Okay R3V, Lets fix this thing. 93 Mercury Capri

[LJ851]

When you say "plenty of fuel" do you mean wet plugs after cranking or good fuel pressure at the rail?

[M-technik-3]

This thing is ridiculous.

I have a sort of loathing for this car now.
I know one of you guys has to be into Capris....

Yeah if they look like this...


But thinking you mean the Australian FWD turbo Convertible one.

[InuFaye]

When you say "plenty of fuel" do you mean wet plugs after cranking or good fuel pressure at the rail?

Wet plugs and good FP.

[CrusherCurtis]

Crank or Cam sensor?

[slammin.e28]

Yeah if they look like this...


But thinking you mean the Australian FWD non-turbo Convertible one.

Fixed... unfortunately.

[trackjunkie21]

Crank sensor. when it warms up, the conductor expands and causes an OL.

[InuFaye]

Crank sensor. when it warms up, the conductor expands and causes an OL.

There is no crank sensor on these engines.
The cam is run off the distributor.

[NigelStu]

You check the coil -> distributor wire? if that broke, could create sporadic energy transfer until it arced enough inside to burn out....

Check spark at each plug? (do the whole take a pug out, lay it on the engine to ground it, crank engine and look for spark)

[NigelStu]

These are very simple mechanical driven distributor systems, correct? Single power wire and ground wire to coil, high-tension output from coil to distributor, 4 wires out of distributor and vacuum advance?

If yes, order of diagnosis I would take -

1 - Check the main engine ground straps (fix any found broken/corroded and see if it runs, if not, go to next step)
2 - Check for spark at all 4 plugs individually. (if any of the 4 no spark, but the others do, try new plugs. If no spark on all plugs, next step)
3 - Check continuity in all 4 plug wires (replace any that do not show good continuity, if still no spark, next step)
4 - Check for voltage INTO the distributor (if voltage in is OK, try another distributor. If voltage is NG, go to next step)
5 - Check continuity in the coil -> distributor wire (replace if bad, if OK go to next step)
6 - Check for voltage OUT of coil (at the high-tension output connector, not at the end of the wire) (replace if bad. If good, pull out the C4 or sawzall....)


Obviously, be careful with the high-voltage stuff.... take proper precautions so you dont electrocute yourself.

[Fusion]

Have someone start the engine while you look at it in the dark.
I had a similar problem caused by a hairline crack in a plug lead, that could only be seen misfiring to the cam cover in the dark.

[Pac1373]

Have someone start the engine while you look at it in the dark.
I had a similar problem caused by a hairline crack in a plug lead, that could only be seen misfiring to the cam cover in the dark.

Yea when I was a kid I had a dizzy wire do this, 3 garages couldn't find it...my uncle did in like 7 seconds...I think though that the electrical shock may in some way have contributed to his early death...

man, I never saw a grown man bounce like that...lol, R.I.P. Uncle Abbe

[kung fu jesus]

Check all the grounds. The Mazda ground setup on that chasis/engine is very sensitive. I had a similar car (323 GTX), I remember this problem, but it's been so long I can't remember.

The relay issue sounds familiar.

[TimKninja]

I found a Local Capri Specialist In Virginia

(888 ) 408-1640

They Should know lots about them. May be able to help.

[Ratbastage]

Does it keep power to the coil under cranking?

Do you have a pulsing ground signal to the coil under cranking?

Is the dizzy even turning? LOL, belt engine would not cause a intermittent shut down though.

Got noid light or DVOM that reads duty%? If you do does it actually have a duty to the injectors or is the cold start valve (if it has one) the only thing hosing gas?

The main relay should be the power source for the injectors, ECU handles the ground pulse for firing.

I'll look at some wiring diagrams in a little while when I get to the shop to see how its wired but, it should be the same as a Mazda Protégé/3 from the same year. I know the Mazda would burn through rotor buttons and run when it damn well felt like it, the pick up in the dizzy would take a shit, injection grounds would rot off the intakes and the main/EFI relays would get displaced, turned upside down and fill with water.

I als remember seeing extra fuses shoved into them causing interesting issues ranging from no starts to inop auto seat belts and windows.

[Ratbastage]

Ok looking at wiring.

Ignition switch, power source to the coil in run.

Main relay, power source for the injectors.

Dizzy power through the engine fuse. That same fuse is the coil power for the main relay. That means if the injectors have power that part of the main relay works.

The other leg of the main relay provides power to the air flow meter and a host of other odds and ends such as the purge valve, IAC and PRC.

Does the air flow meter have 12v with the key in run? Yellow/green wire, no pin location in the diagram. If it does, lets move on.

Black/white wire on the dizzy, 12v key in run?

I'll print this shit and take it with me.