1983 Ford Escort Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 1983 Ford Escort is built around one engine, the 1.6-liter SOHC inline-four, naturally aspirated and gasoline-fueled, which served every one of the five trims: Base, GL, GLX, GT and LX. Two-door hatchback, four-door hatchback and four-door wagon bodies are all covered. Specifications, torque values, wiring diagrams, diagnostics and step-by-step procedures are grouped by system, so a shop working a wagon and a shop working a GT read from the same figures.

Engines covered

• 1.6L inline-four (98 cu in) — SOHC, naturally aspirated, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 2-door hatchback
• 4-door wagon
• 4-door hatchback

Trims covered

• Base
• GL
• GLX
• GT
• LX

Known issues on the 1983 Escort. Five recalls sit on the federal record for this year. The gravest concerns a mechanical fuel pump whose diaphragm could deteriorate and rupture, letting fuel out of the vent opening with fire as the result. A separate campaign covers a fuel filler vent hose that was cut during a crash barrier test, and the others deal with seat frames, rear belt retractors and cracking door lock pillars. Owners have filed seven complaints with NHTSA, on the service brakes, the electrical system and the fuel system. Fuel delivery, brake hydraulics and wiring diagnostics answer to those.