88 Festiva - Tons of issues

[FestYboy]

first gen 323 clusters can be swapped in but you have to move some wires around on the connectors.

lets focus on getting your engine right first, then we'll get on to the fancy stuff.

[ideas]

ok, so start out by getting the correct plugs, the Shifter Bushing then replace them.

also am gonna upload some pics of inside the hood, later

[ideas]

newly updated pics

no muffler pan - maybe that's why its loud


all wiring on the rear window


unconnected wiring




unconnected wiring near the alternator area


above the rock n pinon




at the firewall


left side


air filter compartment






look at the carb - tell me what type i have














why are these pipes cut off and closed




other places

[hofficergrover]

I will get you some pics of mine in the morning.

[scitzz]

Quick scan tells me a couple things.

Vacuum lines are missing. Should be plugged at the least. Best to re route when the pics are up.

Wrong spark plug wires.

Heater hoses are hooked up. As someone else pointed out, blowing through the dash vents won't give heat. Only floor and defrost provide heat. Does the fan blow?

The light problem sounds like a weak alternator, and that is the track festyboy is on.

There are kits sold for after market conversion to rear window defrosters. That is another option.

Fixing the heat problem MIGHT fix the fogging up problem. I asked above, does the fan blow?

Tired as heck right now....

[ideas]

the fan blows very well

[batstiva]

Looks to me like a previous owner tried to take out most of the emissions control systems. If done right (like mine) the car will run like a champ. If done wrong (seems to be the case here) you will have the problems you are having. I ran into a guy locally who tried to take out all his emissions stuff, and his car runs, but stalls, idles badly, blah, blah, blah. We are supposed to be getting together, putting the two cars side by side, and seeing what is different. Why mine runs great, and his runs like crap. I would like to be able to take credit for the work on mine, but it was done when I bought it. And not by the guy I bought it from, but from another previous owner.

FWIW, sounds like some new shocks/struts are in order. And definitely tighten up that nut under the ford emblem on the steering wheel.

Oh, and welcome to FF.COM!!!:cheers:

[91_festy_Gl]

Im not to up to date on carbed festys but those 4 plugs that you had in your hand near the wiper motor, 2 are test plugs are far as I know. 1 being the fuel pump and the other the ECU. That plug near the alt might have been the plug for the A/C compressor. I can get pics if you would like to wire your fan back the way its suppost to be. On my brothers FI 93 they had the fan wiring ran off a toggle and all kinds of othere stuff and it had his ALT not charging at all.

As far as I can tell, well atleast on mine, that yellow and black wire with the rubber cap that has the other wires going to it, is the main ground to the battery.

Trying to help but as I said Im not to info worthy on carbed festys.

[ideas]

when i turn the vent selector to heat, there is no heat at all, but the fan blows very well

thanks guys give me as much pics as possible for wiring and vacuums, i really needed the help and i thank you a lot. Also am gonna get some vacuum plugs to plug all these open ones, then tighten that steering emblem and try source the correct spark plugs too.

[91_festy_Gl]

Standard NGK plugs work great and wires are your choice just make sure there for your specific engine. Looks like it had DOHC wires from a DOHC engine.

[scitzz]

Hey, heat problem! OK, if you set the selector to defrost, and temp to hot, with the engine warm, does it blow hot or cold?

Also, do you have a multimeter to check voltages? If so, with the car running, see what the voltage is at the battery. Quick diagnosis for possible alternator problem.

I guess we will have to wait for the pics of vacuum lines, I have never worked on a carbed Festy...

Someone was talking about those on here at FM4

[hofficergrover]

ok hear are some pics of mine the ones that are unhooked go to the air cleaner and the two big hoses i took off and caped the metal lines to go with the little air cleaner.

[ideas]

Hey, heat problem! OK, if you set the selector to defrost, and temp to hot, with the engine warm, does it blow hot or cold?

Also, do you have a multimeter to check voltages? If so, with the car running, see what the voltage is at the battery. Quick diagnosis for possible alternator problem.

I guess we will have to wait for the pics of vacuum lines, I have never worked on a carbed Festy...

Someone was talking about those on here at FM4

i get cold air


thanks for the vacuum line pics hofficergrover


i tried tighten the nut in the middle of the steering but its too tight

[scitzz]

i get cold air


thanks for the vacuum line pics hofficergrover


i tried tighten the nut in the middle of the steering but its too tight

Last first, it sounds like you have telescopic steering, same as little blue car had. That was fixed at FM4 by changing the steering column. While I am not familiar with the inside of those columns, I think it is a bushing. Someone else may know better than me. This crowd could probably source you a steering column fairly easily, but shipping could be deadly. I have two spares that I am not quite ready to part with, but give me a few weeks and I might be talked into it pretty cheap. Probably best to find one near you.

Sorry to be so specific, but too many people in the past have complained of no heat, not realizing that heat doesn't blow through the front panels on these. Looking back, I see someone mentioned that already. My bad. Anywho, the pics you provided look like both the heater hoses are connected to the fire wall. That means hot antifreeze SHOULD be running through both of them. If you can get the car up to operating temp, and run the heater for a few minutes, both hoses should get warm or hot. If not, also check that BOTH radiator hoses get hot. If not, then your thermostat may be stuck closed, if one is hot, or the water pump isn't working. If you pull the radiator cap off, and warm the car up, you SHOULD see the fluid moving at a good rate...So, if fluid is moving, and both rad hoses are warm, but the heater hoses are not, then the heater core is bad, or clogged. If no fluid movement, remove thermostat, and replace water outlet, and refill. If STILL no fluid movement, then water pump is bad. If the fluid starts moving, then the thermostat is bad. Hope that reads OK....

On to the alternator. Do you have a multimeter? Or can you borrow one? If so, start the car, and connect it to the battery, set for 12vDC. It should read about 13.6 to 14.4 volts. If not, there is a problem with the alternator, which COULD be causing some of your lighting problems, but there is likely to be more...Check the belt to be sure it is tight. Make sure all the wires are connected. If the readings don't come into line, you will have to replace/rebuild the alternator. Replace for you might be easier, rebuild takes some skill, not much, and is cheaper if you can source the kit.

[hofficergrover]

No problem man.
Hope it helped you.