2006 5.4 XLT 94K miles

Last summer I started getting the low speed miss while in high gear. Doing my research sent me down the road of getting the plugs replaced. The problem went away.

Fast forward. About 6-8 weeks ago, I started noticing a cruising speed miss, but very light. Almost like a plug wire is off. More annoying than power robbing. Didn't think much of it. A couple of weeks ago, I went back to the mechanic to get one of my exhaust manifolds replace because of the annoying tick. While talking to my mechanic he mentioned that the coil packs may be due. Looking on his computer, he mentioned that he had installed Champions. I didn't realize this was the case. so......

That being said, Should I move towards the coil packs or pull the plugs and replace with Motorcraft?

Should I being looking somewhere else. The CEL has not come on. Will the truck throw codes without the CEL?

**UPDATE** I typed this up just before I left work. About 2/3 of the way home, The truck acted up (definitely like more than 1 wire was off type feeling) and just about stalled at the lights. Got home and just as I pulled into the driveway, the truck died and the CEL came on. Heading to Oreilly to let them read the codes right now.

 

Pull the plugs, replace with Motorcraft, then replace the COP boots and springs.

 

Will I have issues pulling these plugs myself since they were just put in in July?

 

Just got back from the auto parts store. Barely limped the truck into the parking lot.

Here are the codes that they read:

P0302 Cylinder 2 misfire (4 times) I assume this is the 3 times it stalled out going home and there

P2196 O2 sensor Stuck Rich (4 times also)

P0316 misfire on startup.

Plug, COP, injector? would hate to hydrolok the engine.

 

The misfire is causing the rich condition. I suggest you swap coils on #2 and see if the misfire moves. But, glc gave good advice.

 

No, not if they are Champions, those are 1 piece plugs.

https://www.autocodes.com/p2196_ford.html

Wouldn't hurt to check the injectors.

 

It was the #2 injector.

When the weather gets better, I will dig back in and replace all of the injectors as a preventative.

 

Glad you found your issue.
I just wanted to point out for future readers that on MY 97-2002 Coils 1 2 3 7 are on PCM connector C120,
and Coils 4 5 6 8 are on PCM Connector C119. That fits your observed failure pattern exactly.

So, one thing to check (too late for you, and just a check anyway) is to reseat the connectors at the PCM. e.g Disconnect them, and then reconnect them.

As replacing the PCM fixed the issue, the problem was likely a blown capacitor inside the PCM that was shared by all the Coils on C120 (1 2 3 7) . The coils on C119 have their own separate capacitor inside of the PCM for coils (4 5 6 8). Ford does not distribute the PCM design details. But the after market PCM sellers generally take good condition junker PCM's, replace all the capacitors, and then test the PCM unit before sale. (And then they program the VIN and mileage for you). Everything else, you usually have to handle (PATS anti-theft keys), Tire size and differential gear ratio, etc.

But just for others, before buying a new PCM, and going through the reprogramming hassles, is to try and reseat the PCM connectors first with your existing PCM. Every once and while, the connector has just gotten corroded and a reseat (disconnect, reconnect) sometimes solves the problem. Otherwise (most of the time) you end up having to replace the PCM, because a capacitor failed. And on the 1997-2002, the PCM also drives the transmission (e.g. on those MY, the PCM is also the TCM), so when some of the caps go, the Trans stops shifting reliably, or blinks the over-drive light, or both. On the PCM's basically 80% of the failures are bad capacitors, 15% are failed power transistors, and the last 5% is random. (Almost always the capacitors dry out, gas out, and split the cap casing. Most Auto parts (OEM originals ones) use high quality Japanese capacitors (that last about 20 years). Hopefully, the replacements do as well, but Chinese caps are much cheaper, and some places go for the cost savings. (The Chinese caps last 5-10 years, just not as good.) There really are no USA capacitor makers anymore (those were also high quality, back in the day.)