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Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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ryansturgess95
New User
Jun 10, 2015, 7:13 AM
Post #1 of 6
(1406 views)
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Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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Hello, I am new to the forum and this is my first post so i apologise if anything is not easy to understand :D
Car Details
Ford Fiesta MK3 1996 Classic
1.1 litre Carburettor Engine (Petrol)
86K miles
The car recently developed a couple of issues I cant work my head around. One is the car wont turn over or start on its own. I got it jump started yesterday. I could then turn the key off then start it freely but once its left about 2 hours or so off it wont start on its own without a jump start? What could this be.
Also I have a revving issue. When I was able to start the car I could drive it normally but when I rev it up and release the accelerator pedal the car just continues to rev up and down for a few seconds then settles to idle. I cant see what it is actually idling at as this particular model does not have a tachometer :(
Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be related to these questions.
I have really only replaced the spark plugs in the car and the air filter. When inspecting the engine the throttle cable the outer rubber covering the throttle cable has been worn a little where it attaches to the air filter to hold it in place and there is some metal that has rusted just below the rubber cover. What is this?
If you need or require pictures let me know and i will get some posted up
Many Thanks
Ryan
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 10, 2015, 8:11 AM
Post #2 of 6
(1395 views)
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Re: Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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Hi Ryan: This car not sold to the US where most regulars are located but still can help I hope.
I think you have TWO issues to tend to. Need to know if battery is any good at all by having it tested when fully charged by a charger then test charging system. Results of that will tell if there's little or lots more to do like finding a "parasitic" drain on it which can over several cycles of that kill a good battery so be accurate and fast with that fix if a new battery is involved - probably is.
Idle issues and you see damaged casing on a throttle cable! That's almost a no brainer. Get a whole original NEW cable and case.
The real part to pay attention to (decent guess on this) is where cable case is held under the hood/bonnet (same we know) either has adjustment there or if simpler it totally matters where you tighten down the case of the cable!
It might be that crude? In essence (whole car off to do this) when with a helper best, push the gas pedal to floor hard and at same time the main throttle plate of the carb should be wide open not forcing that plate to stop the motion of the pedal in car - get what I mean? If not ask for more details but will continue some more........
That plate is NOT strong enough to fight with your foot and you can bust it off if wrong OR carb will not open all the way for wide open throttle power if under adjusted.
Basically you know it's correct when helper has foot to floor and you look down carb and can see it wide open and feel that it can move just the slightest right then - perfect.
That case now damaged is almost certainly NOT letting the carb return to idle speed for you. Worse it's a warning it could also stick at high throttle RPM too so has to be fixed,
T
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ryansturgess95
New User
Jun 10, 2015, 10:20 AM
Post #3 of 6
(1384 views)
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Re: Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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Hello, thanks for the fast and detailed reply reply. The battery is an old calcium one that needs filling with water. I am going to be changing it at some point. The battery was charged about a month ago because the previous owner killed it by leaving the lights on :) anyway after charging it worked fine up until now and between that time I fit a new head unit and door speakers. That's the part that I don't get. I can turn the key and the radio, speakers, lights and all that work. It's just it won't start unless jumped by another car. Also the throttle cable part makes some sense to me. It's my first project car so kinda new to it all. I do have the haynes service manual for it but that tells me to remove the engine first before changing things around :( could you further explain the throttle cable change please. I understand it just not fully.
Many thanks
Ryan
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 10, 2015, 11:05 AM
Post #4 of 6
(1382 views)
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Re: Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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Calcium for a battery? Never heard of that. Doesn't matter, automotive batteries are not meant to go "dead" - "flat" or self destruct. Not like "cell phone, other things meant to" and if any is trouble over about 4 years old just toss it as it's out of dependable range IMO and experience about then. Should be marked in code or clearly with it's date of manufacture on casing of it.
Get a sealed battery that doesn't require or possible to check "water" or has caps on it as that type since forever spit acid around corroding up the whole area sometimes.
That alone doesn't mean the fix just it's due IMO anyway.
