# Won't Start over 70 Degrees F **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 22, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596 "2012-01-22T23:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/1 "2012-01-22T23:32:27Z")
1994 Ford E150 5.0L Will not start when the weather is above 70 Degrees F No fire from coil ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/2 "2012-01-23T05:06:34Z")
Check the coil primary and secondary resistance. If the coil checks out, the ignition module may be bad. Does this engine still have the ignition module attached to the side of the distributor? ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 8:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/3 "2012-01-23T08:08:52Z")
Replaced coil Module tested good Wires to coil put on new connector But. new connector wires are opposite ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/4 "2012-01-24T03:10:50Z")
It ran today until the weather warmed to 70 ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/5 "2012-01-25T00:36:22Z")
I have been stranded for 4 days trying to get my Van started ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/6 "2012-01-25T00:40:08Z")
Are you getting spark when it doesn’t start? ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/7 "2012-01-25T04:56:29Z")
It seems to me that if you had 4 days of being stranded you could have typed up more than about 20 words about it all. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/8 "2012-01-25T06:54:52Z")
If it is that sensitive to ambient temperatures, it is probably something in the ignition circuit under the dash and not under the hood. Once the engine warms up, the underhood temps should push above 70 if the ambient temp is around 60. You may have a relay problem somewhere. I’m not sure where the relays are on this van. ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 8:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/9 "2012-01-25T08:52:26Z")
Tested Found power to the coil on both sides Still no spark coming out ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/10 "2012-01-25T17:48:48Z")
A coil also needs a pulse going into it - do you see that? You can probably test it with a test light or low power 12V bulb to ground. If the car isn’t running, you’ll see a steady 12V on that line. Once the car is running or starting, you should see that line pulse by seeing the light flicker. If you do but don’t see spark, that coil is suspect. If you don’t, the problem is likely whatever switches that line or wires to it. I’d look into the crank sensor and trace that signal through the system. I doubt your van still has points or a hall sensor in the distributor but that basically is the function of the crank sensor on newer cars. ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/11 "2012-01-25T20:28:17Z")
I am now looking at replacing the Pickup Coil ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/12 "2012-01-25T20:29:23Z")
It does have a Distributor with Rotor ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/13 "2012-01-25T20:38:10Z")
It having a distributor rotor doesn’t exclude it from having points but one would imagine a truck/van that late has a crank sensor instead. So are you seeing a pulsed input to the coil? ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/14 "2012-01-26T05:55:06Z")
No crank sensor. This ignition system uses a pick-up coil and sensor wheel under the rotor. You can check the impedance of the coil with a multimeter before replacing it. Just hoping to keep you from throwing parts at the problem. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/15 "2012-01-26T06:07:27Z")
Yeah from the sound of it that ship has sailed, burned at sea and subsequently sunk with all men and mouse aboard, huh? ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/16 "2012-01-26T06:36:30Z")
I used to have two Ford’s with this engine, a pick-up and a Crown Vic. I’ve done a couple of ignition parts testing on them. As far as the pick-up coil, I’ve tested these on Ford’s and Toyota’s over the years. I had one car that had a pick-up coil puke the coil all over the rotor button. Fine copper wire wrapped tightly around the distributor shaft. Figured out that problem really quick once I pulled the cap off. ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/17 "2012-01-26T19:17:04Z")
Ok Replaced Cap, Rotor, Distributor Still no Fire ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/18 "2012-01-26T20:14:23Z")
Like asked before: are you seeing a pulsed input to the coil? Or just take a shotgun, fill it with buck shot, shoot the engine and replace whatever was hit by the pellets. Repeat as necessary until it runs. Seriously, dogzs, are you asking us what can be done about it not starting or are you telling us what you’re doing? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/19 "2012-01-26T22:48:54Z")
First get a scope on the coil or try the “blinking timing light” test that Remco suggested. As already mentioned, 12VDC on the coil primary is great, but you also need the igniter to be turning it on and off in order to get a spark. It’s the collapse of the primary voltage into the coil core that creates the voltage to jump the spark plug gap, not the 12VDC itself. If you have no pulsing, check to see that the engine ground is good. If the strap connection has rotted and the ground has failed, you’ll get no spark. And yes, that can be temperature sensitive. A corroded connection is a resistive connection, and it can vary with temperature. Longshot, but worth checking. If the spark is good, than it must be a fuel metering problem. Are the plugs wet when you remove them? Any gas smell? If the temp sensor has failed, the ECU may think the engine is always cold and be flooding the cylinders. Post back. ---
**Author:** ![Maddogzs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Maddogzs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Maddogzs)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596/20 "2012-01-28T19:47:40Z")
After replacing Battery, Ignition Coil, Rotor, Cap, Distributor with Pickup Coil, Ignition Switch on a 1994 Ford E-150; 5.0L I am about to replace the Ignition Module [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/wont-start-over-70-degrees-f/70596.md?page=2)