REDHOT Will Not Start Again

HOTLNC

HOTLNC

Charter Member
Paid Member
A 1994 Mark VIII.

So far, we replaced:

Fuel Pump
Fuel Filter
IVAC
Cam Sensor
Cam Sensor Connector
Crank Sensor Connector
Crank Sensor



I replaced the crank sensor just two months weeks ago. It ran fine until one morning this week, it would not start for Daughter #1. It still will not fire.

I didn't really know she had that good a vocabulary of those types of words. She surely didn't learn them from me. Maybe from her mother.

What am I missing?

Plugs (Quad 4's) have 50K on them -- wires about the same. I pulled one and it looks good. Yep, four electrodes; not shorted, thin carbon film.

How do I nail down this sucker?
 
Is it always a 'morning' no start? :rolleyes: Borderline ignitions can be compromised under the right atmospheric conditions(temperature, humidity and dew point).

Do you have access to another ignition control module (ICM)? You could try a quick swap and see if it works. While unlikely, the same could be done with the coils.

Another idea would be a plug change, standard coppers with the gap less than normal, say 0.045 to 0.048. The idea here being there is not enough ignition power to jump the present gap.

I'm thinking a weak ignition pulse or signal to the coils combined with aged components is the ghost you're chasing. If you had access to an ignition analyzer it may show up on a scope.
 
driller said:
Is it always a 'morning' no start? :rolleyes: Borderline ignitions can be compromised under the right atmospheric conditions(temperature, humidity and dew point).

Do you have access to another ignition control module (ICM)? You could try a quick swap and see if it works. While unlikely, the same could be done with the coils.

Another idea would be a plug change, standard coppers with the gap less than normal, say 0.045 to 0.048. The idea here being there is not enough ignition power to jump the present gap.

I'm thinking a weak ignition pulse or signal to the coils combined with aged components is the ghost you're chasing. If you had access to an ignition analyzer it may show up on a scope.
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I have HOTLNC's ICM. That should work for a test.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
I don't think it is the plugs or wires. I have yet to hear of starting problems due to plugs and wires. Let us know how it will work out.

You never mentioned if the car cranks?!
 
maxmk8 said:
I don't think it is the plugs or wires. I have yet to hear of starting problems due to plugs and wires. Let us know how it will work out.

You never mentioned if the car cranks?!
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The car cranks fine. It just will not fire -- as if no spark/no fuel

On my way to my daughter's house, the car started for her. It has never been hard to start. It has alwys done just this -- refuse to start. and then starts fine the next day, the next hour -- whenever. It has got to be some kind of intermittant wiring problem.

It cranked and ran several times yesterday. I sprayed the coils and wiring with water and the motor did not miss a lick. We pulled the ICM and it will be taken to Auto Zone for testing.
 
HOTLNC said:
On my way to my daughter's house, the car started for her. It has never been hard to start. It has alwys done just this -- refuse to start. and then starts fine the next day, the next hour -- whenever. It has got to be some kind of intermittant wiring problem.
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That is a classic cam or crank sensor symptom. Has got to be something in one of them two circuits.
 
Are you sure you are getting spark to the plugs, have you tested for this. I know you said wires and plugs have 50K on them, how old are the coils? Just another thought.
 
Roadboss said:
Are you sure you are getting spark to the plugs, have you tested for this. I know you said wires and plugs have 50K on them, how old are the coils? Just another thought.
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The coils are as old as the car.

The last time it would not start on me, there was no spark. That was when we replaced the crank sensor and connector.

This latest evet heals itself when I get near it.
 
OK, so how many miles are on Red?? Are you still not getting any spark again?

Where did you get your sensors from? It is not totally unusual for the ones from the chains (cheaper models) to fail prematurely.
 
Roadboss said:
OK, so how many miles are on Red?? Are you still not getting any spark again?

Where did you get your sensors from? It is not totally unusual for the ones from the chains (cheaper models) to fail prematurely.
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Don't know. It healed itself before I got to it. I got the sensors from FORD.
 
Well adleast that's good news that it's fixed. Maybe we can get you on TV and you can do a "Healing of the Marks" for us this next Sunday. You'd sure have a few followers for sure. LOL
 
Roadboss said:
Well adleast that's good news that it's fixed. Maybe we can get you on TV and you can do a "Healing of the Marks" for us this next Sunday. You'd sure have a few followers for sure. LOL
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That is only assuming I don't get the car inserted where the sun don't shine -- #1 daughter is a might irritable when it refuses to start for her, but starts for me.

By the way, the car has about 110K miles on it.
 
Ok, it went out on her again yesterday. Her significant other was able to wiggle the crank sensor wire and get it to start -- so there is a bad connection on the engine side of the sensor connector. The connector is new.
 
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