1.9L Escort interference engine?

[blkfordsedan]

As promised, a post-fix report.........

They did a leak-down test and all the cylinders checked out good. They installed the new timing belt and tensioner assy, along with a new water pump. Total bill was $377. I thought it was plenty for something I could have done myself, but I probably about what regular "civilians" pay for auto repair and I had no way of getting the car 45 miles back home to work on it myself. I can live with it.

So....it was 8*F today with -30* windchill and everything is covered with 1" of ice and 5" of blowing/drifting snow. I had driven my 2WD F250 to work today (not a good snow vehicle), so I figured I'd bum a ride from a co-worker after work, pick the Tracer up from the repair shop and drive it home instead. I started the 45 mile drive home, and at the first stop, the car died. I started it up and drove another few miles to the next stop. It died again, then I noticed the "battery" idiot light was staying on all the time. I drove it back to the office and parked it in the lot. Then, I drove my 2WD F250 to the closest gas station, bought 8 sand bags to throw in the back, and headed home disappointed.

[takeone51]

did they forget the serp belt?

[blkfordsedan]

did they forget the serp belt?

No, I'm not sure what the problem is. I haven't been able to spend much time on it yet, but I drove it a couple blocks to the closest O'Reilly's and had them hook up the charging system tester. It had 12.6V at the battery with the car off and 14.6V with it running. The alternator output was 45 Amps @ idle with no accessories on and all the diodes checked out good. It cranks & starts easily, so the issue does not seem to be with the battery or alternator. While testing it, I did find a vacuum leak in the PCV tube which may be the cause of the stalling when idling. I'm going to try adding a ground strap between the battery & body first. I suspect it's something very simple that will be a real pain to track down!