[kingliability]

I've been a lifelong Mopar guy, but a couple weeks ago I swapped my '63 Dart GT Conv project for a 'running/driving' '93 Mustang LX Conv. Well, I figured the little 2.3 4-banger would be pretty simplistic...little did I know that Fords electronics are a whole new realm for me. First thing, it had a solid steady miss from hell. I bought one coil pack (at $47) and swapped it with the seconday, no improvement...changed for the primary, the miss was gone and ran smooth. Still very sluggish, and the tach only reading half-values or more often than not, not at all. After further research I found that the Ford will go into 'limp-mode' when it's got big codes stored and set everything to factory defaults. So that explains the sluggish running and the timing seeming retarded. Once a week or so, the 'check engine' light will stay off, and it runs great, like a whole different car...AND when that happens the tach will reflect correct full values. Now, several times, I've stopped the car for a minute and when I go to restart it, nothing. It will crank all day, but not hit a lick. There is fire at the plugs. There is fuel. But it will not fire. Wait about 3-4 hours, it starts right up. I sat at a gas station Sunday evening 50 miles from home from 7pm till 11pm before it would start, just to get a cold beer. It's really chapping me. Could this be an ignition control module problem? I can't figure it out.

[krk105]

Could be. You can have the DIS module tested at O'rielly. I put a used one in mine from ranger, that tested good.

[turboeeyore]

mass air flow sensor or barrometric pressure sensor.

[sleeper_inc]

Pull codes. Get your ignition modual checked

[kingliability]

Thanks for the input guys. I really should have done a search on the subject before jumping out there and posting my problems, it seems to be a common recurring thing with the 2.3 DIS. I went ahead and bit down and ponied up the stinking $144 for the new igntion module, and after installation the car performs perfectly. The tach reads correctly, the "check engine" is gone, and performance is what it should be for a 2.3. I ran it about six miles to the gas station as a test and to let the EEC-IV get used to the new module, no problems. When I got ready to split, it did not want to fire again. THIS time though, I held it to the floor and cranked for a good 15 seconds, and it eventually chugged to life and settled into a steady idle. No problem lights, tach worked..drove home fine and no problems out of it this morning hauling kids to school or running around. Huh. I'm going to clear the codes and run them again to see what I get now...maybe that MAF sensor COULD be a problem too, but would it cause the no-start condition? Also, the idle sometimes surges just a hair..within 100rpm or so. Could that be an indicator? Thanks again for the input!

[krk105]

Surging could be from a vacuum leak. Replace any rubber vacuum hose that is cracked and check conections