Al,
Let's start with a few things that it is NOT going to be ! First, it is unlikely to be a carb problem as a '93 car is almost certainly single-point injection. It is not likely to a battery problem so long as it is able to crank the engine well in the non-start condition. It is derfinitely not going to be the distributor cap as you don't have one of those either - distributorless ignition with a coil pack. It is not going to be a Lambda Sensor fault as the Lambda Sensor will not have gone "closed loop" this early in your journey, and likewise the Cat will be nowhere near hot enough to work - a blocked Cat could cause a stall immediately after starting, but this condition would be permanent, and tow-starting would have no bearing.
This type of prblem is very common on the small single-point Ford engine, especially on "short run" cars, and seems essentially due to flooding in most cases. Ensure you have no air leaks (low inlet vacuum = richer mixture), have the Throttle Position Sensor checked out, also the Coolant Temp Sensor. However, the fact that it starts with a tow could point to an electrical problem, and I have seen cars with low coil supply voltage due to faults in the fuse box, and the movement of the car on the road could be what sets the fault up. Could also be a switch fault, but either way have a look at coil supply volts - should be around 10v cranking. On the other hand, a flooded engine may start with a tow simply because you get it turning faster than on the starter.
BTW, whether you have a carb or single point injection, don't go emptying a can of cleaner down it if you have a Cat - you run a high risk of permanant damage to both the Cat and the Lambda Sensor.
Good Luck, Adam
|
