Hi guys . . .
Ok so some of you may have heard or read of my problems over a couple of differant threads with my 95 EF Fairmont 5.0ltr but I wanted to put it all into one thread to possibly get some more ideas of what the problem could be . . . bare with me as Ive said in the other threads Im still learning about cars ect so please go easy on me

Ok so I bought the car in early Janurary this year for roughly $1600 in Phillip Island - I knew it had a stuffed auto (no reverse) but that was OK untill I realised it must be in limp mode (2500-2700rpm @ 100km/h) - As im driving home the car is starting to overheat and I assumed that it was out of water because of a leak somewhere and because of the auto, so I pulled over and opened the overflow tank and it was full - I topped up what had exploded out at me and let it sit to cool for around an hour-ish. Started to get going again hoping that I would make it home (120kms away). Wasnt to happen. I got about 15kms down the road and it was getting really hot again so I decided I would get off the next exit off the HWY - didnt make it that far. The engine cut out, revs dropped to 0, oil pressure dropped out and I pulled over. Car was turning over really fast but just wouldnt fire. It stayed there on the side of the road for 4 days until I brought it home. Ok so even the though the battery is flat from sitting so long and forever tryin to start the motor, Ive done a few things. Ive checked all the fuses and relays I could find - all good. The fuel pump starts up when I turn the key. Im getting fuel to the fuel lines in the engine bay. Im gettin spark - not sure on how much but Ive checked twice and I am getting some spark at least. And I have had the volt metre on the coil and thats fine.


It still wont start . . . The only thing that I could think of was a problem with smartlock???? Or the ECU is fried for some reason - possibly not opening the injectors or not sending/receiving one signal or another . . . . Any Ideas would be great . . . .

Cheers
Grant

sounds like you've cooked it and it has no compression due to blown head gaskets. i'm guessing that when you said it turned over really fast

Ive turned it over by hand and had the missus' dad have a fingure over the spark plug hole and he said there was still compression there - does it need and enormous amount of compression? The only real way for me to test is get a special tool isnt it?

well of course to your finger it'll feel like heaps. by what your describing, it over heating then stalling and not starting then it turning over really fast i'm thinking blown head gaskets. you may have to buy a compression tester

Mmm . . . its something that I havent thought about (obviously) lol. Are compression testers expensive? And if it does turn out to be the problem will replacing the head gaskets fix it? Or is the motor completly f**k if ive cooked it?

i dunno how much they are. you can buy them from places like autobarn, supercheap or bursons.
it depends how hot really. but afaik 5L are cast iron block, cast iron head so you hopefully haven't warped the heads or block.

Feewwww . . . I was hoping I wouldnt have to replace the motor - studying at the moment so cash is few and far between - well I might get myself a compression tester next pay and see what happens - hopefully thats it and then I can figure out why its overheating - I was thinking maybe thermo fans, thermostat, corroded water pump or blocked radiator but cant do any of that till the cars running . . . Thanks heaps for your replies mate youve been very helpful and if I cant figure it out after that I guess Ill be back in this thread Cheers bud

Last edited by i6_demon on Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

three things needed for engines to run 1- fuel, 2- compression, 3- spark, ok check compression, you said you have fuel - are you sure? spark? you need a big spark not just a piddley bit, so check that as well and we'll see where to go next

Im fair certain that theres fuel, like I said the compression was only hand tested so Im going to get a compression tester next pay and with spark I have to recharge my battery before I check it again but there was some there when it was half flat so yeah

So get my battery Charged, check the amount of spark and do a compression test?
Cheers for your reply mate

Grant

keep us posted dude!

Will do bud . . .

Cheers

Look on the brightside. Now you are forced to rip the heads off to change the gasket, you may aswell do the cam and put GT40P's on it

How did you go with it? How hot did it get on the needle? How many KMS on it?. What about the timing chain?

Hahaha I would LOOOVVEE too but I really dont have the cash to do it
But I need it going coz my EB is fair f**k and not really safe - I wouldnt mind so much if I was by myself but ive got bubz aswell . . . And Im really not wanting to put any money into the EB coz once the EF is going the EB is going for scrap maybe if I get some random cash from someone and they come up for the right price I will do it



Havent done anything as yet - battery is on charge as of this morning and i have to wait till next monday for cash for the compression tester . . . Its got roughly 317xxxkms from memory - would love to be able to afford a rebuild - s**t if I knew what I was doing and agin had the cash I would do it myself. The needle was just about halfway between the "normal" rectangle and the red "hot" square so it was pretty damn hot - I was tryin to nurse it to an exit off the hwy to get to a mechanics or a servo but it died before I got to an exit Would the timing chain go out of whack and make the car die like that? and not start again?

yep they can a mate of mine did the old school blip the throttle just b4 you turn off and when he went to start the next day - no go the NRMA came out and couldn't find anything, our mechanic suggested the t/chain as he knew that he used to turn it off like that - it had jumped two teeth