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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / April 2008

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89 Escort 1.9L stalls - won't restart right away

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Simpson - 01 Apr 2008 14:28 GMT
A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
haven't yet been able to determine if the car was moving or at a stop
when it stalled. It has stalled two or three times at idle, once while I
was there checking it out. I immediately tested the coil wire for spark
and there was bright blue strong spark. I think it might be the idle air
control valve, but wanted to run this by some experienced minds.

There is one odd quirk. When I remove a manifold vacuum plug, the idle
speed picks up significantly. This is telling me that the system is
starved for air. Having said that, I must confess that I have no
experience in dealing with fuel injection. I know that this would be
bizarre behavior for a carbureted system.

Another thing that doesn't compute is that the plugs are not fouled with
dry black sooty deposits that would intake a super rich mix.

I have done some googling and a clogged idle air control valve and a
leaking PCV hose seem to be likely culprits to explain the stalling. I
am leaving in a minute to check out both. Will report on the results

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Mike Walsh - 01 Apr 2008 15:44 GMT
> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> experience in dealing with fuel injection. I know that this would be
> bizarre behavior for a carbureted system.

Not so odd for a computer controlled fuel injection system. With the plug removed the oxygen sensor will detect a lean mixture. The computer will then increase the fuel, resulting in a much higher idle speed.

> Another thing that doesn't compute is that the plugs are not fouled with
> dry black sooty deposits that would intake a super rich mix.
>
> I have done some googling and a clogged idle air control valve and a
> leaking PCV hose seem to be likely culprits to explain the stalling. I
> am leaving in a minute to check out both. Will report on the results

Unfortunately even a 1989 Escort is much more complicated than the old carburetor cars. The problem could be a bad sensor or the computer intermittently cutting off fuel or spark. Does the check engine light come on? If I does you need to get the fault codes.

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                  Mike Walsh

Simpson - 01 Apr 2008 20:04 GMT
>> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
>> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> problem could be a bad sensor or the computer intermittently cutting off fuel or spark. Does
> the check engine light come on? If I does you need to get the fault codes.

I just got back from looking the car over again and getting my hands on
the Chilton manual for it. It turns out that this model does not have an
idle air control valve. Today the car is pouring black smoke from the
tailpipe and the gas flow from the injector seems overly abundant at
idle. When I partially block the gas flow from the injector, the idle
smooths out and the black smoke disappears. The plugs all show classic
sign of too rich of a mixture. So now I have to figure out what is
causing the rich mixture.

Apparently, last night, when my friend attempted to start the car, the
engine would crank but not catch and she said the check engine light
came on. This could have been the normal lighting up of the check engine
light when the key is turned to the run position. When I went there this
morning, the engine started and the check engine light was not on while
the engine was running.

So now the most immediate problem is an absurdly rich fuel mix at idle.

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Steve B. - 01 Apr 2008 23:14 GMT
>I just got back from looking the car over again and getting my hands on
>the Chilton manual for it. It turns out that this model does not have an
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>sign of too rich of a mixture. So now I have to figure out what is
>causing the rich mixture.

Replace the vacuum line going to the MAP sensor if it isn't fairly
new.  Could also be a map sensor itself failing.

             Steve B.
Simpson - 02 Apr 2008 01:39 GMT
>> I just got back from looking the car over again and getting my hands on
>> the Chilton manual for it. It turns out that this model does not have an
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>               Steve B.

Thanks, Steve, for the heads up on the map sensor. Earlier I found this,
so I was on the look out for it:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.ford/browse_thread/thread/e596cbbb579f6
00c/948980471dcd7404?lnk=st&q=escort+OR+lynx+%22black+smoke%22+87+OR+88+OR+89+OR
+90#948980471dcd7404


Earlier, I had accidentally disconnected the vacuum line going to the
map sensor while removing the 'air filter housing and plastic intake air
duct'(one word) to get at the throttle body and to see what was going on
in that area. I saw it hanging loose when replacing the 'air filter
housing and plastic intake air duct' and reconnected it.  I ran the
engine while it was disconnected and the 'plastic air filter housing and
intake air duct' was removed so that I could see what was happening. I'm
new to EFI and the throttle body EFI on this Escort let's you see the
injector in action. I plugged up the vacuum line going to the heated
intake air sensor thingy under the 'air filter housing and plastic
intake air duct' and I plugged up the vacuum line going to the PCV valve
(I'm assuming that's what it was).

Anyway, long story short, no more black smoke, but I just got back from
picking up my friend because the escort stalled again so I am back to
square one, the original problem of the engine stalling. I got it
started again and it ran long enough to get to an untimed parking spot>
She was on her way to National Car Rental, hahaha. She's a smart girl.

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Simpson - 03 Apr 2008 02:40 GMT
>> I just got back from looking the car over again and getting my hands on
>> the Chilton manual for it. It turns out that this model does not have an
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>               Steve B.

Steve, I checked the vacuum line to the map sensor. It checked out okay

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Brent P - 01 Apr 2008 15:46 GMT
>A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
>twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>and there was bright blue strong spark. I think it might be the idle air
>control valve, but wanted to run this by some experienced minds.

stalls at idle, restarts but doesn't idle... is likely the idle air
control valve. If the engine keeps running so long as the throttle is
held open a bit by depressing the gas pedal then I'd say the IAC needs
at least a cleaning if not a replacement.

