1989 GT cranks but won't start

[Vince305]

Hello, this is my first forum post but I'm having some problems with my 1989 Ford Mustang GT. About two weeks ago I had tried to start it up in the morning and it wouldn't start at all just crank and that's it. I had drove it the previous day and it started and drove fine, nothing out of the ordinary. I've went ahead and had the TFI Module, Ignition Coil, and Distributor all done since it wasn't getting spark. Now that it's getting spark it still hasn't started, so I had the fuel filter replaced and still no luck. The fuel pump is working like it should and we're getting fuel now (tested it via the valve near where you put the oil in) but still no luck.

I'm no mechanic nor do I know a whole lot about cars in general. Here's some background of the car, it's been my daily driver for 2 years now, it's entirely stock and it had sat in a yard for 20+ years before the guy I had bought it from had it. (bought it in 2020) So majority of all the parts are original.​

 

[General karthief]

Are you working on this or is someone doing this for you?
Tried a shot of starting fluid?

Cranks OK, but No Start Checklist for Fuel Injected Mustangs

Cranks OK, but No Start Checklist for Fuel Injected 5.0 Mustangs model years 1986-1995 A word about this checklist before you start: it is arranged in a specific order to put the most likely failure items first. That will save you time, energy and money. Start at the top of the list and work...

www.stangnet.com

 

[Vince305]

Are you working on this or is someone doing this for you?
Tried a shot of starting fluid?

Cranks OK, but No Start Checklist for Fuel Injected Mustangs

Cranks OK, but No Start Checklist for Fuel Injected 5.0 Mustangs model years 1986-1995 A word about this checklist before you start: it is arranged in a specific order to put the most likely failure items first. That will save you time, energy and money. Start at the top of the list and work...

www.stangnet.com

Been having someone else work on it since I don't have the tools and I'm not a mechanic. That's the next thing I was gonna try is some starting fluid, see if it fires off and if it does I'm guessing that would indicate the injectors aren't getting fuel or are clogged?

 

[General karthief]

Or not receiving the signal to fire.
have you checked for codes?

 

[Vince305]

Or not receiving the signal to fire.
have you checked for codes?

I have not yet, but I'm gonna let my mechanic know to check for that as well. Probably would of been wise of me to have had it checked for codes already. It honestly might be that it's not receiving the signal to fire because it was running great just the day before it wouldn't start up.

 

[General karthief]

You should not have to tell your mechanic what to check.

 

[Vince305]

You should not have to tell your mechanic what to check.

Well it's not that, we were both kind of stumped on what it could be after he changed out the fuel filter and we were both certain that was the cause in which it didn't fix it.

 

[General karthief]

Give him the checklist, it works.

 

[Vince305]

Give him the checklist, it works.

Will do! I'll let ya know how it goes! Thanks for the information and help!

 

[rotorhead22]

Timing? Firing order?

 

[Vince305]

Timing? Firing order?

Could be, I'm having a guy who works on older Mustang's such as mine work on it this week and see what is causing the problem. I'll definitely keep ya'll updated on what's going on. Thanks for the reply!

 

[manicmechanic007]

Fuel pump or TFI module
Check fuel pressure
Check blinking light on negative side of the coil while it cranks over
Noid light on injector (look it up if needed) just a light to blink showing the processor is trying to fire the injector

 

[manicmechanic007]

Odds are 50 /

50 or better you plug one of these in and it starts right up

 

[rotorhead22]

I was going to suggest that also. The guy I bought mine from just installed a new one and the car quit and wouldn’t start so he got pissed and sold it to me. After several days of troubleshooting I replaced it and the car started right up. I relocated mine to up front with a heat sink and diy harness

 

[manicmechanic007]

That was one of the things Ford did right
Get the TFI off the distributor
rotorhead22,
Did you use the newer stator or use spade connectors on your stator?

 

[rotorhead22]

That was one of the things Ford did right
Get the TFI off the distributor
rotorhead22,
Did you use the newer stator or use spade connectors on your stator?

I used spade connectors and applied RTV and secured harness to side of distributed with a plastic wire loom holder. If I remember right my harness was about 9ft long?

 

[Vince305]

Odds are 50 /

50 or better you plug one of these in and it starts right up

Those are the TFI Modules correct? So, we replaced the TFI Module, Ignition Coil, and Distributor Pip and we're getting spark, but still doesn't start. So we replaced the fuel filter, still no luck. Before starting I can hear the fuel pump prime, and we checked the valve that's near the oil cap for fuel and it sprayed fuel out. I'm guessing if the fuel pump was no good it wouldn't prime? Sorry for the late response, didn't get any notification that you had replied!

 

[General karthief]

Did your mechanic do the checklist?

 

[Vince305]

Did your mechanic do the checklist?

Not yet, I haven't had the money to have him do it yet.

 

[General karthief]

You could do it yourself