1997 XLT S/C 4.6L 139K

Check engine light came on this morning. As I was giving it some gas to merge onto the freeway the dash cel light starts flashing about 20-30 times then goes solid. Everytime I give it the gas/passing gear it flashed again then goes steady. So I pulled into a gas station to get some gas, shut it off for at least 5 minutes. Start it up and the CEL is on steady. Any top of the brain guesses?

BTW a little history, Emissions inspection, showed a very clean running engine so I don't think O2 sensor, cat, or spark plugs and wires. I also noticed a tiny hesitation when after cruising on hiway at steady speed then give it some gas but not terribly bad. Maybe related?

My bro-in-law has a OBD II reader but I heard Ford is proprietary so do I have to take it to a Ford service department? All the ones around the Seattle area have a lot to be desired from what I remember back when I owned my last Ford. It amazed me none of four dealerships i took it to could figure out what was wrong with their own vehicle. Cost me $1500+ before I finally found a guy that knew how to actually fix my Ranger but he moved to Arizona.

 

flashing CEL means its a missfire. generic OBD2 reader will work just fine

 

Thanks Patman, will the reader tell me where a missfire is coming from? Plugs, wires, coil, sensors?

Is there a list of codes posted anywhere?

 

it will tell you which cylinder the missfire is on, then you'd have to figure out what is causing it.

http://www.obd-codes.com/

 

Thanks. I hope it's not the dreaded loose plug I've read about. I have to be able to drive it home this afternoon.

 

If the plug were loose, you would hear it clicking.

 

OK I checked it with an OBD and the code was number 3 cylinder misfire (good catch patman) I wasn't sure which cylinder is number 3? If it reads like a chevy V8 the closest cyl to the front of the car is #1 then the next one back on the other bank is #2 etc etc. So i replaced the driver's side coil pack (is this the correct one for the #3 cylinder?) and all plugs and wires (not an easy job, why does Ford do crap like this??). I also disconnected the battery to clear the code and after running around the block it didn't come back on so I think that's fixed.

But I found the second plug on the passenger side has a repair coil. That sucks and I hope I don't have problems with it! After reading this board it seems a fairly common problem. Seems like something Ford should've addressed. People can talk bad about Toyota all they want but at least they are owning up to their problems. I've never seen Chrysler, Chev, Ford, or even Subaru do that when they've all had serious problems with their cars.

Oh well it's mine now. If it blows I'll just buy another rebuilt head and deal with it.

 

it was probably just a plug that was bad, but can't diagnose a car over the internet....

A spark plug popping out, while it sucks big time, wont make the truck accelerate out of control killing people, so its not really a safety issue. Just be glad you didnt have one of the early 97 V6s with the horrible intake gaskets that lost enough coolant into the engine causing it to hydrolock. I'd much rather buy a head then a whole new engine!

Glad it sounds like you got it fixed though. Thanks for the update on your situation.
-Patrick

 

#3 on a Ford V8 is 3rd one back, passenger side. They number straight back, starting on the passenger side.

 

Thanks for letting me vent. But if Charles Bronson popped a spark plug in his Mr. Majestic getaway from the bad guys, well you know.... He would come back from the dead in a sequal to exact his revenge on the dumbass engineers who designed that engine!

regarding Toyotas I'd still buy one in a heart beat. Besides people gotta be pretty dumb not to just pop the car in neutral if the accellerator gets stuck!

 

With today's electronics, it's not always that simple. You are assuming that the computer will allow you to put it in neutral. The shift lever is no longer mechanically connected to the transmission on many vehicles.