Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #15 – January 13, 2005, 06:04:12 PM You have circled the ignition Coil.The '89 engine would have used a TFI in the '89 T-Bird.If the distributor is from the '89 it could have a TFI on it. But is it being used, does it have wires connected to it?How many wires come out of the Duraspark Module, 5 or 6 ?What ignition system did the '85 Cougar 3.8 V6 engine with a carburetor use?Maybe the Canadians can help here. These were not sold in the U.S.Does the car have an Electronic Engine Control (EEC)? Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #16 – January 13, 2005, 10:15:55 PM Yes, it has the TFI. But only has 3 wires connected to some place.... The duraspark module has 6 wires.....all of them connected..... My car hasnt the EEC ..... Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #17 – January 13, 2005, 11:07:35 PM Assuming you are correct in what you say, you have a Duraspark system wired to a distributor made for fuel injection. When your car ran did it have little power? very poor fuel mileage, irratic miss fires?This would be because you ignition has no method of advance. Likley who ever installed the 89 engine did not know what they were up to because they wired a stock 89 dist. into a carburated setup running duraspark ignition. Most likley the TFI has failed, if that is ok, it would be (in order of probability) the pickup sensor in the dist, the coil, then the duraspark box. This assumes the simple stuff like dist cap, rotor, wires, and plugs are in decent condition.You could just replace the TFI, but you will still have no advance and thus a py running engine. I would recomend you go to a junk yard and buy a vacuum advance distributor (like the one in your diagram above) from a late 70's / early 80's 3.8L car. Then install it in the car and wire up the duraspark system properly. Follow the diagram you have, and be sure to wire in the BALLAST resister in the run circut (if it is not alreay their). Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #18 – January 13, 2005, 11:44:47 PM Exactly, i have a Duraspark system wired to a distributor made for fuel injection.... When my car ran, it ran very good. Probably better than my r.i.p 84 that was CFI. I can past 150 km/h sometimes and 160 km/h one time. I did burnouts anytime.... The gas mileage...mmmm...being gently with my foot it was decent (not stellar) but it wasnt a gas guzzler. I have done some large trips and did good fuel economy.... do you refer to advance the timing ? i only lossen a bolt attached to the dist and advanced or getting back , depending of the altitude, but that was possible... The simple stuff is very good (and i have replacements for that). "Most likley the TFI has failed, if that is ok, it would be (in order of probability) the pickup sensor in the dist, the coil, then the duraspark box. This assumes the simple stuff like dist cap, rotor, wires, and plugs are in decent condition." O.k, ill try in that order. Thank you very much.... Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #19 – January 14, 2005, 12:08:48 AM with how much parts cost it mght be time to take it into a mechanic, there is a point when you might just want to have them tell you what is wrong. on a side note what kinda wing is that? Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #20 – January 14, 2005, 12:40:35 AM Well, that´s all. Thank you very much guys ! About the wing ? well, i always wanted one for my cougar. It cost me the equivalent of 40 $ dollars new. Its fiberglass. I have to mount it. It has the stoplight of 8 bulbs. When i bought it, i told to the seller that i want a wing for a cougar (i didn´t want one of these 5" tall wings) . He tolds me that the Cuttlas 89 type will be ok for me, and that was right...... Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #21 – January 14, 2005, 12:48:10 AM About replacing parts, the tfi, coil, can be tested by a parts store Rotating the distrubutor advances or retardes the BASE timeing. However engines both carbed and FI, advance the timing while you are driving through two different systems. Carbed cars (duraspark II) use a vacuum connection at the dist to advance the timing as vacuum is increased (by rotating the base plate in the dist). These distributors also have a centrifugal mechanical advance. Fuel injected cars use the TFI module, in conjunction with the computer, to electronically advance the timing.On your car it sounds like non of these advance systems are properlly working. This is why I recomend you revert back to a totally duraspark system for optimal performance and fuel economy. If you are satisfied with your cars performance you may not want to bother messing with it.Edit, if the pick up is shot you'd better replace the entire distributor. Getting that thing out is very very diffiucly. It is also much more $ than a junkyard distributor. Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #22 – January 15, 2005, 08:37:54 PM Does the distributor have a vacuum advance on it??? In the early '80s vans, there were some TFI dist that only had the three wire hookup. These used a conventional weight system inside the dist for timing advance.But as already mentioned, sounds like you have a EFI TFI dist triggering the original Duraspark module. If thats the case the Duraspark module could be eleminated and just let the TFI trigger the coil... Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #23 – January 15, 2005, 08:59:52 PM Im going to try to find the vaccum dist at any car shop and reinstall all the electrical stuff. My car hasn´t the vaccum advance dist...... I was remebering when the mechanic puts the first engine (of my r.i.p 84) into the 85, he called to a another mechanic and he put a newer DSII ( that part says "motronik", not duraspark II ) but with that part the car simply wont start (like today). The only way was to put the old DSII (that i have attached to the car) and ran fine... When the same mechanic put the second engine (actual engine) I dont saw how he puts the new electrical system.....he lefts many , many glitches in the entire installation, that i´m still finding today..... I have learned tooooo many lessons. The next time when ill have to put another engine i will do myself........at least if broke, i wont be dissapointed with the work..... Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #24 – January 21, 2005, 10:24:32 PM Today, i have bough the New DS module. Put it in the place of the old module and turned the car on and not.....the car dont start......only turns but not start.......i appreciate what when i turn OFF the engine, the car tryes to start. I quit the center wire of the dist and use a screwdriver to put near of the center of the dist and gave turns to the engine to check the spark. Exactly when the car is turned Off, a spark jumps between the screwdriver and the distributor and the engine tries to start, but when i turn the engine and maintain in this form, the spark are inexistent.... The mechanic didnt want to come here to fix my car.........duhhhhhh..... Any ideas ? I will change the coil....... Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #25 – January 22, 2005, 09:17:02 AM QuoteExactly when the car is turned Off, a spark jumps between the screwdriver and the distributor and the engine tries to start, but when i turn the engine and maintain in this form, the spark are inexistent.... Bad ignition switch contacts?Try this (only takes a minute): Put the plug wires back on, turn the key to "on" (not "start"), then find the starter solenoid under the hood, pull off the small wire with the rubber hood, and use the screwdriver to connect the post the wire was on with the post the big wire from the battery connects to. If it starts, there's something wrong with the ignition switch. Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #26 – January 22, 2005, 10:33:31 AM Oh no. My alien car has solenoid like this......has four wires in total. But i think in the same way . I guess that ignition switch is part of the problem. There are a way to do the the past test in my car with this type of solenoid ? i´m interested. Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #27 – January 22, 2005, 10:42:24 AM QuoteThere are a way to do the the past test in my car with this type of solenoid ? same way, just cross from the batt. to the post on the left. :) Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #28 – January 22, 2005, 02:41:10 PM Do you have a volt meter?With the ignition switch in "RUN" you should have 6 to 8 volts on the "BATT or + " terminal of the ignition coil. With the ignition switch in "START" you should have the same voltage that you have across the battery with the starter motor running. Should be a least 10 volts.In "run" the voltage is limited by a ballast resister.The spark is generated by grounding then ungrounding the "TACH or -" terminal on the ignition coil.In the old days this was done with breaker points built into the distributor.Now the ignition module (TFI) does this as it receives pulses from the stator in the distributor. Quote Selected
Re: Now, car wont Start....... Reply #29 – January 24, 2005, 10:26:10 AM alright now exact same question only its a 1986 5.0 with sefi. I dont think that the coil is bad because I replaced it 1 or 2 years ago. it dosent even try. I am sure that it gets gas. I should mention that I found out why my car was running so rich. I was told it was either my map sensor, or a vacume leak. Guess what. The vacume hose to the map sensor was broken.....the things you find out when you get another car to look at. Quote Selected
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