89 escort mechanical gremlin

[richxyz]

My 89 Escort lx occasionally will crank but not start. The occurrences are apparently random. It will continue to not start until some mysterious moment when it will start and then run just fine. Sometimes this will go on over a period of days and then the problem will appear to go away for sometimes several months. Then it will happen again.

What I've noticed:
...when this occurs, the seatbelt won't slide back on its track when you turn on the key. I always know when it's going to start again because when I turn the key and the seatbelt tracks.
...also, when this occurs, the fuel doesn't seem to be going into the carb.

Anyone else had this problem?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Heep]

Wow that's odd...the seat belt not going would make me think it's electrical problems, maybe not enough power coming from the battery or something. It's cranking, and I assume other electricals work, so it is getting some power, but I don't know. I'll ask around to my Escort techies, but all I can suggest trying right now is boosting the car next time it happens to see if it's just low battery power or not. It could be a harness somewhere...

[richxyz]

Thanks for the quick reply, Heep! I would greatly appreciate any advice your or your 'techies' can offer. It's difficult to get a mechanic to diagnose in-shop because if I can drive it there, then, of course, that means this intermittent problem is not a problem at the time.

BTW I put a voltmeter on the battery this pm after trying unsuccessfully to start it quite a few times. The voltage read 11 volts. A little low, but that may just be from all the cranking.

[Heep]

Alright, I talked to 2 different 1st gen Escort owners that have had the exact same problem, both said this:

The problem is that little Black round thing that is screwed to your driverside fender wall...the positive battery cable is bolted to it...it's right beside the battery...that is the problem...I just went thru the same thing...just change it...things should start working fine!

Hope it helps!

[richxyz]

Wow! Thanks very much. I'll replace it right away and let you know how it went. By the way, right after my last post, I went out and tried it again and it started right up and ran fine.

UNTIL TODAY! Now it's down again.

Thanks again!
..r.

[Heep]

Crazy...hope the part isn't too much....

[richxyz]

Heep...this morning I replaced the "little black round thing", aka starter relay, on my Escort. She started right up! Time will tell if this is the permanent fix I think it is. Thanks again for the tip.

The starter relay apparently was a key location in the circuits involved because there's a terminal on the starter relay that the positive cable from the battery attaches to, and guess what else is wired into that same terminal?

Answer: Leads going to the fuel pump relay (brown wire) and the passive restraint system (blue wire)!!! Makes sense, then, that the fuel was shut off to the carb, and the shoulder harness wouldn't activate.

One question comes up, though...it appeared to my layman's eyes that the starter relay only serves as a convenient physical location to tie the fuel pump and passive restraint circuits into the battery's power. That would mean that the problem with the starter relay would be a physical problem, not an electrical one.

But I'm neither a mechanic nor an electrical technician, so I really have no idea if the transfer of power from the battery to those other circuits actually relies on the electromechanical operation of the starter relay.

What do you and your Escort techies say?

..richxyz

[richxyz]

Heep...bad news. The problem is back. I got a day or so of good starts/runs after replacing the starter relay, but it's currently not starting again.

What other component is common to the passive restraint system and the fuel supply system on the '89 Escort?

What about the inertial switch? Might it be malfunctioning? Where is it?

Any help from anyone gladly appreciated...

Rich

[Heep]

I'll ask about it....as soon as I get my reply I'll pass the info on to you.

[richxyz]

Greetings.
BTW I found the fuel-shutoff, or 'inertial' switch. It's in the wall of the luggage compartment. It has a reset button. I couldn't tell if it had been tripped or not, but I pushed it anyway. Car started right up. Of course, that proves nothing yet. (It may have just decided to start, as before).

In studying schematics, I notice there's a fuel pump relay that is common to both the fuel pump and the passive restraint system. I'd like to check/replace it next time this occurs, but I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE IT IS! My manual doesn't give its physical location or description.
I only know that schematically, it's in the circuit between the starter relay and the fuel pump.

Do you or anyone know where I can find the fuel pump relay on my '89 Escort?

Thanks again, Heep!
--Rich

[Heep]

I got a response about the first question and just asked the second. Here you go:

If it's not that...then it can be two other things.....
1. The TFI or the gray thing that is on the side of the distibuter.

2. The Coil which is located below the black thing he just replaced it's located about 9 inches below it.

3. It could also be this part inside the Distributer...you will have to take the distibuter apart to get to it.

[Heep]

"The inertia switch is located on the driverside rear quaterpanel...you will have to remove the plastic pnel to get to it. "

[richxyz]

Heep, I located the inertial switch and reset it, although I couldn't really tell if it had been tripped. However, it's been running fine since (a couple of days now). Fingers crossed.

Still, just in case, do your sources know where I can find the fuel pump relay?

That will be my next suspect component if this doesn't prove to work in the long run.


Appreciate it!

Richxyz

[Heep]

Yep...your fuel pump relay is located under the dash on the drivers side....you will see two modules that a few lines run into...the modules look identical except the color of the bottom half.

Hope this info isn't needed

[GoinRallyin]

I think you guys are barking up the wrong tree with the ign. relay and the FPC..

I'd check the chassis ground. If it's got heavy corrosion there, it'll cause all kinds of neat intermittent problems like those described. Also has a tendency to make the radio sound pretty cruddy thanks to the location of the ign. noise isolator in such close proximity. Clean up the chassis ground, see if that does anything. Clean the starter terminals too - they have a tendency to corrode. Did you clean up the contacts for the ign. relay too? If not.. get some Mopar electrical contact cleaner from the Chrysler dealer (best stuff I've found - better than Ford, for sure) and clean up the contacts real good. Use some light sandpaper too - 1200grit or so will be good.