Ford Escort LX

You have to have a tool from Ford. But.....if you take two (2) small pieces of wire and notch the ends (kind of like a barb on a fish hook only duller not sharp) you can slide them in and unlock the radio. once you feel the notches lock, just pull it out.

A misfire can be caused by a number of items. Almost all of which are electrical. I would suggest starting with the basics.

1) Can you isolate it to one cylinder? If so replace that spark plug and wire

2) If not I'd start with the cap, rotor, and plugs on all cylinders

A useful diagnostic I've found valuable is to mix up a soapy solution in a spray bottle and in the evening with no lights on start the car and see if you see any sparks. Normal operation should produce none. However, if you're misfiring you may see them at night. Make sure the hood light is off and you have no light coming on the engine. It'll be obvious if its a large issue. If that produced no results then take the spray bottle and spray the wires while the engine is running. You'll see a little electrical show if there is a spark issue.

Good luck..

Beyond that you'll be getting into timing issues on this car/engine and possibly valve items. All of which are much more expensive.

heat! heat! heat! causes a rotor to warp 95% of the time. Little to now rust buildup in the vent area of the rotor, need a good pasage for air movement. rusty and flaking rust are no good! New calipers, brake flush, new rotors, clean flat surface free of rust buildup on the spindle area. All very important.

Under the dash in the center.

When it cracks out (most common failure) it has to be replaced. It's between the engine and the transmission which must come out to get to it.

look in the fuse panel inside the engine compartment there should be a white plastic piece on top of it.take that off ans you should see it i think it s a 50 amp cant remember.

The main fuse on the Probe is a 100amp fuse.

If it's stuck.......what the hell do you do???

Its not stuck, but screwed in on the lower side of box housing. There are flip up flaps u can access.

You don't. It is computer controlled. There is a component called the IAC (Idle Air Control) that adjusts the idle depending on how much of a load the engine is under and other things that affect the idle. It can be cleaned or replaced if you are having idle problems.

Location-----It is located on top of the engine on the top of the throttle body. It looks like a little motor about the size of a spool of thread with some wires attached to it. You can take it off by taking the 2 screws out of the top. It takes an 8 mm wrench or socket. Spray it with some carburetor cleaner and let it dry. Then oil it with any kind of oil that you have.

How it works---When the engine is idleing the IAC lets extra air into the engine to compensate for whatever load is is under. Extra load could be the air conditioning or

the alternator being under a load.

Where can I get one?----You can get the IAC at most auto parts stores. They cost about $65 and most places can get you one overnight.

You can find your fuel pump relay behind your center console, passenger side. You may have to remove the tray to gain full access

The 2002 Ford Escort owners manual shows : For the 2.0 L - SOHC - 4 cylinder Motorcraft SAE 5 W 20 Pemium Synthetic Blend Motor Oil and The Motorcraft FL - 400 - S oil filter

On the top of the transmission case, close to the passenger side mount.

If your starter motor is not turning you could try spraying a load of WD-40 into it, but if this does work (and there's no guarantee) it won't work for long. You probably need a replacement. Try an automobile wrecker for a second hand one rarther than buying a brand new one. It will cost you only about 25% of the price of a brand new one.

could be a bad plug

adjust the idle screw on the drivers side of the throttle body turn it to the right to lower you idle turn to the left to raise it

It is important to know the cost of the repairs in a vehicle. For a 1998 Ford Escort it will cost between $20 and $50 to replace the flex plate.

well, im guessing 300

You dont actually remove any panal. In your trunk should be some bolts, either plastic type, or metal, right behind the tail lights. These need to be removed. Once removed, you can wiggle the tail light off the car, and replaced the affected tail light bulb.

It is connected to a door in the lower part of the heating box. It is connected to a lever about even with the accelerator pedal on the tunnel housing under the HVAC controls. Check that the cable hasn't slipped out of the arm.

check the bulbs themselves they sometimes short out internaly & cause feedback also check sidemarker lights I have changed all bulbs and fuses! Wiring problem???

if the timing belt breaks on a 1998 Ford Escort there will be no damage done to the engine. This is true for the 2-door and the 4-door versions even though they both have different engines. The only parts which may be damaged are the timing belt pulleys. These should be replaced when replacing the belt. The engines used in both versions of the 1998 escort are NON-INTERFERENCE engines. This means that when the belt breaks there is no way for the pistons to come in contact with the valves.

It certainly can be. If a piston touches an open valve, the results can be quite bad. In normal operation, the valves close whenever the piston is at the top of cycle. If the timing belt slips the valve might be in the way next time the piston comes up.

The answer above is incorrect for the Ford Escort zx2 2.0 model. The 2.0 model was made to be a "Non Interferance engine" which means, when the timing belt breaks it will not damage anything. The reason Ford did this, is because, the timing belt pullys are known for going out, and when they do, your belt breaks. My car's timing belt pullys went out, and my belt broke, and no damage. - Antwon00

Both answers above are correct there are two different engines fitted to the 98 ZX2

The double cam is a Non interferance engine and I believe it is rated at 130hp the single cam will be damaged and it is rated at 117hp

this above statment is wrong.. the zx2 came only in the 2.0 DOHC at 130hp there is no single cam zx2.. that would be the 1.9L from a regular escort... and also all escorts have had non- interference motors since '89

I put the correct answer for this question at the top

Yes if it is popped up your fuel pump will not wrk

According to the 1996 Ford Escort Owner Guide :

The fuel pump shut off switch ( inertia switch ) is in the trunk , it is behind

the trim on the passenger side , there is a plug to remove to gain access to

the switch

Yes, it does. When one takes off the pan to drain the transmission of ATF the filter is just above the pan. Actually, it's not a filter, it's a screen to keep the big chunks of debris in the bottom of the pan from being sucked up into the pump. You usually get a pan gasket and a new filter when you buy a transmission ATF change kit. If you just want to replace the fluid and the pan gasket you don't really need to change the screen on the bottom. Just take it out, clean it and put it back in.

it may just be stuck, or it burned out and needs to be taken apart. A dealer will charge you for electrical work

use the emergency seat belt crank in the back seat near the door pillers should be an access pannel about the size of a silver dollar believe can be turned with an Allen wrench get it all the way back and call it good the motor for the seat belt is not a cheap fix

No, the 94 escort is a 2nd generation and the 97 is a third generation.

1991-1996 is 2nd generation and 1997-2002 is a third generation.