I have a 2002 F150 Lariat SuperCrew with about 98,000 miles. Just bought it last year and have put about 5,000 miles on it is all. Lately I feel like I have been putting gas in the tank way too often, and driving down the road I feel like I can watch the gas gauge move on me. The problem is I have not filled the tank at all and tracked exactly what I'm getting for mileage, so I did that this week. Filled up on Monday and will figure it out this weekend.

But, as I kept putting $50 in every few days it occurred to me that I had an incident a couple months back. I was driving to work early one morning and I felt like the truck was missing a bit, slight shake. When I hit the highway there was a point for about ten seconds where it started to miss really bad and I felt like it was going to break down on me. Check engine light started flashing and truck was just a shaking. Then after say 10-15 seconds, it completely smoothed out and away she went. I've never had so much as a single miss since then. But it sure seems like my MPG's are worse off, despite it seeming to run as smooth as can be.

Any thoughts on this? Any chance that the codes would still be in the computer from that long ago if I were to take it down and have it scanned? Ignition problems? I don't think the prior owner (original owner) ever had any ignition work done on it, so quite possibly it's due for plugs and COP's. Not really sure, but I do know the gas bills have been killing me.

Thanks in advance.

 

With 98k it's DEFINITELY due for plugs.

 

So I have no idea if these two issues are related, but driving home from work today, I think it blew a plug out of the cylinder. Uggghhhh!!!!!! Sounds like the one near the firewall, passenger side. Wife towed me home. Eating dinner then I'll go out and check it out. If I remember right from doing my plugs on my 1997 F150 several years ago, the rear ones are the hardest to get to. And I just paid the dang thing off last week. Booo.

Now to go find the thread on that time-sert fix or whatever it is for fixing this thing. And to see if I can even get the tools to do the job up here in Alaska.

 

Contact member Galaxy, he rents the Timesert kit.

 

Looks like plug #3 blew out. Can't find the plug anywhere. Broke the ignition coil. Went and bought a new plug and coil tonight, but can't get plug started in the hole, so I am assuming the threads are damaged. Even damage the wiring that leads into the ignition coil - pulled the metal prongs out of the connector, so that was another $28 to get done. I am not sure I have the time to do this right now, so I am going to call around and see if any mechanics around Anchorage here do the time-sert repair. If not, I'll give Galaxy a shout and see if he can ship to AK.

 

In addition to Timesert, Lock N Stitch also works well. Stay away from any other insert system.