GT needs coil packs???

[stang09er]

Well, after cleaning my engine the other day, my stang has been running really rough. I let the engine dry out for about 20 hrs now and it is still doing the exact same thing. I need to buy coil packs thanks to you fellow stangnetters that diagnosed the problem. I need to know if I should get the stock stuff from the dealer, or go with an aftermarket coilpack from my local ramchargers. I would prefer the aftermarket stuff if it will benefit me with the performance of the engine. What brand/model would any of you guys recommend? Also, would you recomend new sparkplugs/wires? What kind?

 

[46gtsblown]

First try removing the plug wires/cops (not sure what you have) and blow some WD40 in there and dry with some rags to be sure there is no more water in there. Then give the plugs and wires/cops a little shot of WD40 also.
Put is all back together too see what happens.
I too have had water in the wells that the plugs sit in and it stayed there for 3 days. It rusted the hell out of my plugs and caused a miss under load. Driving didn't dry it out but the rags did.

The stock stuff is pretty good and for a stock engine it is the best. Aftermarket stuff will give you little if any extra power and is not as reliable.

Dwayne

 

[stang09er]

Let me get it straight....because im willing to try anything:

1. Remove the spark plug wires and the coil packs
2. Spray WD40 into the wells
3. Wipe clean with rag
4. Re-install the spark plug wires and Coil packs
5. Start her up

Sorry if I sound iffy on doing this, but i DO NOT want to screw anything up while doing this process.

 

[hotmustang331]

So basically what your saying is that we should NOT wash the engine bay I guess with a high pressure washer...guess I will stay with wet rags.Anyway 46gtblown's idea is a good first step before you go out spending more money,and brake cleaner is good for drying things out too without a rag so try that if you cant get a rag that deep into the plug wires boot.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Also, you might want to check the plugs for cracks in the porcelain. With the plugs on the 4.6 buried deep inside the head, they stay hot even when the engine is mostly cooled off. When cold water hots them, they can crack. Mine did that once, and it feels like small ridges when you run your finger over the white part of the plugs.

 

[YLW99VERT]

Definetly try drying the wells out first....those coil packs get expensive if your buying all new ones.

If you have a air compressor, try blowing out each hole with the coil pack removed.

 

[stang09er]

I will try the air compressor and the WD40/Brake fluid idea first. If that doesn't work, I will try replacing the plugs (tuneup time anyways). If that doesn't work, I will unfortunately have to buy new Coilpacks/Wires. Where can I get them the cheapest?
Thanks again for all of your ideas...I don't know how much money i've saved since I first subscribed because of this forum, but it is definetly A LOT!!

 

[2Slow96GT]

If you do have to go with coil packs just get the factory ones. MSDs etc usually dont last very long the set i had on my car would make the car skip after about only 8000 miles on them.

 

[jstreet0204]

Also try checking all of the connections on top of the engine. Unhook them and make sure there isn't any water in them. If they get water in them they corrode pretty fast and cause problems. If you find one that is corroded clean it out with wd-40.

 

[paver1]

Also check the connections going into the coil packs. They can get corroded or wet and engine will miss like you've got a plug wire off or something......

 

[bdcardinal]

if you can find aftermarket coil packs for yout 00 then you would be the first person to do it. you have COP ignition meaning you have 8 coils directly on top of the spark plugs. and after some big searches i have not been able to find any aftermarket ones. also, you dont need wires because you dont have any. what i would do is pull the COP's and blow compressed air in the hole with the spark plug still in. them pull the plugs and swap them, check out in the holes to see any kind of dirt or mess and get a rag with brake cleaner soaked on it to clean it out. put in the new plugs with anti seize and dialetric grease.

 

[stang09er]

Dayum!! I should have known that....I did not see a distributor yesterday, but i did see what seemed to be wires going into each cylinder head.
What does COP stand for if you don't mind me asking?

 

[bdcardinal]

coil on plug, theyre like $100-$120 each from a ford dealer. but you can pick up some used ones off of ebay for like $200 for all 8. the only differences are the 2v ones have an angle on the boot while the 4v ones have straight boots.

 

[2K1TRUBLU]

The same thing happened to me last year. I took it to the dealer and they hooked it up to an "auto-tap" computer while driving it to determine which coils were causing the miss-fire it turned out to be two bad coils.

You most likely washed the engine when it was cold and did not heat it up after washing it. Therefore the water had ample time to seep into the plug well and short out the coil when you went to start the engine. You cant fix this with wd40, electrolytic grease, or compressed air. I'd suggest you have the bad cylinder(s) diagnosed and replace the bad coils.

The preventative measure for this problem is to only wash a warmed up engine and to drive the car after washing to ensure all the water evaporates quickly. Sorry you had to learn the hard way like myself. I always pressure washed it at the carwash with no problem and the one time I did it at home I messed up...not realizing that the act of driving to and from the carwash was keeping the water from doing any damage by steaming it off.

Hope this helps!

 

[twogts4us]

Cold water on a hot engine ain't the solution either. What is this facination with spraying water where it really doesn't belong? Use compressed air, wet rags or whatever, but I'd never take a hose or pressure washer to my engine. Jeez, it's a oil filled gas burner...how clean is it supposed to be on a daily driver anyway?

 

[stang09er]

Well, I started her up yesterday night after work and she is hummin' like she used too!! Great Sigh of Relief!!
The guy @ autozone told me to drive the stang until the engine was nice and hot, and as soon as I shut her off to spray the engine bright everywhere ( with the neccessary precautions) , let it sit for about 15 mins. I was afraid to wash the engine with cold water because there could have been a possibility of cracking my block. I waited about 10 mins longer than needed and then began to spray it down. I think it was a matter of making sure all the COP's were completely dry. All i know is that I learned a lot from this experiance and I don't plan on doing it again.....but if i do, I will know what to do to get myself out of the jam. She is in storage now so I don't plan on driving it for a while due to just theft and fire on it. Thanks again for all the help.
-maz