Intermittent misfire on one cylinder

[dacaur2]

So this is something that has happened a few times in the past, but stopping and restarting the engine has always fixed it. Basically, I will start the engine, and the idle is a little rough, just enough that you can feel something is "off". If you put it in drive or reverse, the truck is shakey taking off. The two times it did it in the last 2 months, shutting it off and then starting it again fixed it.
Then the other day leaving work it did it but I was distracted and didnt notice it as I pulled out, then as I was going down the road I though "did it do that thing again?" but it felt fine driving, so I went to the next stop sign, and when I took off, yes it was doing it, but there was nowhere to pull over, so I put it in neutral and shut it down and restarted it. It was still doing it at the next stoplight getting on the highway. I could only feel it when I took off from a stop, once I was going it felt normal. Then the check engine light started flashing, then went solid.
After my next stop at the store I came back out and it felt fine, but check engine light was still on.
At home, I pulled codes and got one fault and one pending, both P0302, which is misfire on cylinder 2. I cleared it and all was fine for a couple days when it did it again, and no amount of stopping and restarting would make it stop.
So, anyone had something like this where it was intermittent?

Edit - Its a 2010 XLT, V6 4X4

 

[Explorer_PL]

.....and you have a v6 or v8 ?

That would help.

 

[dacaur2]

arg sorry, its a v6, 4x4 2010 XLT

 

[Explorer_PL]

Hard to say, but I would start with basics, new plugs, wires, or at least on that one.

Or swap plug # 2 with another one and see if the error moves with it. If it does, than it's the plug. If not, get new wires.

Then you look at the coil pack,...

 

[dacaur2]

Ok so I believe the problem was just the spark plug....
Both times I read the code it was p0302... I was going to swap wires btween 1 and 2, but that looked like a lot of work, lol. So I just swapped the plugs between cylinder 1 and 2 and drove to the auto parts store. (was very hopefull I know)
I could feel the miss the whole way the the check engine light never came on. I read the codes anyway when I got there and got a pending code...... P0301! So yes it followed the plug to the new cylinder! Ok, so bought one new plug (the ones in there have about 20k, will replace the lot, including the new one beofre summer) and after installing it, I cannot detect any sign of the misfire... Drove it to work today and no problems..... Fingers are crossed that it was just a bad plug.....
Thanks for the help!

 

[Explorer_PL]

Great

Glad you figured it out.
Agree, replace all 6 of them, use some quality plugs, I'd stick to OEM and do maybe wires as well ?