might have a vacume leak somewhere, However I checked all the hoses and could not find any leaks anywhere.  He unplugged my throttle air bypass valve, and my RPM's dropped down to two thousand RPM'S with my throttle adjustment still turned all the way down.   I went to drive my car, it runs fine, and seems like it has more horsepower than before, but I used close to $50.00 in gas (about 30-35 gallons) and only have traveled about 45 miles (an average of about 1.3 miles to the gallon).    Needless to say it is not just running rich, its running VERY rich.  I checked my Haynes repair manuel and I connected a volt meter and used a jumper wire to bridge the self-test connector to the signal return pin (as shown in the book pg 6-7).  Needless to say I got no reading from the volt meter at all ( after trying all three tests - Key On - Engine Off, Continous Memory, or Engine Running)    My neigbor advised me that I need to replace my computer system, however one of the people at Advance Auto Parts (where I got my parts from) advised me to just have my computer re-programmed.  I am quite broke over this just about, after putting about $3,500 into this car (from purchase to present) I don't understand how all these new parts could make it run richer than it did before, this is my 5th mustang, so I feel I know how to work on one pretty well.   I would appreciate any assistance I could recieve on this matter.   If you have any questions about this or inquirys about what else I have done, please feel free to contact me for further information.

Thank you for any assistance in this.

Sincerely,

Brandon Brown
StompNTies@AOL.COM

Have you tried to replace the fuel pump relay under the driver's seat?

I have had problems with theese in my 88LX.

I went to a picnic and my wife put a large drink cooler in the back seat on the driver's side. It fell over and emptied on the floor under the driver's seat where the "koolaid" shorted the switch out.  I also had to replace one in my brother-in-law's neighbor's 2001 TARUS. his car only had 65,000 miles on it.

there should be two plug-in's under the driver's seat one is for power seats I believe and is an open plug.  The other has a relay box on the end of it which is about one inch square and isn't nessesarilly mounted to anything.  Mine is on the end of about eight inches of loosewire.

The relay should only be $6.00 to $35.00 depending where you get it.  I paid $35.00 for the one in my 88LX and$6.00 for the one in the 2001 tarus. FORD will charge $65.00 +++ for the same part so pull out the relay and bring it with to your local part store.  If the price seems high get their part## and then call around and give the other partstores that # to crossrefrence becuase if the ford # don't cross the store# should. 

I hope this is of some help although it's long winded.

thanks

chrisjo01

sounds stupid but did you disconnect the battery, it helps the computer reset itself sometimes. its cheap and easy to try. also check o2 sensors, not sure if i saw if you repalced them or not, unfortunatly they are like 40 bucks a piece. other than that take of the idle piece what ever it is called on the side of the throttle body and take it apart and clean it with corb cleaner and to the same with mass air unit some time if thing get dirty they dont work right. hope these can help.  

first I would check the tps sensor and what volts are reading from there should read .099 volts I believe check your owner book , also bosh +4 plugs not sure about these if you have your old plugs put those back on or get some motorcrafts,also your fuel pressure make sure you have enough or maybe to much,under the seat change out the relay for the fuel pump this is a unexpensive part to buy, and last if nothing else works put your old parts back on one at a time and see if that will fix the problem you may have a defective part,check vacum hoses again, hope that helps good luck..