Ford Festiva

1995 Ford Festiva Fuel System   

engine falters badly when I accelerate quickly. O.K. If I accelerate slowly

Could be the catalyctic converter plugging up a little, might be a sensor problem. First check for codes, even if no check engine light.Quite a few parts places offer this service for a small nominal fee or free.
Last time it had a tune up? Fuel filter?

I thiught it might have been the fuel filter or pump so I checked the pressure and it's fine. Changed the filter and that made no difference. I put in a new air filter (old one seemed to have oil deposits .. though the PCV checks out OK )The MAF checks out ok. It does not have an IAT or an EGR. I put new spark plugs in and that has made a marginal improvement (maybe just imagining that) I guess the next step is to get the codes extracted which is where I was at before I questioned you guys. I was hoping you might have a crystal ball.

Usually the pump is a work or not work kinda thing.Sometimes they can be erratic.With the gas cap off you should hear a hum.Filter is cheaper, and I like to start with cheaper first.

1993 Ford Festiva Engine Malfunction When driving No pattern

I was driving down the street all of a sudden my car died,and it won't start. I changed fuel filter and that wasn't it please help!

I would replace the dist.cap and rotor,as these engines get up in milage the carbon wears out on the pick-up causing no spark.

1993 Ford Festiva Chassis / Suspension & Steering  When turning Always

I just bought a 1993 Ford Festiva with 135 K miles. It seems that it doesn't hold the road as well as other Festivas I've owned. Could the bushings in the anti-sway bars need to be replaced? Is this something my husband and I do (we are fairly good maintenance mechanics with tools)? Can I visually see that these bushings need to be replaced? And finally, where can I buy these bushings besides the dealership? Sorry about all these questions.

Hello, may I suggest you look for a good deal on a front-end alignment check? Tire companies (national chain stores), Sears, etc., often will check/evaluate the alignment for a reasonable fee.

Road wander is attributable to tire pressure, toe-in adjustment, & worn steering linkage parts. At 135K miles and the history of the car's care in question, investing in a professional opinion will benefit your safety! After an evaluation is done and recommendations are made, you'll find/assess your own priorities as to what you can do yourself, or, choose to pay someone else to do for you.

Your thoughts?,

Roger

Still need help? Ready to close this question? Please update.

Thank you,

Roger

1993 Ford Festiva Chassis / Suspension & Steering  Happens always 

How do you remove the hub to replace the wheel bearings? After removing the lock nut is it possible to "jiggle" the rotor back and forth until the outer bearing comes off? Are the bearings "pressed" into the hub mechanically?

Hello, Is your car front wheel drive or rear wheel drive?

Roger

Hello, Still want help here? I'm wanting to hear from you.

Thanks,

Roger

Please advise your question status.

Thanks,

Roger

Hi;
You must remove the whole assembly. The Hub is pressed on to the support arm. Once you have remove the assembly, you must take it to a machine shop and have them press the hub out and then press it back on. I suggest you buy the bearing and carry it to the machine shop at the same time. It will usually take them about 30 minutes to do this. Good Luck Les.

could you give detailed info on how to remove the knuckle assembly?

Hi;
Are you talking about the ball joint or the tie rod end? Either one if you take the nut off and hit the side of them. It should come loose. If you are talking about the drive axle. Just take the nut off and it should slide out. Sometimes you have to use a punch and a hammer and hit it out. Just make sure you do not tear up the cv boot. Good Luck Les.

1992 Ford Festiva Chassis / Suspension & Steering   

I have a 1992 Ford Festiva. It is eating up ball joint assemblies like candy - 4 or 5 in the past couple of years. The drivers side joint assembly is shot again & was replaced only 3 months ago. I started with Moog replacments which were guaranteed, but they would not cover labor. I switched to NAPA Premium Chassis Parts, but it is exactly the same part Moog sells. They both get the same ball joint assemblies from Kia in South Korea. I have been to two different front end shops who have completely looked over my car and can find nothing else wrong with it. Wheel bearings are good, the front end is in alignment and the frame is not bent. These junk parts are wrecking my tires and threatening my safety. Original equipment ball joint assembly parts are not made any more and are not available from Ford. I need this car and its 48.5 MPG economy, but am tired of Kia Motors being allowed to flood the market with these unsafe defective parts that I have been forced to accept. What can I do?

Have you tried factory OEM Ford parts?
After the car is ten years old, the factory is no longer obliged to stock replacement parts.Their stock inventory is usually bought up by the private sector and ends up being sold on the 'net or other places.A good publication such as Hemmings Motor News would be a good place to start. They have vendors which have many NOS (New Old Stock) parts.Even if they do not list the part, do not be afraid to ask.Something as simple as an EBay search might do it also.
If you find some, be sure and get a few spares!
PS I believe Hemmings has a website also.

I previously went to the local Ford dealer. You confirmed what he said - They didn't have the parts in stock and they were not made any more. He also did an Internet search with all the Ford dealers with parts departments in the country and found only 3 at a location in Texas - for a price of $195 each! He couldn't believe their listed price and also stated the Lincoln Continental ball joint from their stock was cheaper!
I have also checked eBay - both with the part number & with the description in the Ford listings. There were 0 listings of any sort for the Festiva (at the time) other than some after market HID lamp kits.
I did enquire to a person who was parting out a Festiva & a couple of other cars, but he said the joints were shot. I have found plenty of used Festivas in junk yards, but one should not trust a used part of this nature.
I would think Ford would have this part yet, as the Aspire is much newer and has the very same motor & drive train. (???) I have also looked at the web site for the motor news mag. you suggested, but even narrowing it down to the Ford listings, most of the locations are for more popular and/or classic vehicles, and there must have been 20 or more pages of listings - a day of lookin with my slow dialup connection. If worse comes to worse, I'll have to accept the overpriced one in Texas.

I sometimes buy a used autowrecker part like that if it looks new,as it would be possible that someone replaced the balljoints and the following week, the transmission failed.The car then gets towed to a wrecker.I have seen new parts on dead cars...
Do an ebay "saved search" for Festiva Balljoint" and they will email you when (if?) one shows up.
Some Factory balljoints include the complete A-Arm, that might explain the $$$

1988 Ford Festiva Ignition System Won't Start When turning Always

there is no spark and it has new plugs and wires and coil is there a crank sensor or something that it is not getting spark?

First of all check fuses, wiring, and connections.

The next thing to check is ignition module. After that the distributor, which contains a crank sensor ( also called a pick-coil or hall effect sensor). Some chain autoparts stores will test these parts off the car free of charge (Autozone, Advance, etc)