Missing and CEL
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
Missing and CEL
I have a 98 Ranger with a 3.0 (5 speed) that has 254,000 miles on it. I drove it to town this morning (8 miles) and it ran normally. I stopped for just a few minutes at a house and when I re-started the truck, it was missing very bad and the CEL came on. It wouldn't haul itself in anything higher than 3rd gear. I decided to try to make it back home. I drove it less than two miles and it cleared up and started running perfect again. I came home anyway and read the code with my scan tool. It said that I had a miss fire on cylinder #5. I erased the codes and shut the CEL out and its been running perfectly ever since. (I have put about 150 miles on it so far) If it does it again, I will start by replacing the plug wires. I have already done that but its been a long time ago. The plugs have been replaced twice as well. I was wondering if it could be something other than electrical like a dirty injector or maybe the compression rings lined up and it momentarily lost compression. Any other ideas?
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Waukesha, WI
I had a similar problem about 5 years ago, was a leaking injector. If you try to start it too soon you get raw gas in the cylinder and floods so you get a misfire until you drive it enough to blow all the gas out. If you let it sit for a few hours or more after engine shut off, the gas is mostly evaporated and it's fine. Mine threw the same misfire code except it was on cylinder #3. Mine did it consistently for a week before I had a chance to replace the injector.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
The problem has come back. The CEL flashed a few times and went out. I didn't get a chance to count how many times it flashed but my guess is that it was 5. I bought it home and hooked up my code reader which showed a #5 miss fire. What I have done so far is as follows: I did a compression check on #5 and found that it has 150 psi. (not bad for 254,000 miles) I checked the plug in #5 and found the gap to be quite wide (.070). The plug was dry and had good color. I replaced that plug but its still missing. I connected another spark plug to the wire and found that it is firing. (that doesn't tell if the plug is firing under compression) I am going to try to find a known good coil pack at a local repair shop to rule that out before I buy a new one. I will also locate a known good plug wire and try that as well. It is missing even on a cold start now. If all of that checks out, then all that is left is fuel so I will have to look at injectors next. Am I missing anything?
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
When its acting out & misfiring, have a listen to the #5 fuel injector, to determine if it sounds different than the others.
If that checks out ok, raise the hood at night & look for electrical breakdown from the coil pack to the spark plugs, maybe perform a wet down test with a spray bottle of water & look for a light show, or worse idle.
Look inside the plug wire boot for signs of carbon tracking black streaks.
The coilpack is known to crack & electrically break down out of sight under neath, so if you come to suspect that, loosen the coilpacks fasteners, raise it up some on an insulator, like a piece of dry wood, plastic, ect & do the wet down test on the bottom side, or ground probe the bottom side, while looking for a light show.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.
If that checks out ok, raise the hood at night & look for electrical breakdown from the coil pack to the spark plugs, maybe perform a wet down test with a spray bottle of water & look for a light show, or worse idle.
Look inside the plug wire boot for signs of carbon tracking black streaks.
The coilpack is known to crack & electrically break down out of sight under neath, so if you come to suspect that, loosen the coilpacks fasteners, raise it up some on an insulator, like a piece of dry wood, plastic, ect & do the wet down test on the bottom side, or ground probe the bottom side, while looking for a light show.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
I misted the wires and the coil pack with a water bottle and let it sit for a few minutes. I then had my son in law start the while I watched under the hood so my eyes were used to the dark. What a light show. There were little blue sparks all over on the left bank. I noted that the #5 wire had big yellow sparks instead of little blue ones. I didn't see any around the coil pack or on the right side. New plugs and plug wires are next on the list.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
EDIT: Good feedback on the wet down test.
The specified fine wire Motorcraft plugs & plug wires are recommended replacements, as they're of good quality & designed to take the Double work load our waste spark ignition system puts on them.
Be sure to check/adjust the plugs spark gap & adjust using a Wire gauge. Ease up on the spark gap & Don't pull the gauge through too tight a gap, so as not to damage the platinum pad on the ground side wire, or the iridium enhanced fine wire center electrode.
I'd also consider using a small dab of Permatex high temp nickel anti-seize compound on the plug threads & torque them in to the Low side of spec, so as to not over tighten because of the anti-seize compound lube effect.
I'd also consider applying a light, even film of a good quality silicone grease, like GE, DowCorning, Permatex/Loctite, inside the plug wire boots & on the plugs Clean external ceramic insulator, to prevent flash over on damp dewy starts, or rainy days.
Make sure the top of the coilpack is clean, maybe consider spraying it with some silicone after cleaning, before you install the new plug wires.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.
The specified fine wire Motorcraft plugs & plug wires are recommended replacements, as they're of good quality & designed to take the Double work load our waste spark ignition system puts on them.
Be sure to check/adjust the plugs spark gap & adjust using a Wire gauge. Ease up on the spark gap & Don't pull the gauge through too tight a gap, so as not to damage the platinum pad on the ground side wire, or the iridium enhanced fine wire center electrode.
I'd also consider using a small dab of Permatex high temp nickel anti-seize compound on the plug threads & torque them in to the Low side of spec, so as to not over tighten because of the anti-seize compound lube effect.
