DIS module blown

[Mark_s]

Hi, I (my parents) have a 1993 3.2 Auto, 172k miles, and absolutely no mods.

The car has blown 3 modules, at 3 different times. The original had a crack, so the ford mechanics replaced it with an aftermarket one (Said there were no ford ones in the country), and it has blown 3 of them.

The first time, my mom was going down a hill, and the car started coughing, and missing, so she pulled over, and noticed the cats were glowing red.

Then the next one, it was at night, and just randomly when she was driving, it did the same thing.

The last time it blew it out was when my dad was driving home, stopped at a stop light, and when he went to take off, it did the same thing again.

The ford mechanics blamed it on no dielectric grease, but the one they installed blew also. So, does anybody know whats going on? I don't know what ignition module it is, but it has a gray case, but it's mostly going to sit, maybe going to the gas station every once in a while, unless it gets fixed, then it goes to me!

 

[Kens1992mtxSHO]

While known to go bad occasionally, I've never heard of an SHO going through 3 of them. I would suspect the CPS. Have you read the codes? What's the service history on the car?

Glowing cats is a different issue.

 

[Mark_s]

well, the cats catch on fire, internally, because when the ignition module goes out, it stops sending spark to a couple of cylinders, and that sends unburnt fuel into the exhaust, then into the cats, causing the gas to catch on fire, or so that's what was told to me.

I don't know how to read codes, do you have a link?

Also, we got the car at an auction, with about 165k miles, and we have had the oil changed and everything else since then, but I have no idea on the previous owner.

 

[SHOtimer]

Their are plenty of good used Ford DIS's around, and Ford makes them brand new, so I'm not sure where this Ford garage looked, but they are available.

Are you sure that it is the DIS that is causing the problem? The car probably needs a good complete 60k service.

Doug

 

[Mark_s]

we have put over 10k into this car, and it's had almost everything replaced.

And I thought that they were crazy when I heard that they didn't make any of those ignition modules, but if anybody could give me a part #, that'd be awesome.

 

[firstgen89sho]

how about an engine mount?

 

[SHOtimer]

we have put over 10k into this car, and it's had almost everything replaced.

And I thought that they were crazy when I heard that they didn't make any of those ignition modules, but if anybody could give me a part #, that'd be awesome.

That is a lot of money to put into a car!

The modules are readily avialable at a Ford dealership. You can get them at our forum sponsor's at the top of the page, SHO Nut Performance, NE SHO, SHO Bros, RCM....

You can also get them at fastpartsnetwork, or at rockauto.

You should check your motor mounts and subframe bushings and make sure the motor isn't moving enough to break it on the strut tower.

Doug

 

[hawkeye18]

A cracked DIS almost always equals a broken mount. Usually a front mount. Open the hood, put it in drive (or first), hold the brake, and step on the gas (or let the clutch out). Does the front of the engine move up toward the sky by more than a half inch or so? If it does, your mount is shot.

Also, cats do not "set fuel on fire". That's called combustion, and it happens in the cylinder. Cats do catalyze fuel and other byproducts of combustion (thus the "catalytic" converter) into less harmful gasses. Fuel, having lots of energy, catalyzes readily, but it produces LOTS of heat (thus making them glow red), and if you let it go long enough, it will destroy your cats, or at least their ability to function correclty, as the fuel will coat the palladium inside the honeycomb.

 

[93rev2sev]

I'll take all those blown DIS modules off your hands...




Meaning...






Replace the Crank Pos. Sensor, Water pump, Timing belt, and cats(if they glowed red, I'd consider them compromised) and drive it.

 

[Mark_s]

First of all, thanks or all the info, you guys answered back way faster than I thought.

Secondly, I'll be checking the motor mounts later tonight using hawkeye's method. But, it was only the first one, the one that never blew, that was cracked, the aftermarket ones that got put on haven't cracked, so would the motor mounts still be the case?

Replace the Crank Pos. Sensor, Water pump, Timing belt, and cats(if they glowed red, I'd consider them compromised) and drive it.

The only thing I'm not 100% sure was not replaced on your list is the CPS, I'll have to go over the invoice.

 

[ilikepoultry]

have you jacked it up at all?
if so, did you jack it up with wood under the oil pan?
I've had a few of my DIS modules die because of the above action
a little crack in it and a little water, and it's crap
(if you didn't, i'd check every above comment)
if you did, make sure to take the DIS off, THEN jack it up said way - if you choose to do it that way

 

[Mark_s]

I think that you guys think that all the modules have broken. Only the original one broke, none of the new ones have broken, at all.

Also, the motor mounts are fine, the motor barley budged when in drive and I was on the brake when I revved it.

I did get the codes, but I wasn't really sure about the codes, so I videoed them, if you guys could help me out, I posted the vids on photobucket (KOEO KOER), I'm confused on where the codes start and end, if anybody could help me out, that would be great.

 

[Mark_s]

Major Bump

Alright, so for a bit of an update, car has mostly sat, but is out occasionally. It hasn't died so far, which is good. As soon as I get my license, in a month or 2 (Need insurance $), it's mine, which is awesome.

But, I was looking over the videos I took a while ago, and now that I look at it, I got codes

212

Ignition TACH signal was erratic (module/wiring) or SPOUT circuit fault - Ignition Systems

217

Primary circuit failure - ignition coil 3 - Ignition Systems

And for some reason got the all clear 111 code before those showed up, but oh well. Does this make the situation any more clear?

Also, I was looking around for any nicked or scraped wires I could, and found 2, one on the back clip of the DIS module, but it's not bad, I don't see how it could possibly cause a problem. But the other, I noticed some nasty electrical tape on a low gauge wire coming from the neg. battery post, going towards the back of the engine compartment. It grounded onto the sheetmetal on the struttower, and continues onto a barrel-like clip. I took of the tape, and only 5 or so strands of wire were still attached. Now, does this wire go anywhere? Or does it do something that would have no relevance to my problem?

 

[Phoenix]

Just to add to this , make sure you have that thermal paste between the dis and the intake , if nothing is there and its dry - you may pass alot of DIS in a year. Its like a heat sink compound BTW.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Replace cam sensor and see what happens.

 

[zak]

Just to add to this , make sure you have that thermal paste between the dis and the intake , if nothing is there and its dry - you may pass alot of DIS in a year. Its like a heat sink compound BTW.

Bingo. A used DIS I bought had been smeared with silicone, which is an insulator. It has to be heat sink compound . . .

also, there was a period of time when DIS were in fact unubtanium, Ford's supplier stopped making them. Around 2001 though.

 

[Mark_s]

Alright, so the clear grease it has on right now is not good, right? They told us that it was dielectric grease, and that was the reason it blew, it's got gobs on it right now, and it feels like the dielectric stuff I have inside, but I should replace it with the heatsink compound, right? Could the dielectric hurt anything? I'm going to replace it later today, so it should be all good.

Thanks guys.

 

[93rev2sev]

Dielectric grease should be fine, I'd be more concerned about the wireing issues you found. That was an important ground that was damaged.

 

[Mark_s]

Alright, what does that ground go to anyways? I see it goes into a big loom, and that's about it, I can fix that really quick though, would that solve the problems I'm having?

 

[93rev2sev]

I do believe thats the ground for the computer. Muy importante