2001 S-Crew 5.4, developed a terrible shake on the way home. I reved it in nuetral, and not much, ran it up to speed and coasted, not much, put it in gear, hold brake and simulate a load, and it shakes like a Freight train. I beleive it is a dead miss, either caused by no fuel, or no spark. At 63k, still have original plugs.

Sound like a plug ? or a coil pack? or an injector?

Or how can I tell, no lights comming on......

 

You don't have a "Check Engine Light"?? If you do, it will tell you what cylinder is dead.

If you don't you can pull the plug off of the fuel injector to try and isolate which hole is dead.

Your plugs should go 100K without any problems. Don't think it's a plug. More then likely it's a coil.

Also, check the PCV line and make sure that it isn't leaking with a hole in it.

 

[GearHead, I am not sure how the ck engine light works, or these" Codes" , is there a way to descifer this at home, or will I need a code reader....I'm not stupid, just old school, I like the " New Stuff" EFI, Coil packs etc, but I grew up on Holly carbs, Mallory Dual Points, Etc. My knowledge is retro! I can fix anything, just can't seem to diagnose much anymore.!

 

If you don't have anyone nearby with a code reader, swing into Auto Zone and ask. Tell them you have a Check Engine Light even if you don't. I've heard some say they won't read your codes unless you have a CEL. Find out what the codes are and go from there. At least you can find out what cylinder is missing.

Have you washed your engine lately? The coil packs seem to be quite sensitive to water, which can pool around the plugs if you wash your motor. My dealer ended up replacing all my plugs for me because the detail guys washed the engine and created a miss.

 

Sorry, you need a code reader to read any codes.

Do like RockyJSquirrel suggests and go to AZ for a reading.

If not you'll have to go to a garage or the dealer.

 

My 1999 Expedition 5.4L had the same problem. Turns out that #4 coil sits just below a heater hose that develops a leak. The water drips out on to the coil and apparently cracks it then seeps inside causing the plug to misfire. The computer detects this and shuts down the coil and the injector to that cylinder. I went and purchased a code reader from Oreilly Auto Parts for about $150 (do all repairs myself) and after reading, went to dealer for the part. From what I understand, this appears to be a common problem. Hope this helps.

P.S. The number 4 coil is the one all the way in the back on the passenger side of the engine. If you have to remove it, BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DROP THE BOLT OR THE TOOL DOWN ON THE MOTOR. IT MAY FALL BELOW THE INTAKE WHERE IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RETREIVE.

 

Ok, I went to AutoZone, and sure enough, they hooked it up, 2 seconds later, they told me that number 7 was misfiring.

I replaced Coil number 7 with very little dificulty, and unplugged the battery to reset the CK Engine light, and now once again, all is well in the house that Henry Ford built!

A Chevy-loving co-worker of mine calls this run of problems " The Blue Oval" disease, and says it has just begun, I on the other hand, have been driving Fords for a long time. My first car was a 1972 Mercury Capri ( German Built 2.6 ) A very neat car for it's time.

Thanks to all of you who took time to share your ideas and experiences to help another F150 owner solve a problem.