Engine turns but doesn't start

[nick382]

Alright, we're dealing with a 1987 mercury Grand Marquis. 5.0 liter 302 V8 Fuel Injected engine. Found out I've been driving the car without a working water pump for the last 6 months, Pretty lucky the engine is still not exploded. Replaced the water pump and now the car wont start. Engine turns, but it doesn't start.

First we replaced the water pump (http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...86___)Replaced the ingition control module (http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...S_554124147___), ignition coil (http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...S_667449438___), and still no cigar.

Everything electrical still works in the car. I can sit down and listen to the radio, use the cigarette lighter, and the lights work aswell.

The only good news i have from this is that its no longer leaking water.

Does anyone have any idea why the hell this thing wont start?

The only good news i have from this is that its no longer leaking water.

[Nathan in MI]

Have you established whether or not you have spark? Is the fuel pump running?

, by the way.

[nick382]

No, its not firing. I'm almost certain if i had fire it would go... Vroom...

Thanks for the welcome ^.^

[91waggin]

No, its not firing. I'm almost certain if i had fire it would go... Vroom...

Thanks for the welcome ^.^

Yes, we know there's no explosions happening. However, you need to establish whether the reason there aren't any explosions is due to a lack of spark getting to the plugs, or whether there's no fuel getting to the cylinders.

Are you lacking spark? Or are you lacking fuel?

[nick382]

I'm lacking a spark, Sorry if i was indirect. We tested it with a screw driver (most likely better methods...) and didn't get an arc. So for some reason or another, it isn't sparking.

[91waggin]

Didn't mean to act like you were dumb, sorry about that.
Get yourself an inline spark checker from Harbor Freight.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=97577

Possibly have a bad TFI module, but make sure you really don't have any spark with a tool a little more reliable.

[nick382]

Well, I don't have time to wait for something like that to ship, not to mention i dont have the money to pay for it. I just dropped around 150 for everything i just bought for it. As a college student, I need my vehicle. So, for the sake of argument, lets assume I'm getting no spark. I left a link that showed i just replaced that part (not sure if they link back correctly to auto zone...) but i have already replaced that specific part.

Any other ideas?

[Morris]

Does that car have a safety switch for the fuel pump? I'm not sure what year that started.

[nick382]

Haven't been near the fuel pump and I don't know. I'm positive the issue is no spark. I just don't know why.

[Morris]

Well, the safety switch would be in the trunk, if it has one, and you're going to get that exact reaction from the car, if it's tripped. Not to say that there is a spark, just saying in case there is, wouldn't hurt to check it out.

[marquisman]

check that you got power to the coil. if you dont, it can be for many reasons.

[nick382]

There is no power to the coil. Thats my problem.

[marquisman]

if you dont have 12volts going to the coil, then there is a gremlin in the wiring somewhere or ther is a issue with a fueable link or the ECM is bad or not getting power

[nick382]

Out of those factors, which one is most likely to have popped up over the course of me replacing my water pump? The only thing i took off was the air condenser, the alternator, and the belt tensioner.

[gadget73]

So you have no +12v from the red/green to ground, right? I don't mean across the coil, actually from the coil to ground.

If thats the case, I would probably be checking the wiring right around the coil. It should mount to the AC compressor bracket, and would likely have been disturbed when you removed it to do the water pump. The connectors have also been known to crumble, so its possible its just a case of the wire not fully seated on the ignition coil, or the wire broke right at the crimp connector. Looking over my 1986 book (which has the coil somewhere else, so the wiring is a little different) the only connection in the ignition circuit is C104, which is a plug right in the vicinity of the wiper motor, on the driver's side near the firewall. If something went flaky there, it would cause you problems.