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Firing order needed


popman

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01 ranger edge extended cab, 3.0 regular gas, 4x4, auto trans.
I recently replaced my coil pack, plugs and wires. I made the mistake of removing all things without marking. When I put it all back together I used a diagram I found somewhere. It may have been wrong or I did something wrong. I was wondering where I can find the proper diagram for my vehicle and engine, both coil pack and cylinder layout. I am not getting any back fire issues just power loss. I have found that some similar engines have different orders which confuses me as I may have used a different year by accident.

thank you in advance!
 


RonD

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Ford numbers V6 cylinders this way
3 6
2 5
1 4
Front

Coil pack wiring depends on where the 4 wire connector is
If 4 wire connector is on passenger side of coil pack then wiring is:
3 4
2 6
1 5
front

Watch the 5, 6, 4 side

If connector is on drivers side of coil pack then:
1 5
2 6
3 4
Front

So the same but just rotated 180 degrees because coil pack is rotated 180 degrees

And it has been the same since 1995 for all 3.0l and 4.0l Rangers

Image of numbered coil pack here: https://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2014/11/23/12/47/pic-8941394052778031213-1600x1200.jpeg

4 wire connector is the starting point it tells you where spark plug wires go



The below is just fluff if you want to know why wiring is this way:

There are only 3 coils in the coil pack, not 6
So 2 spark plugs fire at the same time, these 2 spark plugs are in "matched pair" cylinders, to balance a V6 engine, two cylinders/pistons will be at top dead center(TDC) at the same time, so a V6 will have 3 "matched pairs"

Firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6
Thats where coil pack wiring comes from
1-4-2-5-3-6 split it in half and place one above the other
1-4-2
5-3-6

1-5 are a matched pair and spark at the same time
4-3 are a matched pair
2-6 are a matched pair

To allow better coil cooling they moved 4-3 to the end of coil pack
So you get
1-5
2-6
4-3

since both spark plugs fire at the same time 4 and 3 are interchangeable on the coil pack, so
1-5
2-6
3-4
is the same

But you could do
5-1
2-6
4-3
same thing
 
Last edited:

popman

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So the 456 side stays on the same side of the pack just the numbers are are reversed as in the 123 side? my connector is on the drivers side
 

RonD

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So the 456 side stays on the same side of the pack just the numbers are are reversed as in the 123 side? my connector is on the drivers side
Drivers side connector will be:
1 5
2 6
3 4
front

no 4, 5, 6
Front to back is 4 6 5 <<< important
other side is 3 2 1
 

popman

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Thank you RonD

Another question which I noticed is that the picture you share is exactly like mine with the 2 screws in the front and the plug positioned as I look at it from the passenger side opposite of me. the numbers are different in that pic. Is that for another engine? Just making sure
 

RonD

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Thank you RonD

Another question which I noticed is that the picture you share is exactly like mine with the 2 screws in the front and the plug positioned as I look at it from the passenger side opposite of me. the numbers are different in that pic. Is that for another engine? Just making sure
You mean because they look like this when rotated?

5 1
6 2
4 3
front

doesn't matter because 1 and 5 spark at the same time
so 1 5 or 5 1 are both correct

Same for 2 6 or 6 2, and 3 4 or 4 3

1 5
2 6
3 4
Front

thats the same

Usually you put the wires on the coil pack so they don't have to cross over eachother going to their bank(engine side)

So spark plug wires for cylinders 1 2 3 would be on the side of the coil pack closest to passenger side spark plugs
 
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