I have a 2001 F150 4x4 Lariat, 4.6L V8...

One year ago I had to put my truck in the shop for coils and plugs after the 7/8 cylinders began misfiring. Truck had right at 45,000 miles on it. Ford laughed at me and said, "Sorry, can't help you" despite the fact that plugs and coils fall under "emmissions items" on their warranty and were well under the stated mileage at the time. Cost me about $500.00 all told.

Not 6 months later I had to put it in the shop again after the "Check Engine" light came on. This time the MAF sensor and something else had to be replaced. Mechanic told me I had way too much carbon buildup in the throttle body. In the end, that repair cost me another $600-$700.

Supposedly this is a KNOWN PROBLEM With the 2001 F-150's. Something about a drain near the aft cylinders that allows water to corrode the coil packs, which inturn fouls the plugs.

Here it is about a year later. Truck is just about ready to turn over 70K and she's in the shop AGAIN for 7/8 misfiring. Coil packs and plugs have to be changed AGAIN. I'm on my third set of 100,000 mile, platinum tipped plugs and I have only 70K (90% long distance highway miles) on the truck. Not to mention, I'm still on the original 02 sensors. I guess I can expect them to start going out any time now?

WTF, OVER...how do you all get around this problem? I'm looking at a total repair cost of $1700-$1800 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM less than 12 months apart. Is there some way to deal with this other than having to replace the plugs and coil packs al the time? Some kind of preventative maintenance to insure it doesn't happen again?

While I'm at it...my truck has always had a rough shift into 5th gear. Rough enough that the truck has a noticable "lurch" upon the shift. Anyone else ever experience this?

For about 3 years now, my stock muffler leaks what I call a considerable amount of water while the engine is running. So much, in fact, that three little rust holes developed on the aft end of the muffler housing and the water drips from there. I know it's normal for a little condensation to drip from the exhaust, however, at idle and in the driveway, I get a small puddle under the truck in the amount of time it takes the engine to warm up. And NO, the A/C is not running. I'm beginning to wonder if all these problems aren't interlaced.

Last but not least, I installed an Airaid Intake on the truck about 800 miles back. Maybe a month ago. My truck started misfiring after I'd put 600 miles on the intake. Is there any way that the intake could have caused this latest round on problems? The mechanic told me to put the stock intake back on it if I'm not going to upgrade the exhaust as well. Says I'm putting TOO MUCH air into the engine and it has no place to go therefore I'm going to end up blowing the engine seals. As well, he says the new intake is going to screw up the 02 sensors. I'd planned on upgrading the exhaust. Just haven't gotten around to doing so as of yet. I don't buy his line about the intake screwing up my engine. The engine can only take in SO MUCH AIR. I thought it was odd that my engine is misfiring less than 1000 miles after installing the new intake though.

Ahead of time..thanks for any all all info I can get out of you guys.

 

The fix is simple. The hoses above those plugs have crappy clamps. Buy some good clamps and replace them.