If you own a ford v-6 read this!

[Trader]

I found out something very interesting today.

 

My 2005 Ford Escape died on the side of the road. (Yes I know what FORD stands for!)

 

It seemed like it was being starved for fuel..but I checked and the pump and the filter were just fine.

 

So I had it towed to the dealer.

 

 

 

 

It seems the platinum plugs that are supposed to be good for over 100,000 km (60,000 miles) are NOT!

In fact...what happens is as the plug wears, the gap increases.

This causes the coils (one for each plug) to work harder which in turn causes radio frequency interference which fries the main computer.

So...my dead truck cost me

-6 new plugs at $8 each.

-6 new coils at almost $100 each:mo money:

Plus the new PCM or TCI or whatever they call the main computer a$1,125 (or if could try and find a used one at $750)

 

To change the rear plugs and coils they have to remove part of the intake manifold so lots of labor and a gasket to boot.

 

Total cost of the repair?

 

$2,550.00:mo money:

 

 

All because of worn out plugs. (my truck only has 90,000 km)

 

The mechanic is the son of a family friend, and he suggested the main computer might not be fried....that I should change coils and plugs and try it. He said the bad parts could cause the computer to show as bad also. I might get lucky...but then again this is ME we are talking about.

:mo money:I got it towed home and will try to do it myself....

 

Did I mention $2500????:crying:

 

So there goes the international, :smile5:Friday the 13th, some safety chrome and a few other things like food and utilities for the next few months.

[Billkroeger]

What size of v-6 are we talking about ????? And what years ????? Thanks

[friesman]

Thanks for the headsup, my 2007 Escape is just at 80k right now, it would really upset me to have an issue like youre having, I hope you can find some savings somewhere to get that repair down in price. ill be checking mine asap!

 

Brian

 

I found out something very interesting today.

 

My 2005 Ford Escape died on the side of the road. (Yes I know what FORD stands for!)

 

It seemed like it was being starved for fuel..but I checked and the pump and the filter were just fine.

 

So I had it towed to the dealer.

 

 

 

 

It seems the platinum plugs that are supposed to be good for over 100,000 km (60,000 miles) are NOT!

In fact...what happens is as the plug wears, the gap increases.

This causes the coils (one for each plug) to work harder which in turn causes radio frequency interference which fries the main computer.

So...my dead truck cost me

-6 new plugs at $8 each.

-6 new coils at almost $100 each:mo money:

Plus the new PCM or TCI or whatever they call the main computer a$1,125 (or if could try and find a used one at $750)

 

To change the rear plugs and coils they have to remove part of the intake manifold so lots of labor and a gasket to boot.

 

Total cost of the repair?

 

$2,550.00:mo money:

 

 

All because of worn out plugs. (my truck only has 90,000 km)

 

The mechanic is the son of a family friend, and he suggested the main computer might not be fried....that I should change coils and plugs and try it. He said the bad parts could cause the computer to show as bad also. I might get lucky...but then again this is ME we are talking about.

:mo money:I got it towed home and will try to do it myself....

 

Did I mention $2500????:crying:

 

So there goes the international, :smile5:Friday the 13th, some safety chrome and a few other things like food and utilities for the next few months.

[Trader]

What size of v-6 are we talking about ????? And what years ????? Thanks

 

 

I don't know too many details...mine is 2005 but I would assume all V-6 would be the same.

I think mine is a 3 litre

 

I just wanted to give everybody a heads up so you don't have the same experience I did.

Call the dealer or a mechanic or someone who knows and get some more information.

Better safe than sorry!

