My 89 E150 w/ a 302 won't start after any type of rain. I've changed the rotor, cap, plugs, wires and put new battery ends on it. I even pulled the coil off and sanded every ground point on it. I even tried to sand the electrical connectors on the front of the coil. It's got me stumped. I don't want to keep wasting money on parts that might fix it. She has 185,000 miles on her and I need her to last at least until spring when I can look for another vehicle. If anybody has any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

This may not be your problem, but I had an 83 Ranger that had the same issue that included just plain ole' misty air. Ended up being a bad ground connection where the ECU bolted to the inner fender. Removed the ECU, cleaned the grounding surface and bolted it back into place. Never has an issue with it after that.

 

Thanks for the info. I just need to let the rain and snow stop so I can find the location.

 

What you could try when the weather permits,
Take a spray bottle with plain water, and carefully spray one small section at a time under the hood . You may notice a change in RPM. The last section you sprayed would at least help pin point an area.
The plug that plugs into the Computer (ECM) if removed might show some corrosion due to moisture getting in there. You will need to use a 10mm socket to do this.

 

Thanks for the idea. When it was dry out, I started my van after I took the air cleaner off and started spraying electrical areas. I sprayed the distributor and wires first, but no change. I then worked my way back to the coil. When I sprayed the coil, a spark shot out and it shut down. After that I went and got a coil. Now she runs after and during rains. Thanks again.

 

Glad to help. It's nice to guess right , even if it's just once !!! Merry Christmas.

 

Merry Christmas Hanky, and thanks again.