Town Car Cartier 95 won't start

Hey people i'm new in the forum

I'm looking for help with my TC, this is my problem:

The car doesn't start, it cranks fine, but i'm not getting spark, it seems like anti theft is ON or something like that because if the car starts it runs smooth like silk.

the last week it doesn't start. and i get towed to a garage, the mechanic says it was a third party alarm and got removed from the car, the saturday in the morning the car starts fine and runs very good, all day it works without a problem, today in the morning i started the car and starts ok but stall and then died on idle, started again and again stalls i hit the throttle and wait to heat up, then work fine for all the morning, come home and parked at 12PM and now at 7PM it wont start again.

previously i've noticed that: i should wait a few seconds to start the car (the first attempt dont start) a friend of mine say "it's ok there is a lot of heat and the fuel in the line vaporizes, wait for the pump to fill the lines", and then it starts ok. the car does this often in the mornings.

previously i've noticed that: i should wait a few seconds to start the car (the first attempt dont start) a friend of mine say "it's ok there is a lot of heat and the fuel in the line vaporizes, wait for the pump to fill the lines", and then it starts ok. the car does this often in the mornings.

btw sorry for the bad english =P and thank you for your time.

Welcome!

I don't know if it's as prevalent as the DOHC engine in the Mark VIII's, but it sounds like it could be a crank sensor or cam sensor issue.

The only time my Town Car('02), gave me issues not starting, it turned out to be the idle air control valve. A couple whacks with the ratchet handle fixed it and it has never happened again.

Thank you for the answer.

i'm going to check it out in the morning with some daylight.

Thanks again

Typically a car with a bad idle air control valve (IAC) will start and then die right away like you turned if off (at least that is what happened with me).

The IAC is a common failure for those years of the 4.6 and your other symptoms seem to coincide with a bad IAC.

Also as Driller suggested it could be a cam sensor or crank sensor. They weren't a typical problem on the 4.6 in the Cougar and Thunderbird but that doesn't' mean it couldn't be your problem.

Hey ppl thanks for your answers.

I wasn't in my house for something in my job, tuesday come home and yesterday a friend and I take out the valve and it was dirty and sticky (something like burned oil in the kitchens), it was cleaned with a circuit cleaner (I dont have carburator cleaner) and looks like brand new, if you hit your hand with it you can hear a "clock" sound of the opening and closing, the car starts fine again (without the valve just for a test), now im going to replace it with a new one (if I find one).

the apple of discord:
http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=foto0006smallpn5.jpg

now some question comes to my mind, whats the function of the valve?
ok this thing allow a small amount of air to flow in to the combustion chamber, when idle.... but why it causes the no spark issue? cuz i check out the plug wires and there's nothing, neither in the coils...

I'd have to read the factory manuals I got for detailed description but if it can't control the idle speed the air goes so low that it may simulate a no spark condition. Just a guess. I'm pretty sure the IAC by itself can not create a no spark issue.

According to the Manual...

Idle Air Control Valve

Controls idle speed. Receives duty-cycle signals from the PCM that controls a solenoid that opens or closes the air bypass passage.

Click to expand...

For an explanation on how this works and help in diagnosis, see HERE.

As most Fords of this era, the CranKshaft Position(CKP) sensor is responsible for the spark timing. Oftentimes it is an intermittent failure caused by a fault in the harness connector. No signal from the CKP = no spark. Sometimes the simple act of unplugging the sensor and plugging it back in will remedy the situation temporarily. Replacement of the sensor and/or the harness connector is the usual fix for this malady.

Nice find. I recommended reading it for anyone thinking they are having problems from their IAC (or whatever you want to call it)