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Our 1995N 1.1 Fiesta (73,000 miles) has developed a habit of starting OK, running for 2-300 yards, stopping, then refusing to start. This tends to happen when slowing down to negotiate a junction. There's plenty of life in the battery, but it won't fire. If you then tow it, it will start and run perfectly well. The breathers have been cleaned, it does some decent runs, and the oil is the correct grade. I suspect something is going awry with the engine management system. I'd be grateful for any ideas. Thanks BigAl
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Same here. 1993L 1.1 (40 000miles) short runs though! Start up, run for 200 yards, turn left and it cuts out (sometimes will not start for a couple of days after towing home, or to dealers?). Can the combination of a carburettor and catalytic converter be the problem?
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Maybe it's just coincidence, but the problem is always a left turn with us !
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the same happened with my mothers citroen bx. it seems to be ok, now that we have had the ignition coil done.
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I would say its almost certainly the battery.
What sounds like enough power to spin the engine may not be enough to start it.
Try getting the battery tested.
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I hate to admit even knowing what Fiestas are but......It might be the distributor cap...Ford caps get hairline cracks and moisture seeps in, especially in the current weather, I used to have one of these in University and experienced the same problem, wiped with an oily rag, started straight off.
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The only place I can think of where the steering and ignition are inter-related is in the ignition switch on the steering column. Could it be a faulty ignition switch?
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They also had problems with the MAP hose collapsing. It goes from the inlet manifold, so have a good look for a knackered hose.
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The 'L reg' definitly has a carb and cat. It will fail turning left or right. It is also regularly serviced by a main dealer! The problem is worse in the autumn and happens about three to four times a year. My father (who's car it is) travels short distances 95% of the time and now waits for the rev counter to drop of main choke before strating off (expensive I know, but it keeps his blood pressure down!) the problem is a mystery to Ford and the local car electric guru. Also the lamda sensor has been replaced but to no avail. Ford recommend a new £600 car computer (ecu?).
Thanks for all your help
Chris
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Chris,
Are you ABSOLUTELY sure this car has a carb ? The CFI single-point injection system has a throttle body in the same place as a carb, and looking at it under the air filter it can be confusingly similar. Take the air filter off. If it has two venturi and a choke flap in one of them it is a carb, if it has a single circular venturi with a circular solenoid device (the injector) in the centre of it it is CFi.
Hope I am not insulting your inteligence, but I have NEVER seen an L reg Fiesta with a carb - one or two on K plates, and if it really is a carb job it must have been in a dealer's showroom for a very long time before registration!
Regards, Adam
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SWMBO's fraud siesta used to cut out all the time, cold hot, dry, humid, it didn't make much difference. Went back to ford, they couldn't help her. took her to my local back alley garage, he diagnosed the collapsing tube and replaced it with a stiffer one that didn't collapse when subjected to a partial vacuum. Cost £20 and it's fixed the problem for good by the look of it.
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I would disagree if it starts ok first time then the battery must be ok.
I think your hunch is correct .... some kind of engine manangement/electrical fault.
I will have a quick look at my auto-electrical book tommorow to see what system your car has and find any simple checks you can do.
My initial thoughts are the Lamda sensor on the cat .
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Obviously my figures would be out of date, but I was always told it can take 25 minutes of driving to return the battery to where it was before it had to sart the car. And that would be a healthy battery.
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Fair point Mark
Best way to check this is to put the lights on when trying to start for a second time. If there very dim .... new battery
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It would be a help if you could tell us whether you have a carb or fuel inj. The L Reg almost certainly has a carb. One of my friends had an L reg fiesta that exhibited the exact same problems. It was caused by the carburettor running over rich on warm up. When I took the air filter off I was horrified by this black mess of a carburettor underneath. I would suggest first of all, give the carburettor a good clean with some carburettor cleaner, available from halfords, (Now badged as fuel injection air intake cleaner) Follow the instructions on the packet. Don't be too stingy, and be brave, hold the throttle open wide and spray cleaner into the carb until it almost conks out and then let the engine clear it. You'll get clouds of black and blue smoke out of the back, try not to let the motor over rev though. Then, if that doesn't improve matters, find out how the auto choke works from either a haynes manual or an industry expert (COME ON GUYS). Maybe it needs a new diaphragm or adjustment, I think its part vacuum part electrical part heat actuated. But theres no harm at all in giving the carb a thorough clean, you'll also notice, i'm sure a big improvement in power, smoothness of running etc.
Good luck
Andy
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Many years ago my first car was a MKII Escort 1.1 that had what sounds like a similar problem. Steve G is right about running rich, a good clean and adjustment of the carb mix should sort it out. Check the spark plugs as well while your at it.
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Wouldnt a L reg 1.1 fiesta be the CFi model therefore one fuel injector where the carb is, I had probs with the missus fiesta it turned out to be cured by new plugs?, that used to cut out sometimes after starting say at the first junction and then refuse to start again. These cars seem to be sensitive to decent plugs and correct spark gaps? From my experiance with fiesta's a 1.1 engine with 73k on it will have about had it anyway!!!!!!
I bet it is using oil!!!
Cheers
Andy (Ford hater!!!)
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If an L reg fiesta is almost certainly single point injection then why did my friend's car have a carb? I agree with you on the N-Reg though. It will almost certainly be an injection problem, either a throttle position sensor or just a dirty bypass or other cold running aid problem. I would take the throttle body off as Adam says and clean it off the car. If you have a carb and cat then you will have to take the carb off the car and clean it manually. It is a hell of a pain to do though, but you'll run the risk of damaging the cat if you don't. (sorry for the earlier advice, moral: don't go on the net when you're half asleep)
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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
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Why are people talking about a L reg fiesta when the car mentioned is N reg
(just being picky).
I think you must be overwhemled with potential problems BigAl !
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Many thanks for your thoughts, guys. I will print everything off and go through it with the chap who maintains the car - he is a decent bloke, but was at a complete loss - diagnosis is difficult because of the intermittent nature of the fault. I believe that our Fiesta has a conventional carb - 1. because the lump under the air filter looks (to me) like a carb and 2. the space for the emergency injector cut out in the passenger foot well has no switch - just a few wires passing through. I'm afraid that carbs are my achilles heel and the handbook that came with the car tells you sod all!
Once running, the engine purrs along very well and I'm looking for at least 100k miles, Andy. With 2 lads at uni, we don't want to buy anything new for my wife just at the moment! Oil consumption is only about half a litre between annual changes (about 7-8,000 miles).
Others have commented - and it seems a common problem. When it is all sorted (fingers crossed) - I'll post a note. Again, many thanks and seasons greetings. BigAl
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