[revwill]

HEY EVERYBODY, this forum has been very helpful in the pat. thanks! Now i need somehelp and tied searching, but dont know where to begin... its my mums97 escort 2l and it was idleing rough or surged u can say and would almost die. It also bogged a litlle intermitantly. a few vacuum lines were seriously cracked so i replaced abunch of them. also the elbow thingcoming out of the valve cover was colapsed so i found a similar one at th junkyard and replaced it. also cleaned the iacv. then it wouldnt start. put a new col pack and same thing new spark plugs..... the car now smells li gas so im sure i flooded it so its gettin fuel, right? what should i do first? could the timing belt have jumped? I'm seriously $broke$ so wanna know for sur what to replace b4 spending $$$ i dont have. I jut changed a timing belt on a honda accord so im a lil mechanical but NO mechanic. this cars makin me question if i shold touch another car again! Any help would be MUCHO appreciated! thanks

 

[skaterbro]

What does it do when you try to fire it? If it is doing anything, any chance of at least a sound clip?

 

[LOWETGT]

The presence of gas smell would suggest to me that the pump and injectors are working, but you probably having a spark/ignition issue. Rent or buy a spark tester to see if present. I usually just let it shock me, but that's me. If you have a plastic plier like tool, you can hold end of spark plug wire near a ground to see/hear spark occurring. You need 3 things to support combustion; compression, fuel, and ignition. One of those things aren't present if the engine cranks and doesn't start. Maybe an ignition module or blow ignition/engine fuse?

 

[denisond3]

You can take the plugs out -- to see if they are wet. That would indicate the engine got flooded. If it was running poorly the plugs may be very dark, and its real easy for a dirty/dark plug to get wet (with fuel) and not fire. Maybe cranking it around a few times with the plugs out would dry it out - - or pushing the gas pedal ALL the way to the floor might help. (I think thats the way to un-flood it, I dimly recall that with the throttle fully open - the injectors dont trigger during cranking).
On a 2nd gen. Escort 1.9L its not easy to get the #1 plug removed without breaking it, so if its equally difficult on your 3rd gen, you can leave that plug in. Or use a 10" 3/8" drive 'wobble' extension and a 5/6" inch deep socket. that makes it easy to get the #1 plug.

 

[revwill]

hey, thanks for the fast replies... I do have one of those harbour frieght spark testers w/ a little light and it is blinking... so there is spark to the plugs??? I took out the plugs and they were all dark in color. I got some new plugs and am gona try those out in a min.. if that doesnt work wheres the ign module and how do i test it? I know... I'll search it right now. then I'll post what happens... Thanx for all the help! Also, it does crank over and it seems like it wants to start a little then just keeps cranking. maybe its just flooded with old plugs... got the batt on the charger right now gonna give it a min to charge. thanks again

 

[juggalo]

the 3rd gens don't have an ignition control module. that's in the ecu which probably needs to be replaced. u've already tried a new coil pack so that's ruled out. it could be the crankshaft position sensor which is part of the ignition system.

 

[LOWETGT]

If you are truly getting good, timed spark; the ignition module is working. I would have to say the crank position sensor is working too. Knowing that, I would check the timing belt. A broken timing belt would allow for operating ignition system and fuel system, but no combustion because the engine is out of sequence. Take the upper cover off to confirm.

 

[revwill]

thanks for all the help, gotta get my daughter to her dr's appointment in 12 hours from now! if i miss it her mom, my EX. Will have a field day with it... im pretty sure its the timing belt also. since the serpentine belt is the worst condition i have ever seen. we've had the car around a month now. i've noticed i have to add water to the radiator at least once a week! so pretty sure waterpump starting to go messin up the timing belt half way thru takeing of the timing cover it started pouring, FUN. If its the timing belt im off to tha 24hour autozone... any pointers bout these cars when it comes to timing belt replacement? TYhanks, Will.

 

[madmatt2024]

Always replace the tensioner when you replace the belt.
Also, if you're replacing the water pump get a new lower radiator hose and/or a new hose clamp. The old hose would not seal on my new pump and I ended up having to put a better clamp on to make it seal. Also, removing the pump from the car can be a pain because the space is so tight, you have to rotate the pump the opposite direction you think you need to rotate it to get it out.

 

[revwill]

Thanks for the help again everyone! took the cover off and the belttension was good then looked at the teeth on the belt and about 12 were gone.... so i'm pretty sure thats the problem. the crank pully and cam gear were about 8 or 9 teeth off time... so got new waterpump tensioner and belt and am bout half way through the job. borrowed a car to get my kid to he drs. appointment. this escort is WAY easier to change than the accord i dd two weeks ago, asnd thank god for the motor bein non interfearance!