exactly, that is why we opted to replace the distributor, whatever caused the module to fail also got the pickup coil
it has been the modules each time except for twice, both those times it was the pickup coil. when we bought the truck in 2014 from a friend of ours he said they had replaced the module 5 times in 4 years, a mechanic friend of ours at the time ( he is now passed ) told us that they were having that problem because they were buying cheap modules. had nothing to do with it. we bought OEM and still had to replace it 3 times the first year and half, so now we buy the cheaper ones. they last just as long as the expensive ones
Good Grief , why would you buy something with that many problems ? Donāt you think it is time to replace this thing.
You need to check how Ford numbers the cylinders as well as the timing order. They used to number them 1.2.3.4. on the drivers side front to back and 5,6,7,8, on the passenger side. I donāt know about the newer engines.
I also would like to know why you bought a 25-year old truck in 2014 . . . which is now 30 years old
Are you using this truck as a daily driver . . . or only to handle chores on the weekend?
I have a difficult time to imagine it would be overly difficult to fix an ignition system problem on a 89 F150. I mean for a pro mechanic experienced doing this sort of repair. Thatās always a backup method the OP has available to them. Itās not a 89 LOTUS, itās an F150.
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Yeah @George_San_Jose1, Iāve pulled the distributor out of V-8 test stand engines and scrambled the wires and spun the engine over and seen junior college wannabe mechanics unscramble and start it in the time I took to smoke a cigarette.
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when you make 9 an hr you buy what you can afford, we paid 750 and it only had 89,000 miles on it, it is a rough haul truck only, we needed the truck to haul gravel , we live at the bottom of a mountain and we have a lot of wet weather springs and when we get a lot of rain we lose half our driveway, which is 1/10th of a mile long and yes we have spent a small fortune digging ditches and putting in drain pipe to stop this problem, but nature will win every time, you stop it one place and it just comes up in another spot.
Many Ford products of this era including my R.I.P 89 Ford Tempo went through numerous ignition modules in its lifetime .Heat was the main reason they failed because Ford decided to mount these low on the distributor.The back of the module was coated with dielectric grease that did little to prevent these from failing.
Iām familiar with the TFI modules and the cause and effect of heat on them. However, 5 failures in 4 years is a bit much. Theyrāe not that problematic.
The OP has not answered the question about whether the modules were actually diagnosed as faulty or whether it was a matter of no spark; ergo, it must be the module.
An ignition switch is a very real possibility due to some bad electrical engineering. Ford chose to route the cabin blower motor current directly through the ignition switch. This high current load (and much higher with a worn blower) will eventually take out the circuit in the switch over time due to the high amps being used.
When looking at the well worn classics for a worthwhile work truck it seems that the pre '81s offer more potential. Fewer costly parts to fail and much easier diagnosis and repair are possibleā¦ Just sayin.
You could have told us the 1989 F-150 was all you could afford . . . it would have been sufficient as an explanation.
No need to explain how much you make and what you paid for the truck
You seem to be living within your means . . . which will probably save you someday. I know so many people who donāt live within their means, and it often comes back to haunt them later on
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Thank you to the ones who gave constructive advise on this site .
I would put the old distributor back and change the coil. I think that should solve your problem.