Hello All, I have a 2000 F-150 XLT with a 4.2L with 124,000 on the odometer. I posted before Christmas about a miss and terrible gas mileage. I had the code shot and it said left bank lean. Sorry I do not remember the number of that code.Funny thing is that it says lean and the smell of gas was pretty powerful, and cat convertor was stinking up the enviroment Could not afford to take to garage so I thought I'd replace wires and plugs. Money is tight so I bought AutoLite Copper plugs. As for the wire set I could not afford MotorCraft so I purchased a brand called Omni Spark OE. Pulled plugs 3 2 1 passenger side and 4 6 5 driver side. Gapped to 0.54 and Installed wires. The plastic pieces that seperate the wires from touching were brittle and most broke. Started truck and sounded better than it did. Then I put in Drive and it all went south. Backfires and shaking stalled water coming out of tail pipe. I can't even get it to a garage now. I think the wires could be no good. Could spark plug wires touching cause the problems. I thought that seeing they are insulated it would not matter. Also after changing plugs and wires the truck emmissions smelt HORRIBLE. I have smelt cats before but NOT LIKE THIS. Please Help all advise welcome. Thank You All so much, God Bless P.S. Please what is the difference about OE and OEM, Thanks

 

yes to spark plug wires should not be touching. it can prduce cross fire.
when gapping them were tou careful to not destroy the tips?

 

probably did not kill it just switch some motorcraft plugs in.

 

OE-Original Equipment
OEM-Original Equipment Manufacturer

 

go back to Motorcraft SP-504s. anything else and the 4.2L will spit them back out, as you have seen

you need to replace your rear cats. that will solve your CEL and gas mileage issue. take it to a Ford place and they can verify it for you.

 

When I replace the plugs will it calm down enough to let me earn a couple of paychecks? I'm sure that the cat will be costly. CEI means ???

 

Water coming out the tailpipe does NOT sound good, and that along with the other symptoms may indicate a more serious underlying problem. I would advise pulling the plugs and doing a compression test.

CEL = check engine light.

 

O.K. Can you give me a best and worst case. I figure that sooner or hopefully later I will have to replace motor. At this time I just need to get to point A to B. Thanks

 

Blown head gasket, cracked head, leaky intake gaskets - is the coolant level staying steady or have you had to add?

 

No the coolant has held steady.Also the truck does not burn oil,Just started to run rough.

 

Replace the plugs for now.

GLC don't scare the guy. A little bit of water on a cold morning is just condensation from the pressure and heat of the exhaust. If it continues to do this or at a faster than normal rate, then you have something to worry about.

 

Autolite coppers *should* be okay for a while, anyway. I'd pull them and check them - see what they look like. Do a compression test while they are out to make sure! I'd suspect the offbrand wires first. Did you use dielectric grease in the boots at both ends?

Quality wires generally won't crossfire.

When you get it running smooth, take it to a muffler shop and get your cats checked.

 

Another note-Ford might be better than a muffler shop. I took my truck to two muffler shops when I had my deaded 8/11mpg facade last year. Both referred me to Ford. The Ford dealer used that "big ol fancy thingy majigger" and confirmed it was the cats with a single CEL code. $80 diag fee from Ford, and $200 labor to install cats. Problem solved.

 

Muffler shops have infrared testers and backpressure gauges. However if you have a P0420 and/or P0430 code, those point to bad cats.

 

OK ALL and Thanks. Tommorow I will be replacing plugs with motorcraft SP-504's. No I did not use dielectric grease,but will pick up some when I get the plugs. Once done I will post what the results are. Thanks