Hello, I am having the same problem with 93 ford festiva. I have been working on this for weeks now. I have replaced the distributor, the coil, the ignition module, and the ECM and still no luck. Have you found anything? I would love to hear any ideas. I have gone through all the ignition tests in the book and they seem to take me in circles.
Just a shot in the dark here... is your timing belt ok? Does the distributor shaft rotate when you crank the engine with the cap removed?
Erik
I have a new timing belt and the distributor is rotating, but thank you for the idea, any more?
I'm not much of an automotive person, but, does the oil pressure sending unit cut off ignition if it thinks there is no pressure?
I really dont know, but that is something I could check on. Thanks for the thought.
No... from the factoryu, there is no "Murphy" switch activity from the oil pressure sender....
I would assume, with all of this stuff going on, that we are using a proper spark tester (this style
in article yC9bk.1707$1o6.300@edtnps83, Jim Warman at snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net wrote on 7/3/08 12:18 PM:
battery to ground ... straight line thinking they say don't go in circles.
he just has to trace it hot ... sometimes, and this is rare, the battery cable shows good character on the outside but the battery acid gutted it on the inside.
Change the battery hot cable ... and it get up and go ... the first thing to test on the way up to the ignition and then to the coil and then to the spark plug.
I have never had any problems showing a spark on a pull any plug ... but usually the number 1 sparkplug and reconnect into the appropriate sparkplug cable in this case of the discusion is number 1 ... touch it to the metal steel ground while cranking over ... voila it its aliveeeeee !!!
Or not.
No spark ... you just got a connection not connecting up ... make sure everything is plugged in, solid dry connection, clean, shiny, bright, freshly scraped of corrosion and crud ... from battery posts out. Sometimes it is just a film of oil that is breaking the electical flow.
Fords are notorous for REQUIRING ... all 6 cells of the battery to be up and hot ... for it to work properly. 5 cells of the battery, hot spark, not enough. Swap out your battery if it is off ... and go get something like Interstate that has real good battery warrenty if you are USA if you push a Ford around.
sumbuddie on da watchtower
:)
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
in article %tibk.1934$7%6.1269@edtnps82, Jim Warman at snipped-for-privacy@telusplanet.net wrote on 7/3/08 10:24 PM:
the learning curve is pretty flat at first, but it picks up after awhile.
try to be patient with your self.
Confusion is just a fear of knowing what is going on.
Love will take the fear away.
Just ask for it, and be open and willing.
If you are doing it right, love stings at first ... then later you get used to the sting.
This is purgatory you have to go through your pain to find your happiness here. I know it sucks, but that is how purgatory works.
sumbuddie where blind sea
:)
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
The engine was soaked in oil, so I will get some contact cleaner and go through the connections cleaning them all. I have checked all fuses and fusable links. I have also checked for voltage and grounds as per the wiring schematic. I have also replaced the PCM, distributor, ignition module, condensor, and the coil.
He started his holiday partying early.
Ok, I got some contact cleaner and opened all the connections and cleaned them out. I also cleaned the battery posts and verified the cells all had water. I have a good solid cranking action, I have fuel, but I still have no spark.
Is it possible the hall effect module could be bad or the gap between the module and reluctor is too wide. I'm shooting in the dark here because I don't know the Festiva Ign. system so I'm assuming thats how the coil is triggered.
Rick
I am sorry, I don't know what the hall effect module is or the reluctor. This car has an optical distributor with an electronic advance. With in the distributor, there is a small disk with 4 holes. This spins and when the light shines through the holes, it is supposed to send a signal to the PCM which in turn tells the coil to (via the ignition module) to send spark to the distributor. At least that is how I understand it. If anyone could shed some more light on that it would be great. Thanks, Steve
in article snipped-for-privacy@v26g2000prm.googlegroups.com, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com at snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote on 7/4/08 9:43 AM:
that is just so you can get a voltage meter ... and go from battery to ground.
trace out the wires ... from the postive battery post, to the selenoid, to the distributor to the ignition ... etc ... all suppose to be hot at all times or just certain times depending on engine operation.
for example turn the key to start ... the start wire to the selenoid is suppose to be hot, get a 12 volt reading on that wire. If the turn key ignition switch is hot from the battery, and hot to the selenoid once turned ... then that focus the question on why the distributor is not getting fire from the selenoid only.
Follow the hot wires guy. Battery to ground.
Get a volt/amp meter ... the wires must have continunity and not be broken, and they must be hot at the right times.
if your coil is hot wire going in ... and not hot going out ... then the grounding has to be off somewhere with the coil, or the coil is sick. Since you have a new coil ... then making sure the metal back plate of the coil is on fresh scratched metal of the fender wall where it is mounted.'
Just a little bit of rust can stop the flow of electrons.
Turbo Diesel Fords have a 115v DC kicking their glow plugs ... so switching them on and laying bare hand to them is going to HURT a LOT if you ever have to electrical fault one of them. Be very carefull with Ford Diesel Turbos.
sumbuddie wear blind sea
:)
in article snipped-for-privacy@a32g2000prf.googlegroups.com, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com at snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote on 7/4/08 11:49 AM:
The cells have to each get a hydrometer test to make sure they are each working and still alive ... the battery has to take a load test. With a voltage meter ... it will show 12 volts from post to post. Follow that hot
12 volts from the postive post ... to the starter, ignition switch, distributor, selenoid, and spark plugs.On a Ford ... good solid cranking action is not enough. All Fords require a fully functional battery with all cells going. This must be tested by a battery person who has the proper battery testing tools ... or you get the tools and test it your self. After that ... it is just battery to ground with a voltage meter for continunity of the wires ... and follow the juice.
Easy as pee eye eee.
sumbuddie wear blind sea
:)
in article snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Tim J. at snipped-for-privacy@usa.not wrote on 7/4/08 10:46 AM:
People stuck in their toddler tantrum are always lost.
If you have the wit for it, you can spot them every time no matter how much strategerie they have at hand to beguile you with their Grim Pills that pretend to make you better ... but just make you ill ...
Here have a Pill Grim ... see what it does.
:(
Not many are familiar with the Festiva.... me included... This is, basically, a Japanese car with a Ford badge....
One of our janitors has a Festiva.... When I see his hood up, I tend to run like hell in the other direction...
Hall effect, reluctor and optical are the three most evident "triggers" found in automotive use... My corporate server has absolutely nothing for a car this old.
So let's wing it... You have replaced just about every expensive part you can replace... You have checked for voltage and grounds as per the schematic (this gets me worried because I see how ":trained" guys can screw up electrical testing... ).
You have a new timing belt... when did that happen?
Stab a test light into the switched side of the ignition coil.... does the test light flash when the engine is cranked?
I wish I were "trained", I am just a guy trying to save some money on gas hoping to get this little car running. I am grasping for anything at this point. When I put the probe of a test light into the switched side of the coil, my light comes on and stays solid even when cranked. It does not flash. I bought the engine from "Foreign engines" and placed it in this car. The timing belt was examined at this point and determined to be a new belt as the writing had not yet been worn from the belt and the cogs were in new condition. I did not pull the belt, but I did pull the idler to check it's condition. Then it all went back together and into the car. The distributor is such that it can only go in one way. It has a horizontal bar vs a gear and the way that the mounting bolts are arranged, it only allows installation in one position. Also, the parts I have replaced were from a wrecking yard and thus their condition are not guaranteed good. Even that cost a lot though! Thanks again for all you help thus far. Steve
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