Intermittent misfire has me ready to sell
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 161
Likes: 14
From: Memphis, TN
Intermittent misfire has me ready to sell
Misfire surfaced a few weeks ago on the way home from picking up a car 160 miles from home. Cropped up less than 5 miles from home on the return trip. No check engine light, plugs replaced just before going to get the car. Frustrated enough I just parked it and been driving my Dakota. I need to go pick up another car now but have zero confidence in this truck. So I drive it this week hoping for a CEL, no such luck. Yesterday on the way home (9 mile drive) it was a bucking bronco. This morning, smooth as silk. I ordered a Mode 6 capable scanner hoping it will reveal the source. The older I get the less I like modern, computerized stuff. I'd trade this truck for a carb'd, no computer manual truck in the blink of an eye. I cant afford to take the truck somewhere and get raked over the coals by some random, unscrupulous mechanic. I know I'm not alone with this random misfire stuff. I refuse to get out the parts cannon and start firing at this thing. Just shy of 240K on truck.
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 499
Likes: 87
From: Oregon
Your mode 6 ought to define the problem. I have seen many times where a vehicle is not running well yet has no engine dash lights, but when I hooked up my INNOVA 5610 I found all kinds of vehicle codes.
They will read each area of the vehicle for problems. Should give you a pretty good idea of the problem.
My firs thought though is, make sure use correct motorcraft spark plugs, check each one for the correct gap, dont trust the Pre-Gapped statements, and then replace all 10 COP's with correct mororcraft coils.
If we cant afford to pay repair bills... we cant afford not to do our own diligence and our own work. We must slow down, take the time to do the work correctly, then we know it has been done correctly.
Ever since I began doing the work myself on all my vehicles, cycles and such, I have never had a problem come back after I have done the work myself AND used Maker Suggested brand name parts, especially electrical problems.
They will read each area of the vehicle for problems. Should give you a pretty good idea of the problem.
My firs thought though is, make sure use correct motorcraft spark plugs, check each one for the correct gap, dont trust the Pre-Gapped statements, and then replace all 10 COP's with correct mororcraft coils.
If we cant afford to pay repair bills... we cant afford not to do our own diligence and our own work. We must slow down, take the time to do the work correctly, then we know it has been done correctly.
Ever since I began doing the work myself on all my vehicles, cycles and such, I have never had a problem come back after I have done the work myself AND used Maker Suggested brand name parts, especially electrical problems.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 161
Likes: 14
From: Memphis, TN
Motorcraft plugs, yes. Big part of why I was able to get this truck from my best friends dad 11-12 years ago is due to non Motorcraft plugs. He went to change the plugs and no Motorcraft available wherever he was, opted for something else. Truck ran fine for about 2 weeks and then went to running like garbage. He had another truck so he parked this one and it sat......for 6-1/2 years, under a tree. Had moss growing on the side closest to the tree. I picked up proper plugs and a fuel filter, pump wound up bad too,replaced it and it purred like a kitten. That was 80K miles ago. Ive done 2 plug changes since. More of a "if it ain't broke dont fix it" type, hence why i dont want to start firing the parts cannon at it. I'd like to know what exactly is the issue.
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 499
Likes: 87
From: Oregon
Motorcraft plugs, yes. Big part of why I was able to get this truck from my best friends dad 11-12 years ago is due to non Motorcraft plugs. He went to change the plugs and no Motorcraft available wherever he was, opted for something else. Truck ran fine for about 2 weeks and then went to running like garbage. He had another truck so he parked this one and it sat......for 6-1/2 years, under a tree. Had moss growing on the side closest to the tree. I picked up proper plugs and a fuel filter, pump wound up bad too,replaced it and it purred like a kitten. That was 80K miles ago. Ive done 2 plug changes since. More of a "if it ain't broke dont fix it" type, hence why i dont want to start firing the parts cannon at it. I'd like to know what exactly is the issue.
Ive had vehicles, a few different makes and models, showing NO dash lights at all, but when running my scanner there were anywhere from 1 to about 10 codes from the scanner. Then we just look up what the codes represent and of course share them here on the forum
Forums & YouTube has taught me how to fix every single vehicle issue I have run across for the past 10 or more years and all Free Info.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 952
Likes: 101
Is the miss fire the same cylinder all the time , or a series of cylinders ?
my truck sat for a year , and when I got it back on the road , all was fine for 20 miles .
ended up with misfires on random cylinders randomly moving around .
