nelsontc

I have a 87 LX5.0, stock. The car has ~82K miles, low miles for a 87. I don't use the car much but had to take it in for the annual emission test. I took it out of the garage after about six months of sitting. I drove the car 16 miles in heavy traffic too work and then after work to the garage for emissions testing. So I put about 35 miles on the car with no problems. The car passed the esmission test and then I left the garage. About 1 mile away from the garage, the car started to stall. I was in disbelief. I pulled over and the car stalled out. I opened the hood and waited. After a while the car seemed to start but then stalled out like it was flooded. I let it sit more and called a rollback. While waiting for the rollback, I thought I would try to start the car to back it up so that the rollback would hav room to pull in front of the car to load it up. The car started and seemed fine. I decided to start down the road and I would cancel the rollback. About 1/2 mile the car stated to buck badly and stall like it was getting no fuel and I heard popping sounds from the engine bay almost like a backfire. I pulled over and updated the rollback as to my location. Also, for at least 3 to 4 years the fuel pump has made noise. I thought maybe the fuel pump was going bad. Anyway the roll back came and brought the car to a local Ford dealership. The car was able to start to drive it on the rollback and start to back it off. The dealership checked out the car and said that the fuel pump had less then 15lbs of pressure and it needed to be replaced but allso said the ignition system need to be changed and that would cost about $500 for the ignition. I agreed to have the fuel pump changed but they said the ignition system, if it gets hot the car will probably leave me stranded again. Since the car is a secondary car I didn't have the money to spend on the ignition system. I picked up the car today the fuel pump noise was gone and the car drove fine. Does anyone agree with the dealership or have any details or experienced this issue that I have had? Do I need a new ignition system? Do you know exactly what I need to do to fix the iginition it you think it is a problem? Could it have been the fuel pump? Could I have damaged the ignition by driving it wiith a bad fuel pump?

Appreciate any information you can provide?

Thanks,

Jim

FiveLiterRiceEater

i think they were probably talking about the TFI module that always goes bad on ford dizzys. but i dunno why theyd want 500 for it. thats rediculous. i think there was also a recall on the actual ignition switch too, cause it would catch on fire

lookinforastang

500 for an ignition?!?

run away!

ckyguy68

dude you can get a brand new MSD Blaster TFI Coil for $50. Hell, i got a stock one if you need it!

Dearborn5.0

nel.

I have two thoughts as I read your situation:

1)

Could be the TFI modules. Tfi modules are famous for going bad. Also, one way that TFI's go bad is that they act up and stop working, killing your car when they get HOT. then, after the engine cools down a bit, the car will restart, no problem. Or, next morning will restart no problem, but will again your car will die when the module gets hot after driving a few miles.

My TFI just went bad and it is very easy to replace. you could do it yourself. I'll reply back with how to in a min.

In detroit the tfi is 30 bucks at murrays, 35 at napa. I bought a $50 unit from accel ignition, bec i didnt want to put another motorcraft tfi on there.

make sure your replacement module is a green circuit board, the white boards ones are prone to the same failure further down the read. The plastic plate that says motorcraft is removable. I have pics...

2)

less likely, your torque converter in your auto may be locking up, whick will cause your car to buck and stall at idle. Specifically, when you slow down from say 20-50 mph to stop, your car will stall when you just about stop. I believe there are electronics that control when the torque converter locks up, and a shorted wire or corroded terminal could cause this lock up problem. talk to the auto guys


If you own a chilton's manual, follow the ignition troubleshooting section in there. I believe it is in chaper 4 and will have you check voltages on various wires at the tfi connector to determine what is bad. I have several books, including a professional mechanic's mitchel manual. This Chilton's procedure really works here (and not a fan of chilton's books ). Make sure you do the test for EEC IV, bec the MCU (other computer system) test is written right before it and I mixed them up the first time.

if you're impatient/angry, pull the TFI module off the distributor and take the module to murrays or autozone and they will test the module for free.

VigCS

Well if the new fuel pump seems to have fixed the issue I'd say its that....

The first night I owned my 92gt I ran out of gas cause the guage read 1/8 too high...exact same symptoms your'e having when I ran out of fuel. Engine made some air puffing sounds, buck and kick...would restart for about 1/2 mile then die again, etc...

Dearborn5.0

the first pic here is the distributor with the cap off. the rotor is grey and you can see the "mouth" of the tfi module under the round bowl of the distributor.

second pic
I could not get the tfi out, so I pulled the distributor out. Dont do this if you've never worked on cars/engines before.



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Dearborn5.0

in the 3rd pic above you can see 2 deep holes in the tfi. these are socket tead screws and are small, perhaps 11/32. I used a deep 1/4" drive socket to get them out.

remove the screws.

now pull down, towards the engine/ground on the tfi, not out towards you/front of the car. Pull down

there are 3 little connectors that will break off if you dont pull down (see pic)



Here is a pic of the tfi removed from the distributor. see all of that white stuff. that is dried dielectric grease and needs to be removed from the distributor. put wd-40 on a rag and try to wipe it off. if that doesnt work, try brake cleaner, but be really careful not to touch the brown electronic peace sill in the distributor.

you could try a file too on the distributor flat spot where the tfi mounts if the grease is really stubborn

pic 3 here is the white (bad) circuit board in the tfi module

Dearborn5.0

get the module replaced /checked.

then take the new module and put alof of dielectric grease on the back (metal) side of it.

slide it up (towards the opened hood/ garage roof) into the bottom of the distributor bowl. those 3 little connectors should go into the bottom of brown electrical thingy in the distributor bowl

in this pic you can see those the 3 holes where the 3 tips on the tfi go into the bottom of the brown thingy in the distributor bowl

if you did everything right, the bolt holes should line up on the tfi and you can bolt the tfi back onto the distributor. reconnect the tfi connector and you are go


*********
oh, the connector from the wire harness to the tfi is a push tab. push the tab in, dont pull it out....it says push on it....


good luck dude!

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aode08

$500, your ignition system is bad! I bet they checked and found the usuall tail signs.


New distributor with TFI module on it already, NEW plugs, wires cap and rotor button, New Coil Pack and new Ignition Module in the steering column. Di- electric grease wherever needed

I have seen all of these fail on several 5.0's in our shop . Your ponies will go up! do it yourself.