1996 Ford Fiesta can't accelerate when cold and power loss at 60 mph

Car: Ford Fiesta
Year: 1996
Variant: 1.2
Categories: Running Rough, Starting & Power Loss
I have a 1996 Ford Fiesta 1.2 engine. It started to rev faster and slower when started from cold. That was about 6 months ago. Now it starts up cold no problem doesn't have the revving problem but as soon as you put it in gear and drive it has no power. You have to wait for it to warm up before you can drive it. Then after it is at operating temp. it drives OK but if you go on the highway it will suddenly decelerate until you take your foot off the accelerator pedal. You have to pump the pedal to get it to accelerate again. This seems to happen particularly when you are climbing a slight incline at 50 - 70 mph. Any suggestions answers? I have been reading the posts on this forum and it seems like a common problem with this model but I can't find and conclusive solutions/answers posted.
Thanks for any help.
Posted: Mar 27, 2013 (11 years ago)
Check / replace plugs , chack all vac hoses and breather pipes for leaks , check / relace engine coolant temp sensor , check /replace plug leads . If still not right , test cyl compressions .
Posted Mar 27, 2013 (11 years ago)
So far I have had all the spark plugs changed, replaced the fuel filter and air filter. The mechanic said the spark plug wires were good and thought the problem might be the electronic ignition and wanted to replace it with a new one to see if made a difference - cost £250 for parts and labour. It seems like a fuel problem to me not an electrical problem. The fact that it has problems when it is cold says mixture problem, like the choke is not working. These "newer" cars have no choke but something adjusts the mixture so it will run before it gets to operating temp. What ever "it" is I think that is the cause of the problem.
Posted Mar 27, 2013 (11 years ago)
As already suggested , the engine coolant temp sensor lets the ECU know how much fuel to supply i.e more fuel when cold , just like the old choke used to work .
Posted Mar 27, 2013 (11 years ago)

This problem is archived

If you're having a similar problem please click below to re-post this problem, you can then customise it to suit your situation.

Join the community
Got a question? Can you answer other questions here? If so please...
More problems with the 1996 model year Ford Fiesta

We have 39 problems and solutions in our database for this model year of the car.

View all Ford Fiesta Problems