Will Not Start

[krbballer]

Yesterday I jacked up the entire car, put it on blocks and took each of the wheels off. I sand blasted the wheels and spray painted them with appliance spray paint. Supposedly the epoxy paint is scrubbable. I put the tires back on later during the night, but went to start the car this morning and it wouldn't start. It cranked, but it wouldn't turn over. Not even a little bit of starting and stalling, just cranked only.

I'll try the fuel cut-off switch that I have read about on this forum tonight, but any other suggestions? I don't have the internet at my house, so what ever you guys can recommend I'll try tonight and report the findings tomorrow.

Its a 1988 Festiva L, 4-speed manual, 160,000 miles. I've only owned it for about 2-3 weeks, but has always started very easily for me during that time.

[scottxd45]

Out of gas? Check that you are getting spark and that there is fuel getting to the carb.

[benms79]

i also have a 88 l carb. also had the same prob.last week, ended up being the fuel pump. put a new one on and started right up.

[krbballer]

Full/near full tank, I filled up about 50 miles ago. I was also doing some google searching for festivas and found this craigslist add for an 88 festiva with a 1.6L mazda engine upgrade. http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/car/758336357.html The photo of the engine looks identical to my engine. As far as I can remember, that's exactly what it looks like. I just changed the PCV valve so I'm nearly positive. So maybe the festiva I just bought has the engine swap? Can anyone confirm that the engine in the photo really is the mazda engine? I just assumed mine had the original festiva engine when I bought it ($650). Everytime I saw photos of other engines on here, there's looked different, but I just assumed it was because theres was a newer version (mines an 88L with 4 speed manual). So if mine did have the swap done, any suggestions for getting it started with a 1.6L mazda engine?

[m715]

Carburated engines did not have the fuel cut off switch. The 1.6 and 1.3 engines look the same as they are both the same 8 valve Mazda engine with a different bore/stroke. I would check to see if you have fuel at the carb. The fuel at the pumps right now is of such poor qulity that I have had some problems getting my cars to start right now too. There may be nothing wwrong at all with the car, the fuel filter may be clogging up, the alcohol they are adding to gas may be eating our rubber parts up in the fuel system..........and so on.
Don't get discouraged
HTH

Michael

[Omgloltokyodrift]

That engine doesn't look like the first generation B-Series. The oil fill cap is placed differently, and the valve cover looks different. If it IS what I think it is, he's running the CA spec B6 from the BG chassis 323, SOHC 16V (seeing how the car IS in California).

His B6:


A stock B3 (same valve cover for the first generation B6):

[krbballer]

Man, I wish I had seen that last post about no fuel cutoff switch about 1hr ago. I just took the entire back half of the car apart looking for it. Obviously found nothing. At least I know it's not there though. But the good news is, I found the problem. I had attempted to switch out the fuel filter last night and must have knocked off a little wire. I reattached the wire, and she fired up immediately. No cranking what-so-ever, just instantly started.

This is also my first manual, I've always had an automatic, so I just taught myself how to drive it. So, I have a post on here also about a problem I was having that the car would buck after switching gears and accelerating. Well, the new fuel filter fixed it. She runs extremely smooth now. New tires, pcv valve, air filter, fuel filter (~$100).

[m715]

Yours is a fuel injected engine in the picture you posted. All my carb cars look just like the Craigslist picture in my 88&9 cars. I dont know what you are saying about the oil fill. Even the new B3 crate engines I have bought from FMS are where those are. The pic just shows a Stant brand replacement cap on the Cal car, and he has rerouted the intake hose under the grille.

Michael

[m715]

That's great news! I think you will find that barring a few exceptions, these cars can run on a little of nothing mechanically, and for the most part are simple to work on.
Michael

[Omgloltokyodrift]

Okay, here is a carbureted B3 Festiva. This is user "93 Ford Festiva93"'s picture. I'm still digging through the Photo Gallery for better shots of the carbureted engines. Through junkyard research, I noticed that the carbureted engines were identical to the fuel injected counterparts, with the exception of vacuum lines and intake manifolds...

The oil fill cap is closer to the front of the car and slightly more to the center, verses the red Festiva with the B6 swap.






The red Festiva has at least a valve cover swap (pretty sure the whole engine is swapped), it does say Mazda on it (under the intake). And your guys' cars' shouldn't have the same valve cover. They should have the earlier valve cover like on mine, and 93 Ford Festiva93's car.



Can both of you guys post a picture to verify?

[m715]

I just PM'd Nate to see what he thinks, but it looks to me like the same setup on my carb cars with B3's. I have 3 of the stock type, and one with a crate engine, and a K&N air cleaner on it. I can take pics if you would like of them. I have the Taurus here right now, and the 90 FI car at the shop, the others are at home today. Nate has a B6 in Skeeter, and may be able to see what you are saying about the valve cover.

Michael

[skeeters_keeper]

krbballer - can you post a pic of your engine?
the valve cover on the red car was not available on any festiva model in the US... it looks like a late model B6 VC, but they weren't available carb'd in the US (except maybe the California variant?), or maybe JDM import. But looking at quaddawg's JDM carby it has the same VC as festiva's and early B6's, so i'm not sure on that.

The VC's are interchangeable b3+old B6 and the newer roundish B6 (they are both 8v heads), so perhaps someone stripped a bolt in your stock VC and just grabbed one from a newer B6.

two things to look for: if the VC says mazda on it, its at least not a festiva VC, perhaps not a festiva engine. then, look for the engine code stamped on the block (its on a "leaf" that sticks out of the block near the head/block joint) it will say what engine you have, b3/b6.