FESTER WON'T START

[salemlight]

I just bought a 1989 Festiva L 1.3 fuel injected.. I got one week out of it before it died on me. It has new plugs, wires, distributor cap and button, fuel filter and air filter. The engine cranks over but will not fire. It is getting fuel and has spark.. I checked the timing belt and it is ok. When it was running, it had a surging problem and used a tank of gas in one day and got about 70 miles. Checked all the wires and nothing was wrong.. Does anybody have a clue as to what is going on with Fester...

[25Horseplay]

Maybe a bad fuel pressure regulator if it used a tank in a day. Could have caused the plugs to foul.

[getitqwik]

MAF wiring is not completely connected, wires are not making full contact!!

[gdawgs]

There is no way a festiva engine can run 10 gallons of gas through itself in only 70 miles. There are only a few vehicles that can boast a low mileage of 7 mpg, a Festiva could never run this way. I'll bet you have a pretty significant fuel leak somewhere and your fuel pressure is so low that the injectors won't fire.

[salemlight]

can't find any fuel leak,,,,,no puddles anywhere,,,,,,,,,,going to try to pinch off the return line on the fuel pressure regulator and see if it starts that way,,,,,,,,,,,only thing is,,,,,,,,,,,i have no clue where it is????
anybody else have any ideas??????????

[gdawgs]

That gas has to be going somewhere(and like I said it can't be going through the engine). If it was burning that much gas(assuming the engine could run that rich) you would know it because there would be a black cloud behind your car that would be so thick you wouldn't be able to see more than 2 feet past the bumper.

I'd have to take a look, but I'm not sure you can pinch off the return lines. If I remember correctly they are steel lines running from the injection manifold all the way back to the tank. Maybe there is a small section of hose you could pinch off.

[gdawgs]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe technically, Festivas do not have MAFs, only Aspires do.

Festivas(fuel injected models) have an air flow sensor and intake air temp sensor all bundled into one sensor which is located in the air filter box.

Aspires have a MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor which is the black module mounted right in front of the throttle body and a separate air intake temp sensor which is located in the air box.

I have seen several posts regarding MAFs on Festivas. Perhaps people are using the two terms interchangeably.

Essentially a MAF and the air flow sensor do the same thing, they just do it in different ways.

[getitqwik]

on 1993 and earlier Festivas EFI the air flow is incorporated with the intake air sensor you are correct. I am sorry but most people do confuse the two. The point is still the same., the electrical connection actually the ends in the part that hold the wires, slips at some of the individual ends and cause many problems people try to correct by other means. I am not a PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC so I may have mixed the names, I however do have 38 years experience working on all aspects of car repairs not in A PROFESSIONAL SHOP and I do look information up I am not familiar with. You just tell them what to check and all is fine, but I tried to point out what the real problem has been for me in the 25 or thirty Festivas I have brought from the dead. By the way 1994 and later Festivas I BELIEVE have MAF. I was telling how to solve the problem without running the electrical tests.

[salemlight]

Just found out that i am NOT getting spark to the plugs,,,,,,, i have spark from the coil,,,,,,,,, but not to the plugs, going to find a Ignition Module in a local junk yard since Advance auto want 125.00 for it,. i'll let you know how it goes

[jeffdjeffd]

before you get too carried away, just to let you know:
I have had brand NEW caps and rotors that were bad. You might try replacing those again with a better quality if you have no spark.

The cheapies at autozone and advance suck!

good luck,
jeff

[getitqwik]

"When it was running, it had a surging problem and used a tank of gas in one day and got about 70 miles. " More than likely NOT CAUSED BY IGNITION MODULE!!!! Other no start problems yes. Driveability after start is USUALLY NOT ignition module problems. Most good auto parts stores will test the ignition module for you...ie , Pepboys, Autozone and some Advance Auto high volume NAPA Dealers. The quoted part of the problem above leads me back to the AIR-FLOW connection problem I stated earlier. Please let me know. Don't just buy parts without performing the tests, you waste a lot of money. I always like to learn.

[salemlight]

i checked the connections like you said and they was fine,,,,,pulled the boot back and pushed them all forward,,still no start,,,,,,,then i took the cap and button off and had my wife crank it over and i sounded like it wanted to start, then i had then rotor button check with a volt meter and it was fine,,,,it's getting fuel so that rules out the mass air flow,,i checked the book and only other thing that i shows for cranking but won't start is the coolant temp. sending unit, which my fan doesn't work anyways.

[gdawgs]

I agree with getitquik on the ignition module.

I'd double check spark that you are getting spark at all four cylinders.

If you are getting spark then verify that all the wires are going to the correct cylinders.

After that, I'd still test the fuel pressure. I'm still betting on that.

[Guest]

just did this dignostic not 10 minutes ago. No fan, uses too much gas when push started, no starter.. when jumped it just spins... ignition module, Messed with it a bit and viola everything fired up.. now we need a replacement.

[getitqwik]

Some ignition modules require dielectric grease on back of part before screwing down!!!!! This prevents shorts and vibration problems causing static electricity which can wipe it out!!! You just keep that Fester going but remember.....