I did change plugs after wards , had been 60k plus miles since the last change .
A snapon solus scanner shows the cylinders as per the firing order .
At an idle , it would run smooth with a very slight blip randomly , not a hard mis , but driving , as I tried to accelerate, the misfire was more prevalent. The scanner would show the misfires moving around .
my conclusion at this point , is a weak fuel pump , that I replaced close to 100k miles ago .
just a thought .
I have lost my adapter to my fuel pressure gauge , so I am waiting to check fuel pressure before buying a 300 dollar pump .
my truck sat for a year , and when I got it back on the road , all was fine for 20 miles .
ended up with misfires on random cylinders randomly moving around .
I did change plugs after wards , had been 60k plus miles since the last change .
A snapon solus scanner shows the cylinders as per the firing order .
At an idle , it would run smooth with a very slight blip randomly , not a hard mis , but driving , as I tried to accelerate, the misfire was more prevalent. The scanner would show the misfires moving around .
my conclusion at this point , is a weak fuel pump , that I replaced close to 100k miles ago .
just a thought .
I have lost my adapter to my fuel pressure gauge , so I am waiting to check fuel pressure before buying a 300 dollar pump .
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 161
Likes: 14
From: Memphis, TN
I don't know which cylinder/s are misfiring without a check engine light and the torque app. Waiting on the mode 6 capable scan tool to arrive
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FTE Community Team
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 10,725
Likes: 1,496
I'd bet it's a coil starting to go bad. That's the other common trouble area on these. Maybe it gets a bit warm. Maybe it is a bit cold. Maybe it is something else. Doesn't matter. The scanner will help you, and keeping a spare coil with you will help as well.
I keep a spare CPS, coil, and belt with me to cover all of the highest-potential "hand-tool failures" that I might have out on the road with my 1999 V-10s . Odds are slim that other things would fail and greatly affect my long trips while I'm far from home, and all of these things can be swapped out fairly easily.
In the end, yours is over 25 years old. It might hiccup sometimes.
Speaking of which, have you put a CPS in it yet?
I keep a spare CPS, coil, and belt with me to cover all of the highest-potential "hand-tool failures" that I might have out on the road with my 1999 V-10s . Odds are slim that other things would fail and greatly affect my long trips while I'm far from home, and all of these things can be swapped out fairly easily.
In the end, yours is over 25 years old. It might hiccup sometimes.
Speaking of which, have you put a CPS in it yet?
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Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 161
Likes: 14
From: Memphis, TN
I'd bet it's a coil starting to go bad. That's the other common trouble area on these. Maybe it gets a bit warm. Maybe it is a bit cold. Maybe it is something else. Doesn't matter. The scanner will help you, and keeping a spare coil with you will help as well.
I keep a spare CPS, coil, and belt with me to cover all of the highest-potential "hand-tool failures" that I might have out on the road with my 1999 V-10s . Odds are slim that other things would fail and greatly affect my long trips while I'm far from home, and all of these things can be swapped out fairly easily.
In the end, yours is over 25 years old. It might hiccup sometimes.
Speaking of which, have you put a CPS in it yet?
I keep a spare CPS, coil, and belt with me to cover all of the highest-potential "hand-tool failures" that I might have out on the road with my 1999 V-10s . Odds are slim that other things would fail and greatly affect my long trips while I'm far from home, and all of these things can be swapped out fairly easily.
In the end, yours is over 25 years old. It might hiccup sometimes.
Speaking of which, have you put a CPS in it yet?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 952
Likes: 101
1999 is OBD 2 compliant , but is still OBD1. It takes a very good scan tool to determine , which cylinder is misfiring . .
I don't get a cel for any of the the misfires , infact have ot gotten a code for anything .
I don't get a cel for any of the the misfires , infact have ot gotten a code for anything .
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 161
Likes: 14
From: Memphis, TN
Mine is a 2000
8th Gear
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 4
From: New England
As an old carburetor guy , I'd propose that you're better off playing ball with your computer controlled machine rather than fighting it, you won't get anywhere. A good diagnostic device will allow you to see what's really going on and is much better than the parts cannon in the long run !