HELP!! CAR WONT START

[Littlebeastxxx]

Ok so i have a 1991 ford festiva GL auto, (carby motor) it tries to start but THERE IS NO SPARK! I have cleaned spark plugs (was going to buy new ones this week but now need the money to fix this problem) cleaned the dizy + rotor and checked there was power going to the coil, checked fuses too. im not that car knowledgeable and dont know what else to try!! Im on a extremely tight budget atm with being a mum and being made redundant, so need to know some sure fire ways to fix this
Ps:last week i was driving and it just cut out, it started again after 5 mins and ran sweet till i went to go out today and it just wouldn't start (pic for attention)

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[dalebwilson]

HELP!! CAR WONT START

When you cleaned the rotor, did you install it exactly the way it came off? The rotor can go on in 3 different positions. 2 of those positions will not allow the car to run. Also do you have fuse links located near the drivers side shock tower? There are other things that are more complicated such as a failed dizzy, main relay, ICM, grounding and a bad computer that could cause a no spark condition. Having clean quality plugs, rotor, wires, and dizzy cap sure doesn't hurt.


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[FestYboy]

ECU doesn't control the spark, that's all dizzy on a carb car. So check that off the list. The fuse links should be on the PASSENGER strut tower on RHD cars.

When you cleaned the dizzy, was it just the cap and rotor, or did you hose down the insides with brake clean?

[Littlebeastxxx]

ECU doesn't control the spark, that's all dizzy on a carb car. So check that off the list. The fuse links should be on the PASSENGER strut tower on RHD cars.

When you cleaned the dizzy, was it just the cap and rotor, or did you hose down the insides with brake clean?

No im going to try hosing it down tomorrow morning i just read that on another forum so i will let u know if it works thanks

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[WmWatt]

Disconnect thick ignition wire from coil to distributor at distributor end and hold 1/4" away from engine while cranking engine briefly and look for bright blue spark. If bright blue spark coil should be okay and problem may be in distributor, possibly ignition control module (not cheap). Alternately tie wire so end is 1/4" from engine to avoid possible electical shock while holding wire.

Note random stalling (engine cutting out) is possible symptom of deteriorating ignition control module. Once module cools engine restarts. However modules are not cheap so eliminate other causes of problem before replacing.

See you got your vehicle painted. Looks nice.

[jfd64]

I have dealt with it on about 6 festivas.It has always been a bad 25 year old fusabable link and corosion in the bank of 3 under hood for me.

[FestYboy]

When you do get to hose it down, be sure it's non-chlorinated brake clean, the regular stuff can react poorly with the plastics inside the dizzy.

[Littlebeastxxx]

Disconnect thick ignition wire from coil to distributor at distributor end and hold 1/4" away from engine while cranking engine briefly and look for bright blue spark. If bright blue spark coil should be okay and problem may be in distributor, possibly ignition control module (not cheap). Alternately tie wire so end is 1/4" from engine to avoid possible electical shock while holding wire.

Note random stalling (engine cutting out) is possible symptom of deteriorating ignition control module. Once module cools engine restarts. However modules are not cheap so eliminate other causes of problem before replacing.

See you got your vehicle painted. Looks nice.

Thanks ill try this today, and yeah when i brought her she was very sun faded pink with white stripes all over, got sick of being a cop magnet so i juat did a quick sand and paint then finally had the money to do it all properly, having a dad as a car painter i had learn how lol

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[Littlebeastxxx]

I have dealt with it on about 6 festivas.It has always been a bad 25 year old fusabable link and corosion in the bank of 3 under hood for me.

Is this the one u mean? It only has ×2 fuses it doesnt have anything in the first (back) slot for any fuse to clip to, never has since me or the person before had it, ive looked at them and they look fine, but could it be that the fault of them is in the wire where i cant see? Or am i just blind haha


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[Littlebeastxxx]

Thanks ill try this today, and yeah when i brought her she was very sun faded pink with white stripes all over, got sick of being a cop magnet so i juat did a quick sand and paint then finally had the money to do it all properly, having a dad as a car painter i had learn how lol

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So is it this cable im holding that i disconnect
?

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[ryanprins13]

So is it this cable im holding that i disconnect
?

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Yes. Spark comes from the coil to the distributor. It gets distributed in the distributor to the different plugs. So when you pull off the wire your holding and hold it close to a ground when its a bit dark out while someone is cranking the car and you see a spark then its the distributor thats bad. If no spark then its the coil.
My guess is its the electronics inside the distributor.

Is this the one u mean? It only has ×2 fuses it doesnt have anything in the first (back) slot for any fuse to clip to, never has since me or the person before had it, ive looked at them and they look fine, but could it be that the fault of them is in the wire where i cant see? Or am i just blind haha


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What? These cars run without that fuse??
There should be a fuse in there and yes, those are the ones he was talking about.

(Edit: i have never looked at a carbed car close before, i just realized i dont actually know if there should be a fuse there)

Because their open to air they get corroded and connections bad and intermittant or strange things happen. Also the wires can break in those fuseable links but you cant see that their broken and they can touch and come apart causing intermittant connection



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[FestYboy]

Ryan, the ICM is inside the dizzy, it controls the coil, so lack of spark can STILL be a bad dizzy OR coil. And you have to remember that she's in Australia...

Lil beast, get yourself a DVOM (volt meter) and test the coil windings. You can also test the fuse links with it (continuity). I have a feeling it's a bad ICM, gut reaction.

[WmWatt]

Festy's ICM = Ignition Control Module The volt/ohm meter can also be used to test the resistance in the igniton wires. It's a standard procedure you can look up on the Internet if you don't have a book handy.

Yes that's the wire. What I do is take the distributor end and tie it close to one of the bare posts on top of the strut tower to the right of the coil so it's just 1/4" from the post. First the rubber boot has to be pulled up the wire to expose the metal clip on the end. I spray inside the boot and the wire with WD-40 so the boot will slide up the wire easier. Any oil, including cookign oil, would probably work just wipe it off afterward. I've read that a yellow spark is weak and you want a blue spark but mine worked with a yellow spark so I don't know what to recommed there. Of course no spark is no good.

[Littlebeastxxx]

Quick update, have borrowed a coil from a wreckers that they know works, chucked it in my car and still nothing, ive been everywhere i can think of in my town (btw im in nz not auzzie haha 2 very different places 😂 ) and noone has (or even hurd of) the fuseable link, will i have to order them from over seas maybe or can i make my own? (Ive found the clips i need)

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[Studebaker]

Our cars in the states have 3 fuses. Your car only came with two. Interesting

Your car is acting just like a bad dizzy. When you replace it. Replace it with a new rebuilt unit. Not a used one which maybe bad also.