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  • Runs better with battery unhooked

    Exactly as the title says. Recently I swapped the motor out of my aspire to put it in my festiva. This one really gets me. The car runs better with the battery unhooked. It idles smother and dosent seem to miss-fire. When the battery is hooked up, it seems as if its running on a few cylinders, the main fuseable link starts smoking, and the car dies. I tried replacing it with a cartridge fuse out of my aspire, but no luck, it just blew it. What would cause this? The alt. is out of the aspire, as well as the battery, and that ran great.

    any ideas?
    1990 Festiva L "puddles". 187,000 mi. All stock, B8 coming this fall to a festiva near you

    Do not write below this line; for office use only

  • #2
    You've got a short somewhere
    1992 white L, Bp, American racing 13's, stock trans.
    1991 White L, BP/F5MR, protege header, full aspire swap with gr2's, seats, and sway bar, 15" konig's, short throw, escort console.
    1991 blue L, 5 speed.
    1988 red L-plus-all stock.

    Comment


    • #3
      2X 91mcnasty

      Hunt it down before you fry something, if its not too late.
      '93 Blue 5spd 230K(down for clutch and overall maintanence)
      '93 White B6 swap thanks to Skeeters Keeper
      '92 Aqua parts Car
      '93 Turquoise 5spd 137K
      '90 White LX Thanks to FB71

      "Your God of repentance will not save you.
      Your holy ghost will not save you.
      Your God plutonium will not save you.
      In fact...
      ...You will not be saved!"

      Prince of Darkness -1987

      Comment


      • #4
        ive been hunting, but nothing yet. I checked all the grounds. There arnt to many other wires that i had to move around. What would be my best bet though? something in the charging circuit since it only happens when running, or should i look into something else?
        1990 Festiva L "puddles". 187,000 mi. All stock, B8 coming this fall to a festiva near you

        Do not write below this line; for office use only

        Comment


        • #5
          When you hook the battery up does everything like lights and stuff go dim or do they get bright? Im gonna guess they go dim since the idle drops and staggers with the bat hooked up. Im leaning more towards a voltage regulator. Not sure if its in the ECU or alt, but if its in the alt then thats all that might need replaced.


          Are you using the festiva ECU or the aspire one? If your using the aspire alt with the festiva ECU then maybe thats causing a problem? Not sure why it would but I guess its possible?
          Last edited by 91_festy_Gl; 05-25-2011, 04:21 PM.
          89L build thread http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=36422

          1996 subaru impreza AWD 5 speed, EJ18

          Post your festiva pics and vids here: www.movingviolationz.com
          My site: 20tessa.sytes.net

          Comment


          • #6
            i am using the aspire alt. with the festiva ECU. The alt. was also confirmed good, as it came out of the aspire working, but as soon as it went in my festy, i had problems.I havent tried my lights, but that does make sense. I will check them out tomorrow.
            1990 Festiva L "puddles". 187,000 mi. All stock, B8 coming this fall to a festiva near you

            Do not write below this line; for office use only

            Comment


            • #7
              I've never had a problem with my Aspire alternator on my Festy ECU
              Andrew Walker

              Current Daily Driver:
              89 Nissan D21 SE V6 5 speed 4x4
              Projects in the works:
              84 Mercedes Benz 300D(T)(Baby) currently awaiting transmission transplant/ full on restoration

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              • #8
                Are you certain the battery is good, and fully charged?

                Check that the + and - are clean and fastened properly, and that the B+ and alt charge line aren't touching anything.

                I'm banking on a bad connection or the battery being juiced. Internal short in the battery.
                Last edited by Christ; 05-25-2011, 06:27 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yeah, I think Christ (never thought I'd be typing that particular word) has a point.
                  Bad battery
                  Easy check!
                  '93 Blue 5spd 230K(down for clutch and overall maintanence)
                  '93 White B6 swap thanks to Skeeters Keeper
                  '92 Aqua parts Car
                  '93 Turquoise 5spd 137K
                  '90 White LX Thanks to FB71

                  "Your God of repentance will not save you.
                  Your holy ghost will not save you.
                  Your God plutonium will not save you.
                  In fact...
                  ...You will not be saved!"

