Help! My 89 Festiva is emotional!

[JustJenni]

I posted a couple of weeks ago about my 89 carbed festy not starting due to an apparent fuel issue. You guys were really helpful and replacing the fuel pump was just the ticket. I drove the car for a couple of days and she ran fine, then garage parked her and she wouldn't start the next day.
I'm getting fuel to the carburetor. I'm getting a strong blue spark from 1,2,& 3 and a white spark from 4. Double checked the gap. Brand new spark plugs, ignition coil, distributor rotor and cap. Am I looking at a bad spark plug wire? Would one bad spark out of four keep her from starting?
Any input is welcome. Hopefully there's something simple that I'm overlooking. My roommate was nice enough to wake up an hour early to take me to work this week and I'm off today and tomorrow, so I pretty much have to fix the car by Wednesday.

[Aaronbrook37]

Do you have a multimeter? You can check the resistance on the wire in question pretty easily. I can't remember what the rule of thumb is per inch/foot on proper resistance, but check all four and let us know if anything's off. Another possibility is that the end has slipped back and isn't fully seated on the distributor cap contact point. This would probably make your car run remarkably poorly... and it would likely sound like a Subaru.

[nonamekid]

The festiva engine will run on 3 cylinders, seen that too many times. It will run on 2, but requires copious amounts of fuel.

[WmWatt]

Try wiping spark plug wires clean. Check for tight connection at both ends. You can use a pair of pliers to sliglty compress ends for tighter fit. When you push the wire onto the plug it should grab and resist being pulled off. You can also put a little bit of stuff on the ends of the boots to keep out moisture. I think it's silicone grease. Somone else here might know. Another trick is to open the hood and try starting after dark and look for any sparks indicating electricity escaping from the wires. Good luck.

[tooldude]

There are 4 basic requirements for your engine to run - fuel, spark, air, & compression. You say you have fuel & spark. Next easiest check is air. Make sure your air cleaner is not loaded up and nothing crawled into the air intake overnight. Then remove one spark plug and check for compression. Clean out the plug well so nothing is sucked/falls into the cylinder and ground the plug wire to protect the Ign module. If you don't have a compression gauge to get a reading, but there is compression, you'll need to go a little further by checking the timing mark alignment and that the belt isn't broken. Post if you need help with any procedures.

[ricko1966]

One bad plug or wire won't cause a no start. First place I would look is the choke make sure it is closed on a cold start. Pour a little gas about a tablespoon should do directly down the throat of the carb see if it starts then if so it is still a fuel delivery issue.There is more to fuel delivery than just getting gas to the carb the engine requires a certain mixture of air and fuel.Too much fuel and it won't run or it will run poorly too much air is the same deal.If it starts on added fuel check choke operation and check for any source's of pirate air.Pirate air is air coming in any where except through the air horn of the carburetor, vacuum leaks , intake leak, If it doesn't start with extra fuel prop the choke open hold the pedal to the floor and crank if it starts then you have to much fuel, choke adjustment, choke pull off, float level. I wouldn't be suspect of timing belt issues right off normally timing doesn't jump it stops as in broken belt or teeth stripped inside the belt but if the belt doesn't turn the cam the distributor doesn't turn and you don' t have spark.I am not saying it isn't possible for a belt to just jump a tooth but in 30 years of being a technician I've only seen it once.I

[nonamekid]

One bad plug or wire won't cause a no start. First place I would look is the choke make sure it is closed on a cold start. Pour a little gas about a tablespoon should do directly down the throat of the carb see if it starts then if so it is still a fuel delivery issue.There is more to fuel delivery than just getting gas to the carb the engine requires a certain mixture of air and fuel.Too much fuel and it won't run or it will run poorly too much air is the same deal.If it starts on added fuel check choke operation and check for any source's of pirate air.Pirate air is air coming in any where except through the air horn of the carburetor, vacuum leaks , intake leak, If it doesn't start with extra fuel prop the choke open hold the pedal to the floor and crank if it starts then you have to much fuel, choke adjustment, choke pull off, float level. I wouldn't be suspect of timing belt issues right off normally timing doesn't jump it stops as in broken belt or teeth stripped inside the belt but if the belt doesn't turn the cam the distributor doesn't turn and you don' t have spark.I am not saying it isn't possible for a belt to just jump a tooth but in 30 years of being a technician I've only seen it once.I

Even if it did jump a tooth, it would still run. It would run horrible, but it would still run. It has happened to me due to the belt stretching over time and I think a little bit of ice or something inside the cover.

[JustJenni]

How do I check compression without a compression gauge?

[dalebwilson]

How do I check compression without a compression gauge?

Most auto parts stores have a loaner program for these kinds of tools. Requires a deposit up front and then a refund when you return the tool.

[nonamekid]

You typically wouldn't have lost compression overnight, so I doubt that is the problem. I would suggest double checking that you are getting adequate fuel. Dump a teaspoon of gas down the carburetor and see if it fires. If it does, but doesn't stay running, you have a fuel issue. Check your fuel filter. If it is plugged you may get some fuel, but not enough.

It sounds like you replaced most of the ignition system except the wires. Any particular reason why you didn't replace those?

[tooldude]

I believe the first most likely problem to have with any carb car is a vacuum leak from one of the many hoses, diaphrams, connectors, or hoses just coming off. However, I would not go off on an involved chase with that without checking for the basics, especially the easy ones. Compression doesn't disappear overnight, but can in an instant, and you may not discover it until overnight, valves sticking or not seating well. Wife driving the Festiva, running well, smoothly, turns it off, it won't crank fast enough to run. Push it, it starts, runs well as before. In short, valve problem. You may have fuel but not enough; spark but not enough; compression but not enough; air but too little or too much; but if one is completely missing you don't go on some other wild chase. One experienced tech does not commonly see the timing belts jump yet has seen an exception to that. This is the experience techs get from seeing the results of troubleshooting and why I propose people post their solutions on this site. The engine is an unknown. Was the belt extremely loose or did the engine kick back from preignition when it was shut off, possibly stripping/jumping several teeth?-unknown. A while back I refrained from suggesting someone check for a rat nest because it's likely rare, easy to check, assuming he would have - then he posts it's a rat nest. We just had a problem, looked like main relay, guy changed it and said problem solved. I just talked with him Sunday and he still has the same the same problem because he didn't run the engine long enough to discover it - not the relay. I don't like making assumptions but without being hands-on some have to be made of course.

[JustJenni]

I dumped a teaspoon of gas into the carburetor and it started but quit almost immediately. Brand new fuel filter. Brand new fuel pump. I double checked all of the fuel lines to make sure they aren't kinked or obstructed. What should I try next?

I replaced the spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor, and ignition coil because those were the spare parts I had on hand when she wouldn't start.

[nonamekid]

Well, if it ran a little and then quit, that is a good sign. Means you have spark and compression. You aren't out of gas by chance are you? Is your choke working properly? Are you able to check the fuel pressure?

[JustJenni]

There is what looks like a port for a vacuum line on the bottom of the air intake that doesn't have a corresponding vacuum line. I can't find any loose lines. Could this be contributing?

[JustJenni]

Well, if it ran a little and then quit, that is a good sign. Means you have spark and compression. You aren't out of gas by chance are you? Is your choke working properly? Are you able to check the fuel pressure?

Definitely not out of gas. I got a can of gas on the way home a couple of days ago and poured as much in as it would take. I don't have a fuel pressure gauge or deposit money right now. How do I check the choke?