# 1981 Ford Granada 3.3L 200 Only Tries to Start When Key Is Released **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 19, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123 "2019-11-19T20:10:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/1 "2019-11-19T20:10:12Z")
Hello, I have a 1981 Ford Granada 3.3L 200. I changed my water pump now the car doesn’t want to start for some reason. I try to crank the car it won’t start but when I release the key it tries to start but won’t. I’m getting spark after the key is released. I’ve changed the ignition module, distributor, rotor, rotor connector, ignition switch, new spark plugs, and it still won’t start. Any ideas? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/2 "2019-11-19T20:19:35Z")
Ignition switch comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/3 "2019-11-19T20:23:22Z")
I changed the ignition switch but still having the same issue ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/4 "2019-11-19T20:27:08Z")
Sorry missed the ignition switch on the first read. ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/5 "2019-11-19T20:36:25Z")
No problem 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/6 "2019-11-19T20:37:33Z")
Did you check the ballast wire between the ignition switch and coil? [https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,1981,granada,3.3l+200cid+l6,1130050,ignition,ballast+resistor,7052](https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,1981,granada,3.3l+200cid+l6,1130050,ignition,ballast+resistor,7052) Tester ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/7 "2019-11-20T16:15:02Z")
Sorry if I am a little confused. Are you talking about the coil wire? I asked my brother as he is working on the car. I haven’t seen a wire like that on it. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/8 "2019-11-20T17:12:23Z")
![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/c/8/c8c69b8274c896e4f2c097c4523b19fa0761afea.gif) Tester ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/9 "2019-11-20T18:43:03Z")
Thank you for the diagram. Let me check into this. ---
**Author:** ![Hugemoth\_144444](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@Hugemoth\_144444](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Hugemoth_144444)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/10 "2019-11-20T19:58:37Z")
Swapping the start bypass wire with the ballast resistor wire at the ignition switch would cause the symptoms you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/11 "2019-11-20T20:02:57Z")
Sounds like a bad module. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 3:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/12 "2019-11-21T03:35:48Z")
My first guess is something got changed w/a wire that connects to the starter relay. I’d probably take the time to loosen the belt that connects to the water pump pulley and make sure all the stuff that is supposed to spin freely on that belt path does spin freely. Does this car use an electric-controlled carburetor? ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/13 "2019-11-28T23:44:55Z")
I will check the wires connected to the starter relay. Looks like everything is spinning freely that needs to be. The car does use an electric controlled carburetor ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/14 "2019-11-29T01:49:28Z")
The 1981 Ford EEC carburetor doesn’t control fuel it modifies the air fuel ratio through an externally attached solenoid valve which leans the mixture on command by introducing additional air and only a very limited amount. It cannot intermittently prevent starting other than making the mixture lean but applying throttle will overcome that. The ballast resister, module and pickup coil have been the problems that I have seen causing the problem you’re having as I understand it. Ohm test the pickup coil and ballast wire and if they are OK call the chain parts stores to see if one of them can bench test your module. ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/15 "2019-12-01T21:22:16Z")
I used a Power Probe ECT 2000 to run a trace signal through the wires. The signal did not pick up pass the connector going to the distributor to the ICM. So I did a continuity test of each wire coming from the distributor. The Orange wire did not have continuity. It’s my understanding that the Orange and Purple wires are associated with the pickup coil in the distributor. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/16 "2019-12-01T21:34:37Z")
Check the wires to the pickup coil in the distributor for broken wires. The pickup coil mounts to advance plate in the distributor. The wires to the pickup coil can break over time from the back-and-forth motion of the advance plate. Tester ---
**Author:** ![williams801048\_160005](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@williams801048\_160005](https://community.cartalk.com/u/williams801048_160005)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1981-ford-granada-3-3l-200-only-tries-to-start-when-key-is-released/153123/17 "2019-12-01T21:51:57Z")
Hi Tester, The distributor is brand new.