"Professional" Detailing - Shorted #5 Ignition Coil and Engine Codes

[JSON]

Decided to get my 13 SHO non PP "professionally" detailed before taking it to a local dealership (non OEM shop), I was looking to sell it. I pick up the car and notice the engine bay was also cleaned and the car starts and runs fine. As I was leaving I notice the gas was low and in the orange but I was only driving a couple miles across town to the dealership and I was running late. So I did not stop for gas.

I get to the dealership and they test drove it and came back and made me an offer. I verbally accepted but before we signed papers the dealership wanted their mechanic to take a look at it because the steering is making a clunk noise (diagnosed as rack). I leave the car overnight at the dealer so their mechanic could look at it in the morning, this was around 6pm on a Thursday.

The next day at 4pm, the dealership calls me to inform me my car broke down with the mechanic, due to the circumstances they were not interested in buying the car and I would need to come get it. Oh and I would probably need a tow truck. They think they ran it out of gas and were saying something about the fuel pressure being low!?!? WTF

I get to the dealership and they give me my keys and inform me the car is up the street parked at the Speedway gas station... WTF!?!? When I get to the car it cranks but won't start. I pull codes and its throwing a P2312 - Ignition Coil "E" Primary Control Circuit Low. I get the car towed home.

Today I purchase a new Ignition Coil for #5 as it was completely burn and there was a reddish sweet smelling liquid in there that got baked (the smell was putrid) and a fair amount leaked in with the spark plug (see attached images). It was also blowing fuse #68 - 20 amp fuse for the Ignition Coils. I replaced the fuse, cleaned #5 out with air and paper towel and rubbing alcohol and checked all the other coils and they were not affected. I installed the new coil and now the car will start and run but is missing terribly.

Again, I pull the codes and now am getting a new code: P0963 - Pressure Control Solenoid "A" Control Circuit High. Google says this is something in the transmission which leads me to believe maybe there is another issue with an electrical component, being saturated or the like? Never had any trouble with this car in the few years I've owned it other than a water pump and timing chain.

Anyone know where to begin with this new code? Anyone had similar issues?

 

[SeanDev]

Decided to get my 13 SHO non PP "professionally" detailed before taking it to a local dealership (non OEM shop), I was looking to sell it. I pick up the car and notice the engine bay was also cleaned and the car starts and runs fine. As I was leaving I notice the gas was low and in the orange but I was only driving a couple miles across town to the dealership and I was running late. So I did not stop for gas.

I get to the dealership and they test drove it and came back and made me an offer. I verbally accepted but before we signed papers the dealership wanted their mechanic to take a look at it because the steering is making a clunk noise (diagnosed as rack). I leave the car overnight at the dealer so their mechanic could look at it in the morning, this was around 6pm on a Thursday.

The next day at 4pm, the dealership calls me to inform me my car broke down with the mechanic, due to the circumstances they were not interested in buying the car and I would need to come get it. Oh and I would probably need a tow truck. They think they ran it out of gas and were saying something about the fuel pressure being low!?!? WTF

I get to the dealership and they give me my keys and inform me the car is up the street parked at the Speedway gas station... WTF!?!? When I get to the car it cranks but won't start. I pull codes and its throwing a P2312 - Ignition Coil "E" Primary Control Circuit Low. I get the car towed home.

Today I purchase a new Ignition Coil for #5 as it was completely burn and there was a reddish sweet smelling liquid in there that got baked (the smell was putrid) and a fair amount leaked in with the spark plug (see attached images). It was also blowing fuse #68 - 20 amp fuse for the Ignition Coils. I replaced the fuse, cleaned #5 out with air and paper towel and rubbing alcohol and checked all the other coils and they were not affected. I installed the new coil and now the car will start and run but is missing terribly.

Again, I pull the codes and now am getting a new code: P0963 - Pressure Control Solenoid "A" Control Circuit High. Google says this is something in the transmission which leads me to believe maybe there is another issue with an electrical component, being saturated or the like? Never had any trouble with this car in the few years I've owned it other than a water pump and timing chain.

Anyone know where to begin with this new code? Anyone had similar issues?



