Let me start by saying all in all I really like the car. I also should mention this is the first time I have ever asked for help diagnosing a car. I have always helped others, this is the first car that has me stumped. It is a 95 with 134,000 miles, and is a base model 2.5L. Mostly the car runs and drives like new. However intermittently a TCS, and relay issue come into play. It usually starts with the TCS off light coming on for a second while the car misfires, then goes away. However after a few of these, it starts to get worse. I know when it is worsening because before the TCS light flashes, the CEL will flash. And I truly mean flicker, not come on then off, but a split second flicker. So the CEL will flicker, then The TCS off light comes on for a split second while missing, then back to normal. However as you continue to drive this gets to a rolling point where it is flickering 3 times per second or more. It keeps getting worse and worse til the engine dies and the radiator fans come on.
Once this begins it will not get better until the car is shut off for a while. When this flickering happens it will happen at idle or anytime, so I have been trying to chase it when I get a chance. When the lights are in flicker mode, relays are clicking all over under the hood. Both radiator fan relays cycle back and forth, while all abv solenoids, vris solenoids, and even fuel pressure regulator solenoid is cycling on and off, til the engine finally dies and the fans come on. If the key is left on after the vehicle dies, I can wait 10 minutes and try to restart it, and the relays will begin clicking before the car even starts if it even will. However if I shut the car off with the key for 30 seconds, the cycling relays will not begin for a couple minutes and seem to be completely related to the length of time the car was shut off for. I have attempted to disconnect the cycling relays, but it does not stop killing the engine in the same way, and I cannot disconnect all because as I mentioned all the electronic vacuum actuators are cycling as well. A very interesting detail is that if I disconnect something as to throw a permanent code and leave the CEL on, when the issue begins, it will begin by turning the CEL off for 2 seconds before the TCS off comes on for a second, then off again while the CEL comes back on. No codes are ever left by themselves except on occasion when I let it get real bad trying to track it down, then all I get is the random misfire P300.
This car has a brand new distributer, cap, rotor, wires and spark plugs. I have replaced all relays in the main fuse box under the hood, including the main relay which makes most sense to me in this case. I have traced all the vacuum lines, and all are in tact, I also had a shop check the vacuum, and they claimed all was well. I am just not sure what has the power to shut off power to the fans, and computers intermittently other than the main relay. And the craziest part is that they cycle back and forth, some turn off, then when they are at rest, the other are clicking, so it literally clicks back and forth under the hood. And specifically back and forth between the two fans, one then the other, than the one again. This has been driving me crazy, please, please, please, can anyone point me in the right direction?