347 won't fire

95riosnake · Jan 22, 2011

Ok so about a month and a half ago I was hanging some fluorescent lights in my garage so I pulled the cobra out into the driveway. It started effortlessly as always. It sat out for about 4 hours and when I went to pull it back in, it wouldn't fire. We ended up having to push it back in (not an easy task with a sloped driveway...) It was in the 30s that day, I have no idea how cold could have caused this problem but I'm running out of ideas.

It is getting fuel (you can smell it coming out of the exhaust when it is cranking) and cranks fine. I did a lot of online research and found that it was most likely one of two things: the distributor or the TFI module. I first replaced the distributor with a brand new Accel BilliTech, the car still wouldn't fire. I just put in a new TFI module, and still no go.

The car has a brand new MSD coil, new Taylor wires, and new spark plugs. I also replaced the CCRM module this past summer when it wasn't kicking the cooling fan on.

I am completely out of ideas as to what is wrong with this thing. This motor has less than 1000 miles on it, EVERYTHING is new, the only reused things were the alternator and the distributor (which is now replaced). Any help is appreciated. I'd love to get the codes scanned but I can't exactly get it to anyone with a scan tool. I don't want to keep just throwing parts at it.

HISSIN50 · Jan 22, 2011

Dan, any codes? Do you have spark, injector pulsing and fuel pressure?

revhead347 · Jan 22, 2011

I've had that happen before. In my case it was the ignition coil. Just hook a timing light up to a wire and see if you are getting any ignition for starts.

Kurt

Daves94vert · Jan 22, 2011

Dit you try flooring it while cranking?

95riosnake · Jan 24, 2011

HISSIN50 said:
Dan, any codes? Do you have spark, injector pulsing and fuel pressure?

I don't have a way to pull the codes unfortunately. When I rotate the dizzy with the key on, I can hear the injectors cycle, so I am guessing I have injector pulsing (I'm thinking this would mean the dizzy is good also?). I picked up a fuel pressure gauge to hook up tonight and see what kind of fuel pressure I'm seeing at the rail.

revhead347 said:
I've had that happen before. In my case it was the ignition coil. Just hook a timing light up to a wire and see if you are getting any ignition for starts.

Kurt

I checked the ignition coil by holding the coil wire up off the center pole of the cap while we cranked the car, no arc... so I put the stock coil on and did the same, no arc again. This leads me to believe the coil isn't getting power?

Daves94vert said:
Dit you try flooring it while cranking?

Yea a few times and no luck.

I'm going to try and locate a CCRM locally to swap on to see if that is the problem. If it isn't the CCRM then I'm not sure what the issue is.

Other things I have eliminated:

Tried both the stock and Accel distributors, neither fix the problem.

Tried stock and replacement TFI, neither fix the problem.

Put in a new set of plugs, didn't fix the problem.

Checked ground strap to timing cover, good contact on both ends.

HISSIN50 · Jan 24, 2011

Hold off on the CCRM swap.

Put a test light across the two coil terminals (the small electrical wires that plug into the coil) and see if the test light flashes while cranking.
If not, check for constant 12V at the + side of the coil (assuming you don't have a box).

You can pull codes with a jumper wire if you like. A paperclip is all you need.

95riosnake · Jan 28, 2011

HISSIN50 said:
Hold off on the CCRM swap.

Put a test light across the two coil terminals (the small electrical wires that plug into the coil) and see if the test light flashes while cranking.
If not, check for constant 12V at the + side of the coil (assuming you don't have a box).

You can pull codes with a jumper wire if you like. A paperclip is all you need.

Well it's been a long week with some long hours at work so I had zero time to cuss at the mustang until today. I did accomplish a couple things.

Tested fuel pressure and I'm seeing 38 at the rail.

Did the paperclip trick and pulled codes, I got:

52 - Power steering pressure switch circuit open
52 - Power steering pressure switch always open or closed
and what I believe is a code 133? no idea what that is. It took me several tries to get the codes because it's a bit difficult to read CEL flashes.

I am picking up a test light tonight to hopefully diagnose the coil properly.

Going to pull my computer because since I have an SCT chip, it has an LED that is supposed to flash once when you turn the key to the on position. If it doesn't flash, apparently you've got a problem. It could be as simple as a bad ground or 12v connection to the PCM...or i could even need a new one, who knows.

HISSIN50 · Jan 28, 2011

Dan, it is a pain to try and count those flashes. FWIW, if you have the stock EEC, you should have 3-digit codes.

If funds allow, you might wanna grab an LCD [display] code reader (30 bucks or so). It's a nice thing to have in the toolbox.

95riosnake · Jan 28, 2011

Hmm, so do you mean the two 52 codes are incorrect and should be 3 digit? Maybe I should pick up the digital unit then, haha.

HISSIN50 · Jan 29, 2011

95riosnake said:
Hmm, so do you mean the two 52 codes are incorrect and should be 3 digit? Maybe I should pick up the digital unit then, haha.

Yeah, we should be seeing the triple digit codes. If you had a PIH swap or something, then the 2 digit codes would be appropriate.

Knowing the codes might not help in this instance, but having a reader might help down the line. This one is pretty user-friendly (available at many local parts stores):

Equus - Digital Ford Code Reader (3145)

95riosnake · Feb 4, 2011

HISSIN50 said:
This one is pretty user-friendly (available at many local parts stores):

Equus - Digital Ford Code Reader (3145)

I finally got some time to play around with the car, and picked up that exact tester (really easy to use BTW).

Here are the codes I got:

511 - Read Only Memory (ROM) Test Failure
111 - System PASS

Not sure what either means. Not sure if when they say "PASS" they literally mean pass, as in the system checked out fine?

HISSIN50 · Feb 4, 2011

You have a chip, right?

It's good to know that nothing big was logged.

I'd go back to the coil testing with a test light.

95riosnake · Feb 5, 2011

Yes I have an SCT tune, I think that's the cause of the 511 code.

My friend is a technician, he's coming over before the superbowl tomorrow to go through the car with a fine toothed comb. He does this stuff everyday so there's a good chance I might get this thing figured out.

347 won't fire

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Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

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