                  Prince of Darkness -1987

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Put a DP-ST >10A throw switch inside wired between the terminals and the fuses to disconnect the battery. Mount a mini 12v 2A float charger under the hood and plug it in nightly. To start, flip switch on, crank it, flip switch off. Simple and 100% effective.
                    1990 White L-Plus 5-speed rust-machine
                    Scrapped

                    1991 Blue L 5-speed
                    daily driver, intermittent project

                    1993 rustless wonder
                    A shell, awaiting suspension, brakes, and B6T

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Basement_Modder View Post
                      Put a DP-ST >10A throw switch inside wired between the terminals and the fuses to disconnect the battery. Mount a mini 12v 2A float charger under the hood and plug it in nightly. To start, flip switch on, crank it, flip switch off. Simple and 100% effective.
                      Please explain how that is going to help, if the battery is internally shorted?
                      '93 Blue 5spd 230K(down for clutch and overall maintanence)
                      '93 White B6 swap thanks to Skeeters Keeper
                      '92 Aqua parts Car
                      '93 Turquoise 5spd 137K
                      '90 White LX Thanks to FB71

                      "Your God of repentance will not save you.
                      Your holy ghost will not save you.
                      Your God plutonium will not save you.
                      In fact...
                      ...You will not be saved!"

                      Prince of Darkness -1987

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        It would be charged nightly, connected by the switch, started, and disconnected by the switch (both terminals).
                        1990 White L-Plus 5-speed rust-machine
                        Scrapped

                        1991 Blue L 5-speed
                        daily driver, intermittent project

                        1993 rustless wonder
                        A shell, awaiting suspension, brakes, and B6T

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I would unhook the big wire from the alternator, wrap with tape to be sure it won't accidentally ground out, then start the car and see if the problem is still there.
                          Sounds like you have a wire wrong or maybe pinched one on install and it is direct grounded.

                          I would skip rigging in the switch, trouble shoot and figure out the problem, don't mask it over your just asking for future trouble.
                          Hotrod Forums Directory * D&D Discbrakes 61-67 Econoline Conversions
                          1988 Festy - white 5spd 1.3 * 1992 Festy - red 5spd 1.3 * 1963 Econoline 5 window pu * 1993 Dodge W250 5.9 Cummings * 94 Mustang

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Id get a multi meter and check the voltage at the terminals without the battery and see what the alt is charging at. Id also use the multi meter and see what voltage the bat. has.

                            You could also go as far as checking the voltage at the main fuse without the battery and then with the battery to determine voltage spikes or drops.

                            Check the wiring to the starter aswell. The main current runs through that and continues throughout the rest of the system. Possible something is grounding there.
                            Last edited by 91_festy_Gl; 05-25-2011, 07:58 PM.
                            89L build thread http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=36422

                            1996 subaru impreza AWD 5 speed, EJ18

                            Post your festiva pics and vids here: www.movingviolationz.com
                            My site: 20tessa.sytes.net

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Basement_Modder View Post
                              It would be charged nightly, connected by the switch, started, and disconnected by the switch (both terminals).
                              You will fry the regulator by running the ALT without the battery connected for extended lengths of time.
                              Check the battery, if faulty, replace.
                              100% effective and a proper repair!
                              '93 Blue 5spd 230K(down for clutch and overall maintanence)
                              '93 White B6 swap thanks to Skeeters Keeper
                              '92 Aqua parts Car
                              '93 Turquoise 5spd 137K
                              '90 White LX Thanks to FB71

                              "Your God of repentance will not save you.
                              Your holy ghost will not save you.
                              Your God plutonium will not save you.
                              In fact...
                              ...You will not be saved!"

                              Prince of Darkness -1987

                              Comment

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