89 LX quits 7 mins after starting; won't restart for several hours.

[william]

Pull the #4 wire role down the window stick your leg in to press the clutch crank it over with the wire in hand . ... thats how I check for spark by my self. :-).

[TominMO]

Pull the #4 wire role down the window stick your leg in to press the clutch crank it over with the wire in hand . ... thats how I check for spark by my self. :-).

Sounds exciting!

[WmWatt]

Just wonderng if you've ever checked the rubber gas line going into the filtre. People have had problems with them when they get old and collapse. That would make the engine stall. Yeah, we're getting 50F here some days now.

[Greywolf]

Option #2

Use a battery jumper cable to ground a spark plug in a position where you can see it from inside the car.
Clip one end to the threaded part of the plug - the other end to a convenient engine or battery ground.

If the plug wire is long enough you might be able to lay it on a rag or something at the bottom window edge, or clip it under a windshield wiper

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

After it quits (yet still cranks), there's NO SPARK!

So I guess the finger now points at the Ignition Control Module and/or the coil, right?

WmWatt, the fuel hose leading into the fuel filter is very pliable and not kinked in any way. This car spent most of its like in SoCal where I bought it a year ago. I suppose it's always possible that there's some crud in the line that moves toward the fuel filter during the few minutes it runs, but that wouldn't explain taking hours to "recover," would it? It's got to be something that fails suddenly when it reaches a particular temperature, then needs to cool down a lot (hysteresis) in order to recover.

O'Reilly here wants $130 for the part, with a "lifetime warranty."

I see this on eBay for $17 in Miami:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ignition-Module-for-Mazda-Ford-Festiva-Transpo-J007X00671-/111932088553?hash=item1a0fac20e9:g:3YYAAOSw7FRWXI0D&vxp=mtr

I also see this for $70:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IGNITION-MODULE-FOR-FORD-FESTIVA-1988-1989-DYE-524-E8BZ-12A297-A-J207-/360811805237?hash=item54020f3a35:m:mQvC_-mmnUZHscJykS5tyPA&vxp=mtr

[WmWatt]

Good news. I got my last ICM off a link on this site to a firm in San Antonio on eBay. It was quite a saving compared to local parts retailers.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

I just ordered the ICM off the eBay Miami outfit I listed above for $17 including shipping by First Class Mail.

If this is a good part, how can O'Reilly charge $130? It reminds me of the Dennis-the-Menace cartoon strip from long ago where Dennis is selling lemonade for a dollar per glass [when market price was maybe 5 cents], and his pal Joey questions the price, with Dennis replying "But Joey, at this price, we only have to sell one glass today!"

[FestYboy]

Before you install the new unit, remove the cap and hose down dizzy interior with non chlorine brake clean. Oil contamination is a common issue and will cause this symptom.

[tooldude]

Good news. I got my last ICM off a link on this site to a firm in San Antonio on eBay. It was quite a saving compared to local parts retailers.

WmWatt, there is no link or name showing on my computer. Can you post the information? Also, are you getting the proper spark voltage using that module?

[Old70]

A coil can do this..

A coil has two functions

Starting and running

The running side can quit if its bad after warming up and not start again until it cools

[nitrofarm]

Old70 You're partially correct, a coil has one function though. But with these ignitions the trend is usually the ecm gets heat soaked & then fails.

[WmWatt]

tooldude: Look back at post #20 on the previous page in this thread for the $17 module from Miami. My records show I paid $47.90 plus shipping and duty to Ottawa from eBay seller satap2012 in 13 July 2013. Sorry I don't have the link I used but maybe it can be found through the seller ID. I do have a location of San Antonio TX 78233. San Antonio was also in the company name.

Old70: You may be right. Last time my car was stalling out the ICM tested good. It was the coil. I still had the original 25 year old coil and I guess it had outlived it's time. Replacing the coil cleard up the problem. However I don't know how to diagnose when a coil is too far gone.

[FestYboy]

Coils, unless stressed, should last longer than our engines. 3 things kill a coil: excessive gap, excessive current flow through the secondary winding, and heat (excessive).

I'm still pointing at oil contamination though

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

The $17 eBay Miami part doesn't fit:
1. The mounting holes are too close together.
2. It has only 2 electrical terminals; 3 are needed.

From the photo on here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IGNITION-MODULE-FOR-FORD-FESTIVA-1988-1989-DYE-524-E8BZ-12A297-A-J207-/360811805237?hash=item54020f3a35:m:mQvC_-mmnUZHscJykS5tyPA&vxp=mtr

it looks like this one (which costs $70) might fit.

Does anybody have a definitive source for this ICM? If not, I might simply fork over $130 to the local McParts store and be done with it.

[zoe60]

That's the one I would have gone for first. They've been on there for a long time and it sure looks like the right one to me.