Help please, 99 Festiva wont start

[ingall9]

Hi guys, my friends festiva wont start. She drove it home on thursday, stopped in the carport to check her pup and when she went to leave it wouldnt start, cranks fine, just no spark.

I have replaced the crank angle sensor, it looked a bit ordinary anyway, has a new coil and I have cleaned up the terminal on the rotor button and the terminals on the distributor cap, also has a new battery.

Still no spark. I pulled the lead off the dizzy cap and earthed it on the head and no spark from the coil at all.

I also cant hear the ticking of the injectors. Any idea? So far the ignition system is pretty much brand new, all the fuses are good aswell.

I have no idea, help.

[ingall9]

I read a thread posted back in 2008 that the guy was having the same issues as me, he only made that one post so i dont know how it went but he thought the ECU might have been dead.

What else controls spark and the EFI other than the ECU and the things i have already replaced?

[290v]

Friend was the factory immobilize had it disconnected all good now

[ingall9]

Originally Posted by 290v

Friend was the factory immobilize had it disconnected all good now

Where do i find that and how do i disconnect it?

[Yellow_Festiva]

I'm almost 99.9% certain that a 99 Festiva does not have any sort of factory immobiliser.

Loose wire perhaps? If the car was running fine prior then I don't know. I had a similar issue with mine but the battery terminal was slightly loose.

Ran fine prior to stopping for petrol, nothing afterwards. Jammed a nail I found in the tool box between the battery post and the clamp and away I went.

Could be something very simple like that. Get someone in that knows how to find faults rather than changing parts here and there.

[ingall9]

Hi Yellow Festiva, mate i have checked everything. Battery terminals are fine, as i have just put a new battery in it. The car is turning over just no go. There is no spark at all and there are no signs of life from the injectors either.

I have replaced or checked everything except the ECU, thats all i can think it would be.

I have pulled the ecu out, there doesnt appear to be any signs of something burning out inside it, but im told they can just pack it in and stop working. Seems to me that this can be the only problem left over as the ECU would be the only real thing that controls the injection and spark.

Will try and second hand ECU and report back. Matt

[burnz]

if it has a rotor cap, check the carbon button in the centre of the cap..somtimes the button falls out and runs on the spring behind it.
then fails alltogether.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by ingall9

Hi Yellow Festiva, mate i have checked everything. Battery terminals are fine, as i have just put a new battery in it. The car is turning over just no go. There is no spark at all and there are no signs of life from the injectors either.

I have replaced or checked everything except the ECU, thats all i can think it would be.

I have pulled the ecu out, there doesnt appear to be any signs of something burning out inside it, but im told they can just pack it in and stop working. Seems to me that this can be the only problem left over as the ECU would be the only real thing that controls the injection and spark.

Will try and second hand ECU and report back. Matt

I'm sure I have a spare ECU (as well as other engine bits) for a 1998 1.5L Festiva. Let me know if you fail to find anything local.

[BigAlsFGXR6]

I wondered what the outcome was from this thread as my wife's 03 fiesta is doing the exact same thing!!!

My brother and I checked everything, the car will actually start but will idle for 2-3 seconds then cut out .... Over and over .... Heads are both done in lol