Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
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Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
First off, 97 mark w/ COP ignition..
I decided it was time to change my plugs today.. as we were putting in the new plugs (Autolite 103's .054 gap), we noticed that 2 of the long plug boots were torn almost in half, 1 on each side of the motor..put it all back together and it missed badly..
drove it maybe a mile to see how bad it was, it ran like crap. but didnt throw a CE light. so we pulled out the new plugs and put the old ones back in and taped the torn boots with electrical tape very well. it still missed, but not nearly as bad. but now throws a blinking CE light ( 8pm sunday, so no where to get the code pulled)
could it be the spark is leaking through the torn boots and arcing out on the head? or something else? is there something strange i needed to do and didnt when you change plugs on the COP ignitions?
First off, 97 mark w/ COP ignition..
I decided it was time to change my plugs today.. as we were putting in the new plugs (Autolite 103's .054 gap), we noticed that 2 of the long plug boots were torn almost in half, 1 on each side of the motor..put it all back together and it missed badly..
drove it maybe a mile to see how bad it was, it ran like crap. but didnt throw a CE light. so we pulled out the new plugs and put the old ones back in and taped the torn boots with electrical tape very well. it still missed, but not nearly as bad. but now throws a blinking CE light ( 8pm sunday, so no where to get the code pulled)
could it be the spark is leaking through the torn boots and arcing out on the head? or something else? is there something strange i needed to do and didnt when you change plugs on the COP ignitions?
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
thats kinda the conclusion i drew too, but wanted a better opionion.. i have the part # and will call to see which ford dealer down here has them in the morning...cheap enough to replace anyway...
its semi driveable right now.. just misses, but runs well over 3k rpm..
thats kinda the conclusion i drew too, but wanted a better opionion.. i have the part # and will call to see which ford dealer down here has them in the morning...cheap enough to replace anyway...
its semi driveable right now.. just misses, but runs well over 3k rpm..
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
I had a coil boot go bad after a plug change, too. Just the $4 boot fixed it.
My owners manual says that when the check engine light is flashing, misfiring is occurring. If you pull the codes, it'll tell you which cylinder was/is misfiring.
[font color = blue]Tony - St. Louis, MO[/font]
1998 LSC - Toreador Red/Light Graphite
1987 Mustang GT - Oxford White hatchback
I had a coil boot go bad after a plug change, too. Just the $4 boot fixed it.
My owners manual says that when the check engine light is flashing, misfiring is occurring. If you pull the codes, it'll tell you which cylinder was/is misfiring.
[font color = blue]Tony - St. Louis, MO[/font]
1998 LSC - Toreador Red/Light Graphite
1987 Mustang GT - Oxford White hatchback
N
Neilster
Guest
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
By the way, how many miles are on your Mark? I am wondering if it might not be a bad idea to change all boots for preventative maintenance purposes seeing as the cost is minimal...
By the way, how many miles are on your Mark? I am wondering if it might not be a bad idea to change all boots for preventative maintenance purposes seeing as the cost is minimal...
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
So, did the boots come with the coils inside? My dealer told me that the boots did not come separately so I had to buy the entire coil. I still have the old coil, and it would be good to restore it with a new boot for a spare.
Old Indian Trick: If you don't want the boots to crack, unplug the coils before you remove them. The boots crack when you try to bend them because of the tight wiring harness. I learned the hard way. Also, buy some dielectric grease from the auto parts store. Use it on the inside of every boot. It doesn't take a lot, and you'll be glad when you remove them later.
So, did the boots come with the coils inside? My dealer told me that the boots did not come separately so I had to buy the entire coil. I still have the old coil, and it would be good to restore it with a new boot for a spare.
Old Indian Trick: If you don't want the boots to crack, unplug the coils before you remove them. The boots crack when you try to bend them because of the tight wiring harness. I learned the hard way. Also, buy some dielectric grease from the auto parts store. Use it on the inside of every boot. It doesn't take a lot, and you'll be glad when you remove them later.