I'd also consider applying a light, even film of a good quality silicone grease, like GE, DowCorning, Permatex/Loctite, inside the plug wire boots & on the plugs Clean external ceramic insulator, to prevent flash over on damp dewy starts, or rainy days.
Make sure the top of the coilpack is clean, maybe consider spraying it with some silicone after cleaning, before you install the new plug wires.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
New plug wires and new plugs with never seize on the threads and DI-electric grease on both ends of the wires and gaped at .046. It is still missing and still shows cylinder 5 misfire. I spoke to a mechanic friend who used to work at the local Ford dealer. He feels that the problem is a bad coil rather than a fuel issue. He is saying that because of the yellow spark that I saw after the wet down test. The yellow spark was constant and in the same place (about 3" from the spark plug). The others were small blue sparks and were intermittent in location. He said that a yellow spark is a weak spark and it probably is not firing under compression. He also said that most of the time, when injectors fail it is because of dirt and they are seldom #2 or #5 as those ones are in the middle of the fuel rail. The ones on the end more prone to plugging up. I am going to take his advice and get a new coil pack and try that. (I can't even see the #5 injector let alone reach it with a stethoscope)
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
OK, well if your going for a new replacement coilpack, here are a couple of online discount codes for Advance Auto that'll ease the fiscal pain some. TRT41 = 40% discount on over $100. TRT30 = 30% off site wide. Keep us posted on how your trouble shoot goes.
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
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From: SW Va
You could could perform some more diagnostics trouble shooting before throwing a coilpack at the problem, by removing the suspect coilpack & having it bench tested. Call around & see which store can do that in your area, most in my area can.
You could fashion a home made flexible stethoscope from a piece of rubber tubing, one end on the suspect fuel injector, the other end to your ear, to determine if #5 fuel injector sounds different. Seeing as how you don't have any fuel trim codes though, I agree the problem sounds to be electrical, maybe with the coilpack #5 winding. Maybe a primary, or secondary winding problem. Check that #5 primary has B+ 12 volts to it at KOEO, just in case you have an electrical 12 volt input feed problem.
Check the coilpack electrical connector contacts for corrosion, bent pins, spread sockets, or damaged wiring, before you throw an expensive coilpack at the problem.
You could fashion a home made flexible stethoscope from a piece of rubber tubing, one end on the suspect fuel injector, the other end to your ear, to determine if #5 fuel injector sounds different. Seeing as how you don't have any fuel trim codes though, I agree the problem sounds to be electrical, maybe with the coilpack #5 winding. Maybe a primary, or secondary winding problem. Check that #5 primary has B+ 12 volts to it at KOEO, just in case you have an electrical 12 volt input feed problem.
Check the coilpack electrical connector contacts for corrosion, bent pins, spread sockets, or damaged wiring, before you throw an expensive coilpack at the problem.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
One more thing pointing towards it being bad a coil. As mentioned earlier, the #5 spark plug was .070. When I took the rest out, I found that #1 was a bit less but still too wide and the other 4 were all within specs. From what I have figured out, these coils are in three sections with each firing two cylinders. So far, the plug wires were under warranty and the plugs needed to be changed anyway. I'll let everyone know what happens.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
Have a look in this forums "Tech Info" thread, under "why double platinum plugs", for a mini-tutorial on our "waste spark" ignition system. Down in the Misc. section is a link to the 3.0L Tech Info thread, put together by Rockledge, with all kinds of info that you'll likely find helpful.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
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From: SW Va
Not clear on which "that" thread your interested in. Go to this forums thread index page & look atop it for the "Tech Info" thread & click to open it & scroll down to find the above two subjects. Lots of other helpful info there too.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 819
Likes: 2
From: Northern Maine
I thought that I had it fixed. My Dad has two 1997 junk Taurus parts cars with a 3.0. The local parts store told me that the coil packs cross referenced as being the same as my 98 Ranger. I swapped out the coil and it ran like a champ, no missing and good power and no CEL. That was for only about 2.5 miles at which point it started missing again. Still showing the same #5 miss fire on my code reader (no CEL though). I did notice an odor under the hood. The truck smelled hot under the hood and there was a little bit of smoke coming from the left rear of the engine but the temp was well within the normal range. I had never noticed that before. I checked the antifreeze and found that it is down a few inches. I have noticed that in the past but it has never been real low. I am going to have my ford mechanic friend come look at it this week end. Back to the drawing board. (I'm glad that our Escape is running good)
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
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From: SW Va
With it running ok for a while, then acting out, sorta smacks of a sticking valve. Do you hear any top end engine noise level change when it begins to run rough????
If you have, or can come by a vacuum gauge, hook it up & have a look at what it suggests. Here is how to interpret what it shows. you'd be interested in scenario #5.
How to Use and Interpret a Vacuum Gauge
BTW, did you find the two Tech Info thread links????
If you have, or can come by a vacuum gauge, hook it up & have a look at what it suggests. Here is how to interpret what it shows. you'd be interested in scenario #5.
How to Use and Interpret a Vacuum Gauge
BTW, did you find the two Tech Info thread links????