Blew # 3 plug on my Stock 01 Lightning

31K miles on it...

Dealer had it helicoiled , even though I told them I wanted a new head...Have put about 500 miles on it since, and no problems, yet, knock on wood...


Jeff

 

They are not supposed to helicoil. The Ford workshop manual says to not use use helicoil. Save your receipt. It could save you if you have a future failure due to the helicoil.

 

76,000 miles. Passenger side rear plug. No warning.

 

Sorry man. It sucks. When will it stop>??? Probably never. -Mat-

 

tt

 

My Ford Dealer (Joe Rizza) just told me again that there was no need whatsoever to have the sparkplugs checked/inspected until 100,000 miles,and that I should not be worried because Ford has not issued a recall/warning. He also said that he has never seen a vehicle that has launched a plug come into that dealer. Wierd

 

Whoever told you that can't be trusted with your L. Spark plugs launching are well documented not just on Ls, but on other trucks too (just search around). If there was no issue with that why would Ford go to expense of changing from 4 to 9 threads?

ZoranC

 

Just Launched #3 in light traffic, 99 model with 23,000 miles on it. Out of factory warranty and of course the extended warranty guys denied the claim. Not a "moving part". Say what???? Battle set to begin in the morning.

 

Lets get a complaint going. I dont understand why there isnt one yet. I want to mod my truck and the only thing stoppin me is this stupid issue. If i chip it and blow a plug i am fukt. Time to start a complaint. If everyone that has had a problem fills out that form that was posted earlier maybe they will fix the problem. this is poor quality for a 35k top of the line vehicle.

SCREW U FORD!!!!

Vinny

 

Add two more to the list. A friend of mine lost the 3rd plug back on the drivers side...BUT he was able to get a plug back in the hole and it held by just one thread. He was trying to get the truck down to my place so I could have a look on saturday when he blew the 3rd plug back on the passenger side. This time I had to go to were he was and was able to also get a plug to stick in that hole also but it was only about 1/2 to 3/4 of a thread. He decided to take the truck straight home.

I guess we are going to try the warranty thing first but I have very low expectations on that, cause it is and aftermarket warranty.
Dale

 

here is a link to your repair options incase ford says "NO"

repair options


Good Luck,

 

Syncmaster, that is a great link. I have already been there and made my mind up on the steel insert. Checked for distributors locally from their website and whatayaknow, there is an outfit that sells them about 1/2 mile from the dealership!!! Anyway, the dealer called today and offered to pay 80 percent if I would pick up 20. Told them I wanted 100 percent from Ford and they fired back with "you can call the consumer hotline, but when the rep gets here and discovers you have had a chip on it, they won't pay anything". OUCH! tough negotiations. Guess they ran a diagnostic on the computer, because I took the chip off. Decided to go ahead and cough up 20 percent since I would be getting a new head with the improved threads. Overall pretty fair offer. Dealership is Sam Pack's Five Star Ford in Carrollton, Texas. I'll give them a plug for going to bat for me with Ford. Screw the aftermarket warranty guys. They probably took my money and spent it on hookers and blow.

Whatever ya'll want to do to crank this up a notch, count me in. I'll fill out forms at NTSB or wherever we need to go.

 

Maybe we should start a new thread asking who hasn't popped a plug, might not be as long as this one. Ed

 

Hi everyone with blown spark plugs!

I have done some investigation and have found that this is a big problem with F150's AND Expeditions.

My brother has an expedition and paid a whopping $4,000 for the replacement head. They saw him coming!
When he blew a second plug (2 weeks later) he took it to an independent mechanic and it cost him $400. The mechanic had built a special tool for getting the #4 spark plug on the passenger side because he had done it so many times before.

My brother was very upset. He has a large family and works a lot of overtime to support his family. His plight made the rest of us angry and inclined us to help out. I started a website:

http://www.geocities.com/expeditionblowout/

I have contacted some of you but others have email disabled on their profile. Please check out the website and tell anyone you know who has had this problem to check it out also.

Elaine

 

Alright, maybe some one can clue me in on something here. These last 2 weeks I noticed a slight ticking sound coming through the fire wall on the driver's side..the rate of the ticking follows the throttle increase.... I was also hearing some sort of "air" sound that I thought was my A/C at the time..I turned off the A/C and its still makes the sound.

I noticed the "air" sound goes away when the truck shifts into 3rd. Both sounds are audiable at a stand still.

So anyhow, this morining I checked the fire wall plug. It was out of the hole in the fire wall... I jammed it back in there and now I dont hear the sounds... do you guys think that its nothing? or should I have my plugs checked...my warranty is gone now that I hit 36k miles this month..so 3400 bux for a new head isnt going to fit into my budget very well. What do you guys think?