[pmelah]

oh no not the safety chrome i could handel the food and utilities being gone for a few months but not the safety chrome

 

i agree with the mechanic change the plugs first and never trust what they say about plugs change them at regular intervals like 30,000 miles sorry cant convert to km go the cheapest repair route first then work your way up to the more expensive stuff

[MikeWa]

I think your mechanic needs to go back and reevaluate what happened. Plugs that were bad enough to cause a problem would have set off the misfire monitor and turned on the check engine light long before any other damage occurred. The next most likely thing would be catalytic converter and O2 sensor problems from the excess fuel in the exhaust. Also illuminating the check engine light. You may have had some stray electrical surge that damaged some components but the scenario you describe is highly unlikely and probably would have already resulted in several class action law suits.

Mike

 

 

PS. Find a new dealer

Edited June 15, 2012 by MikeWa
add PS

[ragtop69gs]

OUCH

 

I never believed that 100,000 mile BS even if a plug would last that long, if you never remove them in all that time they will usually seize into the aluminum head and break when you try to pull them, then you have to R&R the head. $48 in plugs every other year sure sounds like a good deal now eh?

[cabreco]

Thanks for the headsup, my 2007 Escape is just at 80k right now, it would really upset me to have an issue like you're having, I hope you can find some savings somewhere to get that repair down in price. ill be checking mine asap!

 

Brian

 

Brian,

Word of advice DO NOT replace the plug with anything other than the OEM plugs.

I replaced my 2002 Sport Trac plugs with top of the line Bosch Ir plugs (prices suckers too), my gas mileage & performance dropped significantly.

 

It appear the Ford v6 (especially the 4.0) only like Autolite or Motorcraft. And don't forget to use some antisieze on the threads

 

 

Andy

[RSTDdog]

I agree with Mike (MikeWA) this was not simply a chain reaction from worn spark plugs. Something else going on here. Spark plugs last an extremely long time in Modern FI engines. I think when you pull the plugs and compare them to new ones you will find some wear, but i bet if you check the gap it won't be more than .005 bigger than a new one.

 

Don't forget to check the simple stuff like the battery, battery cables (all ends including where they connect to the starter alternator, etc), plug connections,etc. Look for corrosion in the under hood fuse box and the cables that attach to it.

 

Any electrical work done prior to this failure, New alternator or starter or battery? Vehicle in a accident?

 

Google will tell you if this is a common issue.

 

Good luck let us know what you find,

 

RSTDdog

[Trader]

Well, for the non-believers, there IS a Ford notification about it. (My retired mechanic friend had heard about it.)

I think it might only affect the earlier years.

 

I have done no electrical work, and the cables, battery etc are all in fine shape.

 

This started as the occasional miss when it was damp. I had a freind put a code reader on it and he said I had a bad coil. I replaced the coil and it was good for a few months.

 

then yesterday, it was stumbling at about 2500 rpm. Ok above that.

We've had a fair bit of rain the last week so I assumed it was more of the same.

 

But then I started to leave, it was stumbling really bad and quit.

After that it would fire very roughly with the starter engaged but not run.

It seemed very much like a fuel delivery problem, but that was all good.

But if you believe it or not is up to you.

 

 

I wanted to give everybody the heads up and hopefully avoid what I'm going thru.

 

I'd encourage anyone who might be affected to to investigate on their own and act accordingly.

[RandyR]

I looked this up and found:

 

I just changed the plugs (and one COP coil) on my 2002 Escape V6. Yes, you have to remove the upper intake to get to the 3 plugs on the rear bank. It's not very difficult. The o-ring -like gasket set is about $10 from Autozone.

[Yammer Dan]

Sounds like about the way my Sons Dodge acted before it went belly up. He is now waiting for them to replace computer??

[Trader]

I was talking to the mechanic at the Ford dealer. He told me the tech bulletin says the problems I am having only affect about a 6 month production run of 2005's .

 

In a perfect world FORD would have sent out a notice to the owners of those vehicles to give us a heads up!

 

But they get to make a whole lot of more money this way.

 

Probably the last ford I'll ever buy.

[LilBeaver]

I have attached the ACTUAL TSB.

 

This ONLY affects some of the 2005 and 2006 Ford Escapes (and Mercury Mariners) that have the V6. Some drunk in the factory installed the wrong spark plugs and Ford was too cheap to send letters to the owners suggesting that they check their spark plugs before it fries the PCM.

