1988 lincoln town car no start

[marquisman]

well, this is the first time my bros lincoln has fucked up. we went into town to get some stuff from an everything store. get our stuff and head back to the car. get in, no fire. tons of cranking juice but would not kick. so first thing, check the obvious. fuel pump hums, check connections by dizzy then i found somethin weird. the TFI had one screw loose towards the front. the fucked part is that the dizzy was replaced in the fall cause the pick up sensor was on its way out and it was origonal. its not a brand new one, just a reman. so anywho, i dident have any tools cause its not my car. so i went back into the store and got a cheap test light and spark tester. and check for power at the coil and related circuits and tested for spark. everything has power but, no spark. so now, the car was towed home and i did a quick KOEO test(no i cant do a KOER test cause it dont run, duh lol) and it only poped up code 34.
34) Insufficient EGR flow/Excessive exhaust back pressure; or EVP voltage above closed limit(SONIC)/PFE sensor voltage high or out of range. (O)(R)(C)

long story short, im putting my money on the TFI but im not sure about the tool. is the tool for the TFI one of them security torx bits? cause i cant remember. tomorrow im gonna take a spare coil and plug it in so i can rule it out. i just need to know what fasteners hold the TFI on lol

[gadget73]

no spark is 90% chance TFI. Probably the loose screw made it get hot. Its not a security torx, its a really skinny 5.5mm, or jusr use the funky thumbwheel thingy thats sold for that task

[marquisman]

thats what i was tellin my bro, that the TFI is a trick prick. why dident ford mount it somewhere else like the rest of the cars? lol

[marquisman]

jus went out to see if it started for shits and giggles and it fired up for a few seconds and quit. and again wont restart. god i hate EFI. why cant people make cars with simple electronics and carbs?lol

[marquisman]

also, i never been clear on the thermal goop. is it clear or a black colored goop? and do you have to go crazy with it or just a thin layer is needed? would a place like the radio shack carry this stuff or do you gadda see a computer dude?

[johnunit]

I think the goop they're talking about is usually silver/grey and sorta sandy feeling.

[gadget73]

thermal paste is usually white or grey. Clear is dielectric grease, no idea what black is if not RTV or some sort of sealant.

The ignition system on these actually has almost nothing to do with the ECM. You can remove the ECM totally and the ignition still works. Besides, duraspark boxes shit out too, so don't blame the EFI just because the module crapped out. Location does suck but its just one of the quirks. I'd rather deal with that then carbs and their general "go fuck yourself, i don't wanna run right today" attitude.

[marquisman]

ahhh, ill look into that stuff. well, i swapped out the old TFI for my spare one and shes all good. after this episode my bro has ordered a new MSD dizzy lol. so it will be here next week. also, i never needed a socket since the screws in both dizzys were flat head screws.

[marquisman]

thermal paste is usually white or grey. Clear is dielectric grease, no idea what black is if not RTV or some sort of sealant.

The ignition system on these actually has almost nothing to do with the ECM. You can remove the ECM totally and the ignition still works. Besides, duraspark boxes shit out too, so don't blame the EFI just because the module crapped out. Location does suck but its just one of the quirks. I'd rather deal with that then carbs and their general "go fuck yourself, i don't wanna run right today" attitude.

lol i hear ya but, i keep a spare duraspark box. thing is its easier to swap out in the middle of nowhere

[marquisman]

now i got more issues lol. we installed a new replacement MSD dizzy since my bro got a good deal on one and the car was trouble free for a week. but now, he says the engine is shaky at idle and feels like it wants to stall. so a scann was done and got some codes. 24-IAT, 34-EGR sensor voltage above closed limit, and 14-PIP circuit fault. code 24 is not a issue, can be replaced. 34 is prolly just a clogged EGR and will clean it. 14 bugs the fuck outta me though. this is a new MSD dizzy, only a week old, how can the pick up fail? yet the car still runs. he said it did stall once but hasent since. im tired of working on this car and its pissing me off cause i got my own shit to look after.

[gadget73]

14 is probably wiring or something wrong with the distributor. Who knows where MSD buys their pickups. I'd put a stock one in there, even if it was used.

[marquisman]

thats bullshit then lol. anywho, im gonna install the new intake temp sensor and clear codes and start again. you would think that MSD would be putting in quality parts, heh, quality...whats that?lol

[jayh]

if the problem continues, and you isolate its NOT the TFI, then its wiring or PCM issue

[gadget73]

There are reasons I run a lot of OEM parts. Its not because I have a hardon for 100% stock vehicles, its because the shit works. I'll spend more money to know that my car is not going to die on me in the middle of nowhere because some junk part crapped out. I also don't want to have to carry a spare of everything in the trunk just to get from A to B reliably.

[marquisman]

i hear ya, thats why i dont like throwing parts, and not just any parts at my car. i dont know about the states but, its hard to get good quality parts since ford has discontinued alot of stuff. this had led to buying reman stuff, which alot of the time can be crap. but anywho, i changed the IAT sensor and has made a bit of difference. i will scan the car tomorrow and see what happens. if 14 pops up again im gonna have to swap in the old dizzy and set up the TFI with some thermal goop and see if the problem persists. it will be fucked up if it is the MSD dizzy. MSD is supposed to be good shit lol.