Been there done that - twice. The coil pack on the V-6 usually won't trip a code.

This is the V-8 forum, by the way.

 

Truck: 2004 Ford F150 FX4
Mileage: 242,000 km

Over the past few months, I have been noticing slight shaking and hesitating when I accelerate at low speeds. I take my truck into a Ford Dealership regularly (every 3 or 4 months) for maintenance and repairs. Recently, I have been experiencing the shaking and hesitating more often and more violently until one night it was no longer drive-able. I had it towed to the shop and I ended up getting the transmission rebuilt. Obviously, spending that amount of money, I would assume the problem would be fixed.

Since then, I have experienced the same shaking and hesitating when accelerating. It feels like the truck is "hicupping" and the tires are kind of skipping along the road when I accelerate. The shop said it could be my rear differential, but I want another opinion before forking over more money.

I have come across several posts on this forum that might be solutions, but I really have no idea:
- Differential
- MAF
- U-Joints
- Driveline
- Spark Plugs

Any thoughts?

 

Truck: 2004 Ford F150 FX4
Mileage: 242,000 km

Over the past few months, I have been noticing slight shaking and hesitating when I accelerate at low speeds. I take my truck into a Ford Dealership regularly (every 3 or 4 months) for maintenance and repairs. Recently, I have been experiencing the shaking and hesitating more often and more violently until one night it was no longer drive-able. I had it towed to the shop and I ended up getting the transmission rebuilt. Obviously, spending that amount of money, I would assume the problem would be fixed.

Since then, I have experienced the same shaking and hesitating when accelerating. It feels like the truck is "hicupping" and the tires are kind of skipping along the road when I accelerate. The shop said it could be my rear differential, but I want another opinion before forking over more money.

I have come across several posts on this forum that might be solutions, but I really have no idea:
- Differential
- MAF
- U-Joints
- Driveline
- Spark Plugs

Any thoughts?

 

Have your plugs been changed? This is a common symptom.

Sent from my iPhone using IB AutoGroup

 

Spark Plugs? No, I haven't had those changed. I'm crossing my fingers that this is the problem and solution.

 

Seems these Fords have issues that are not normal.
My situation defies my normal knowledge and experience of past. 01 4.6L with 50K miles. New to me, but was Dad's new truck when he passed. When I got it, I noticed it was not a perfectly smooth idle as expected from these newer engines. It had sat for quite a while and ran 2 Techron through it and used Shell exclusively. At first the problem seemed to disappear, then back after 1500 miles. Ughh, going to be one of those darned intermittant issues that is difficult for anyone to find. And it would do it or not every day or two for short periods along with seeming to have a bit less power as in not enough to force full downshifts around 35-45 MPH.
2 days ago I ran past Advance for code read, no MIL. Said I had P1000. Autozone said no codes. I was originally going to pull plugs hoping they would show an indication, but the horror stories put that on hold.
Yesterday, ran a short distance of dirt road and put through paces with 4WD. I wanted to check how it was on such. Shortly after getting back to pavement, it acted up. Around 40-45 it started shaking so violently that I looked for a place to pull over, but nothing but deep ditches. So I'm dangerously slowly rolling along for a few miles to pull over. I would have sworn I had a wheel about to come off or a severely damaged drive shaft. The idle was no rougher than had been which a barely detectable unevenness as before. After checking over, I proceeded again and by 40MPH it was doing again. I pulled over a second time and checked to make sure I might not be "found on road dead", literally. Even taking the back road to city, lots of traffic including log trucks. Still very uncertain of issue I started out again, but this time when it started acting up, I pressed accelerator a little and it quits when it get a little extra fuel. Also when decel, it quits. At least I was certain it was engine related and shook my way to the far side of city, about 30 miles to an Advance running 45MPH. Scan said multiple misfires and #7 misfire detected. Suggested moving COP to isolate.
I decided to shake/shudder the next 25 miles home. 12 miles later the MIL comes on. I stop at the Advance and Autozone I stopped at the day before. Autozone says #7 misfire.
Advance says # 7 misfire detected. And second message of #7 misfire confirmed. Both codes the same. Seems Advance has better scanners.

My point is that these COP problems are rather elusive. That the OBDII does a bad job of letting you know what is going on. That it has to be very bad and it took at least 40 miles before it turned the MIL on.

There seems to be some in these forums that already knew that and likely why much discussion centers around the COP and the plug/head issues. The issues span multiple engines and years. Not having MIL on does not mean you have no problem.
Can these problems be located with more sophisticated equipment?
I ask because I remember my Dad saying he had the issues I was initially looking at 20K miles earlier and had it in to dealer. They changed COP #5 at that time and it did not fix the issue. I know it was #5 because the Ford label on it is different from the other 7.

 

Please describe what stacking non-foulers is?

 

No horror stories on an 01, you just need to torque them to 28 ft/lb to keep them from loosening and blowing out. You are thinking of the 04-08 5.4 3 valve with the 2 piece plugs that stick and break.

