2005 Escape 3.0

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Feb 1, 2014 | 02:50 PM

db_tanker

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From: Willis, Texas

2005 Escape 3.0

gents I had a rather bad experience recently.

fast lane of freeway and had the rug pulled out from under me.

I was accelerating and the escape just died.

got it over to the shoulder, let it set for a few, tried and nada.

got it towed to the house, plugged in the code scanner and found 4 codes for the coil packs.

NOW...this old gal has over 160k miles...naturally I wasn't going to just replace the 4, but all 6 will get swapped out.

Is there any other underlying issues that might have caused the COPs to have gone kaput? it hasn't been hesitating, hasn't been acting strange, nothing...

also, does anyone have any suggestions for finding these things at a slight discount? 65-70 per is a bit steep, but if that's it, then it has to be paid.

Thanks in advance.

D

edit to add....

seen on ebay a vender selling a set of SIX for 100 bucks...anyone have any experience with these?

Feb 1, 2014 | 06:37 PM

wptski

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From: Warren, MI

There is a problem with the 2005, I believe. It's caused by the OEM spark plugs used. I wouldn't think that you had OEM plug at that many miles?

The plugs used can take out the COPs and the coil drivers in the PCM.

Feb 1, 2014 | 07:02 PM

db_tanker

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From: Willis, Texas

yeah, at 98k I went in with Iridium IX's

I read about the issue with the faulty plugs (lol ford plugs)

I am guessing that one failed and just created a daisy chain effect?

Feb 3, 2014 | 08:14 PM

db_tanker

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From: Willis, Texas

welp we made up our mind.

I'ma get that cheap package deal of COPS and take it in for a trade on a new Escape or Fusion...whichever we can get that has the goodies the wife wants (dual zone climate and a sunroof).

figure that with her x-plan and the trade we should be able to get away with an out the door price of about 20k I hope.

Feb 4, 2014 | 12:53 PM

tomw

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From: suburban atlanta

If the alternator / regulator went nutz, you could have been providing the COPs with higher than normal voltage. The computer provides the ground to energize the coil, and when that is taken away, the coil produces high voltage from the collapsing field. If the volts were too high, might have taken them out? Other than that, oil in the plug wells can cause sparkage to the walls of the well rather than the plugs, or a too-large plug gap can cause misfire, and make the COP work harder to develop higher voltage to jump the wider gap.
I'd have said you were about due for a second set of plugs. Multi COP failures at one time to me says external causes... YMMV.
tom

Feb 8, 2014 | 07:29 AM

db_tanker

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Elder User

Joined: Aug 2004

Posts: 585

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From: Willis, Texas

okay...wife and I got another Escape.

2013 SEL 2.0...and we like it alot.

but we didn't do anything with the 2005.

I have already swapped out the COP's and tried to crank it...does this mean that I have already roached the new COP's?

Feb 8, 2014 | 08:12 AM

tomw

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From: suburban atlanta

You might have a bad computer. The computer supplies the ground for the COPs to build up the field. When the computer removes the ground, the field collapses, and creates a high voltage spark.
Check the COPs out of the engine, on the bench. Measure ohms on the primary & secondary windings. If they all measure the same, then likely the COPs are fine. If they are different, wildly, then there is likely a problem. If you kept any of the old ones, that still worked, you can compare measurements.
You might also pull out the computer, remove the cover and take a look at the transistors that drive the ground for the COPs. They'll sometimes let the smoke out if they are overloaded, and make small pinholes where it leaked. If so, then maybe you can find a used computer and get your vehicle running again.
One other test would be to remove the plugs, for ease in cranking, disable the injectors to avoid flames, and put the COPs with plugs in place so the shell of the plugs are grounded. Crank the engine and observe which fire, and which do not. Swap COPs between, and see if the failure follows the COP or stays fixed, pointing to the computer.
tom