Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests '89 Escort problem...help please (any mechanics?)

Yeah I know, the fact I have a 1989 Escort is the problem

The car won't idle correctly. Up until today, it wasn't a problem. When started, it would rev up to 3000 rpm+, then slowly come down to a normal range, and often, after being driven for awhile, when you put it in park, it revs in the 3000+ range. Then when started again, it revs very high. This morning I started it and it reved up to about 2000 then almost stalled over and over again until it would ultimately stalled. There is a part under the hood near the throttle body that seems to control the idle (can't remember the name) that I think I'm going to try to replace. My question is, could it be anything else, and has anybody had this problem before. The car has a 1.9L 4 cylinder engine. Before I start buying parts, I want to eliminate some things so I don't go broke.

thanks

Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor, very common to go bad on Escorts. If yours is a MAF engine, it may not have one, though. You can tell if it is MAF by looking for an aluminum (typically, though some are black ABS plastic) housing with a large electrical connector somewhere in the airflow path between the air cleaner and throttle body. Don't confuse this for an Air Charge Temperature sensor. That is small and usually only has 1 or 2 wires going to it. The MAF sensor will have 4 - 5 wires.

If it is the MAP sensor, it is typically mounted on the firewall, and will have a vacuum line and electrical connector. Usually a small black box, a bit smaller than a pack of cigarettes.

Best way to diagnose this is to go to your local parts store and pick up a code scanner. An 89 Escort will still be OBD I, so the scanner for that will be cheap, about $34. It comes with a manual that tells you how to use it and descriptions of what the trouble codes mean.

That's the Idle Air Controller valve, and it can be cleaned and disassembled (or at least the one used on the 91+ Escort can).

Instructions for reading the codes are here:

http://www.dalidesign.com/hbook/index4.html

I highly recommend spending the $30 on the full version of this handbook instead of the scan tool (since you probably don't need it)--this handbook has been VERY helpful to me in troubleshooting problems.

Brian

eh, the scan tool is cheap enough, and it makes obtaining the codes much easier than using an analog volt meter or 12V light.

Most vehicles that have a check engine light blink it when you scan the codes...and I've never seen a $30 code reader with a digital display...

Brian

AFAIK, only Chryslers have/use the check engine light to blink the codes. Without cranking the engine, turn the ignition key to run, off, run, off, run, and almost every Chrysler product will flash trouble codes at you with the check engine or power loss/limited light on the dash.

The code scanner I am talking about does not display digital codes. It simply uses a light and a tone to flash the codes at you. You get the manual with it that is more complete than that website you listed.

I bought one of those $30 code scanners and when one of the terminals on it worked loose I gave up on it and used a 10-cent paperclip along with the check engine light on my brother's 93 Escort (my 95 Contour also blinks the check engine light, my 88 Mustang would too except that it doesn't have a check engine light, never bothered to install it)

For $30, the full version of the manual on that website is a heck
of a lot more useful than the manual that comes with the $30 code
scanner.

Brian

I found something online on a site called the ranger station and tried to get the codes using the MIL method on Sunday. I don't have an analog voltmeter and the closest thing I could find to a 12volt light is an LED. Well, for some reason I couldn't get the codes using the key on engine off method (although somehow I remeber doing this in the past without any problems ). I messed around with the engine running and thought I got a 16 and a 23, which is fine and good, but what does that mean in dummy terms? Well I got frustated and gave up (the 9 hours of work earlier that day that certainly didn't help!).