I have a 98 escort 2.0. It starts sometimes and then it don't. I have changed the crank position sensor and its doing the samething as it was. I will start sometimes and then it's like somebody flips a switch. Could that be a coil going bad or maybe a timing belt?
Starting issue
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When it doesn't start do you hear the fuel pump kick in and prime the fuel system when you turn the key to the on position? It reminds me of the way my '88 Pony did one time and the inertia switch was bad. Sometimes it was making contact and would start and other times it wouldn't. Is there any pattern to when it won't start? Mine would always fail to start in cooler/damp weather, but as soon as the sun got on the car and warmed it up it would start. I think it was causing the spring inside the inertia switch to contract, breaking the circuit therefore not starting.
No haven't checked the fuel pressure yet. I did take the valve cover off to check the rockers and springs out and heard a kinda of a ticking sound then it went away. Don't know if its true but I have heard that if you hear the ticking sound sometimes the valve seat is getting ready to go? But don't know if that is true or not.
Didn't check the fuel pressure yet. But for the last week and a half I went out and started the car just fine no problem had a little ruff idle at time but it did smooth out. Then today went out to start it and it was like it had not compresstion. Now I didn't do a comprestion test but you can tell when no compresstion. So I took the valve cover off and went to crank it over with somebody watching and all off the rocker arms are moving up and down so I would all most rule out bad valve. Then I put the vavle cover back on just sat it on went to crank it over then it would try to start but then backfire and never did fire. Now I really don't know WTF any help would be good thank you.
So I checked the timing and everything is the way it should be the marks are in a line. Did a compression test this is kind of weird but the 1 and 2 had 180 and 3 and 4 didn't have anything. But I did it a hand full more times and all 4 cylinders had 180 on compression. That doesn't make any sense to me what so ever. Now I was going to start it up and nothing. I should have said before I checked the timing belt it started and ran fine this time. But now I have no spark at the coil. Changed the coil pack with and old one that is good and still nothing. What is the next step does this sound like a computer issue?
One way you can check the fuel pump is to listen when you turn the key to "run" (before "start"). You should hear the fuel pump kick in briefly and pressurize the line. My wife has a cousin who used to have a mustang, early 90s I think. But anyway she'd get this problem all the time, and what she'd have to do was go open up the hatch and reset the breaker. This happened one time while I was there and I said, "What the ? You have to flick a circuit breaker in your trunk before you can start your car?" I didn't believe it until I actually saw it.
But anyway, you turn the key to "run" and you should hear an electric motor whirring noise from the gas tank for about 1 second and then it'll stop. That's the sound of the fuel system becoming pressurized and ready to start.
My 2 cents...
But anyway, you turn the key to "run" and you should hear an electric motor whirring noise from the gas tank for about 1 second and then it'll stop. That's the sound of the fuel system becoming pressurized and ready to start.
My 2 cents...
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