88 festiva no spark

[Smoker]

This is my first festiva. Some of you may have seen my "introduction" thread. The previous owner said he was driving down the road and it just shut off. No spark. He took it to someone who ended up replacing the distributor, plugs and wires, and ecu. Still no spark.

When I got it home last night, I checked the coil and it tested bad. I got a coil today... Still no spark. I have power at the coil. Not sure where to go next, as I'm not familiar with these cars. Help?

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[Smoker]

This is what I have as far as wiring at the distributor. The blue wire in this pic is coming from the distributor. Not sure what's up with those 2 wires that have the purple butt connectors on them... they're not hooked up to anything. They're black with a white tracer, and red with a white.

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[Smoker]

These are the other two wires coming off the distributor. Both going to the coil.

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[bravekozak]

The red/white and the black/white wires may go to the six position connector for the feedback carb.
Check on the pdf at B-6.
If the previous owner cut the wires, you should buy some Yazaki terminals and an open barrel crimper.
You definitely wouldn't want them to pull out while you are driving at night along a deserted roadway.

[harpon]

Always are problems with the FUSIBLE LINKS- check those Drivers side, engine compartment on the side wall- three of them

A lot of people replace them with cartridge PAL fuses- but poor connection or fried wires there are definitely NO start.

My first festy was an 88- I bought it with 175 K on it- drove it trouble free for years and had to sell after a flood- 275 K PLUS- the speedo cable broke right at 275 K so I put even more on it- best running car EVER.
88 3.jpg

[ryanprins13]

Sorry for not being much help, most of us are unfamiliar with carbed cars. I keep thinking its a carb specific issue but its probably not. So, can we just make a list of what you have and havent done? Just copy this and edit it to let us know what youve done and if you havent tried some of the stuff it only takes a minute so try it quick.

- new plugs, wires, cap and rotor, coil.
-changed fuseable links
-cleaned all 5 ground connections
-checked that the timing belt is turning the camshaft
-had someone crank it over while you wiggle all those bad connections near the carb (one could easily be corroded or loose. Those purple ones-had the empty side of the crimp connection been crimped or have they always been empty?)
Also wiggle the wiring harness everywhere else while its being cranked, check for any loose plugs, wiggle spark plug wires.
-checked all fuses inside the car for continuety. They all run more than they are labeled for.
-check spark plug wires for resistance. Maybe the main lead from coil to cap is bad.
- Check if the new ecu is plugged in? Lol
- the rotor in the distributor can go on 3 different ways i believe, maybe the coil was bad and you fixed that but the mechanic put the rotor in the wrong position?
Are you getting no spark at the plugs or off the coil wire? If its no spark off the coil wire try a different wire and if all this doesnt fix it then the only thing left is the bit inside the distributor that eventually goes bad on these cars. They usually give you warning though, like the car will shut off for half a second then come back on once a month and then once a week and then more often and then it finally quits. Usually you have a month or 12 of warning though

Also where are you? Maybe a member is nearby with a spare distributor to try.

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