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
no, the boots do not come w/ the spring, that is part of the coil..
i tried calling my ford dealer for the boots and got the same reaction "we dont sell just the boots, only the coil and boot" and REFUSED to look up the part # for me..
so i called the local Lincoln dealer, gave them the part #, and viola, 3 in stock, i nabbed them all.. no more calling ford for parts for me..
and yes, they all got lubed w/ dieletric grease, they slid on really easy
no, the boots do not come w/ the spring, that is part of the coil..
i tried calling my ford dealer for the boots and got the same reaction "we dont sell just the boots, only the coil and boot" and REFUSED to look up the part # for me..
so i called the local Lincoln dealer, gave them the part #, and viola, 3 in stock, i nabbed them all.. no more calling ford for parts for me..
and yes, they all got lubed w/ dieletric grease, they slid on really easy
Black Stallion
Registered
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
What is the part number for the boot only?
Artist fomerly known as "SuperScooter"
97 Blk LSC
What is the part number for the boot only?
Artist fomerly known as "SuperScooter"
97 Blk LSC
sleeper
Former LOD President
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
My '97 developed a miss the day after i got it, with about 62k miles. I changed out the (original) plugs, and all was well. Later last summer, probably around 70-75k miles, i got another misfire, but with no check engine light. It turned out to be a bad coil, sparking still but not enough to actually fire the cylinder.
So yea, i guess plugs and coils/boots are a maintenance item that tends to go out around 60-70k miles.
My '97 developed a miss the day after i got it, with about 62k miles. I changed out the (original) plugs, and all was well. Later last summer, probably around 70-75k miles, i got another misfire, but with no check engine light. It turned out to be a bad coil, sparking still but not enough to actually fire the cylinder.
So yea, i guess plugs and coils/boots are a maintenance item that tends to go out around 60-70k miles.
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
Follow up report: Had terrible misfire and several codes after stupidly washing engine the wrong way. Codes included "misfire on #8". Had COP cover opened and air dried Cylinders 5-8. Cleared codes and drove away, only to get CE light again. This time it said misfire on #7. Boot was cracked on #7, temporarily repaired with electrical tape until I could buy a boot from the local LM dealer. Replaced boot immediately, all is well with the Batmobile again. Gotham is saved!! thanks again to the website experts who keep us rolling along. Thanks guys.!!
Follow up report: Had terrible misfire and several codes after stupidly washing engine the wrong way. Codes included "misfire on #8". Had COP cover opened and air dried Cylinders 5-8. Cleared codes and drove away, only to get CE light again. This time it said misfire on #7. Boot was cracked on #7, temporarily repaired with electrical tape until I could buy a boot from the local LM dealer. Replaced boot immediately, all is well with the Batmobile again. Gotham is saved!! thanks again to the website experts who keep us rolling along. Thanks guys.!!
RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
Follow up report: Had terrible misfire and several codes after stupidly washing engine the wrong way. Codes included "misfire on #8". Had COP cover opened and air dried Cylinders 5-8. Cleared codes and drove away, only to get CE light again. This time it said misfire on #7. Boot was cracked on #7, temporarily repaired with electrical tape until I could buy a boot from the local LM dealer. Replaced boot immediately, all is well with the Batmobile again. Gotham is saved!! thanks again to the website experts who keep us rolling along. Thanks guys.!!
