confusing electical problem

I own a 1990 festiva, recently I have been having problems with it starting but it would go in and out. I assumed it was a wiring problem but never had the time to take corrective action. Last night while driving, after having to push start the car the dash lights went out quickly followed by a bright flash from under the steering wheel column. It ran untill i turned it off ten minutes later, but then i had no electrical whatsoever. I pulled the main fuse linkage which was burned out, and have another on order; but i know there has got to be a more serious problem. Where should I start?

Welcome to Automotive Forums.
There is a major ground out on one of the + positilve wires under the dash. Get a good light and look for burned wires where the flash came from the other night. Look for burned wires and melted insulation.

Look under the hood at the wiring around the battery and under hood fuse block. Again look for burned wires and/or melted insulation.

The + battery cable runs to the solenoid on the starter. From the solenoid the other posiltive + wires run to the switch and the fuse box. Check these cables and wires for burned and/or melted insulation.

I own a 1990 festiva, recently I have been having problems with it starting but it would go in and out. I assumed it was a wiring problem but never had the time to take corrective action. Last night while driving, after having to push start the car the dash lights went out quickly followed by a bright flash from under the steering wheel column. It ran untill i turned it off ten minutes later, but then i had no electrical whatsoever. I pulled the main fuse linkage which was burned out, and have another on order; but i know there has got to be a more serious problem. Where should I start?

I suggest pushing the car to a safe wide open area away from buildings and people and start this way...

Carefully siphon approximately 1 quart of gasoline from the gas tank, (you can use an empty mayonnaise jar for this. I suggest the glass type as the gas might tend to melt a plastic one)

Your neighbors' garden hose can be used for this. Simply cut a section out of the hose about 6 feet in length from the middle area of the hose, and discard the rest on your neighbors' porch so he or she will see that they needed a new hose anyway.

Be careful when siphoning if you get gas in your mouth! Gas will tend to soften your dentures!

Take the quart of gas and pour a bit on both the front seats and the rear seats. About half of the jar will do nicely. If you have any gas left in the jar, pour the rest carefully into the air vents in the dash using a funnel.

If you do not have a funnel, don't bother with going to the auto parts store... any sheet of paper will do, simply roll the paper into a funnel shape and use this.

DO NOT discard the gasoline soaked paper after use! Simply stuff it under the drivers' seat out of sight.

Next, take any standard road flare and stand approximately 5 or 6 feet away from the car. Strike the road flare carefully, making sure that the flare is pointed AWAY from your eyebrows (or moustache, beard, excessive chest hair, etc.)

Making quite sure that the road flare is completely ignited, now toss it through the OPEN (MAKE SURE THE WINDOW IS OPEN FIRST) DRIVERS' SIDE WINDOW while giggling in hysterical fits!

The electrical problem you once had is now resolved, and celebrating this permanent fix is optional by dancing wildly around the blazing pyre screaming "LONG LIVE THE MARINIUS VAN DER LUBBE INTERNATIONAL FIREBOMBING SOCIETY!!!"

Once problem is melted to a steaming puddle of red hot pot metal, go out and buy yourself a DECENT Ford product.

I hope you found this fix for your Festiva helpful!

Cheers!

Dave