Car Died; Need Local Assistance

[Marccus]

'89 w/466K

Car completely died. Battery is still good, lights, sunroof, power seats, etc. all work strong. I tried jumping the relay on the firewall; I get a good spark, but nothing happens; it is still dead.

Can anyone assist in the Bakersfield, California area on California Avenue where it crosses under the 99/58 freeways to help me diagnose the problem.

This is the only car I have and I need it to get to work. I'm on a temporary work assignment and I don't have all my tools with me.

Also, there are no error codes. Sorry to sound pushy, but for the second time, is there a error code for a bad CPS. I can't believe this would be bad, as I checked it once before when I had intermittant starting problems and it was fine. I had just installed it a few years ago.

It think it has to do with the big puff of smoke I saw by the left strut tower bwhen I started the engine when I was having the stalling problem. (See post under "CAR STALLS; LURCHES FROM FIRST" to explain the complete problem.

It ran fine a few times after this puff of white smoke appeared when I drove it, but now it is dead. Someone mentioned that the puff of white smoke may have been a fusible link that melted. If so, I'm dealing with an electrical problem.

If no one can assist in the area, do you suggest having it towed to a Ford dealership or would they be as useless as me to try to find the problem since this car is so old.

Thanks.

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Crank sensor code is going to be either a 14 or a 211 depending on if you've installed a later computer. Do you have any codes at all? If so, what are they?

If you're getting spark, then the other two things you need are air and fuel. Have you verified the fuel pump is priming and when you turn the key to run? Is there pressure at the rail?

Reading your other thread it sounds like it could be a number of things, and without a basic set of tools including a multimeter or test light it's going to be a little difficult to walk you through anything.

Try banging on the CCRM a few times and see if that helps at all. If one of the internal relays is acting up sometimes a few good whacks can clear it up for a bit.

When you try starting the car, does it seem like the motor is binding at all or do you here any popping noises from the intake/airbox?

Not familiar with anyone around the Bakersfield area, but hopefully one of the SHOCal guys will see this thread and maybe know someone in that area.

Taking it to Ford (or any other mechanic) is really going to be a waste of time and money. Diagnostics are diagnostics, but as soon as someone opens the hood they're going to charge you through the nose. If you have money to pay someone to look at the car, maybe the better bet is to rent a car until you can figure out what's wrong with yours on your own.

 

[rubydist]

if you are getting spark, then you do not have a crank sensor problem!

most likely no fuel - you need to determine why - fuel pump, ccrm, etc.

 

[Marccus]

Well, believe it or not, it turned out to be the starter. The AAA guy banged in it with his pipe while I tried to start it and it started right away. I am an idiot. :banghd:....

Now I had a thought about the starter because it sounded like it was going over the course of the last month and I've replaced enough of these things on this car to know what it sounds like when they start to go bad. But when it died completely, I just linked it to the stalling problem I had.

But what the heck - I just replaced the starter two years ago. This think EATS starters. Sorry for the false alarm. Picked one up at O'Rielly's (Kragen) which will probably on last me another year. Next time I have the hunch that the starter is about to go, I'm not waiting and I'm just going to replace it.

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Well it's good that you got the car running, but a starter doesn't have anything to do with a stalling issue.

 

[Marccus]

Yes, that's true. I found that the stalling issue was due to a faulty coil connector. When the connector wiring entering the connector was pushed to the side and down the car would stall. The weight of the harness was pulling the wiring this way, so over the 22 years, the wiring could have started pulling out of the connector pins, causing intermittant stalling. I used some heavy duty self fusing rubber tape (3M) to keep the wires in line with the connector but this is only a temporary fix. I need to get a new coil connector.

 

[93rev2sev]

Take it to the dealer and ***** up a storm. 466K miles and a wireing harness started to droop, the starter failed and what else?

sheesh. wheres the quality anymore?