I’ve got a 1997 Thunderbird. It’ll start, but will die after a few seconds. There is also a faint odor of gasoline. Any ideas as to what may be wrong?
Low fuel pressure? Bad fuel pump? Clogged fuel filter? Lazy fuel injector(s)? Bad ignition coil?
Are you out of gas?
A fuel pressure gauge and timing light would start to tell the story.
The problem might be with the ignition module. These function in two modes. The start and run modes. During the start mode, the ignition module allows full battery voltage to the ignition coil. This ensures the engine starts during a cold start by providing a very hot spark. Once the engine starts, and ignition switch moves the run position, the ignition module switches to the run mode. It’s here where the ignition module drops the voltage to the ignition coil because this hot spark isn’t required to keep the engine running, and also saves wear and tear on the secondary ignition components.
So the problem might be that the run mode of the ignition module has failed.
Tester