Ok guys has anyone run into this?

well everything in my no start condition is pointing to the cam sensor shorting out the short is at the blue wire in the the connector to the cam sensor we have used 4 different ones(cam sensors) all come up showing a short as soon as it is connected we unplugged all the sensors and tested them one by one until we came to this conclusion. this short however does not go all the way to the computer. has anyone ever experienced this problem and can give me any insight?

dis module ?

i just replaced my cam sensor the other day. the harness that plugs right into the sensor, 1 of the wires had a very tiny nick in the insulation. check those wires with a wire probe because they are extremely brittle. my car started and ran great after i put the new sensor in. (90 xr7 SC).

Try running a new wire and bypass the bad 1 that you found. Good luck

remove the pin for the cam sensor at the DIS module, should start, mine did with no cam sensor hooked up (dont remember if you have to try and crank it for several attempts, or if the computer just fires a certain plug to get it running).
I think you can also pull the pins at the computer? dont remember

If the upshift arrow is on while cranking and doesnt shut off change the crank sensor (usually code 14? on older SCs)

I had a similar prob.

There's a bare solid ground wire (noise supression) in the DIS Cam sensor harness that was intermittantly shorting through the insulation on that blue wire. Since there was obviously some heat damage to the harness, I replaced it and haven't had that prob since.

Lee

thanks clown you are right about the computer fires the #1 plug from the "information" it gets from the crank sensor and the cam sensor combined (when both sensors synchronize at # 1 piston) then from what I am told it should let the dis module take over for the rest of the order then starts over for the next beginning of the firring order on and on and on the problem is that the two sensors can't synchronize the #1 piston ,so far at all they seem to try to synchronize at the wrong piston.

Rivlee that sounds like a good lead as well I did replace the harness with anther one i found in a salvage yard ( I tried to find a new one from ford got the old obsolete jive )that one was in better shape than my original monday morning I'll go to the shop and look into the ground wire your talking about thanks!

Make sure your DIS module is grounded properly. It took me a month of diagnosing to figure out that the starting problem was the DIS. I changed crank and cam sensors with no positive results. When you try to start it i'm assuming that it acts like it wants to fire backwards. If this is the case, beleive me it's the DIS module.

I had to relocate mine to a cooler mounting location near the passenger firewall and connect all 4 mounting bolts with a thick wire to ensure proper grounding. After that, i never, ever had any starting problems again.

You don't have to relocate the dis, but at least make sure it's solidly grounding to the engine block. I think sometimes that heat sink grease that is applied to the underside of the dis prevents one or two of the bolts from making electrical continuity to the metal base on the dis. The spark waste somehow gets discharged on another spark plug at the wrong time causing the hard cranking (sounds like cranking a very hot engine with too much timing advance) if the dis is not grounded on both sides.

just something for you to consider-

hmm some of what you say does indeed accure but no hard cranking but it does fire in the wrong order my mechanic put in at least 3 different dis modules 2 of them were brand new I am assuming he put them in correctly but I will pose the question thanks

darriantbird said:

hmm some of what you say does indeed accure but no hard cranking but it does fire in the wrong order my mechanic put in at least 3 different dis modules 2 of them were brand new I am assuming he put them in correctly but I will pose the question thanks

Click to expand...

Maybe this will help:

Cam Sensor - when it goes its often intermittent. The car can sart and run without a cam sensor. Its a matter of the DIS guessing right as to which is the #1 cylinder. With no cam sensor signal (CID), it only has the crank sensor (PIP) signal to provide crank location. You have a 33% chance each time you try to start the car from the key off position whenever there is NO CID.

Crank sensor - when it goes, the car will NOT start or run.

Your problem is consistent with NO CID signal. Your DIS is not the problem. Either the cam sensor is bad, the connector is bad, or some wires are broken or lose. They are cheap enough ($30) that its easiest just to replace it anyway rahter than endure the grief.

If you own the SC long enough, you'll go through all three of the things I mentioned at least once: cam sensor, crank sensor, DIS.

Your problem is consistent with NO CID signal. Your DIS is not the problem. Either the cam sensor is bad, the connector is bad, or some wires are broken or lose.

Click to expand...

I'm not saying the cam sensor is not the problem. I fully agree with tbirdscfan. I'm saying that the dis module is adding to the problem as a whole if it's not grounded. I know the dis doesn't have anything to do with synchronizing the cam signal with cylinder #1. But both these problems have similar symptoms (firing order) which is why i suggested this. I mean't this as a helpful suggestion, not as a direct cure- when i had my problem with cranking the engine, i went thru alot to get rid of all the problems. I really had a bad cam sensor too and replaced it. Just sharing some valuable info. in addition to the cam sensor issue in case you still have a starting problem after you replace the sensors so you don't have to go down that long expensive path to resolve it. If you make sure you dis is fully grounded, you won't be sorry that you did- might as well do a thorough job. It's going to fire up perfectly every time if you do this.

later-

the dis was tested too and it has signal the coil pack fires yet still no start everything points to cam sensor yet no 1 in 3 start. In-fact not since February 15th when it died. I have been through everything I know how to do then sent it to my friend Kurt Snow who has been my mechanic for 6 years.THis guy knows his ****.And that was 3 weeks ago he is now taking it personally and is bound and determined to find it .Like I said he has narrowed it down too the above mentioned short he asked me to go into this forum to get you guys opinion and there have been some valid ones .