Festiva Death

[drddan]

Ok, Ok, Ok,
How can it be the module when i'm not getting spark TO THE MODULE? No power before it gets to the module. Power comes up thru the coil leads, to coil, then across the coil wire to distributor, where the module is located. Following that path, i'm getting 5.7 volts from the wire leads to the coil, no fire coming out of coil, BEFORE it gets to the distributor, where the module is located. It has to be something else, following the path that way. As in posts above, I have 3 coils, all checking in spec., and NOT GETTING FIRE OUT OF ANY OF THE COILS.
(sorry, but I was asked about the module like 6 times)
I cant see how it could be the module, if i'm not getting fire from the coil and not getting enough voltage to the coil. By process of elimination and following the power path, if power stops before the distributor, where module is located, then it will not be the module, as no spark is reaching the distributor/module right?
If someone can explain how it can be the module, when its not getting spark to the module, then I will be amazed and humbled! I welcome all ideas, but in my mind, it cant be the module, unless of course, there is something about the module that prevents the coil from firing and not getting enough voltage to coil, and that doesnt make sense to me.

[drddan]

POWER PATH: Starts at battery, to starter, to ignition switch, key switch, alternator, fuse panel, coil, distributor/module, and then to spark plugs.
Have I got that right?

[drddan]

Looking at fusable links now. Pulled the links and cleaning contacts, found I have intermittent short in 1 of the brown ones. Checking with meter for continuity, 1 of the brown ones when wiggled does not maintain continuity. Off to parts store for some cartridge type and see if thats it.

[drddan]

Alright. Tom came over and we did some more trouble shooting and didnt really get anywhere. Put in cartridge type fuse in place of links, still not starting. Gave up on it, sent to shop. Tom loaned me his 323 to drive to work. (Awesome Guy!) So, I guess i'll find out what it actually is tomorrow.

[GenevaDirt]

Pretty cool...nice one Tom.

If the car is turning over I am going with NO on the fusible links.

I am not great with diagnosing but could it be the ECU?

I believe you mean the ignition module, which is in the distributor on 88-89 models. I have no power coming out of coil, before it gets to the disitributor. As far as the engine cranking, that is the starter turning the engine. Does the MAIN fusable link have something to do with the starter? I would think that would not be related to the ignition system.

no...I meant the ECU, the cars computer , under the dash.

The middle fusible link ,if broken, will not let the car turn over at all.

How are you checking power out of the coil?

[drddan]

Geneva,
I think you got it with the ECM. The ECM is special order around here and takes 2 days to get in from parts store. I went ahead and put in it the shop to hopefully get it done quick, as I have Tom's car and want to return it as soon as possible. The mid link was ok, had one of the side brown links showing intermittent short, but was not the no start problem. Guess i'll find out if it was the ECM or what, tomorrow. Thank you all for the info....

[drddan]

How much?!

Took festy in to shop, just got off the phone with the guy, said it is crank position sensor in the disty. Wants $586 to fix it! F that! I asked how much I owe him at this point and he said $80. Told him I will be up with $80 bucks and I will pick it up, as is. I can get a disty for $151.99. How much mark up did he have on that part?!

[25Horseplay]

You can probably get a dist here used ALOT cheaper. but it wouldn't have any warrenty.

[25Horseplay]

Took festy in to shop, just got off the phone with the guy, said it is crank position sensor in the disty. Wants $586 to fix it! F that! I asked how much I owe him at this point and he said $80. Told him I will be up with $80 bucks and I will pick it up, as is. I can get a disty for $151.99. How much mark up did he have on that part?!

With most shops you can pretty much double the price of the part (they have to make money..........theives), then double it again for labor.

[eurotiva]

Module!!!!!!!!!........that's what everybody said!!!!!!!!!!. It would have been alot easier/faster to grab a dizzy and put it in there than to argue that it's not the module. The coil gets it's pulse signal from the module. The module has no "spark" that you speak of. So if the coil (which is such a simple resistor that it rarely goes bad), has no spark that points at the module, but go spend $80 to have a "professional" tell you. Sorry to rant I've just seen this happen to many times where someone doesn't listen to people that have had the same problem. This crap has been covered thousands of times. I hope you get it fixed. And sorry if I hurt any feelings.

[drddan]

^ Crap!
Greg, you didnt hurt my feelings! I'ma big boy, I can take it!
I know enuf to be dangerous when it comes to ignitions with sensors. I'm old school. And I dont always listen well. (Plus, I was under stress, makes it worse)
So, the "module" is the "crankshaft position sensor", is what you are saying ?
(I'm listening now!) I did not know that a bad module would not let the coil work, and really, no one said that, like you did, just now. Said module was bad. Not that it controlled the coil fire. If they had, I may have listened! I even asked about it. My thinking, though incorrect, was how could it be the module when no fire was getting to module. It is running now. I had ordered the distributor, but took time to get here, and I didnt really have that time, at the time.
I went up to the shop with disty in hand, put in on it about 15 minutes and drove off the lot! Thinking, they wanted to charge me almost $600 for that! 15 minutes work. I need to go out and check the timing, but I paid attention to position of old disty, put new one on in same position. Fired right up and drives good, so I got the timing really close as it is, but need to get out there with timing light, just to be sure.
I just got back from delivering Tom's 323 back to him. Dang, those B6's run good!
I'm planning on going to FL meet if I can make it, you can slap some sense into me then!:p

[freshtiva]

ignition module ?

It was the third post before the threads were merged. I had a couple extras if that was the problem.

[drddan]

Fresh, thanks for the offer! Is this something that is common on older Festy's?
Basically, I needed to fix it quik, as I needed to get my butt to work. So it was worth the $80 to find out for sure, so I could fix it. I'm out $250, price of disty and the $80. Still better than the $600, the guy wanted to charge. I got to work, thanks to Tom, its fixed and running, so all's well that ends well. I got a kick out of fixing it in 15 minutes in the guys parking lot and driving off with it!
(I know, if I had listened, I would have had it fixed yesterday, when the disty got here)

[eurotiva]

drddan. I'm just glad you got if fixed.

[freshtiva]

It was the problem on one I bought. The guy I bought it from was told by the Ford dealer that a new module would cost $180. The PO went out and bought another festiva thinking he could use the parts off of it to fix his but he bought a 91 and it didnt have his type of module on it. He gave up on them and sold the cars. I put a module on the original one and it ran fine. The module cost me $7.