someone bought this car new off the lot, drove it for 40,000 miles then let it sit up until January of 2005-
someone bought it in January of 05 drove it until March of 05 and the engine quit-
He had MV Performance put a new stock motor, 4.10 gears, new clutch, short shifter, calibration unit for the shifter and gears, moved the battery to the trunk, and a few other modifications-
He traded the car in October 05 and I got it-
So I bought an Immaculate condition car that registered 45,000 miles that had a new motor with 5,000 miles on it-
About 1 month after purchasing it I started having alternator like problems-
One day at work it wouldnt start, I got a jump off-
Some days the lights would dim out and then come right back-
Then it got to where while just sitting at a stop light it would register that it was running hot, the speedometer would jump, the battery light would come on, etc., but if I turned on the air conditioner it would come back to normal.
Then it quit starting all together, It is a manual transmission so we would pop the clutch to start it...
Then the last straw, we were at a stop sign, the guages went crazy, we turned on the airconditioner and it didnt work, we reved up the engine and it all went back to normal- when we got home that night and put it in the garage- it started smoking from inside the console---around the emergency brake area--
My husband is an Automotive Electrical Tech, and Diesel Mechanic and this car has him stumped-
We found that that calibration unit wiring was fried so he unhooked that, but the car was still smoking--
It seems as if maybe the starter went bad, but he thinks that something shorted out and messed up the starter--
Also when they moved the battery, they grounded it to the body by means of the taillight connection-which he thought was wrong, so he moved the battery back up front, and still no luck-
He doesnt have the schematics for the car so he has no reference-
ANY IDEAS??
We are both mustang freaks-
He has owned 3 and this is my 6th one--
Had some doosies, but never anything like this!!
The entire car is showroom condition including the motor, but it sure is making me wonder-
By the way I have every receipt ever put into this car-
Perhaps a previous owner added a computer chip, reprogrammed the computer or it could be going bad. If the owner has removed the computer it could have a shorted wire, bent prong in the connector or maybe the connector is not seated right or a prong or two that has corrosion.
Good luck, it sounds like a tuff set of issues. BTW, the 98 is considered by many as the Cobra that Ford finally got right after issues with the 96-97 models.
Last edited by 00vert54x; 12-19-2005 at 04:46 PM.
Reason: spelling
Sounds like a mess. Why would a 98 need a "calibration unit" for gears when the only thing that needs to be changed is the speedo gear in the trans so the speedo reads correctly? Also, installing a short shifter does not require any sort of "calibration". What is this "calibration unit" you mention? When you say "new stock motor" do you mean new 98 4v or is it a new motor from another year? Also, stock 98 Cobra motors will run 150,000 - 200,000 miles no problem. What happened to the original motor that it needed to be replaced b4 50,000 miles? What it sounds like to me is this ?MV Performance? did a sh#ty job and the guy unloaded it soon after. Let the buyer beware.
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98 SVT Cobra Black/Black - Griggs Racing GR40 system w/ Koni D/A coilovers F/R, T56 w/ AlumFly&Shaft, Pro-5.0 w/ JRoush Shifter handle, 4.10's, KBrown Extreme Matrix System, Magnaflow X w/ MagnaPac dumps, JLT CAI, FRiver Power Steering Rack&Shaft, Miezer Electric Water Pump, Steeda SFI Crank Pulley, Taylor 10.5mm wires & Autolite 764, EradiSpeed+ F/R w/Steel Lines Hawk+, Plasma Booster, Toyo RA1, etc.
The new motor is a stock 98 just like they pulled out of the car-
I was told that the man who originally bought the car let it sit up for so many years without as much as starting it once, then the second owner drove it home from there (florida) to home (georgia) and drove it consistently as an everyday ride--thats why the motor went out--
That really sucks, I feel your pain. That body stlye is way better than the 99-04 IMO. Well if it helps any a Haynes manual has all the wiring schematics, its a book you can buy at most auto parts store for like $15. Trust me its the best $15 you will spend if you do your own work. Good luck!
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DHG #01434 Bullitt - full JLT intake, MGW shifter, Accel coils (I wish I had 4.10s, o/r H, tune)
Black 89 LX(the drag car) best 8.75 at 80 mph in the 1/8
97 Mountaineer V8 AWD
My 98 Cobra has a speedo gear in the OEM T-45 trany and if memory serves it was the 99+ Cobra that had the electronic control. In this case I think DM is incorrect. Call Them. Maybe the problem started with the calibration unit due to improper application on a 98 Cobra and caused "fried wires" which produced a domino effect with the rest of the electronics. In my opinion take that crap out, you already have, and return the computer back to OEM Ford and then try to diagnose the problem. Again a short shifter & gears requires no calibration other than a speedo gear for the gears. And get that book. If you must, take it to a Ford dealer.
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98 SVT Cobra Black/Black - Griggs Racing GR40 system w/ Koni D/A coilovers F/R, T56 w/ AlumFly&Shaft, Pro-5.0 w/ JRoush Shifter handle, 4.10's, KBrown Extreme Matrix System, Magnaflow X w/ MagnaPac dumps, JLT CAI, FRiver Power Steering Rack&Shaft, Miezer Electric Water Pump, Steeda SFI Crank Pulley, Taylor 10.5mm wires & Autolite 764, EradiSpeed+ F/R w/Steel Lines Hawk+, Plasma Booster, Toyo RA1, etc.
gr40, there is no CORRECT speedo gear for anything about 3.55s
using a speedo gear with 4.10 will give a false speedo reading, and still add "extra" miles to the car.
i don't see how a speedcal would affect any of her problems.
sounds like a bad ECM to me.
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1998 SVT Cobra #4941 of 5174 built on June 19,1998
4.30s, Speedcal, WMS CAI, Pro 5.0 shifter, Sniper Tuner, March pulleys, Mac O/R H pipe, Flowmaster orig. 40's, King Cobra clutch, D/S rotors, FRPP 9mm's, Max. Motorsports C/C plates, Termy front control arms, H&R SS springs, MM solid steering rack bushings, Tokico HP struts and shocks, Mac subrames, HID Bi-Xenon 6000k kit, Saleen 18" wheels, Saleen S-281 spoiler, sequential tails
Up Next: Termi diff, 31 spline Axles, LPW girdle, MM LCAs
Major problems 98 SVT Cobra 
Why would a 98 need a "calibration unit" for gears when the only thing that needs to be changed is the speedo gear in the trans so the speedo reads correctly? Also, installing a short shifter does not require any sort of "calibration". What is this "calibration unit" you mention? When you say "new stock motor" do you mean new 98 4v or is it a new motor from another year? Also, stock 98 Cobra motors will run 150,000 - 200,000 miles no problem. What happened to the original motor that it needed to be replaced b4 50,000 miles? What it sounds like to me is this ?MV Performance? did a sh#ty job and the guy unloaded it soon after.
Let the buyer beware.