 

If you have not already, you are going to need to replace at least one of the front catalytic converters too, if not both.

 

A friend of mine just went through this and her car is sitting in my garage awaiting the new cats. Although the shop that worked on hers initially ONLY replaced one of the 6 coils they said they did among other things, so she has had some other issues too. But thanks a lot Ford, way to stand behind your products.

[BuddyRich]

I have two fords and they are the best vehicles I have ever had. Now, saying that. I have been in electronics for over 35 years . Coils cannot work harder or be lazy and work easier. The things work or they don't. If the gap becomes so great that the spark cannot arc then it simply does not fire and the coils has all that voltage sitting there. More than likely its a hi voltage feedback problem and it fries the computer like that..

[LilBeaver]

I have two fords and they are the best vehicles I have ever had. Now, saying that. I have been in electronics for over 35 years . Coils cannot work harder or be lazy and work easier. The things work or they don't. If the gap becomes so great that the spark cannot arc then it simply does not fire and the coils has all that voltage sitting there. More than likely its a hi voltage feedback problem and it fries the computer like that..

 

This is exactly what the problem is.

 

I too have been a ford owner for a while and my friend's family has been ford owner's all their lives. Great vehicles. I/We were just very disappointed that this problem happened and that Ford was unwilling to send out a simple letter suggesting that the customer's just CHECK/REPLACE their sparkplugs. This will NOT prevent me from getting another Ford, I am just disappointed with this experience.

[rickardracing]

My daughters Escape just had to have the transmission repaired. 80,000 miles, 4 years old..............$2300. I do not care what anyone here says, cars for what they cost now days should last over 100,000 miles with no problems. The only thing you have have to do in that 100k is new tires, brake and plugs/tune-up. I have had plenty of domestic vehicles in 32 years of driving and none of them have made that mark. None. The only ones that have are my "imports". Not slamming any manufacturer, so please do not pelt me with your statistics and recalls of the "imports" . I am just stating a fact that I personally encountered. I work hard for my money and when I am making payments on a vehicle, it had better not puke out. One of the reasons I do not own a HD. Heard and know of tooo many poeple that paid lots of cash for something that is not reliable.

[cabreco]

I was talking to the mechanic at the Ford dealer. He told me the tech bulletin says the problems I am having only affect about a 6 month production run of 2005's .

 

This LOTTO you win right?

[Trader]

Replaced spark plugs and coils...still no go the the PCM must be fried.

 

[eusa1]

check your pm trader

[Trader]

Well, I changed the plugs, coils and found a used PCM for $689 after taxes.

The dealer charged me $112 to program the computer.

 

So, It cost me:

 

$250 to diagnose

$600 for plugs and coils

$689 for used PCM

$112 for programming

2 X tow truck (Thank goodness for CAA!)

 

Total cost: $1651

 

AND IT LASTED ALMOST A WHOLE DAY!!!!!!!!

 

I had to tow it to the shop after I got stranded at the side of the road.

It seemed as if it had less power right from the start...but as the day progressed it seemed like less and less...until it wouldn't even run.

 

So it looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and put a new PCM in it.

$1200 plus taxes = $1356:crying:

[etcswjoe]

Hardly ever had any issues with the the old Ford V-6's

Edited June 24, 2012 by etcswjoe

[Freebird]

All the 289 Mustangs I ever saw were V8s.

[etcswjoe]

All the 289 Mustangs I ever saw were V8s.

 

 

Your right I am wrong, it sucks to get old but in my defense it has been

30+ years since I had it.

[Trader]

Now they say (a different dealer) the catalytic converters are plugged up from the computer causing a misfire for so long.

 

Another $2100.

:mo money:

 

That's about 1/2 the value of the vehicle I've spent now.

 

But what can you do? I'm so far in now I can't afford to scrap it and buy another car.