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Throttle cable: I just can't know how it's designed. You said it's damaged and I can't think of a good fix for one you have just a new one. Cables inside a case can fray, stick from bent outside case or who knows but generally not fix but toss for new. How it's adjusted if it even can be at all is unknown to me. It's more common for ones that can be adjusted to be up near where it connects to carb or throttle body - same idea is it turns a round plate with an off-set pivot to open and close and should be spring loaded to default to closed unless broken or you are assertively moving it.
The issue is a maybe that a new one or even used if hard to get new you must know that the force of your foot on pedal isn't being put on that round throttle place as it could bust the pivots inside and engine would eat/inhale any broken parts.
You should be able to move throttle by hand at carb now and hopefully see a screw that is its STOP when it returns which is the usually preset idle speed on carb for when warmed up - no choke in use.
You want to manually move where cable pivots while pedal inside is to max/floor and still be able to move the pivot it's pulling on a tiny bit or the pressure is on that plate in carb and shouldn't be.
Perhaps another check would be take the cable off carb. Hold carb wide open and also foot to floor inside. It should attach without tugging on the carb more to make it go on however it attaches you'll need to look. Should be somewhat hardware common something way. Cables still used in many assorted things. Solid wire that can both push and pull not likely for automotive use rather a cable of many smaller wires wound up. Like string - you can't really PUSH a string but can pull on it.
Hope that makes any sense? Harder to know without looking right at it like many things. The affordable manuals as mentioned really lack good information in my opinion.
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Refresh again about battery issues: Now you said you fitted in new "radio" something, speakers and all. How you did that matters a lot! This car should not be unheard of so the best for this stuff should have a pre made adaptor such that you do NOT mess with the car's wiring. That (you must have hunted for power and ground(earth) for this if wrong is highly likely to cause your battery to drain when vehicle is totally OFF causing what I called a "parasitic" drain - the same as leaving a light on type problem.
That is another long explanation how to find one and know you really have one. Please tell me/us what it took to install this radio and how you wired it as a separate issue to the throttle cable not related,
T
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ryansturgess95
New User
Jun 10, 2015, 11:19 AM
Post #5 of 6
(1377 views)
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Re: Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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Hello, that all makes more sense now. It is adjustable and is attached to the top side of the carb. Anyway the radio was installed using a pretty made harness from ford itself. It cost about 8 quid and connects the various connectors from the car to the radio without soldering and all the other technical things. Speakers were also connected to the cars wiring that were factory installed by ford when it was made.
Hope this helps
Many thanks
Ryan
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 10, 2015, 11:51 AM
Post #6 of 6
(1376 views)
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Re: Fiesta 1996 Engine Issues
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OK - Please ask away and I'll try harder. I know we are an ocean away but primal mechanical things work much the same. In fact if you look hard bet this looks like a carb but is actually what I'll call "Throttle body injected" but that's not the issue so far at all.
Battery drains when everything is off is a test you can do with an accurate Digital Volt + Ohm Meter also called DVOM. I seriously think you'll find your battery is plain junk now. They can drain from inside themselves mostly from age alone made worse fast by going "flat" even once and almost a certain if many, many times it would cause permanent harm to it.
Know this: The car's battery is really only there to start or crank the engine. Once engine is running your alternator should quickly put it back to full charge and then item using electricity are then really working off of the alternator. The hardest work for a battery is cranking a cold engine - all the rest is tiny compared to that one act.
Please do see how old it is and if you trust getting it tested for how strong it really is get that done. There's an old school way to do that also.................. Charge it up with a charger from land powered charger. With known good connections on a charged battery that's the right power (CCA)= Cold Cranking Amps for the engine it should crank the engine at least 20 times for not more than 10 seconds (use a watch) without the engine starting or disable it not to. If it can't do that it has lost it's power (AMPS) but might show proper voltage.
When running a plain voltmeter should show operating voltage of about 13V - about 15V and settle down somewhere in between. It really should never drop below 13v while running or charging system isn't keeping up. It should still stay there if you turn on headlights, fan for heater and other electrical higher use items too. If not that's another issue to tend to.
I'd hate to see you just get a new battery with a problem still there and harm it all over again.
Other: Not here all the time and there's quite a time difference. I'm usually up late and on line at your early morning hours. We should be 5 hours apart, me being EST you GMT if guess is correct?
Think Boston time if that helps, Tom
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