Still charging battery.

Looks like it died the other night being towed and havn't had a chance to swap batteries today. Besides should get a new 1 from town tomorrow.

I bet the Ford business model includes aquiring battery manufacturers.

Might buy a gell cell battery, manual gearbox and spare starter motor for this EL and cruise round on battery power.

Its probly done more k's than the car with it's 3second sprints.

Ill hang the little bugger on the wall out of respect when it dies!

P.S Thx again for help and encouragement. Willl let u know when i get it going

Haha, definately wall of fame material!!

damn batterys.. they need a big healthy battery to work well..... Mine died all of a sudden last year

Okay EL update,

Replaced the battery but it didn't solve the problem. Orange/Yellow spark. Won't start. Not even a f@rt. Next replaced leads. Still not starting.

So far have replaced coil, distributor, battery, leads, in that order. Think that as I replaced the coil prior to the distributor that the faulty distributor fried the new coil when I test drove the car (remember it stopped again and I had to get another tow) this was when I put the distributor in. Have only been able to get orange spark since then. But I assumed it wasn't starting because of low battery power.

I now think that I have to go to town again tomorrow and purchase another coil. Will go over wiring again before I go just in case I can see something wrong.

Can anyone think of any other reason for the weak spark and non starting. Maybe something obvious that I am missing??????

My EL won't start
With a weak yellow spark
I wish I could get it out of park
My patience is wearing thin
If it doesn't start soon
Its going in the bin

Disgruntled a1able

sorry...
coil does sound likely.?
I can understand your frustration...
The ef fairmont I am fixing up was supposed to just need a door and guard and wheel .....
So far it has been:
Door, guard, tail lights, headlight, front sub-frame, front wheel/tyre, lower arm, ball joint, steering rack, tie rod ends, steering pump leak, footwell repairs, sill repairs, heaps of work to fix electric windows, new battery, strip and clean console full of jim beam, fix abs, tailgate cover, various interior lights, likely new windscreen, smells like an ashtry still (havent tried the meguiars odour illiminator yet), repairs to throttle body, repair float switch in surge tank, replace mirrors, repair drivers seat, will need stereo as i dont have the code,

Geez I have been busy the last few weeks....

but it does start!

You got it timed in didn't you?

As best as i can judge with the 1 mark and timing light petrol is supposed to be 10 deg btdc and gas up to 20 deg btdc so i am guessing a little. Before shorting for base timing i twisted dizzy thru the whole range while someone turned it over in 3 sec bursts and not even a splutter. Thought of dividing pulley into 36 points but it should have fired at least once when running through entire range. I have a timing light here. Spark is yellow. My little 850 watt 2 stroke generator has a brighter spark and its blue.

Have tuned by ear my whole life (stop and adjust if pinging to get even closer etc). I have never used a timing light before and never owned a gas car or timed a gas car

So any hints on the timing procedure would be much appreciated. I have been reading on the forums how to time the EL on gas and have a Max Ellerys but no one seems to be able to tell you how you can judge 20 BTDC other then with a dial metre or fancy tool.

My 86 and 89 Celica's both have computers and I tune them by ear. Easy as. Cheapest and most reliable cars I have ever owned, but no fun to work on. I am not small enough.

I still have to put the car over the pits so I am sure that my local gas mechanic will find plenty for me to fix prior to issuing a blue slip.

But at the moment just getting it to start is my sole focus.

Today is a new day and today is going to be the day that my EL will start!

New coil no change in condition. Still a weak yellow spark.

The timing checked and double checked. Would like to know how many millimetres in front of timing mark is 10 degrees. Gunna make template out of paper the same diameter as pulley divide into 36 and i guess that should tell me without any fancy gizmos.

Must buy a multimeter that tests 0.01 ohm so i can stop buying coils for this ford.

Will check power going to coil and wires again.

Will try and decode ecu after checking its earth and giving it a good kicking.

My EL won't start
With a weak yellow spark
I wish I could get it out of park
My patience is wearing thin
If it doesn't start soon
Its going in the bin

this doesnt happen often but it has happened before.... the large block connecter at the rear of the inlet manifold (lots of wires connected to it) need to split that (10mm bolt) spray with contact cleaner and put back together. pins on this block connecter can corrode and cause all manner of strife and it wont hurt to check this. Have had this happen to me and went thru the same process replaceing everything only to find it was that.

Poor C***, if i had a problem like that, which kept chewing money with no results id probably take it out bush and burn it (with insurance of course )

Thx AU99 and lol ford fairmont

Im not out of the woods yet but you all can have a good laugh at me!

Its not all the cars fault because poor maintenance from previous owner and my inexperience has made this more difficult than expected to even figure out what was wrong. Let alone get it started again.

After playing World of Fordcraft (owning a ford in the bush now means an instant learning curve and apprenticeship in auto: electrics, mechanical, gas, computers and their sensory inputs etc) for many hours now I removed my shirt from the inlet manifold.

Not stuffed in there just draped over to stop dust. Did suspect it and removed it countlesss times trying to start but not enough it seems.

It started!

Its very sensitive to inlet manifold pressure as mentioned in the forums. Even before my hand gets near opening it will stall. Wonder if exhaust is clogged too.

Ran smoothly for a while untill things warmed up.

It appears as though vaccumm hoses have been re-done in the past poorly and the pcv valve (metal) is starting to fail.

The dizzy from the wreckers had a faulty TFI unit (will buy these new in future as we are just to far from town to take back easily) so have 2 now that appear to not like the heat or environment in the ford el engine bay.

Also they dont like a good wiggle (strange things happen).

When i have more time ill list the things that were replaced and the components that caused this saga. Many of you would have solved this sooner but i do have a life besides Ford EL's.

I'm over it!

A good service would have gone a long way AND SOME CLAMPS/SEALANT ON THOSE SHINY NEW VACUUM HOSES running everywhere.

On a good note the car has been gone right over now and my arms/hands feel like inspector gaget on steroids.

Cheers all and appreciate all your input and help. Thx

the hopefully good thing is it should (touch wood) be reasonably reliable from now on. You are very right about maintenance. most of the problems I have had have been exacerbated by poor maintenance ( i am slack and on a tight budget) . I know that good thorough preventative maintenance will avoid a lot of problems (tfi ignition not withstanding) yes that map sensor and vaccuum lpg system are very sensitive...

lucky you dont have to replace a map sensor on an AU.... they are combined with a temp sensor and are $172 trade and are a biatch to replace as they sit right under the throttle body.... I got a good second handy off a low kay petrol AU when I got the O2 sensor.. cost $20 for both..... still got to put in the TMap sensor, Guess what I am doing tonight???

Well done all!

Shes going like a rocket now!

Puts me back in the seat like a crossflow should!

Flogging it at random up the hill above our place so i can roll home in case she dies. But i don't think it will now.

My shirt over the inlet manifold was too restrictive during testing and was definately my downfall.

After replacing all the above and spraying contact cleaner into every orifice and electrical connection repeated starting at all temparatures are perfect.

A good solid slap on the ecu in frustration did the trick maybe :lol

Everything that was suggested has been done.

My confidence is still shattered from this experience but with each successive flogging of the el up the hill it returns a little.

Next job is to get the missus back in it...............