My truck started running rough after 3 days of that heavy rain in the northeast. Just overnight...and it felt like a COPS went again. So I took the truck to Autozone to get them to run their scanner for codes. It spit out 4.

coil 3 and 4 are bad, one whole bank of the fuel line is running lean, and some sensor is bad.

So if igure i better take it to the dealer, because of the sensor and one whole side of the motor is running lean.

Dealer just called me before he does the work...he says

#'s 1, 2, 3, and 4 coils AND plugs are bad....

I ask thats it?..

YEP...

I drove the truck for 2 days like it was. 36 miles each way to and from work...I was doing 75mph no problem...it just sputtered some when i tried to up the speed at a medium rate...if i did it slow...NO PROBLEM...if i put it to the floor...NO PROBLEM. Plus at idle it was running rough and the truck was shaking.

so how does a truck EVEN run at all, when 1, 2 , 3 AND 4 coils and plugs are bad?

Am I PROBABLY being lied to at the dealer?

thanks

bob

 

I agree with you, how would the truck run if all those COP's were bad? I had one done on my truck and they raped me on labor. I would try doing the COP's by yourself and then see if that takes care of the other issues with the truck. I don't think they are that hard to do, I wish I would have done mine myself. I'm sure someone will chime in here with a better responce than this. Good luck.

 

well I did about 3 myself about 9 months ago...it wasnt fun, and i actually did one then went back and did 2 more...and it was much faster doign the job after I did it once...

but

#1) because I moved and the garage door cant close when the truck is in the garage...

#2) because the autozone scanner said i had a lean condition, with some sensor also being bad

I figured Id just let the dealer replace those few cops, and then he could make sure the mixture is good as well.

didnt expect him to say nothing about the lean condition. AND want to replace half the COPS and plugs...

I am already into the rental car a day....so ther eis a small incentive to just let them do the job....but I doubt that all four could be bad and the truck still run!!!

bottom line is when i get the truck back it has to run good, or I wont pay...
bob

 

When dealing with COP's you have Primary , Secondary and then Load failures which cause the misfire. Your COP's are failing under certain stress loads and not all at once which would indicate Primary failure.

The dealership conducts a Mode 6 scan which reports back cylinder history. This determines which cylinders were misfiring in the past.

 

I think that if the truck has bad COP's in it then it is going to protect itself and run differant than normal, and that might be by running lean. If you replaced the COP's then it might take care of the other problems is all I"m saying. they probably know that at the stealership thats why they didn't say anything about it. How much is it going to cost you in labor? is it worth the $500 that they are going to make off of it. Good luck

 

I suggest buying 8 new COP's - there only $96 (that's for all 8 together) on ebay and fixing yourself. You'll save a load of cash

 

the bill is over $800. But i think it includes the diagnostic charge. About $100.

I have done the COPS before...it isnt a big issue except with all this rain and the fact the truck doesnt fit in the garage.( I moved recently) and the fact i didnt know how to deal with the lean mixture issue, I just took it to the dealer.
But i dont want to be lied to ...especially at their hourly rate....

they said the will return my bad COPS....if they are all Motorcrafts...Ill be livid...because when i replaced four before I used another brand.

bob

 

Id still love to hear a definitive answer as to wether the truck can run with 4 plugs, and 4 COPS bad?

I mean I do 70-75 MPH up a hill , and down shift at that speed as well....which my truck would do...it just ran rough and bucked at a constant speed.

The dealer flew in my face and his only answer when i asked how it is possible that the truck can EVEN run with four bad COPS...was "what are you calling me a liar?...you can take your truck to someone else for repairs , thats your right"

with 130K miles I was thinking about buying a new truck...Ill have to relay the fact that I WONT buy it at that dealership AGAIN...becaiuse of the way they answer simple questiosn in service.

bob

 

I give up ... YES!!!! - You can run with 8 bad Cops......I explained that above..Your lean codes(a possible PO171, PO172, PO174, etc..) are generated from weak COP's failing under LOADS...

 

Sorry for the delay, thanks for the info. The dealer dropped the price $250 before i came to pick up the truck, after i complained that I didnt UNDERSTAND how the truck could run with 4 bad.....it COULD be true,...I just didnt UNDERSTAND it. Over the phone his only offer of an possible explaination was "are you saying I am lying"......and then "you can take the truck someplace else if you like".

Then when i get there the price some how dropped $250....I think he felt guilty...anyway the truck runs good. He dropped the price mainly by selling me the cops at $49 each instead of the list of $96.....and the plugs were $7 each , but he dropped the price to $2.70 each.....but at $97 per hour labor...it still hurts bringing the truck there.

Any way I would have been happy after all was said and done, because the truck runs great and it was $615 to get it that way...but they put a dent and a scratch on the top of the fender , when they replaced the speed control sensor( recall)...all the cops were on the other side of the motor..

dam dam.....

he tells me they have a way to repair dents without painting....??

bob

 

COP's are only $12 a piece if you order them on the net