However, your subject states it doesn't restart right away.
That sounds like the ignition control module. It gets hot and
doesn't work, then it cools and works. That said, the coil seems to be
firing so... it's really going to be when it stalls and how it behaves
when restart is attempted.

If by not starting right away it immediately stalls after starting
(which could appear as 'not starting), it's back to the IAC. holding the
gas pedal down slightly when starting will allow it to start and run.
Simpson - 01 Apr 2008 20:19 GMT
>> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
>> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> firing so... it's really going to be when it stalls and how it behaves
> when restart is attempted.

My 87 Dodge Dakota V6 had a similar problem that was caused by a faulty
Hall effect pickup in the distributor. It seems many of these Dakotas
had this problem. The engine would just stall while driving and would
not restart right away.

But, geez Louise, now there is black smoke pouring out of the exhaust.
when I partially shut off the flow of gas from the single injector, the
idle smooths out and the black smoke disappears. So now this problem has
moved to the head of the line. I think the two problems may be related.

> If by not starting right away it immediately stalls after starting
> (which could appear as 'not starting), it's back to the IAC. holding the
> gas pedal down slightly when starting will allow it to start and run.

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Simpson - 03 Apr 2008 02:45 GMT
>> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
>> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> (which could appear as 'not starting), it's back to the IAC. holding the
> gas pedal down slightly when starting will allow it to start and run.

Brent,

Wiping the previous slate clean, I offer the following symptoms:

Sometimes the injector will spray gas and sometimes it won't. When the
injector will not spray gas, there is fuel and pressure in the fuel
pressure regulator. I confirmed this by unscrewing the fuel pressure
regulator cover and watching as fuel sprayed out with surprised force
and duration. Therefore I have taken it into my head that the problem
must lie with either the injector, a sensor, faulty wiring or the
computer. I can hear the electric fuel pump doing its thing and the fuel
pressure regulator seems to be full of pressurized fuel. Whether the
pressure is up to specs, I don't know, but I was mightily impressed with
the force with which is sprayed out when I loosened the screws of the
fuel pressure regulator cover.

Another symptom is that the engine tries to stall immediately after
starting. I can keep it alive by constantly pumping the gas pedal. No
one position on the gas pedal will keep the engine running, but pumping
it will. But that is no way to go through life. At present, the engine
seems to start consistently but will not run.

I am not sure that this engine has an idle air control valve. If it
does, the Chilton manual does not refer to it by that name.

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Brent P - 03 Apr 2008 03:39 GMT
>Sometimes the injector will spray gas and sometimes it won't. When the
>injector will not spray gas, there is fuel and pressure in the fuel
>pressure regulator.

Is this a throttle body system?

>Another symptom is that the engine tries to stall immediately after
>starting. I can keep it alive by constantly pumping the gas pedal. No
>one position on the gas pedal will keep the engine running, but pumping
>it will. But that is no way to go through life. At present, the engine
>seems to start consistently but will not run.

>I am not sure that this engine has an idle air control valve. If it
>does, the Chilton manual does not refer to it by that name.

Chilton's are horrible manuals.
Rock auto sells an IAC for a 1989 escort pony 1.9L (I did not check the
other trim levels). depending on which one is used and the mfg of the
part, from $16.85 to $75.79. The cheap one looks like plastic fixed
opening type thing. The others are proper electric solinoid valves.

Anyway go to rockauto.com and look it up. From the pic you can find it,
take it off and clean it with throttle body cleaner to see if there is any
improvement.
Simpson - 03 Apr 2008 15:29 GMT
>> Sometimes the injector will spray gas and sometimes it won't. When the
>> injector will not spray gas, there is fuel and pressure in the fuel
>> pressure regulator.
>
> Is this a throttle body system?

Yes it is. Ford refers to it as CFI or Central Fuel Injection. It has a
single injector that sprays gas into the throat of a carburetor body

>> Another symptom is that the engine tries to stall immediately after
>> starting. I can keep it alive by constantly pumping the gas pedal. No
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> take it off and clean it with throttle body cleaner to see if there is any
> improvement.

Great, thanks... will do.

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Kruse - 02 Apr 2008 00:14 GMT
> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
> haven't yet been able to determine if the car was moving or at a stop
> when it stalled.

Wasn't this one of the models that made the state of California sue
FoMoCo for
faulty ignition modules that caused them to stall?
Simpson - 02 Apr 2008 01:40 GMT
>> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
>> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> FoMoCo for
> faulty ignition modules that caused them to stall?

Do tell! Well, this particular one, if original, has lasted quite a
while. I'll to a google on that.

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"Forget it, Jake. It's the Internet."

Simpson - 02 Apr 2008 02:13 GMT
>> A friend's 1989 Escort 1.9L TBI has been stalling lately. It has stalled
>> twice while being driven, once by her and once by her daughter. I
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> FoMoCo for
> faulty ignition modules that caused them to stall?

Kruse, thanks for this info. This 87 Escort LX is indeed one of those
cars that received the faulty ignition module. The date has passed to
file a claim, but the part costs less than $40 and is available at a
local Kragens.

I'll give it a go!

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