Escort Starting Issues...

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Feb 15, 2007 | 07:17 AM

tcbofade

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From: Kansas City, KS

Escort Starting Issues...

All right, I know this is Ford TRUCK Enthusiasts, but my truck is doing fine at the moment. My car, however, is making me nuts.

I'm having a starting issue that I cannot resolve. Battery was new two months ago. Alternator was new within the last year. Both were tested by two parts stores yesterday and passed just loverly.

Sometimes it starts...sometimes it won't. Quick jumpstart, and it fires right up.

As it is all kinds of monkey butt cold out here, I was advised to go outside and start the car at lunch time...so I've been doing that for the last week or so with decent results...not yesterday tho. Car fired right up in the morning...(it sits in a semi heated garage at night...)...drove it to work where it sat til 10 am. I was out on break, and it fired right up...I let it run for 5-10 minutes, shut it off, went back inside...went out at 2 pm, car wouldn't start. Went out at 3:30 pm (quittin time) car wouldn't start.

Got a buddy to jump start me, drove to the parts stores for the above mentioned tests...

Battery's good, alternators good, and I don't want to just throw money at it. Any ideas?

Oh yeah...93 Ford Escort 1.9L with a 5 speed...you don't want to know the miles on it!

Feb 15, 2007 | 08:28 AM

modar

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sounds like a connection problem. have you tried the wiggle the wires test?

Feb 15, 2007 | 09:33 AM

weeds

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From: Pittsburgh

My truck was having the same startup kind of problems. One night, I was looking under the hood trying to see if maybe the battery was the problem, and I could see arcing across the distributor. Tune-up fixed it right up.

Feb 15, 2007 | 10:27 AM

tcbofade

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From: Kansas City, KS

I don't have a distributor...and the ignition module seems OK. No visible arcing. Wiggle the wires test? Would that be battery cables? No, I haven't tried that one yet...it does seem to be temperature sensitive, so it may well be a connection somewhere, I'm just not sure of where to look.

Feb 15, 2007 | 10:48 AM

Mil1ion

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Check for corroded primary circuit ignition wire connectors.

These play havoc with start /no start situations

Feb 15, 2007 | 02:32 PM

Torque1st

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Does the engine turn over or does it just not fire?

Feb 15, 2007 | 04:12 PM

tcbofade

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From: Kansas City, KS

Nope...today I had no problem. But when it won't start, it won't even try. As I turn the key through the on position, the blower/radio and all that stuff come on. When I put the key all the way to the start position...I get absolutely nothing. Accessories go off, and the engine does not even try to turn over...not even try.

Apply jumper cables, and the thing fires right up. As I mentioned above, the battery and alternator are good, and I'm just confused.