Multitude of Problems - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

oz_orion · 06-07-2002, 13:51

I'm having a huge collection of problems with my 5sp EA S-Pak, I thought I might just list them here and see if anyone can offer some advice as to what might by causing one or some of them:

* The engine makes a knocking sound when the car starts that sometimes continues as I drive the car. The knocking gets faster but quieter as road speed increases and starts to sound more like a ticking, it goes back to a normal knocking when the car slows down. It doesn't happen all the time.

* When the car is cold, it tends to experience electrical problems. For example, when I turn the wheel and the power steering kicks in, the lights dim. Also components within the car sometimes flicker and lose power only to quickly regain it (ie - the phone charger in my cigarette lighter and the "Gas-Optics" display which tells me how much LPG I have left).

* The temperature gauge jumps around or just sits at the lowest setting, as though the engine was off.

* When the car is cold, sometimes when I am cruising (ie - downhill), the idle will just cut out and the engine will stall.

* Sometimes when I turn the key in the ignition to start the car, I don't hear the engine even try and turn over but I do hear a high pitch sound like an electric engine revving up.

* One of my high tension leads (the one closest to the front of the car) gives me a nasty shock when I touch it with the engine running (I didn't pull or adjust it, I just touched it).

* I have a regular problem with idle surging when I am sitting at idle (ie - at the lights)

Any suggestions towards any of these problems? I installed a new heavy duty battery two weeks ago, and that had no effect. Also, last weekend, my alternator fried itself, apparently it had oil on in (spillage from the power steering pump), the diode overcharged and the regulator caught fire. It cost $140 to replace the alternator, regulator and all the damaged wiring.

Any help would be much appreciated,

James

eb_5litre · 06-07-2002, 16:08

Well for a start i'd repair the starter motor... either the brushes need replacing or the ring gear on your flywheel does.

Troutman · 06-07-2002, 18:49

Regarding the temperature gague, sounds like you could use a new thermostat. This has been discussed heavily in other posts.

And I'd consider replacing the 'shocking' high tension lead.

Bass Crazy · 06-08-2002, 00:26

BAD EARTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would strongly suggest you chase up all the main Earth links on the car. These can be either corroded, or damaged. Bad earths will give you all kinds of problems.
Be sure to check the contact of the lead that connects to the chassis near the gearbox.

Disconnect the battery and do resistance check on any major earth leads, especially those around the dash/ignition area.

And yes ILS is right in the suggestion that you change the leads as leads should not give you a shock unless damaged.

Just a few suggestions, Good Luck.

EA90 · 06-08-2002, 01:47

It's a EA

EA's a cheap

just buy another one.

Bass Crazy · 06-08-2002, 23:01

Wierd!

06-08-2002, 23:38

Ok, i have had most of those problems on my 90' EA falcon..

1. The knocking sound. If you only just got the carm, the guy before you probably didnt do regular oil changes... So a whole lot of crap is flowin' around your engine.. To get rid of the knocking sound you will have to do a couple of oil changes, to flush the sludge out. So instead of doing an oil change every 10,000 k's check the oil after you have changed it and change it when it looks black again. It took me 3 oil changes to get rid of the sound.

2. The power problem. Go to an auto electric guy, and get em' to run a check on your altenator, changing the battery would of helped too. My battery was like 6 years old, and it wouldnt keep change, and my altenator was only working every now and then.

3. The tempreture gauge is your thermostat like what jack_travis said.

4. The idle problem... Check your idle speed. Mine was too low so when i was at lights and stuff the car shudded.

5. Shock's at the leads.. Go to the auto electric guy again.. and ask him to check the earth points on your car, this could also be a part of the other electrical problems.

Ne prob's e-mail me.
Pulse__8@hotmail.com

Thanks, Pulse__8.

speedy · 06-11-2002, 18:40

Your idel problem might be caused by a faulty Idle Speed Sensor. I had the idle problem when sitting at lights it would rev by it self and drop the revs so low that it would stall. Also did it sometimes while driving. Did it when it was hot and cold. I replaced my Idle Speed Sensor and the problem has gone, it has never once ideled wierd since. revs now sit dead solid at about 600rpm at idle.

speedy

oz_orion · 06-12-2002, 23:10

Thought I might just post the progress on these issues.

The other day I replaced the terminals on the leads to the battery, moved the battery earth lead from the fender to the light mounting (at the suggestion of a Ford mechanic), replaced the thermostat, replaced the distributer cap, and replaced the high tension leads.

A lot of the problems have gone away, the temperature gauge doesn't wander, the car doesn't stall, and the car doesn't idle surge anywhere near as much as it did. Also the electrical problems seem to have stopped, though at some point the gas optics unit got burnt out and now it needs to be replaced (in the mean time I need to use my trip gauge to know when to fill up the gas again).

I'm still getting the starting problems though, and the knocking sound. I've done two full oil changes since getting the car back in March, but I haven't replaced any of the filters, so I think that might be the next thing to do.

James