1988 Ford Festiva - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

Brett has the answer to this. Bad headlight relay. Brett Duxbury Mar 16, 2022 Hi Anonymous, check the headlight relay under the bonnet in the relay compartment . Get a voltmeter or 12v probe tester and see if coil on relay gets 12v from the head light switch If no voltage at relay coil then check switch and the fuse. https://www.google.com/search?q=1988+ford+festiva+headlight+relay+location ..

Depressing the clutch is a normal starting procedure on many makes of vehicle, check your car handbook/manual for your vehicles starting procedure

Hmmm, love those old Festiva's, great cars. Sounds like you may have a worn bushing in the distributor causing the timing to change under load. Remove the distributor cap and see if you can move the shaft side to side any. If that's good, check your spark plug wires by inserting some known good plugs into the wires , ground the side of the plugs to the engine while someone else turns the engine over. If each plug is firing a nice blue spark hot spark then your plug wires are good. If you haven't changed the spark plugs do so, even new ones can be bad. Next is fuel, old carbs are problems esp if the car has sat a while. Weber 2 stage for about $220 is a sure cure for a bad carb, I have one on my Samurai 1.3. You didn't say if the car has ample power when it's running ok. Do a compression check to see if your valves need work. All gas engines must have compression, fuel, correct timing on firing the sparkplugs. Last but not least if all else is good use a timing light to see if the timing is advancing when you rev the engine.

if you have an ac in the car , it may be a fast idle setup so that the engine doesn't stall when the ac is on

Google images has everything

Autozone

if i knew what a festiva was i would tell you ,but never seen this vehicle ,if its a front wheel drive car then it should be easy enough ,undo the big nut in the middle of the wheel then jack it up both sides so the antiroll bar is slack then remove the wheel and the track rod end ,big hammer on the side of the housing does this but leave the nut a few threads in case you miss with the hammer.remove the brake caliper so the pipes are not pulled,then undo the lower track control arm from the steering unit and the out side end can then be pulled free from the hub .then check the indie of the shaft as some just pull out but some like a renault have a dowel pin .dont forget to drain the gearbox first as when the shaft is pulled out the oil will pour out

Sounds like either the rear main seal or oil pan gasket!

Go to ford.com and search for manuals and diagrams, also parts schematics available.

Any idea how many 4 pin relays are in a car? Perhaps you can be more specific, with a picture or description. Where it is located and so on.

They are NOT hydraulics. That started in 1990. They were adjustable in 88 and 89.

If you have spark, compression, and fuel, it should start.Have you checked the compression or do you know for sure the timing belt is ok ?Are the spark plugs wet or dry ?

bad seal somewhere and the oil is simply leaking out due to the pressure, not much to worry about but i would get the leak sealed!

At any ford dealers parts dept

Charge light could be due to Alternator starting to fail or maybe loose belt to alternator. Or loose connection at alternator or at battery. Check wires along the circuit path and make sure everything is tight.As for gas gauge, you may have a bad sending unit which is usually IN the tank or a bad connection between the unit and the dash. I'm not aware of a working gauge being a necessity for passing emissions but maybe so.

Well it could be valves but it would run rough all the time if that were an issue.Could be a problem with the choke or something else with the carb.Is it difficult to start when the engine is warm and cold ?

its prob. not full of freon if your useing small cans jump the ac relay to keethe commpressor running this brings the low side press down and allows the freon to enter the system

cheap on ebay fuel pump in the gas tanks under rear seat, **** old gas out with a hand pump, can get one at harbor freight like $5 ON SALE. REUSE the float mech put new strainer.

Make sure your exhaust isn't clogged. Check all your vacuum lines, too.

Replace fuel filter, spark plugs,wires,distributor should be checked for cracks or worn insides, roter inside also, if not already tried check fuel pressure and regulator or fuel pump going out if none above have your computer tested hope this helps