View attachment 84264View attachment 84265View attachment 84266

You mentioned they detailed the engine bay. On a hunch and I really hope they weren't stupid and used a high pressure washer, cause if they did, there responsible. It's well documented what high pressure washers can penetrate into an engine, especially the electrical compontens.

 

[JSON]

You mentioned they detailed the engine bay. On a hunch and I really hope they weren't stupid and used a high pressure washer, cause if they did, there responsible. It's well documented what high pressure washers can penetrate into an engine, especially the electrical compontens.

Hard to say really, I sent the guy the pictures and the information he has yet to respond. The liquid was thick like a cleaner and had a fragrance. I have seen no evidence of any water damage yet. I plan to at least dispute the charges as I paid with CC.

 

[SeanDev]

Hard to say really, I sent the guy the pictures and the information he has yet to respond. The liquid was thick like a cleaner and had a fragrance. I have seen no evidence of any water damage yet. I plan to at least dispute the charges as I paid with CC.

Smells like a degreaser was used. Disconnect battery, use a garden hose is best way to rinse it out, as it's not enough pressure to inject water into components and let car sit with hood open out in the sun for a day. Sounds like an inexperienced detailer cleaned your engine.

 

[JSON]

Update: Checked all the connectors today including the Transmission electrical plug, blowing everything out with air and wiping down, did not find anything else obviously saturated. Left the battery cables off all night and put 4 gallons of 93 in it.

I start it today still running like crap missing awful; check the codes, now I am getting three new codes; P0351, P0352, P0355. I pull # 1,2, and 5 coils and plugs and clean everything down, no apparent cleaner damage however the plugs look like they need replaced, will be ordering and replacing all plugs next to try and get this figured out. Assuming plugs is the answer since #5 is a brand new Motorcraft coil. Fingers crossed.

 

[JSON]

Update: Took SeanDev's advice, used a garden hose to lightly rinse off everything. It looks much less "saturated" from the chemicals. I have since replaced Cylinders 2,3,4,5 with new spark plugs. Am now getting errors P0353 and P0355; which indicates #3 and #5. And also it picked up P0300 which is "Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected".

Starting to think I need to replace all coils? Possibly double check the gap on #3 and #5 sparkplugs? Not sure why coil #5, with a good plug and new coil is not working.

Also notice while running and missing; it smells of gas, super rich; assuming this is from the misfires not igniting fuel.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[6500rpm]

The only time I've seen coil damage like what you posted was on a dodge that had the coil control circuit grounded. Coils are all fed B+ and saturation is controlled by pcm grounding. If that circuit chaffes and grounds it essentially turns the coil windings into a toaster. I'd look for common ground circuits related to the issue, or if it's opening a common b+ circuit.

 

[SeanDev]

Update: Took SeanDev's advice, used a garden hose to lightly rinse off everything. It looks much less "saturated" from the chemicals. I have since replaced Cylinders 2,3,4,5 with new spark plugs. Am now getting errors P0353 and P0355; which indicates #3 and #5. And also it picked up P0300 which is "Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected".

Starting to think I need to replace all coils? Possibly double check the gap on #3 and #5 sparkplugs? Not sure why coil #5, with a good plug and new coil is not working.

Also notice while running and missing; it smells of gas, super rich; assuming this is from the misfires not igniting fuel.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Goofy thing with Ford is one bad coil can send signals to all other coils. I had a coil literally explode in my SEL "cheap Chinese crap" and took out my PCM. Best to replace everything, coils and plugs as a unit. If still getting codes, your PCM could have taken a hit.

 

[JSON]

Yes, it ended up being the PCM. After replacing all plugs and coils, #5 was always misfiring. Checked the signal wire of #5 with a multimeter, with the car off and it was always hot. Used FlagshipOne to get a reman PCM sent out, installed and after getting the parameter reset done it starts and runs perfect!

 

[SeanDev]

Yes, it ended up being the PCM. After replacing all plugs and coils, #5 was always misfiring. Checked the signal wire of #5 with a multimeter, with the car off and it was always hot. Used FlagshipOne to get a reman PCM sent out, installed and after getting the parameter reset done it starts and runs perfect!

It's a rare fluke, glad you got it figured out.