What makes this thing spark?

[Blank-Disk]

Recently, I've been having major hesitation and powerloss problems in my 93 ATX. Usually the car hesitates all the time, but under heavey accel, it tends to surge and leap ahead, as it should do all the time. Today, i went out and cleaned the MAF, reset the comptuer, and it helped a lot, but the problem is still there, just less of it. THis usually happens when i reset the comptuer, it gets better, then gradually gets worse. A co-worker suggested that the distrubutor may be bad. But when I went to do a forum search, nothing really came up that i was looking for. SO my question is, what exactly does all the sparking?

Also, I ran codes before, and the only thing that came up was 542, fuel pump stuff.

 

[stevemainian]

2 things.... Get a 94 or 95 lpm... or your tranny is going.

 

[Off Road SHO]

The SHO uses a Distributorless Ignition System, AKA DIS. The DIS module is that flat little grey plastic box sitting on the passenger side intake crossover tube; it has six or seven wires coming out of each end. This device has three wires that feed input to the coil pack, which is where all your spark plug wires go (other than the spark plugs of course).

Pull a couple of plug wires carefully, off of the spark plugs and look down into the plug wells with a flashlight, at the spark plugs. See any oil in there? If so, the plug well seals are old and leaking and need to be replaced. If no oil whatsoever, pull and inspect the plugs for correct type and gapping. Good luck.

Tom

 

[Blank-Disk]

hey now, that makes sense. My windshield fluid has been spraying around the inside of the car (just too lazy to fix it), so maybe a couple of thsoe wires got shorted and burned. I'll have to check that out. Thanks!

 

[Rockledge]

More info on Ford's DIS can be found Here.

 

[Blank-Disk]

Okay, I checked out the DIS module ont he intake manifold,a nd sure enough, there's a huge crack on the top right by the Motorcraft logo plate. A perfect gap to let in dirt and water. So I'm fairly confident that it has a hand in this mess. I went to 4 places lookign for one and only found 2, and only one seems right.

I went to Ford, who told me that it was a discontinued part (is this true?). They recommended NAPA, who had no clue what I was talking about. So I hit Pep Boys, who not only had one, but specifically mentioned "Super High Output" in both the litterature and on the info receipt they gave me. Downside to that though, they want $190, and it's a 5 day wait. Autozone also had one, but it looked fishy, and only cost $100, and they wouldn't let me test it. So that Pep Boys one sounds like the winner, but that's aweful steep of a price.

Now, would it be wise to take some Motorcraft brake parts cleaner and spray it down into that crack to see what dribbles out? Or could this cause irreperable damage?

 

[Jaxon]

Why not just buy a used one? I have one in the car sitting in front of my house, as do many people on the forum.

 

[Blank-Disk]

Why not just buy a used one? I have one in the car sitting in front of my house, as do many people on the forum.

I've never ben one for used car parts, but right now i think I'd be willing to sacrifice. Any offers?

 

[autobahnsho]

Try a post in the "want to buy" section.

Is the atx DIS the same as an mtx?

I might have one cheap for you..