fix this Ford

enjenjo · March 21, 2006, 09:35:58 PM

My grandson has a 96 Ford Contour, with a 4 cylinder engine. It won't start in cold weather. It "acts" like it's flooding. Sometimes if you crank it long enough, it will start. Sometimes it won't. It has a new idle air motor, new plugs, new starter, twice, new battery, charges 14 volts, new air filter, and new temperature sensor. It throws no codes.

Over 40 degrees it starts pretty good, under 30, it usually won't start at all.

Any ideas?

rooster · March 21, 2006, 10:10:11 PM

So does it have good spark when its below 30 and your just starting to crank it over? :?:

enjenjo · March 21, 2006, 10:27:14 PM

Quote from: "rooster"So does it have good spark when its below 30 and your just starting to crank it over? :?:

Yes, it has good spark, it will occasionally fire, but not enough to start. If you hold the throttle to the floor, it will eventually start, if you don't run the battery down first.

Rayvyn · March 21, 2006, 10:38:47 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"
Quote from: "rooster"So does it have good spark when its below 30 and your just starting to crank it over? :?:

Yes, it has good spark, it will occasionally fire, but not enough to start. If you hold the throttle to the floor, it will eventually start, if you don't run the battery down first.

Sounds like a fuel filter that's gummed up and only thinning out when it gets warm. Same problem my old man had with a Pinto years ago.

enjenjo · March 21, 2006, 10:44:29 PM

Good fuel pressure at the injector. I'll check the filter, but I think that is less than a year old.

Crosley.In.AZ · March 21, 2006, 10:52:58 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Good fuel pressure at the injector. I'll check the filter, but I think that is less than a year old.

pressure reading is in spec?

often low pressure makes the car act like it is flooding and it is not

Arnold · March 21, 2006, 11:17:24 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"My grandson has a 96 Ford Contour, with a 4 cylinder engine. It won't start in cold weather. It "acts" like it's flooding. Sometimes if you crank it long enough, it will start. Sometimes it won't. It has a new idle air motor, new plugs, new starter, twice, new battery, charges 14 volts, new air filter, and new temperature sensor. It throws no codes.

Over 40 degrees it starts pretty good, under 30, it usually won't start at all.

Any ideas?

2 things come to mind quick..regarding Escorts of around that vintage.There might be some similarites.Are there any codes at all in it? I know that the Escorts from around that vintage and earlier stored both hard and soft codes.Sometimes a soft code got stored when you never even saw a cel..or in a blink.
Escorts had a tsb and a re-call on maf's..that did al kinds of weird things.Some would show up in code..others not.

I'd also take a look at the iat sensor..if there is one.I am pretty sure it will have one.

Arnold · March 21, 2006, 11:29:30 PM

Quote from: "Arnold"
Quote from: "enjenjo"My grandson has a 96 Ford Contour, with a 4 cylinder engine. It won't start in cold weather. It "acts" like it's flooding. Sometimes if you crank it long enough, it will start. Sometimes it won't. It has a new idle air motor, new plugs, new starter, twice, new battery, charges 14 volts, new air filter, and new temperature sensor. It throws no codes.

Over 40 degrees it starts pretty good, under 30, it usually won't start at all.

Any ideas?

2 things come to mind quick..regarding Escorts of around that vintage.There might be some similarites.Are there any codes at all in it? I know that the Escorts from around that vintage and earlier stored both hard and soft codes.Sometimes a soft code got stored when you never even saw a cel..or in a blink.
Escorts had a tsb and a re-call on maf's..that did al kinds of weird things.Some would show up in code..others not.

I'd also take a look at the iat sensor..if there is one.I am pretty sure it will have one.

Did you change the temperature sender for the air intake ?
I also had another vehicle do as you describe.Worse as it got colder.Until no go.I traced that down..took me waaay too long.Was a low vacuum on crank..sticking valve.Grr.

enjenjo · March 21, 2006, 11:32:37 PM

The engine is the same as the Escort. The IAT is inlet air temp?

Arnold · March 21, 2006, 11:48:10 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"The engine is the same as the Escort. The IAT is inlet air temp?

Yep..Escorts had them in the air cleaner box.Near the bottom..on the side trowards the engine side.

Arnold · March 22, 2006, 12:05:06 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"
Quote from: "rooster"So does it have good spark when its below 30 and your just starting to crank it over? :?:

Yes, it has good spark, it will occasionally fire, but not enough to start. If you hold the throttle to the floor, it will eventually start, if you don't run the battery down first.

Good spark..could it also be a moisture issue and not just the cold?.Escorts sure like plug wires! Those edis ignitions on those things.The laminate(epoxy) on the coils can crack right where the mounting through bolts go through.

enjenjo · March 22, 2006, 12:57:05 AM

I'll check that.

tomslik · March 22, 2006, 05:46:05 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"My grandson has a 96 Ford Contour, with a 4 cylinder engine. It won't start in cold weather. It "acts" like it's flooding. Sometimes if you crank it long enough, it will start. Sometimes it won't. It has a new idle air motor, new plugs, new starter, twice, new battery, charges 14 volts, new air filter, and new temperature sensor. It throws no codes.

Over 40 degrees it starts pretty good, under 30, it usually won't start at all.

Any ideas?

what kinda plugs?
what brand?

enjenjo · March 22, 2006, 07:35:37 PM

Well, thanks to Arnold, it's running, Took a look at the coil today, and it appeared that it might be arcing to one of the mounting bolts. When we went to remove the bolts, the coil arced to the nutdriver as soon as it was near the mounting bolt. We replaced the coil, and the wires, they were original, and it fired right up. I've said this before, but this time I think we got it. Thanks for the suggestions on where to look, sometimes you get too close to see the problem.

Arnold · March 24, 2006, 11:55:02 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Well, thanks to Arnold, it's running, Took a look at the coil today, and it appeared that it might be arcing to one of the mounting bolts. When we went to remove the bolts, the coil arced to the nutdriver as soon as it was near the mounting bolt. We replaced the coil, and the wires, they were original, and it fired right up. I've said this before, but this time I think we got it. Thanks for the suggestions on where to look, sometimes you get too close to see the problem.

Glad! that worked out for you and your grandson! You've SURE helped lots of others..

The EDIS set-ups on those things are pretty neat! These are another of those type of engines that fire the plugs on the compression and exhaust strokes.On 2 cylinders simultaneously.The "coil-pack" is actually 2 seperate coils in the one housing.1 coil is for each pair of cylinders that are opposite in the firing order.When one of those cylinders pistons is on the compression stroke..it's opposing cylinder is on the exhaust stroke.They do switch it around somewhat every revolution( I am guessing through the cylinder id sensor.) to the extent that more plug voltage goes to the cylinder on the compression stroke..while it's paired cylinder is on the exhaust stroke..gets the lower voltage.