Any new ideas?

[ericsmith32]

My dad has my 91 Festiva now but it's still having the problem I thought I fixed 6 months ago. When you go to start it the fan runs even though it's cold. I used to be able to unplug the fan and it would work. It takes about 3-5 tries before it will start and stay started, but it has started dying on the highway. He's stopped driving it because of that, can't blame him. He loves the car though, lighter and has a little bit more power than this 91.

I have replaced the temp sensor twice, replaced the relay, switched fans, redid the connections to no avail. I'm going to test the temp sensor again with the multimeter which is probably the problem. But why would the sensor's be going out? Unless I managed to get two bad ones. It dieing is what I find odd it never did that when I had it.

Everything maintenance wise is in tip-top shape. New wires, spark plugs and all filters. Although i'm going to test the spark plug wires just in case. I know a couple others had this problem but I don't if anyone ever figured it out. I would just do the toggle switch but that's not going to help the starting problem it seems. Suggestions anyone?

[freshtiva]

Sounds like two different problems to me. Does it have a/c ?

[ericsmith32]

No ac. That's what I was thinking, two different problems. I do have the tb coolant line's bypassed, totaly forgot about that. I thought the fuel filter was new but pondering the situation I have no clue when I replaced it. I had the start problem once before the fan situation and it was a loose spark plug wire. My brother in law wants to buy it but since it's not working maybe this is god's way of preventing it, he doesn't take of his vehicles well.

[freshtiva]

If the cooling fans run all the time I would think it would have to be the fan relay or the fan switch. But since you've replaced those things I don't know. Does the fan run when the key is in the on position without the engine running? The hard start could be fuel filter or maybe fuel pump. Might explain the dying on the highway.

[mattswabb]

This is exactly what my BP car is doing. It still is an intermittent problem but does it most of the time. When cold I turn the key to the run position and the fan comes on then without the clutch depressed I turn the key to the crank position and back and the fan turns off. Sometimes it take a few times. Then the car always starts. I would get it to stall a few times also plus hard starts.

I also have checked the switch and relay. MechanicalDJ suggested I try a different ignition switch. I haven't tried it yet.

[ericsmith32]

Good to know i'm not the only one, at least. This problem is getting worse. Although it seems to get bad for a while then stop. I have parts car so the ignition switch wouldn't be a hard thing to swap. I wonder what makes the radiator fan switch on with the ac, or does it? I know it does on the Aspire. Maybe a wire is grounding somewhere.

[WmWatt]

Unexplained stalling on my '89 was caused by a deteriorating ignition control module (ICM, transistorized points) inside the distributor. Eventually it would not start at all. You can take it out and get it tested for free at some auto parts stores. If it fails shop around for a replacement because although there is only one wholesale supplier (Standard in the USA imports them from Japan) retail prices vary by 100%. There is a description of replacing mine at www.ncf.ca/~ag384/Cars.htm .

[ericsmith32]

Well a little update. I replaced the ignition switch yesterday what a PITA. Started up perfectly everytime after that. Didn't get to drive it much so I won't know defiantly till next week. A plus is I know how to jump start a Festiva easily now without a key. If I had another switch i'd try to figure out what went wrong.

[mattswabb]

Thanks for the update. Now I'll do mine and see if that's the problem. Any tricks to switching the switch that I should know?

[ericsmith32]

I'm sure how familiar you are with the switch.. but if you take the screw out of the connector on the end of the switch and pull the piece out, kinda difficult unless you have the wires disconnected but doable, and that's the only piece you need to replace. So it's not the whole key assembly just the piece on the end. I didn't reconnect the key in the ignition alarm. The car I pulled it from the wires just pulled out of that piece but on the other car I had to cut them. Could of spliced them. The connectors are kinda tight but that's normal on the Festiva.

[mechanicaldj]