Hi all I'm trying to sort out an 88 escort xr3i mfi at the min and it's sending me a little bananas, we drove it about 10 miles yesterday and it drove all well and then suddenly it cut out so we recovered it back and all we could get it to do was start up on idle soon as you add throttle it cuts out. Anyone had similar issues or have any idea what it could be? Thanks

 

Air leak possibly

 

Right went out to it this morning and it started up straight away and drove at it should now I'm thinking it could be down to the fuel pump relay as I remember back in the 90s when they were more popular the relay liked to have a mind of there own.

 

Car wouldn't have idled if it was the relay.

 

I thought I have read in the past that sometimes they used to work intermittently inc cutting off at different throttle levels?

 

Well all was fine until yesterday when the car just totally died, we can definitely smell fuel getting there and can hear the fuel pump working but we have checked the spark and there's nothing? I had a spare coil which I know works and still no spark so im now thinking it's possibly the little black box that's failed on the bottom of the distributor, anyone else got any thoughts? Thanks

 

Yup ignition modules die and are usually worse once warm before they fail totally

 

Thanks, I'm going to try and pop down my local scrap yard to see if they have any tomorrow

 

They're only around 10/15 from motorfactors

 

I might do that then but was just going to go and get a whole dizzy from the scrappy if they had one

 

Right another day and still no further ahead, I got hold of another used ignition module but still no spark. I took off the dizzy cap and all the leads and tried them on a different car and there all good

 

Anyone got any ideas? Anything else I need to test? Thanks

 

got power to the coil + connection ??

 

Haven't checked that so that's 1st on the list for tomorrow

 

Right checked electrics this morning and I've got power going to the coil and power reaching the ignition module, took the dizzy cap off again just to double check the rotor arm is spinning when cranked over and it is. Any other ideas? could it just be the distributor it self has failed? I just don't want to keep chucking money at it for things that are not helping, don't suppose any one local to me who's got an xr3i/1.6i mfi where I could try my distributor on? Thanks for the help

 

If your planning on keeping it I would change parts anyway until you find the problem and then you always have spares too! Its what I did with my 3i

 

It's not a keeper as I haven't got room for the 3i as well as my rs but trying to get it running for a bit of fun for a few months but it's driving me mad

 

every escort owner needs one of these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/John-S-Mea...item4ad9c0166b

 

Probably got one buried somewhere in the shed, but it won't tell me if my dizzy is broke

 

it would if you read and understood it p173 section 12 edition 686

 

Any chance you could give me a bit more info? i would have to turn my shed upside down to even have a chance of finding it

 

Anyone else?

 

If u have power going into the dizzy but nothing coming out of it then that'll be the dizzy test for power either end

 

...or the ignition module.
The fact you've fitted a second hand unit doesn't necessarily mean it was a working second hand unit. If you were closer I'd lend you known working parts but your a bit out the way

Take the king lead off at the dizzee, put it near an earth point and turn the engine over, is the king lead sparking?

 

Yeah that's pretty much what I meant to say, not very good at writing what I mean lol! If there's power from king lead coming from coil but nothing from the dizzy then it's the dizzy

 

When you say king lead you mean coil lead I take it? Thanks

 

Yup

 

There's a spark from the coil lead so I must be right in saying it's either the distributor or I managed to get myself another duf ignition module.

 

I presume the rotor/dizzee cap are in good condition? no cracks/carbon buildup

 

Yes I tried the cap and leads on my s2 and they worked perfectly

 

Why don't u try the dizzy off the s2 u have or are they differant?

 

Different. The dizzee itself wouldn't pose an issue for testing but the hall sensor/ignition module connectors are totally different

 

ah that's a shame :-(

 

Wish it was the same as it could of solved my head scratching ages ago

 

I found a second hand distributor local to me (only one around) but I'm still having no joy, I've now tried a second hand ignition module and a second hand distributor but I'm still no further forward I still have no spark???

 

Finally sorted and after all the hassle it was a Ł5.14 fix (rotor arm)

 

Nice one mate did u not already say u checked all those parts and they were ok?

 

Tried everything but the rotor arm as in the flesh it looked perfect in fact nearly new plus it was different to the one on the turbo only the cap and leads fitted on there.

 

Cool at least u managed to sort it mate. Had the same when i broke down in my old mk2 xr2 bloody rotor arm

 

Yes glad it's all sorted now