festiva won't fire up

[Big Dan]

my 1988 ford festiva won't fire up even with starter fluid (changed coil , changed ignition module in distributor ), and only my headlights work , any ideas ?

[1990new]

I've never owned a carb Festiva, but have owned several other vehicles which had carbs. My opinion from what you have stated is that you are not getting a spark at all or the spark is no happening at the right time. Are you getting combustion in any cylinder when the engine is turning over?

[WmWatt]

"fire up"? assume from what you wrote that the starter is working and the engine is turning over. I have the carburetted model. I have to pump the accelerator to prime the carburettor after it's been sitting for a few days. It has a mechanical fuel pump which runs off a lobe on the camsahft so if the engine is turning over it should be pumping gas. The usual test for spark is to remove one of the spark plug wires and hold it 1/4" from ground while turning the engine over. I seem to recall tying a spark plug wire so it's 1/4" from a bolt on the strut tower so I could see any spark while turning the engine over from the driver's seat. Keep us posted.

[Big Dan]

I have tried it with starting fluid , nothing , I read on another post that it could be the main fuseable link , going to check that tomorrow , thanks for the input !!

[1990new]

I have tried it with starting fluid , nothing , I read on another post that it could be the main fuseable link , going to check that tomorrow , thanks for the input !!

If the main fusible link is broken in an efi car you would not get power to the ignition switch so you would be unable to activate the starter... I assume that is also true of a carb car.

The following things are needed to make a gasoline internal combustion engine run: Fuel, oxygen (air), compression and a spark occurring when a cylinder is charged with the air fuel mixture and the piston is at the top of the cylinder on the compression stroke. A diesel engine require all of the above except the spark but the compression pressure must be much greater.

Timing is critical to make sure everything is happening at the right time. You timing belting could be broken (valves not opening and the distributor not turning at all), your timing belt jumpped a cog or two, or your crankshaft keyway worn to the point where the timing gear is so much out of position that timing cannot be maintained.
Timing getting out of whack also prevents correct compression because your intake and exhaust valve are not opening at the right time.

Or if the belt and timing is ok you could have a problem inside your distributor and it's position linking to the camshaft.