Okay wtf is going on.

[DrHax]

Replaced fuel pump, replaced fuel filter on my 1986 crown vic 5.0

Car starts up runs for quite awhile.. And dies. Then you can start it up. The fucker runs clunks out.. Then you can't start it.

There was quite a bit of liquid running out of the tailpipe. Didn't smell like gas. But it was something noticeable. What can cause this? Im charging the battery so well see if thats the issue .. God this car is giving me a lot of trouble.

Relay? Electrical? Fuel pressure regulator? Or does my car just fucking hate me?

[79lincolnlover]

How long have you owned the car? Did the previous owner include any service records?

[pantera77]

What's the fuel pressure at the rail?
When it dies and you try to restart it does it have spark?

[DrHax]

No pressure when pocking the Schrader valve.. Hear a click of the relay. Fucked with interia switcg for a bit she almost kicks on. How do I bypass that switch to see if thats the issue.

[DrHax]

Bypassed the interia switch.. Started up.car instantly! Horray. Comes back after telling fiancee i fixed it... Come baxk its dead.. Wont start. Ill check spark next..

[sly]

If the car is running from cold for a while and dies when it warms up, I'd bet money on the ignition module on the distributor (TFI module). If you need to replace that, when you get the new one, you will need to be very careful about marking the position of the distributor in the engine and the position of the rotor in the distributor. You will need to pull the distributor up a little to clear the module and put the new one on. You must remember to put thermal grease on it to mate up with the distributor and try to clean any left on the distributor off before putting the new stuff on. Put on just enough to allow a thin coat. You want enough to fill the imperfections in the surfaces, but not so much as to keep the surfaces from touching. Use an old gift card or a putty knife to smear a smooth coat. Then bolt it back up. You'll also need the module tool to get the screws out.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wmr-w1216

You can see what it looks like at that link and should be able to get it at any auto parts store.

[mcninetyone]

I agree with sly, it just might be the ignition module. I've replaced many of those without taking the distributor out.
I pulled the wiring plug and just turned the distributor counter clockwise until I had plenty of room to get that special tool in there.
Then just turn the distributor back to where it belongs! Mark it or use a timing light
On some cars I think you may have to remove a small bracket on the intake for the distributor to clear?

Don't get a cheap ignition module, you'll be sorry!!! I would check Rockauto for Motorcraft

[DrHax]

What are the symptoms of a failing tfi module.. Or the warning signs.

[knucklehead0202]

Usually TFI craps out when the car is good and warm but your experience may vary. My brother's mustang did this only after driving a while. Once it cooled down it'd run fine, for a while, then just die and not start for at least an hour. Get a spark tester and check when warm, that'll tell the tale. No spark, dead TFI, follow sly's instructions. Have spark, check fuel pressure again.

[DrHax]

That sounds exactly like what sent me on this fuel pressure embargo. Come to find out the filter was pretty clogged and the fuel pump's original strainer dissolved into nothingness. So having a new fuel pump isn't bad...

Here's what happen my fiancee and I were going out to noddles and co a few miles away 15 I think, and the car would sputter, and bog down. Got to there ate, came out the car wouldn't start.. fucked around for an while got pushed into a parking space. Had a guy who helped push it give me a 100 dollarsin order help fix any issues the car we thought it was the fuel pump.(Nearly cried at that one...Ain't used to people being kind.) Well after awhile we got it to start up.. let it idle enough called up a friend he said try to make it back to our home town.. went on the highway it died against halfway between noodles and co and my fiancee's home.. Let it sit for a bit.. cranked it over with no avail.. kept on going.. Eventually got it started the car was bogging now I floored it to get it going.. Got to her house it died there.. replaced the fuel filter. Everything was golden... went to Arby's died in the drive through had to fight it to get it back to her house.. Got fuel pump.. got Nos hanger. Installed fuel pump into NOS hanger dropped tank. Dropped all the f-bombs, Struggled with straps.. went to ford dealership got part number was told they had the studs for the fuel tank in a place 1 1/2 hours away... went there they only had the fucking nuts.. came home went to menards got some threaded rods, a few nuts and some wing nuts.. dropped the tank (Cried while doing so..I knew what was coming up ahead) Drilled holes into trunk installed threaded rods with my new method of holding the straps.. got tank in (I want a f-bomb basket with extra PIA with bitch sauce please).. lubed up the fuel filler tube... went in easy got everything set up. New fuel line clips installed.. O'reillys now knows me by name.. Go to start the car.. starts up... Test crap with fiancee fuel pump whirs relay goes click, Confused as shit.. Here I am.

That is a recap of EVERYTHING that went down after 600 miles of sky clear, kittens, unicorns crapping out rainbows while I am driving in a comfy triple blue car... Then I was hit with a shovel and now have a car that doesn't work. I work a morning shift tomorrow. I hope I can sort this car out... I really need to.

Granted on a positive side if this shit never went tits up I would have never found this forum... I seriously found this after a mention of this place on a mustang forum of somebody talking about an early crown victoria.. Thought I would stop by.. Glad I did.

I'll test for spark tomorrow after work. If it doesn't give me spark then its TFI if it does.. then fuck I have no idea.

[Tiggie]

Had a tfi go bad several times on several cars. One was the exact symtoms you have. Other had spark while cranking but lost it when you let off the start position.

Interested to hear your results.

[gadget73]

yeah they do random things. The pickup in the distributor can also have similar symptoms. If it quits you get no spark, erratic spark, or weak spark. It also makes the fuel pump not operate if there is no output from the pickup to the computer so it knows the engine is running. If you can swing it, maybe throw a pickup and a module on there and see what that gets you. Last time I thought I had a TFI go bad, it was actually the pickup. The magnet fell out of it and thats all she wrote.

I've been told that if you remove the spider looking thing inside the distributor (take the cap off, you'll see the part I mean) that you can lift the pickup out without tearing the distributor apart. I've never tried this personally, but it sounds easier than using a press to remove and re-install the gears like the manual says to do it. If it won't come out that way, the distributor has to come out. Once out, there is a roll pin through the bottom drive gear. Remove that, and use a press to pull the gear off. The shaft slides out and then you can get to the pickup. Re-assemble the distributor and press the gear back onto the shaft. Make sure the hole lines up for the pin.


The TFI itself you just remove the two screws and slide it straight down to remove. Make sure that when you install a new TFI you clean the area on the distributor first and apply the thermal compound. If the TFI comes with clear grease, throw that out and get some heat sink compound from a computer place. The clear isn't heat sink paste and it won't work as well.

[DrHax]

Damn. I hope its not the pickup... If it is I might as well see about getting a distributor with a remote TFI. Since the distrbutor mounted ones are prone to failure. I've done a little bit of research.

[gadget73]

Honestly I suspect that "prone to failure" thing is over-hyped. When I thought mine had died on the Mark VII, I figured it was expected. The module had 230k miles on it at that point. The module is actually fine. I'm reasonably sure its original because I have all of the maintenance records for that car, and I didn't find anything about replacing that part.

I did lose one on the Towncar, but it was the day after it severely overheated. If the cooling system is in good nick it shouldn't be quite so prone to frying the modules. Unfortunately with no gauges to speak of, the only time you know whats going on is when its too late. Moving it away from the heat isn't the worst idea by any means, but its not like they chew modules up like candy either.

[sly]

check for slop in the distributor as well. If it's worn out, it could be shaving the PIP as well and causing it all to go to hell. The Mark VI did that and I just replaced the distributor (comes with a PIP) and plopped the TFI (cleaned off) with some new thermal grease on the new dizzy and now sxcpotatoes has that car and it's still running like a top.