Testing ICM Ignition Control Module for 88-89 Festivas

[WmWatt]

Some parts stores have a Distester (www.distester.com) which can be used to test the ignition control module on the 1988 & 1989 carburetted Festivas.

The original module is the J207 from Mitsubishi. Ford calls it the DYE-524. Standard calls it LX207. Others call it M008 and TIS336.
As far as I can tell they are made by Mitsubishi, Borg-Warner, and Taiwan Ignition Systems. Standard Auto parts is an importer and distributor. I've seen them put the Mitsubishi or the Borg-Warner in their box. Standad's Canadian subsidiary is called Blue Streak.

The Distester comes with a number of cables. The one for the J207 is called the U7 cable.
The cable has coloured wires which connect to the J207.
The J207 module (lying flat curving away from you) has connectors as follows:

Two vertical connectors on the left. Connect a red wire to the closest, the brown wire to the farthest.
Two horizontal connectors point toward you. Connect the green wire to the left one, the yellow wire to the right one.
Two screw holes. Connect the black wire to the left one. I don't think it matters which screw hole.
A vetical connector on the right. Don't connect any wires to this connector. It's not used in the test.
The U7 cable also has a white wire. Do not connect the wire wire to anything. The black wire is the ground, not the white.
Run the test.


You might be able to find the ignition modlue at a junk yard.
Vehicles to look for are: 88-89 Festiva, 88-89 Mazda, 91-94 Mercury Capri, 89 Mazda B2600 pickup, 89-94 Mazda MPV van, 78 Mazda CLC

Good luck.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

OK, so I went back to O'Reilly with this info.

Conclusion: Swap brown and red in your instructions. My part failed, O'Reilly's new part passed, so I bought it for $130.

Without this swapping, everything fails.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

Is there any substance I should apply to the bottom (ground?) smooth surface of the new ICM before screwing it into the distributor? A non-fitting $17 part I bought off eBay and returned contained a sub of something, but I didn't bother to read what it was.

[william]

I think that they use a Heat sink paste on them from the factory.

[WmWatt]

I used dielectric heat transfer paste, the kind they put under the CPU in personal computers. I got it from an electronics store for hobbiests. A small blister pack good for 2-3 CUP's was $1 and plenty for a couple of ICM's.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

OK.

FWIW, the new ICM I bought did get quite hot during its minute or two on the tester. My existing one stayed stone cold.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

All fixed! The ICM was indeed the problem (it worked for a few minutes until it got hot). Replacing the ICM also seems to have cured the fast idle problem -- it now runs 1800-2000 rpm, then steps down to about 1000. I do know about the white nylon adjuster knob on the right-rear of the carb.