Car has hesitation?

[The shocker]

My SES light came on like 1 week ago, it was my #7 cylinder and it had misfired so I ordered a new coil pack and I will problobly change all my plugs during this period to, my question is when I am at a light just ideling my car has a rough idle, it runs around 500-900rpm's. and when I am driving and under 2k rpms it hesitates and runs irregularly. Could this be due to my coil pack it hasn't thrown the code since then. what do you guys think.

Is it hard to change the plugs in the rear of the motor, what plugs do you guys reccomend.

 

[RStalveyARFF]

I can answer a few of these questions. First, the rough idle and hesitation is probably due to the bad coil back, since you're dragging around a dead cylinder. Second, I believe the general concensus is to stick with motorcraft when it comes to ignition components. I believe as with the Gen II's, you'll need to pull the intake to get at the rear plugs, but that is speculation, I've never done it before. Good luck!

 

[SHODWN]

the intake indeed does need to come off. first timers will take about 3-4 hrs to do.

 

[SHOZ123]

Buy 4 new aftermarket coils and replace all 4 in the back. Aftermarket can't be any worse than OEM. Murray's is the cheapest place I've heard to get them. Murrays

Or you could contact Ian the smuggler.....

<small>[ November 12, 2002, 08:35 AM: Message edited by: SHOZ123 ]</small>

 

[RStalveyARFF]

I should have clarified that I meant plugs and wires as far as motorcraft only ignition components

 

[SHOntell]

Once one goes, they will all go. I am saying this only because that was my experience with my coils. I would do all of them if you can. Ford's ishty ESP doesn't cover them either. My car definately ran rough at idle, and didn't run very well. It unfortunately never registered an SES light either. So it took a lot of $$ to get it all done. Do them all, you won't be dissapointed. I cancelled my Ford ESP and got a NAPA and the coils that were installed are perfect. (I am not sure if they are aftermarket or Ford)

Good Luck!!

Mike

 

[The shocker]

Thanks alot guys, the guy I got the car off of will be sending me the coil pack soon, that really sucks I have to take the intake off for a spark plug change, I am sure it is about time though, it has been 49xxx miles

 

[Tha Green SHOrnet]

Yo Shocker. My 97 SHO is doing the exact same thing as yours. I was told that mine is misfiring in the #7 Cylinder. I'm gonna change my plugs and wires first to see if that will make a difference. If not, then I guess I'll have to drow it in tha shop

 

[The shocker]

Are cars dont have wires though, they have coil packs. I just got mine in today!

 

[Ian Macoomb]

SHOZ123:
Buy 4 new aftermarket coils and replace all 4 in the back. Aftermarket can't be any worse than OEM. Murray's is the cheapest place I've heard to get them. Murrays

Or you could contact Ian the smuggler.....

I don't think I'll have any coils for a while. I ordered 10 of them over a month ago and I've only got 3 of them so far. They're on back order. I got every coil that they had in Canada.

 

[Ian Macoomb]

Tha Green SHOrnet:
Yo Shocker. My 97 SHO is doing the exact same thing as yours. I was told that mine is misfiring in the #7 Cylinder. I'm gonna change my plugs and wires first to see if that will make a difference. If not, then I guess I'll have to drow it in tha shop

Don't waste your time looking for wires. Changing the plugs won't fix it either. Nothing but a new coil will fix your problem. #7 is easy to get at too.

 

[SHO Squall]

How much does a Coil Pack run? I need to know because I think that, like Mike (SHOnTell), I have a mis-fire that's not registering on the light. If so, I might as well replace all 8 if I can afford to. But if I can't, I need to find the one that's missing myself. I get about 15 MPG, and a rough idle most of the time that doesn't always smooth out, even after driving 200 miles straight. Of course, I'm getting a whining noise that's either my Alternator dragging a bearing or my TQC geting ready to bite it, but one step at a time...

Also, any way to do a test at home with a voltmeter or other tool to see if I'm missing a cylinder?

Appreciate any help that can be given!

-John

 

[The shocker]

I used a voltmeter on my 300zx to test my coil packs, and I replaced my #7 coil pack last night and it runs like a new car really gets up. thanx alot guys, I got it done in like 20 min no problem.

 

[SHOZ123]

Back in the day I was having coil problems I tested them with an Ohm meter. Good coils read about 5.5K ohms at 70F.

Test them at 70F them chuck them in the freezer for a 1/2 hour or so and check again. My bad ones would sho an open reading.

Test between the sparkplug end and one of the primary terminals.

 

[Ian Macoomb]

The ohm meter test doesn't always work well since it seems that this problem is intermittent. I've checked known bad coils this way and still get 5.5k ohms or so.

If I ever get my coils in from backorder I can sell a few of them. They cost me a little less than $90 CDN which is a little less than $60 US. Dealers charge at least double that.

If your going to change your coils I'd suggest doing the rear 4 with new ones and keep the ones you pull off the rear for spares for the front.

And about the check engine light, it has to get really bad to get one. This can take many weeks or even months to occur.

 

[SHO Squall]

From what I've read, the hassle of getting to the back bank of coils pretty much precludes pulling the rear coils, testing them individually, then putting it back together to drive it long enough to get a replacement. The other option, then, of course, would be to move the bad coil pack to the front bank, so it's easier to change once the good ones come in.

In either case, it sounds more like a matter of "buy the replacements, then find the bad part". Which, not knowing if one's gone bad or not, can be an expensive proposition at almost $500 for 4 new packs. And, since I can't scrape together the $120 for one unless it's a dire emergency (error code or car stops running), I'm certainly not going to find 500 laying around any time soon.

So, all that said, it seems like #7 is a common failure point? Would I be well served to just check #7, and then go from there? As I mentioned, the amount of work involved in ripping apart the engine to get to the rear bank of plugs and coils pretty much guarantees that this will eat my entire weekend, which means I better have good weather so I can use my motorcycle in the meantime.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

-John