Exhausted my ideas. My daughter's 03 Escape 3L was missing for a while. Was gettin po306, 305, 316, 174, 300 and one i can't remember and a 2179 I think. So, misfiring on 6 and 5, random misfires, misfires on start up first 1000 revolutions, lean on bank 2. Then all of a sudden, it barely runs. It'll idle fair, but no power in gear. Wants to stall. When that happens, the gauges go wacky, like in a self test mode then come back if engine does not quite stall out. I can't find any vacuum leaks in lines or gaskets. She replaced number 6 coil herself today and said it now starts better than it has for weeks, but still no power.

Anyone have any ideas? Fuel delivery? Plugged CAT? But why all of a sudden no power?

Brad

 

I would suspect a bad ground or electrical problem given the symptoms. The misfire may be due to the electrical or to plugs or COP problems. Given that the gauges go whacky, that indicates that they are losing power or ground. Check that the battery cables are good, tight, and without corrosion. Check the grounding points and insure they are tight also. You could also have a failing relay that is depowering the computer.
If the spark plugs are old (>70k miles) you might consider replacing them, and checking for intake leaks at the manifold seals. If one leaks air, it can cause misfire until it warms up and potentially closes up due to expansion.
tom

 

I would take off cat #2 and see if its clogged, its only a couple of bolts and not that much time or effort. Even if it isn't clogged I would bore it out with a long drill bit or large metal pipe for future sake. I did it to mine when it started bogging down a lot. I didn't have a long enough auger drill bit for Cat #3 so I just deleted it. So mine is Cat #1, Bored Cat #2, no Cat # 3, and then a muffler. If/When Cat #1 goes hopping it blows through the exhaust. Cost was free minus the labor. Both quotes for replacing the Cats was between 1,500-3,000.