so i was driving home from work the other day and all of a sudden my engine (2000 4.6L) started to idle very rough and when i hit the gas it was hesitating horribly and the power cuts in and out intermittently at cruising speeds. i hooked up my X-Calibrator II and it was throwing the P0308 code (which i learned on here is the #8 coil pak). i went to Autozone and they wanted $50 for one COP, however the guy told me the part # was the same for the Harley Davidson 5.4L engine. i have a set of 8 of those at home so i swapped out the old COP with the HD one. i fired it up and the engine idle was great and then i took it around the block and the hesitation returned. i went home and hooked up the X-Cal again...the P0308 code popped up again along with the P1000 code (what is that??!)

any suggestions

 

P1000 On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) Systems Readiness Test Not Complete

there are several dtc lists out there on google there is even one here

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=311434

btw if your engine is missing you better go find it before someone else does and takes it, finders keepers

o and p0308 is just a miss on cyl 8 not particularly the cop

 

haha damn it you know what i mean!

well perhaps then it is the spark plug on cylinder 8 or the injector?? maybe i'll swap the #8 injector with it's nearest neighbor and see if it throws a new code. i have about 60k on this engine...maybe it's time to replace the spark plugs and clean the injectors...

 

Make sure the injector is properly plugged in. While you have the fuel rail out of the way check the condition of the plug.

JMC

 

thanks for the advice, i'm going to inspect the injector(s) tomorrow. i would love to pull the plug as well but it's so far under the firewall...p.i.t.a. to get tools and hands in there. last time i tried i kept droppin' sockets into the spark plug hole. if i can rule out the injectors and COP's i may take it to my mechanic and have him put all new plugs in

 

Just make sure whoever does it uses MOTORCRAFT plugs. I get 60k out of a set before I notice them slacking off. That may very well be your problem.

 

so today i swapped out the other 3 (old) COP's on the passenger side with the new HD coil packs. i also switched the injector in the #8 cylinder with the cylinder on the front of the block, passenger side (can't find Hayne's manual, not sure which # this is). i cleared the old P0308 and P1000 code then started it up. the engine idle was still rough. i drove it for a few miles, the check engine light never came on but it still bogs then surges...bogs and surges...very rapidly and very sporadic. i got home and plugged my X-Cal back in, the P0308 & P1000 code returned, but now i ALSO have P0300 (Random Misfire Detected?)

i bought a set of Motorcraft Platinums today...i don't have the stomache to install them though i'm probably going to take it in this week for service...what do you think is a reasonable price to have the plugs swapped out (labor only)?

 

so i think i fixed the problem! i picked up a Haynes manual today and discovered that what i thought was cylinder 8 was actually cylinder 4 which is probably why i was getting the same codes after i switched the coil packs and fuel injectors on the passenger side. so today i installed new Motorcraft plugs on cylinders 5,6,7 & 8 (all the driver side plugs), replaced the COP's on the same cylinders with the HD ones and i also swapped the #8 injector with the #1 injector just to see if the "misfire" code would jump to cylinder #1.

well i used my Xcal2 to erase the old codes, set the PCM back to factory settings and fired it up...it's idling much better now and it seemed to run fine when i took it for a test drive. no new codes popped up when i plugged my Xcal2 back in and the engine light remained off. i inspected the COP on cyclinder 8 and it appears ok... all the plugs looked the same. i'm guessing the COP in 8 just took a crap

btw this was the first time i tried tackling the spark plugs on my own and i was pretty apprehensive about the whole ordeal. i discovered that moving the power steering reservoir, mounting plate & fuel rails out of the way (plus some key vaccum hoses) provides much better access to the COP's, plugs and injectors. i couldn't get my torque wrench in there so i just torqued the plugs by hand...i suppose time will tell if i tightened them properly. i'm just stoked she's up and runnin' again and i didn't have to take it to a mechanic

 

Cool ! Yea , just 1/4-1/2 turn after running the plugs in with piece of 3/8 hose (keeps from crossing the threads) is all you need. That ='s out to about 14' lbs anyway - 16' lbs is MAX.

Everything should last awhile as long as you greased inside the boots well and the top seem of course. If you greased the between the chamber and the boot after the COP was installed, you did well. You might want to re-grease in a couple years to further your protection from moisture.

Without grease they don't last long..

Congrats