pjw73nh
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- March 20, 2011
- Messages
- 238
- Reaction score
- 2
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 08 LTD
Greetings,
I purchased a 2008 Explorer Ltd 4x4 V8 about two months ago. 65k miles. I have only driven it about 1500 miles since. I primarily use it to tow a camping trailer.
Last weekend, I had it pretty well loaded. 3 adult humans, clothing, and a 5800 lb trailer on back. It tows fine, I don't push it, I stay around 55-60 mph with OD off. I watch water and trans temp very closely. Trans never went above 228 deg F. Water a bit lower.
About 50 miles into our trip (all gauges normal) I could feel some hesitation under load. It might have been there all along, hard to tell. About 10 minutes later the MIL started flashing for about a minute. I tried easing up on the gas. No difference. I accelerated hard then it went out. (The manual says this is related to engine misfire, and may flood the CAT and cause a potential fire issue). As we continued on the trip about 90 miles in, I stopped for fuel. After refueling, as I entered the on-ramp and sped up, the light started flashing again, I tried decelerating, no difference. I tried accelerating, no difference. It never went out but stayed on solid this time. I could feel it missing a few times without the light even flashing. I think that it even misses without the trailer but I haven't driven the car that much to know for certain. I *think* I've just noticed that it has had a subtle "miss" since we got it (1000 miles ago).
I scanned it when I got to my destination and got one P0307 and some freeze frame data. Cylinder 7 misfire. Nothing else.
I reset the code, drove it home (170 miles) I scanned when I got home and found no codes set.
The dealer told me they replaced coils 2 and 6 when they took the car in for trade last fall. I confirmed this, as the date codes on coils 2 and 6 are different from the rest.
I am probably going to swap coil 7 with coil 8 and just wait and see if the problem follows the coil. I may not know for a long time because it is very intermittent.
1. Are there any known issues with these coils? Do these coils just "go bad" or start to fail intermittently?
2. Are after-market ones any better than Fords?
3. Is there anything else I can do besides wait for it to happen again?
4. Any good, solid test for coil packs (other than resistance). Perhaps a load test of some sort?
5. Should I just replace it and the plug too? I have not pulled a plug and don't know the age. I would not be surprised if they were original at 65k miles.
Thanks in advance.
p...
I purchased a 2008 Explorer Ltd 4x4 V8 about two months ago. 65k miles. I have only driven it about 1500 miles since. I primarily use it to tow a camping trailer.
Last weekend, I had it pretty well loaded. 3 adult humans, clothing, and a 5800 lb trailer on back. It tows fine, I don't push it, I stay around 55-60 mph with OD off. I watch water and trans temp very closely. Trans never went above 228 deg F. Water a bit lower.
About 50 miles into our trip (all gauges normal) I could feel some hesitation under load. It might have been there all along, hard to tell. About 10 minutes later the MIL started flashing for about a minute. I tried easing up on the gas. No difference. I accelerated hard then it went out. (The manual says this is related to engine misfire, and may flood the CAT and cause a potential fire issue). As we continued on the trip about 90 miles in, I stopped for fuel. After refueling, as I entered the on-ramp and sped up, the light started flashing again, I tried decelerating, no difference. I tried accelerating, no difference. It never went out but stayed on solid this time. I could feel it missing a few times without the light even flashing. I think that it even misses without the trailer but I haven't driven the car that much to know for certain. I *think* I've just noticed that it has had a subtle "miss" since we got it (1000 miles ago).
I scanned it when I got to my destination and got one P0307 and some freeze frame data. Cylinder 7 misfire. Nothing else.
I reset the code, drove it home (170 miles) I scanned when I got home and found no codes set.
The dealer told me they replaced coils 2 and 6 when they took the car in for trade last fall. I confirmed this, as the date codes on coils 2 and 6 are different from the rest.
I am probably going to swap coil 7 with coil 8 and just wait and see if the problem follows the coil. I may not know for a long time because it is very intermittent.
1. Are there any known issues with these coils? Do these coils just "go bad" or start to fail intermittently?
2. Are after-market ones any better than Fords?
3. Is there anything else I can do besides wait for it to happen again?
4. Any good, solid test for coil packs (other than resistance). Perhaps a load test of some sort?
5. Should I just replace it and the plug too? I have not pulled a plug and don't know the age. I would not be surprised if they were original at 65k miles.
Thanks in advance.
p...
