Festiva just quit... Coil?

[H8PVMNT]

if you need a coil I have a used one you can have it if you need it and pay shipping good luck, also did you try catching it in gear? just a thought

Yeah we tried push starting it and everything but no fire. I would gladly take your coil it would be a cheap diagnosis tool to rule things out even if that's not it. Thankyou for the very kind offer. How much to ship to Fort Benton, MT 59442 and where do you want a paypal sent? PM me if you want...

[dalebwilson]

Battery + should read 12V. First pin on the left looking down at the plug. Check the 10Amp engine fuse under the dash and make sure the EGI fusible link has 12V on both sides.

[scitzz]

Just checked with a buddy cranking the ignition and it has spark at the coil and at the plugs, but the spark looks kind of mellow and orange everywhere. I tend to think it should look hot and blue but I'm not sure what it looks like on this ignition.

Airflow Meter has good 5 volts refference signal to it. The battery + power reads only like 3 volts though which makes me suspicious. Should the supply to the AFM have full battery volts with the key on? The haynes manual isn't clear on this...

If you have fuel, the VAF is fine. The no start symptom with it is that it starts and instantly dies.

If the fire from the coil isn't blue, but Orange, try a new coil wire. If it stays Orange, try another coil. You were already on the right track. A shiny nickel says that is your problem, seen it happen more than once. Missed it once as well.

[dalebwilson]

If you have fuel, the VAF is fine. The no start symptom with it is that it starts and instantly dies.

If the fire from the coil isn't blue, but Orange, try a new coil wire. If it stays Orange, try another coil. You were already on the right track. A shiny nickel says that is your problem, seen it happen more than once. Missed it once as well.

+1 for scitzz. Don't forget the timing either. You could have spark and fuel and be off a tooth. #1 TDC, crank mark straight up at 12, cam marks at 12 and 3.

[H8PVMNT]

OK so I was able to spend like another 35 minutes on the car on Friday evening... It's ditched in our church parking lot.

I was able to determine this much:

Fuel pump is not getting power.

Fuel pump relay does not seem to click when the key is turned on.

VAF plug: The farthest left pin (when you look into it) that is suposed to be getting 12V according to Haynes manual is only getting 2.6V. Refference is good at 5V, furthest right is a full 12V, gounds are getting ground.

Fuel sending unit is getting power.

Inertia switch is confirmed good, grounds from green and white wire to the black wire which is what it's suposed to do according to Haynes manual.

Fusable links tested good, 12V on both sides in and out.

No fuses blown.

Timing all lined up.


I am considering just putting the fuel pump on switched 12V power with a fusable link, but the lack of good 12V supply at the VAF seems like it would cause other problems. What sends power to the VAF that isn't doing it? This must be my culprit.

Haynes says puel pump relay and power relay. Pretty sure the fuel pump relay is above the drivers foot/kick panel but where is the power relay at?

[scitzz]

OK so I was able to spend like another 35 minutes on the car on Friday evening... It's ditched in our church parking lot.

I was able to determine this much:

Fuel pump is not getting power.

Fuel pump relay does not seem to click when the key is turned on.

VAF plug: The farthest left pin (when you look into it) that is suposed to be getting 12V according to Haynes manual is only getting 2.6V. Refference is good at 5V, furthest right is a full 12V, gounds are getting ground.

Fuel sending unit is getting power.

Inertia switch is confirmed good, grounds from green and white wire to the black wire which is what it's suposed to do according to Haynes manual.

Fusable links tested good, 12V on both sides in and out.

No fuses blown.

Timing all lined up.


I am considering just putting the fuel pump on switched 12V power with a fusable link, but the lack of good 12V supply at the VAF seems like it would cause other problems. What sends power to the VAF that isn't doing it? This must be my culprit.

Haynes says puel pump relay and power relay. Pretty sure the fuel pump relay is above the drivers foot/kick panel but where is the power relay at?

The fuel pump doesn't get power until your cranking the engine.

Running around outside the asylum again with my tappy talky appy

[william]

^yep push in on the vaf door and you should hear it run .
That's what triggers the pump.
If you don't hear it run you can jump the test pin next to the break booster it's a 2 female connector that make a T .
You jump one to the other.. paper clip works here.

[scitzz]

^yep push in on the vaf door and you should hear it run .
That's what triggers the pump.
If you don't hear it run you can jump the test pin next to the break booster it's a 2 female connector that make a T .
You jump one to the other.. paper clip works here.

Well, yeah,I guess,I know the vaf signal is referenced after the car starts, so when the vaf is bad, the car starts and dies a second later.

Running around outside the asylum again with my tappy talky appy

[william]

Well, yeah,I guess,I know the vaf signal is referenced after the car starts, so when the vaf is bad, the car starts and dies a second later.

Running around outside the asylum again with my tappy talky appy

Sorry I wasn't trying to say you didn't know I was just adding to your info.
I still think he need to swap out the coil and see if that fixes it.
I to had a similar problem a few months back and I had spark but it was orange and weak and it wouldn't run. I swap out my "new" coil for the old one I had just took out and fired right up.
Lesson learned about buying 9 dollar coils on ebay lol.

[H8PVMNT]

Thanks guys, I will try the open the VAF flap test and check for fuel pump power. So the fuel pump test plug should make the fuel pump run either way?

I am looking for a cheap coil, I just don't want to spend much just to diagnose. Napa wants $80.

What do you guys think about the 2.6V to the Batt + pin on the VAF plug?

[H8PVMNT]

^yep push in on the vaf door and you should hear it run .
That's what triggers the pump.
If you don't hear it run you can jump the test pin next to the break booster it's a 2 female connector that make a T .
You jump one to the other.. paper clip works here.

I got like 10 minutes this afternoon... Neither the VAF flap or the test plug will make power go to the fuel pump. Test plug does get 12V to it with the key on, but it doesn't make it back to the green & yellow fuel pump wires when I jump it.

Fuel pump relay?

[william]

That plug will still send power to the pump even if the relay is bad.
The car I just bought had a bad relay and was jumped when I drove it home. after I got it home I noticed it was jumped and when I unhooked it it would not start . I swapped in a good relay and fired right up.

[scitzz]

Sorry I wasn't trying to say you didn't know I was just adding to your info.
I still think he need to swap out the coil and see if that fixes it.
I to had a similar problem a few months back and I had spark but it was orange and weak and it wouldn't run. I swap out my "new" coil for the old one I had just took out and fired right up.
Lesson learned about buying 9 dollar coils on ebay lol.

Meh, I wasn't communicating well from my phone while at pint night

Quick and dirty test for fuel pump? Pull the fuel line from the rail, you want the one coming from the filter, and put it in an empty 20 OZ bottle, turn the engine over for a second or have a friend do so. Should pump a few OZ's in just a second or two.

Tools needed? A pair of pliers and a soda pop.

[scitzz]

OH! Someone is selling a coil on here for $10, lemme find it...

Crud, not seeing it! Dude is on the Facebook group for this forum, said it was listed here, has coils for 10 bucks.

[scitzz]

DUH!

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...-prob-have-it-)

I have met Mark and bought from him. Standup guy.