I am new to this group, but I really need your help. This 4.6 is not in my F150, but is in a 1997 Town Car that I bought cheap last week. Turning out to be a poor purchase.

I am afraid that I know what is wrong, but I want some validation. It is showing me a P0308 code - misfire #8. I am good with that, but then it gives me another code P0308 pd - not so sure about the "pd".

I have changed plugs and wires, looked to be original with 129,000 miles. There was significant moisture in the plug hole on #8. The plugs are NGK (yes, I have read enough here to know this may have been a poor decision).

More disturbing is a significant amout of gray smoke coming from the exhaust. It seems to get worse as the car warms up. It has an odd burnt something type smell. It is not a burning oil smell. I am concerned about catalytic converters and a cracked head/head gasket issue. There is no oil in the water nor water in the oil as far as I can tell.

Can anyone offer me assistance with this thing. I will swap the coils after work tonight to determine if that is part of the problem.

Thanks. Paul

 

Usually gray smoke means blown head gasket or cracked/warped head. You can always start replacing the cheapest parts first (coils, injectors, cats, head gasket). Hopefully someone can tell you what your mystery code is.

 

Doesn't "pd" stand for "pending"?

Check the coolant for oil and the presence of combustion byproducts, check the oil for the presence of coolant, and do a compression test.

 

Thanks.
I have spoken with the dealer where I got the car. They are trying to decide how to make it right. I am convinced that it is a cracked head/blown head gasket. We will see where it goes from here.

 

your town car has the plastic intake manifold on it and the coolant cross over is likely still plastic. they crack at about 100K miles and start leaking coolant into the engine. pull the intake manifold and go from there.

 

ive replaced a head gasket before on a 2004 crown victoria 4.6 cop car, those plastic intakes SUCK this car had like 46k miles on it and the intake was broken all to pieces

 

The intake crossover would make some sense, because it is not overheating, and there is no water/oil cross contamination.

Would the coolant crossover dump coolant into the 8 hole. Thus causing my misfire code?

 

PA-PD.......Port A-D readings

(pd) = Primary circuit fault, Coil "D"

Dead Hole