Driving home Wednesday...the on-ramp to the freeway, the truck is sputtering and missing when applying additional throttle, but running OK at cruising and idle.

I get up to speed and check the code reader on the UltraGauge and it says no codes, no pending codes. I exit the freeway just in case...still sputtering. Detour to PepBoys as I call them to see if they can double-check my UltraGauge findings, and find out if their code reader comes back clean like mine does, they will need a ‘master technician’ to look at it…and of course they just “lost” theirs so they couldn't even diagnose it until Monday.

…MONDAY!!??

...and how do you “LOSE” a technician? Did he go back to get a fan belt and get lost? If he quit 'cause he can't stand working for PepBoys, just say so.

I call the another PB location, they can’t even look at it until Saturday since they now have the cars that Folsom can’t work on. Pull in to the first PepBoys and their code reader verifies mine - no pending and no current codes.

...funny aside - the kid says "I'm on camera, can you pull the connector on your ODB port?"

...so a) they film their workers outside the joint and b) when a customer asks for a code read they can't pull the connector to put their reader on? I'd LOVE to hear the drama that caused that rule!

Anyway...

I’m thinking it’s a coil and considering I NEED the truck for an event Friday and I don't have time to get the parts and do the work myself...the realization is setting in that I’m gonna get f&@#ed and I’m NOT gonna get dinner first, I call up my local dealer.

They can diagnose it the next morning (Thursday AM) for the low-low price of $125 and if it's nothing major they can get it back to me same day. The "good" thing is they can tell me the exact coil that's bad (no hunting for it).

I check at the parts department on my way out, coils are $75 per (research this site told me to only use Motorcraft – the cheap imported ones fail quickly)…so I’m thinking it will be the $125 + $75 + a half hour labor (something like $140 an hour).

Get the call Thursday morning…three coils, and they pulled the corresponding plugs and they find it’s on the original plugs.

The dealer I bought it from told me the plugs were new from the 100k service they did at 93k. Since this motor has a nasty habit of blowing plugs out of the head if they aren’t torqued exactly right and the gasket isn’t treated exactly right (and since I REALLY don't want to have to deal with plugs shooting out of motor), I figured since they have the labor into it, might as well do all 10 plugs now and get the 2 year, unlimited miles warranty on their work (so if any plug blows out, they are on the hook to repair/replace the heads).

…and now I’m out the $930 in diagnosis, labor ($500!!!) and parts…and I’ll need to replace the other 7 coils over the next few months.

...all because I just didn't have the time to do it myself. What's that saying..."time is money"? NO ******!!!

 

Ouch! Been there on the lack of time thing, back when I was working at least.

I wouldn't change the other coils until they act up.

 

I've been mulling that over. I'm seeing just under 1mpg better gas mileage so far on this tank (first tank since the COP fix and plug swap)...was debating doing them and see if old coils could be contributing to lower MPG.

Opinions? Keep them till they start to fail or just swap the other 7 over a few months?

(Not to say you are wrong ExxWhy, just curious what other inquiring minds think)

 

I totally agree.

 

I got ya. I have heard lot's of opinions on it. Almost like gas vs diesel.

I'm fairly cheap, so I figure take a chance. I'd change my tune if a couple more went bad before too long.

 

I KNEW I had at least one adherent on here.

 

More than one.

Actually, I dare say anyone with lots of experience with the modular engines, or COP's in general, will say the same thing.

Replace them as necessary, and only when they fail.

I've replaced three on my Lightning over the past 10 years. One when I launched a plug, and two more times when a failure occurred.

Stewart

 

RockAuto is a GREAT place to find good parts for non-stealership prices. Hell, they even had a headlight switch for my Chevelle when I couldn't find one for a good price. Just in case another coil goes bad. And I'm with Stewart, only as they need to be replaced. Only had to replace one on my Lightning, and that was for the same a Stewart - plug turned bullet.

 

170k miles on all of mine