OKIEMUSTANG

https://mustangforums.com/forum/5-0l...tart-ughh.html


Every now and then it will die, or not start. How can i check spark quickly while on the side of the road? How can i check coil?

It usually when this happens it will restart after 15-30 min, so i will need to check it quick. any ideas?

Maxwelhse

A timing light is the best way to check the wires quickly. There isn't a way to check for spark without pulling a plug so keep your tools and a screw driving to jump the solenoid handy and pick out the plug that is easiest for you to pull... Might be a good idea to keep a spare plug on hand too in case you break it somehow.

Odd are pretty good that your plugs would work if the car was just running so I would just take a timing light along. You can, of course, also check timing with it that way.

OKIEMUSTANG

Stupid question but how do you check wires with timing light?

Maxwelhse

The only stupid question is the one left unasked. The timing light has an inductive pick-up and just clamps around a spark plug wire. If the light doesn't flash then there isn't current in that wire.

Here ya go:


You can "rent" these from the parts store. If you're going to wrench you're going to need to know how to check/set timing. There's a little more to setting the timing on most fuel injected cars than the video is going to show, btw.

5.0liter_rice_eater

Pick up one of these little guys to keep in the glove:

http://www.harborfreight.com/90-inline-spark-checker-69023.html

Can check for spark from the coil and to the plugs without any tools.

Maxwelhse

^^^I have one of those and 50% of the time it doesn't work. Might just be mine...

88 orangepeel notch

Pull your TFI module off the distributor and take it to your local Autozone, Advance, whatever chain is around you and have them test it. 3 times in a row so it gets very hot. They also carry the special socket tool to remove it so stop there first. It's only a couple bucks.

What your car is doing is a classic TFI module going bad.

dawson1112

yup had that issue on my old 80s model ranger, drive for a bit then start bucking and kicking , loosing power, then dead for 15 or 20 min . Stop let it cool then fire up and drive a bit ,,, rinse and repeat for 150 miles on I77 in a snow storm at 2am in southern ohio. Twas a long trip home. Next day started up and drove it but only made it a few miles, then it wouldn't start any more at all . No spark so I replaced coil ,, no spark, So I got on the internet and found the tsb for the ford TFI modules mounted to the dizzy , was a frequent issue with them. After replacing the TFI the truck ran like a top.

OKIEMUSTANG

ok, so here is where i am at with this... i need some expert advise!

Pulled ignition control module. THis is a 95 so not on the dizzy. Anyway after they tested it 3 times and it was good, the 4th it failed. so i assumed this was the issue. Still have the exact same problem.

Here is what i did after the car died.

Hooked up timing light, no spark on plug wires when cranking engine. However on the coil wire when i turn ignition to on position i get 1 immediate flash then timing light goes off again when cranking. What does this mean?

i have replaced the coil, and icm now. The car has a vortech supercharger system and so it has the vortech (msd) ignition/boost control. could this be failing, or should i be looking at pip in dizzy? how can i eliminate this?

Maxwelhse

I don't know anything about your vortec ignition control system, but I'd be looking to bypass it if at all possible before continuing on with other steps. It's simply one more potential gremlin in the loop at the moment.