Yesterday I had my '01 SC f150, 5.4 in for servicing(62,000)- change all the fluids, check the brakes and change the plugs. I know it's a bit early to change plugs but i'm sure glad I did. It made a noticable difference.

Now the weird part; the mechanic, a good friend, called to ask why I had 7 Motorcraft & 1 Bosch spark plug!! I bought this truck brand new(19 miles on it) from a Ford Dealer!!!! The truck has been in for service 3 times. The first was an oil changer place for a tranny flush at 30,000-I watched them and they didn't change the plugs. The second was Towne Ford in Redwood City for a fuel filter and warranty work on the radio and seat- these guys totally thrashed the interior of the truck and even though it took them from early October '02 until late January '03 to fix the multitude of issues resulting from their substandard work I seriously doubt they would have changed one plug. Also the Bosch plug is worn to the same degree as the others- indicating the plug has been in there since I bought it.

I can certainly understand how a plug may fail right out of the box, but I would have to believe the plug was either changed by the manufacturer or the dealer- In either case it would have been Ford using Bosch as a replacement!!!!!????? What's up with that.

Tim

 

If you're absolutely sure that no one has ever worked on a driveability problem, i.e. Check Engine light on, then I'm wondering if maybe before you ever took delivery of the truck there was a miss or it flooded or something and the dealer was out of stock on plugs and put in what they could get?

 

Ive seen many instances where one plug was replaced under warranty. Im guessing the place that screwed your truck up did this, as no dealer with an ounce of integrity would have put a bosch (sometimes they fire, sometimes they dont) plug in under warranty. Nobody likes a comeback and Ford would never pay the claim.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the dealer even replaced it if they were out of stock. I had a warranty claim at about 300 miles because of a check eingine light. I didn't have much of a noticeable miss but apparently it wasn't tightened down enough from the factory or something like that and it allowed the plug to foul enough to trigger the check engine light. Anyhow - glad the tune up helped.

-Aaron

 

I just gotta ask, and show what a dummy I must be, where are the sparK'n plugs. If we don't have plug wires as we used to know them, where o' where are the plugs??? Tell me quickly so I can change mine.

 

on the 5.4 they are on top in between the injector.. they have coil on Plug ingintion so you will see yellow coil packs that say "motorscraft" on them..

And as far as changing the plugs quickly... GOOD LUCK.. my dad and I spend the better part of a day doing it.. and this was with me physically laying on top of the engine for a good part of it.. you'll see what I mean.. the left rear most plugs ARE THE WORST!!!

 

thanks for the reply. I don't know if you saw my dilima with my engine, but without those blink'n lights,and not having bought a scanner, (I'm about to do that) I want to eliminate some of what should be the simpiler items.

 

My COP's have a green sticker on them, not yellow.

 

I am absolutely sure the check engine light has never come one(at least since I took delivery when there where about 19 miles on it). The most reasonable answer, as Racerguy suggested, probably was that the dealer changed the one plug due to a miss or it being fouled.

I know one thing for sure, I'm not going to wait for 100k to change the plugs. I'll do it in another 60k.

Tim

 

In the Haynes Manual I have it says the plugs need to be changed every 48 months or 60,000 miles. I wouldn't wait for 100,000

 

Well, mine must be special then. J/K