If you are getting multiple misfires, the first thing I'd do is pull the plugs and replace them with a new set of Motorcrafts.

 

One of those links goes to DG512? ebay quirk?

Is there a COP with a very high reliability known? Since narrowing to specific COP seems rather hard I'd prefer replacing with something I can expect to last 100K miles. Either one at time or all. Sort of like 100K mile plugs.
And that makes me ask why there is such a low reliability of these COP? If you had one going weak where it only causes a mildly perceptive unsmooth idle or slight loss of power in mid-range would that not effect emissions, even if there is no MIL?
My understanding of the system is that the front HO2 only tries to adjust the computer toward a better burn, so that what is going into the CAT is managable by it. The aft one compares the signal to the front one and if there is enough change to the gas stream it decides it is working. But is the CAT really taking all the pollutant out even though the system has decided it is working?
Analogous, how much can the CAT clean before it just dumps the rest down the pipe, or how long before the CAT is ruined from overwork?

 

Yes Definitely. Positively the best for the money.

You can lead a horse to water, but.

 

Hi y'all. I had similar problems w/my 03 F-150 V-8 Super Crew I'm sitting at 160,000 miles right now. I have had coils 7 and 8 replaced and thought for sure another coil was misfiring. After taking my truck in for repairs I was told the Idle Control Valve needed to be replaced first. Then I was told all coils. plugs and cylinders were firing properly but both the Upstream and Downstream Air Flow Sensors needed to be replaced. I also authorized for the BG Fuel Decarbonization Service to be performed. All to the tune of $1500. When I drove off the truck still jerked and the idle was running high (1200 rather than 750 rpm). Upon immediately returning to the service dept I was told "The computer has been cleared and it needs to be driven approx 200 - 300 miles for it (computer) to recognize my driving habits and to allow for the decarbonization to burn out". Does that sound right? Or are they blowing smoke up my tail pipe???
Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

Do not the 01 have blown plug/threads issues, even though they may not have stupid plug design?
I would normally have just gotten a good set of motorcraft or autolites and tend to stick with OE manufacturer after my experiences with Northstar engine being fussy.
I would think these are OE plugs because I know nothing had been done with them unless prior to 48K and currently only 53K miles. I would have hoped the reliability of the OE to be close to or past 100K. And only a very small possibility of early failure should exist unless someone ran something bad through engine or other similiar mess ups. Are there any known issues with OE plugs failing early?
Has anyone determined the reason these COP fail so early? Obviously a bad design with so many having an issue.

 

Oh yea, you were screwed.. Big Time! What novice shop did you take it to, - it couldn't of been Ford. Does your receipt say ANYTHING referring to Mode 06 data? Or diagnostics ?

The coils thing is simple and you most likely have a problem with 1 or 2 of yours.
ONLY use Visteon or Motorcraft. Those are spec and the Visteons are fairly cheap, (under 200 set 25 for 1), but you have to act fast because they sell out fast.

If you spoke with the service writer, did you tell him/her it was misfiring ? You shouldn't have to, but it sounds like they had the shoe shine boy workin on her.

After reset, -Your cold idle is figured very fast so is the warm after first start. It doesn't misfire,chug, jerk or nothing like that, it's a smooth. By the time your up to operating temp wouldn't notice the fine tuning it does after that.

NEVER use Autolite plugs in the 97-03 models.

 

As I said, they can loosen and blow out if not torqued to 28 ft/lb. Use the recommended Motorcraft plugs, do not use antiseize, and torque them, and they will stay in and come out only when you want them to.

The OEM cops last a long time. *NO* coil lasts forever. These are OEM at a good price:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-E150-F150-VISTEON-IGNITION-COILS-DG508-ALL-8-BRAND-NEW-/181091202637?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a29e0764d&vxp=mtr

 

Although I don't have extended plug, it all sounds 'OFF'. It is almost as if you are saying the only plug that stays in or comes out properly are the Motorcraft?
I bet there is a lot of disagreement on that point. Unless your recommendation has nothing to do with that issue and there is a problem with all other brands and types of plugs as to durability, effectiveness for proper firing and burn, or limits of Ford system not being able to handle.

"No coil lasts forever"?? Normal ignition coils do last near forever. They had to fire every cylinder and could easily last 200K miles. When they did go bad, it was usually because of associated circuitry such as points or the start/run circuitry going bad and putting full primary voltage full time.
Envisioning problems because of these COP occuring on the Tri-state tollway or Chicago freeway are frightening. Either as stuck in the middle with a certain crash or the expense of tow and repair. I certainly wonder how Ford escaped a mandatory recall and fix.

I see some COP are offered with lifetime warranty. Does anyone know if these are actually better or advertising gimick? I see the Motorcraft at Rockauto recently increased the warranty from 1 year to 2 years, but again that might be advertising, no real improvements to make them last. My expectaion would they would last like old coils, 200-300K miles frequently.