New follow up: After two days of succesful driving,(no CE light, everything running smooth as silk) I just got another CE light. Code says misfire on #5. Bought two new boots just in case boot was the problem. Did not notice anything wrong with the boot, and blew out #5 with air , but it showed no sign of moisture in there. Changed the boot anyhow to be sure, it still is misfiring. I did notice some charred dried stuff on boot when changed, figured it was either some old lubricant or anti-seize, I didn't worry because I changed the boot anyhow. Never had CE's before, and I am sure it is time for a tune up. Will check plugs and coil in the morning. My guess is a bad plug. My first question is since it seems this whole deal started by overwetting the engine, am I causing a chain reaction of some sorts by replacing the problems as they arise (troubleshooting each code problem), or is it just time and something had to start acting up. It is time for a tune up, with or without the overwetting issue. In any case, plugs are coming out and we'll go from there. From my humble experiences, the coils seem to be pretty sturdy in our cars, and I am leaning toward the plug in #5 just being the culprit. Am I right in going from issue to issue, I'm thinking find the problem and just hope it doesn't turn out to be a big one. In any case, it is my first foray under the hood myself. I've been lucky to have some really good Ford/Lincoln guys in my neighborhood who usually do great work for me, but I figured this shouldn't be too hard to troubleshoot. Time to put that service manual from E-Bay to good use. Question: is it possible in my inexperience I am not putting the cover back on the COP area correctly and therefore not seating the COP correctly? I notice there is a little room for float and the cover pushes the spring (coil) down onto the plug. Could I have been putting it back on wrong or not tight enough? I was trying to err on the side of careful.
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[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
Follow up report: Had terrible misfire and several codes after stupidly washing engine the wrong way. Codes included "misfire on #8". Had COP cover opened and air dried Cylinders 5-8. Cleared codes and drove away, only to get CE light again. This time it said misfire on #7. Boot was cracked on #7, temporarily repaired with electrical tape until I could buy a boot from the local LM dealer. Replaced boot immediately, all is well with the Batmobile again. Gotham is saved!! thanks again to the website experts who keep us rolling along. Thanks guys.!!
New follow up: After two days of succesful driving,(no CE light, everything running smooth as silk) I just got another CE light. Code says misfire on #5. Bought two new boots just in case boot was the problem. Did not notice anything wrong with the boot, and blew out #5 with air , but it showed no sign of moisture in there. Changed the boot anyhow to be sure, it still is misfiring. I did notice some charred dried stuff on boot when changed, figured it was either some old lubricant or anti-seize, I didn't worry because I changed the boot anyhow. Never had CE's before, and I am sure it is time for a tune up. Will check plugs and coil in the morning. My guess is a bad plug. My first question is since it seems this whole deal started by overwetting the engine, am I causing a chain reaction of some sorts by replacing the problems as they arise (troubleshooting each code problem), or is it just time and something had to start acting up. It is time for a tune up, with or without the overwetting issue. In any case, plugs are coming out and we'll go from there. From my humble experiences, the coils seem to be pretty sturdy in our cars, and I am leaning toward the plug in #5 just being the culprit. Am I right in going from issue to issue, I'm thinking find the problem and just hope it doesn't turn out to be a big one. In any case, it is my first foray under the hood myself. I've been lucky to have some really good Ford/Lincoln guys in my neighborhood who usually do great work for me, but I figured this shouldn't be too hard to troubleshoot. Time to put that service manual from E-Bay to good use. Question: is it possible in my inexperience I am not putting the cover back on the COP area correctly and therefore not seating the COP correctly? I notice there is a little room for float and the cover pushes the spring (coil) down onto the plug. Could I have been putting it back on wrong or not tight enough? I was trying to err on the side of careful.
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RE: Horrible miss after spark plug change, and CE light
2nd follow up. Checked #5 plug, and replaced it. It was ugly, it was original. All seemed well, car ran fine for most of the day. CE came on again, again saying misfire in #5. The boot seemed undamaged to the naked eye, but tomorrow I will replace it and change all the plugs. At this point, I am thinking coil. Will report after it is done. If it is the coil, it is covered under warranty.
2nd follow up. Checked #5 plug, and replaced it. It was ugly, it was original. All seemed well, car ran fine for most of the day. CE came on again, again saying misfire in #5. The boot seemed undamaged to the naked eye, but tomorrow I will replace it and change all the plugs. At this point, I am thinking coil. Will report after it is done. If it is the coil, it is covered under warranty.