Car wont start: used some of the check list already

Is it cranking or is it not?

Your fuel pump primes but is it delivering pressure.

Are you getting any spark in your ignition.

Basic 3 things you need.

If you have no spark it can be the stator in the distributor... Bad coil wiring(or Coil)... Bad Ignition Module... or wires.

If you have no fuel, check the pressure at the rails. Your pump may be priming but maybe it failed after you ran out of gas ... if you did.

If your not cranking at all thats an entirely different circuit. It could be the wiring to your starter or something smaller like your neutral safety switch.

Please be more specific to what problem you are actually having...

Also... there wont be ANY power in the secondary ignition (spark plug wires) until the field collapses in the coil. So unless your motor is running you wont get any surges in that wire. And if you do... I wouldn't recommend it since you could easily fry a meter that way

Due to the ambiguity, I'd simply start at the top of the checklist. It will be way quicker and easier to run down the applicable parts of the list than going back and forth with things on this thread.

Good luck

From the Cranks OK, but No Start Checklist for Fuel Injected Mustangs"

1.) Remove push on connector from starter solenoid and turn ignition switch on. Place car in neutral or Park and set the parking brake. Remove the coil wire from distributor & and hold it 3/8” away from the engine block. Jumper the screw to the big bolt on the starter solenoid that has the battery wire connected to it. You should get a nice fat blue spark.

Click to expand...

Work through the checklist item by item. Read it through and then print it out. Do each step one item at a time: do not jump around. Follow this plan and you will find and fix the problem faster and cheaper than any other way.

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…Codes may be present in the computer even if the Check Engine light isn’t on.

Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great.
See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/
OR
See http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/electronics/eec-iv_codes.html





IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is less than $30 or so at AutoZone or Wal-Mart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/p-7208-equus-digital-ford-code-reader-3145.aspx– It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $30.