Help please,

My car cut out the other day on a gentle drive home, called the AA (Damn, there lies another story!) and could do nothing but recover the car.

On investigation i had no spark and no pulse to the injectors.

I have since replaced the heatsinked module on the inner wing next to the battery and now have a spark, but only 1 big one at first crank then nothing!

Any suggestions will be geatly accepted and hope this is not too teminal.

Cheers in advance
G

 

if its not generating a pule train for teh injecotrs or spark plugs, there are 2 posssible sensors, the tdc at teh bottom of the front of the engine and /or the phasse sensor in the dizzy, each are about 20-25 quid and if they fail the engine will not run as the ecu does not know mechanically where the enigine is. but for both the ignition amp on the wing and another to go at the same time is unusal, more likely to be water in teh multiplugs at teh back of the engine bay they connect the car loom to the engine loom, if these get water in them (ususally due to steam cleaning or pressure washing) then they can cause all sorts of problems, a lot of people do away with these connectors and solder each wire in turn so that they wont be a problem again. hth.

 

just had another though... if it just stopped and wont restart, have you checked that teh cam belt has not snapped, you can see it if yuo look frmo the back of the engine towards the front under teh black cover on the front of the engne, check that the pulley are turnng when you crank it over.

 

Fortunately that was the first thing that worried me, but as i have no cover on it was obvious immediately.

It looks like the phase sensor (the one on the dizzy) has failed. Wires hanging out!!!

Hace ordered a new one £30, phew arrives tomorrow so hopefully thats it.

Thanks for your suggestions and it would seem you 2nd sensor option would be the right one. I will let you know tomorrow the outcome.

Cheers
G

 

Well here is an update!!!

Replaced the Crank Sensor, Phase Sensor, HT lead, Coil, the Ign Amp module on inner wing and still I still only get a single spark from the HT lead on turn over, also if HT lead attached only get a single spark from plugs.

Could this be a sign that the ECU is goosed?

Cheers
G

 

there is some fuses behind the glove box that could cause that problem it heppend to me once before. Check none of them have blown

 

And the plot thickens ...

Checked fuses, 15amp fuse had blown but made no difference, removed all fuses and checked for switching and continuity - all ok.

Also checked earth to engine, starter motor etc etc all good.

Still i only get 1 spark from HT lead at turn-over and then nothing!

Well this beats me. Car now with local Cosworth specialist, will keep you informed.

G

 

Well she lives to see another day.

The man in the know, found several problems.

1. Some hatchet man has been at the loom at back of ECU with an axe and a pair of cutters! So lots of very dodgy connections!
2. The connector for the TDC sensor was not 100% connected if at all. The connecting pins within the plug had come loose, then when replacing the TDC sensor the pins were pushed right out.
3. Lots of other very dodgy wiring in the loom under the bonnet, plugs that should have been replaced in 1995!!! and other very obvious problems.

Well i am happy she runs but unhappy that there are lots of jobs to be done.

G

 

My problems just don't go away, I get 1 fixed and anther appears!!!

Having solved the problem of the TDC sensor, the car still stutters a bit on hard acceleration. If I gradually accelerate then all seems to be OK, when stood still and with no load the engine will rev freely, with no stutter at all.

Jeez this is starting to bug me.

What can it by ppl, pls help me.

Plugs n leads have been changed, the old plugs where worn and a white power kinda coating on them! What this then?

Does she need a tune or re-setting up? i.e. Running Rich/lean etc etc?

Cheers
G
[/b]

 

could be plug gaps, may need closng up a bit, whiteish deposits tehm coud be antifreeze - headgasket on its way out.....?

 

Cheers Dave,

Whats easiest way to check h/g? Compression test? ...

C59C Champion plugs - plug gap .75 is this OK? As stated above these are brand new and replaced to try and erase problem, so should'nt continue surely!?

Defo not anti-freeze, non in the engine at the moment!! oops!

Cheers
G

 

maybe get the closed to 0.6 and try that,

champions are renouwd for being picky..

 

Gap now set to .6 and is the same.

Just a little thought, when the engine is warm the probably seems to be considerably worse. The AA checked the engine compression and also checked the water for gases etc with their tool!!! He reckoned there was no evidence of h/g or head failure! - Not that that means/says much.

The search for the cause continues. Thanks for the suggestions and help so ppl, please don't stop yet tho. lol


G

 

... and another thought, the car was in a garage a couple of weeks ago (just after the initial problems) and they fitted a Motorcraft Ign Amp Module, are there any known problems with these? Or should I be using a Ford or another?

Just trying to eliminate everything, it had been suggested that I check fuel delivery for pressure and that the filter is not blocked.

Will report back.

G

 

may be worth ( for the small amount of money that it is ) changing the plugs to 071s, i think they only about £13 from ford

 

motorcraft is form oem stuff anyway, ford dont actually make the ignition amps, they are (initally masde my magnetti-marelli, but now there are several other companies who make the same unit as its fitted in various other cars aswell.

like above, try the cheap things first, a set of 071 (im running these with no misfires at all) and for the price of them, they will far outlast the champs and give better idle running.

 

After much to-ing and fro-ing i have checked change and rechecked loads of things, and eventually my exploits bring me back to the Crank Sensor!

What should the gap be? Mine seems to be a mile off!

Cheers
G

 

I have answered my own Q: i think

Crank Sensor Air-Gap = .4-1.0mm

Hope this is right!

Cheers
G

 

Well here is a thing, comments please ...

After altering the gap, no diference.

So decided to lengthen the wastegate rod to lessen the boost, now running (as per boost gauge, not sure how accurate they are!) 13-15PSI. It was running at 16-17PSI and had been for about 10k miles, with not a pick of bother.

Now it hiccups a small fraction that it used to. Still trying to get some replacement plugs! I wonder if the C59C are just a nuisance at the mo.

Cheers
G

 

just to let you no that the gap size is right

The gap between the sensor and the teeth on the crankshaft pulley is 0.4 to 1.0 mm

so says the manual

 

And Finally,

After much head scratching and swapping of parts I have eventually sourced the problem ... Engine Loom.

I completely removed the loom from the engine stripped back some of the protective covering, mainly around the ends of the plenum, and found a couple of suspect wires. Later found that these feed both the phase sensor and the TDC sensor!!! Also on reconnecting the loom found that the centre of the 3 connectors on the bulk-head and a broken tab, hence the connector did not have a 100% true connection.

Well guys many thnaks for all your suggestion and input, lets hope it is'nt needed again for sometime.

Cheers
G