1989 Ford Tempo Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 1989 Ford Tempo covers a single engine, the naturally aspirated 2.3L OHV inline-four on gasoline, fitted to the four-door sedan and the two-door sedan across five trims: AWD, GL, GLS, LX and Sport. The book's procedures, specifications, torque values, wiring diagrams and diagnostics are therefore written once for the 2.3L engine and then qualified only where a trim differs, which in practice means the AWD driveline.

Engines covered

• 2.3L inline-four (140 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 4-door sedan
• 2-door sedan

Trims covered

• AWD
• GL
• GLS
• LX
• Sport

Known issues on the 1989 Tempo. A single recall is on federal record for this model year: the ignition switch can develop an internal short circuit, and that can bring overheating, smoke and possibly fire to the steering column area. Owners have submitted 155 complaints to NHTSA, and engine and engine cooling and the electrical system tie for the largest group, with seat belts third. Because the recall and the two largest complaint groups all run through the car's electrical side or its cooling system, the manual's wiring diagrams, ignition switch procedures and cooling diagnostics for the 2.3L engine are the relevant reference.