Here's the skinny:

'98 4X4 4.6 auto 62k

Reaches temp, and starts bucking under accelerartion. Pretty good shake/vibration. Engine light flashes. Get to a light or stop for a minute, light stays lit (does'nt flash). Take off, starts it's thang, light starts flashing again. Idle ruff.

I work at a Chevy dealer and the only scanner that can read a Ford, is missing. On the books at Ford for Friday but any ideas?

I read the idle ruff thread, and some of it rings true, but this does it while driving.

I'm thinking i di-electric all the plugs (harness) tonight, and do a vacume test. Had a lot of rain last night and went through some standing water. It started this morning on the way to work. I'm also thinking a coil, or maybe an injector. But i guess it could be anything.

Anyone had this happen?

Thanks

 

If you work at a chevy dealer you probably know this, maybe I am misunderstanding the problem. If the light is flashing in any OBDII vehicle that means misfire, right. And if it is missing under acceleration then you are looking at a wire or plug, right. If it was mine I would put plugs and wires on it.

 

Thanks Silver and Blue. I only fix 'em when they get smashed.

OBD II, Tech 2, ect, is all greek to me. Although, one of the head mechanics told me flashing means emmissions, and he was'nt to sure about that.

The only time i mess with scanners is to reset or troubleshoot airbags.

Headed for the garage in a few minutes.

Thanks!

 

Plug, plug wire, or coil pack.

Mine was worse with acceleration and hwy speed. Progressively got worse, Idle seemed ok I think. Was a while ago.

Dealer charged $330 for plug, 1 wire. Bastards. Never again.

 

mine started running bad about 1 week after i bought it.i sure wish i had looked at this site before i took it to the dealer.the engine would miss and check engine light would flash.and then the engine would run fine.i also was charged over 300.00 dollars for just a tune up.it had about 56000 miles on it a 97 4.2 f150.

 

yeah, scanning it would not do any good, all you would get is a misfire code. What do you do at a chevy dealership. Not a good thing that your ford runs poorly while working there.

 

Your all right!

Cracked spark plug, bad wire. It's hard for me to believe one cylinder could shake it so much. It's also hard for me to believe those wires could ever go bad. The boots are HUGE.

F4F, i do collision. Dealing with customers, ins. companies, frame repair, to paint and everything else in between. I see all the cars from the inside out. That's why i drive a Ford. LOL. J/K

Usually we have a Snap-on scanner but it came up missing. The way it started and the way it shook, i thought it could have been the torque converter. Scared the $#!+ out of me.

The Chevy dealer i work for, the owner also has a Ford store in a different location. That's where i took it and also where i bought it. Still a PITA to get it there ect., when their is no reason why i could'nt have done it at my location. I was a little POed they charged me $58 untill i read the replies. I was just looking for a quick scan to tell me what coil, or what plug ect. Ford will not just sell one wire, so they picked one out of the trash and threw it on with a new plug.

I'm taking the body apart in May to clean and rustproof (box, bumpers, fenders, interior panels off) and was planning on tuning it up then, with everything out of the way. Stiil going to need to do it, but i wish it would have waited.

They also told me the reset parameters in the computer. I dought they were BS'n me, but it seems to shift better. Downshifts quicker when starting up a grade ect.

Thanks again everyone!