Coil pack time

[88workcar]

Do I just go grab a auto zone coil or should I get a different brand?

 

[Josh B]

I replaced the coil pack on mine recently with a Motorcraft from one of those stores, $180 I think, it didn't really change anything tho :/

 

[Dirtman]

I'd take a coil pack from a junkyard that's been laying in the mud for 15 years over an off brand chinese autozone coil. If they have motor craft available, that's a different story.

 

[RonD]

Also coil packs have different plugs so you need to match that because wiring is different as well

And yes, used Motorcraft coil pack is better than a new any other brand

 

[decipha]

as has been stated for all ignition components for all fords its always best to stick with the oem motorcraft.

 

[Josh B]

what makes you think it's time for a coil pack? Mine hadn't been changed for 340,000 miles, so I changed it, to absolutely no avail

 

[88workcar]

My truck runs like crap in the morning until it warms up. If it sits out in the sun for a while before I crank it, runs fine. I washed the motor one day, ran terrible then as it stayed good and hot for a lil while, cleared right up. And on rainy days it runs worse, also high humidity days. When I said something before I was told coil pack. Also in the high rpm I can feel it hesitating. That could be valve float or injectors or 100 other things, who knows lol. Coil pack isn't expensive enough to bicker over. It may be wasted money but it will rest my mind. BUT..... I do listen to y'all so............

 

[88workcar]

update, CEL was flashing, set off a 302 code. I have new wires and plugs. Can this be an indication of a bad coil pack?

 

[RonD]

Flashing CEL means hard misfire so back off the throttle or engine damage can occur

P0302 is multiple misfires detected in cylinder #2, these codes are not set on just a few misfires has to occur multiple times

Sure if you can afford a new coil pack then its worth a try, you can pull out the current coil pack and give it a good look for cracks, they usually have a crack when they are causing a problem, not always just usually

As said in all the above posts, a used Motorcraft coil pack is better than a new any other brand

 

[88workcar]

I hate being a parts changer vrs mechanic lol, I'm ordering the coil pack now.
I had looked up the code. It will also have a popping sound in the exhaust in the upper rpm (you know when my dumb axx is mashing on it before it's truly fixed)

 

[RonD]

When a cylinder misfires the unburned air/fuel mix is dumped into the HOT exhaust manifold and it will ignite, which causes the "backfire" noise

 

[stmitch]

Our coil packs are waste spark, so there are 3 coils in the coilpack and each one controls the spark for 2 cylinders. It fires the spark for both cylinders at the same time even though only one cylinder will use it (wasting the spark on one cylinder). The coils and numbering vary a little by year, but this is the basic idea:


What that means for you, is that if a coil has gone bad, you'd probably have misfire codes for both cylinders that the specific coil fires instead of just cylinder 2. For the pic above, you'd have misfire faults for cylinders 2 & 6 because that coil controls spark to both of those cylinders.

I've fixed a misfire issue with a new coilpack before but I'm pretty sure I was misfiring on multiple cylinders instead of just one. Before you spend hundreds on a new coil pack, I'd go over your plug wires well and then pull the plug for cylinder 2 and check it out. That might help narrow down if it's a fuel issue or spark.

 

[stmitch]

Here's a decent vid about testing a coil pack:

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