I need help
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 79
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I need help
I'm on vacation and the Ex started to act up. Before I left Florida I had stopped at a rest stop and started the truck and it had like a misfire. I was like what I turned it off then back on and it left. I said maybe a hiccup. Then in south Carolina I stop turn it start it back up and it started to misfire, that's what I think. So I turn off and nothing it's there. I drove to Tennessee thru mountain when I have it at 2000 rpm I feel a shake but I am able to drive . It kud od levels off but when under load of climbing the mountain the truck shakes and at 3000 you don't feel it. Now I am at Tennessee and don know what to do . I extra cool back home but not here. I do have some basic tools with me. It smells like gas little on the exhaust. I do have a multimeter with me no error codes do you think I cylinder misfire would make the v10 act like this
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 263
Likes: 9
From: Near Chicago
Sounds like a misfire to me. The computers are setup not to throw misfire codes for emmision reasons ( this has annoyed me many times).
Best bet is to grab a spark arrestor and check each plug one at a time, about a 10 minute job with someone or 15-20 solo.
Easy fix, and outside some bad gas mileage not a big concern to let it go until you get back home imho.
Best bet is to grab a spark arrestor and check each plug one at a time, about a 10 minute job with someone or 15-20 solo.
Easy fix, and outside some bad gas mileage not a big concern to let it go until you get back home imho.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 855
Likes: 40
From: SoCal
You said you have a multimeter but no error codes. Do you mean you have a scanner but it isn't showing any codes? This sounds like a coil has gone bad, but it should have thrown a code. If you don't have scanner, find a near by AutoZone or O'reillys they will use their scanner to read them for you.
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,191
Likes: 2,007
From: SW Washington
I ended up replacing all of them since I couldn't find a way to figure out which coil was going bad.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,664
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From: Northwest
I'd agree with the bad coil diagnosis. Depending on your situation (on vacation)... You can change out all the coils or buy one, high quality coil and move it from cylinder to cylinder until it stops missing... Not sounding like a major issue.... Unless you continue to drive it like that.
Hobo
Hobo
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,191
Likes: 2,007
From: SW Washington
I'd agree with the bad coil diagnosis. Depending on your situation (on vacation)... You can change out all the coils or buy one, high quality coil and move it from cylinder to cylinder until it stops missing... Not sounding like a major issue.... Unless you continue to drive it like that.
Hobo
Hobo
Also you'll need to be careful pulling the coil connectors. I broke a few of the locking tabs disconnecting them. They hold OK enough if they do break but I had one work loose and it was like having a misfire all over again.
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 344
Likes: 8
From: Kennedy, NY 14747
hi all,
I don’t get this.
I have had a few coils go bad in my 2000 v10 and it set a code and triggered the check engine light for which cylinder was misfiring every time.
Why don’t some do that?
thanks,
Joe
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,294
Likes: 164
. They don't always trigger a CEL. These trucks are all obd1 not obd2 so the thresholds for misfires to throw a CEL are much higher. You need something like forscan to read the actual data of what is going on before CEL comes on. In the grand scheme of car repairs replacing the coil packs is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. When I did mine at 140k miles I had an occasional misfire that did not throw a CEL. Some of the coils had been replaced some had not from before I bought it at 132k miles. I decided to just replace them all and spark plugs in one swoop so I didn't have to deal with it again for a long time. I've had another ford modular motor with that same coil pack and that one nickel and dimed me replacing coil packs causing lots of problems for 6 months until I said enough and replaced them all. Never had a other problem after.
Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 98
Likes: 19
I'd agree with the bad coil diagnosis. Depending on your situation (on vacation)... You can change out all the coils or buy one, high quality coil and move it from cylinder to cylinder until it stops missing... Not sounding like a major issue.... Unless you continue to drive it like that.
Hobo
Hobo
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 855
Likes: 40
From: SoCal
. They don't always trigger a CEL. These trucks are all obd1 not obd2 so the thresholds for misfires to throw a CEL are much higher. You need something like forscan to read the actual data of what is going on before CEL comes on. In the grand scheme of car repairs replacing the coil packs is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. When I did mine at 140k miles I had an occasional misfire that did not throw a CEL. Some of the coils had been replaced some had not from before I bought it at 132k miles. I decided to just replace them all and spark plugs in one swoop so I didn't have to deal with it again for a long time. I've had another ford modular motor with that same coil pack and that one nickel and dimed me replacing coil packs causing lots of problems for 6 months until I said enough and replaced them all. Never had a other problem after.
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 344
Likes: 8
From: Kennedy, NY 14747
. They don't always trigger a CEL. These trucks are all obd1 not obd2 so the thresholds for misfires to throw a CEL are much higher. You need something like forscan to read the actual data of what is going on before CEL comes on. In the grand scheme of car repairs replacing the coil packs is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. When I did mine at 140k miles I had an occasional misfire that did not throw a CEL. Some of the coils had been replaced some had not from before I bought it at 132k miles. I decided to just replace them all and spark plugs in one swoop so I didn't have to deal with it again for a long time. I've had another ford modular motor with that same coil pack and that one nickel and dimed me replacing coil packs causing lots of problems for 6 months until I said enough and replaced them all. Never had a other problem after.
Dweber,
Thinking back, mine might not have lit the check engine light right away. But if it didn’t, my scanner definitely told me what cylinder it was.
I didn’t have to do any troubleshooting other than plugging it in.
I thought everything from 96 on was obd2. Or is the Ex exempt because of gvwr?
bluovl,
I bought mine when I was visiting Arizona. Not sure if it has Cal emissions or not.
I’ll have to look and see. That might explain why my scanner didn’t have any problems.
thanks,
Joe
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 855
Likes: 40
From: SoCal
They have to hit a threshold on miss fires before the CEL comes on. Depending on what type of scanner you have it's possible to see what's "pending" and what's "stored" in the PCM. Quick story 30X means cylinder X miss fire coil or plug, 31X means electrical connection caused miss on number X(broken connector or lead). I think all the Cali Ex's have OBDII and Catalyst, and three 02 sensors.