Cylinder Misfires

LEODAJIM

MEMBER
2004 FORD ESCAPE
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
95,000 MILES

Here is my symptom breakdown, I'll keep it as brief as possible.
2004 Ford Escape, 3.0 V6. Started chugging in rainy weather, Engine light came on, Code diagnosis was misfires in 4th and 5th cylinders.
Next day, weather dried up, Engine light went off, BUT, now a lack of power AND a whooshing noise when accelerating.
Bad plugs? Split hose? Thanks for any advice.

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 7:50 PM

12 Replies

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

That depends on the condition of the ones in there. Plugs are the first things to check and coils would be next. I would usually replace all the plugs and the coils on the missing cylinders only.

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 7:54 PM

LEODAJIM

MEMBER
25 POSTS

Thanks for the advice Wrenchtech, much appreciated. One question though, how does the new 'whooshing sound' when I step on the gas play in with that? It sounds like the sound is coming from my dash, so that leads me to believe it is on the back of the manifold.

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:00 PM

LEODAJIM

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Also, would the engine light go off if the plugs/coils were bad and still misfiring?

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:03 PM

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

You could have a vacuum leak but that would set other codes also. Try to follow the noise to it's source.

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:05 PM

LEODAJIM

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I just tried to narrow down where the noise is with little success. The problem is when parked, the engine has to revved really high to get the whoosh sound. I jumped in and drove it around a bit, and the sound is very pronounced when the gas pedal is pushed. As soon as I let off the gas, the sound stops, push the gas again, the sound returns, and so on. It is about as loud as if the heat was on full blast.

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:42 PM

WRENCHTECH

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Then it's not a vacuum leak. It may be an air pocket in the heater core.

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:44 PM

LEODAJIM

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25 POSTS

OK. If that is the issue, would it HAVE to be replaced, or is there a method to test/resolve it?

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:47 PM

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

It needs to be checked out by a competent technician

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 AT 8:49 PM

PENNYMAN

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2 POSTS

This same thing happened to my Ford Escage, My mechanic said that something clogged my Catalytic converter and the whooshing noise was from and "EGV" valve getting burned up. I had to have that replaced and the catalytic converter got messed up so I had to replace that too.

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 2:15 PM

PENNYMAN

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Did you get yours fixed successfully? Mine worked okay for awhile, but the original problem that led to this was that whenever it rains my engine would misfire and I would use gas treatment, after a few miles the sputtering would go away and the engine light would turn back off. When the whooshing started, it was the same type of sputtering that always happens, except that when I would push the gas, I should've been able to go 40mph and was only going barely 20 mph, then all the sudden the whooshing noise started. I could smell gas inside my Escape, and it sounded like the whooshing was fom under the dash. Anyway, now the engine light stays on all the time, and it's sputtering most of the time. It never kills it just takes longer for me to get the power, My mechanic doesn't know what it is.
If you figured it out I would appreciate knowing. Thanks.

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Friday, June 24th, 2011 AT 2:19 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

Wrenchtech,

That's the beauty of this thing!

We can help everyone who shows up!

Share Ideas---Learn ourselves!

You know Imma Jeep CJ kinda GuyWifey (my Boss) has a 3.0 2003 Escape too!

I too, just got over the repetitive skip, intermittent, mostly applying slight pedal on an incline, with her rig

I had help from here myself, 3 other experts, with 3 different solutions!

Turns out #6 coil-pack---always got to be the one trapped under a bunch of C. Rap. Removed several times of 2 months!

I woulda just bought "a" coil. Seems now-a-days every plug must have one---at $80 a pop. Trial and error, for a quick fix.I could not see it, and all of the solutions, did not include this as one of them.

THE DARN COMPUTER WOULD NOT TALK TO ME (it's buddy) NOR TO STRANGERS. As long as it would convey her local, back and forth to work, TIME WAS ON MY SIDE, + I do have a car dolly, if it came down to that!

2 months to solve it, I used input from all 3 of my Mentors to arrive at the solution.

I spent about $250, STILL WAY LESS THAN A SHOP. And now have several new components on her rig, maybe unnecessary, but with 100,000 miles, I view it as PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, and now have spare parts, if in the future I need to swap 'em to "TEST" the other!

So, Yes, If you like continue please. This sorta interaction may have saved me a lot of heartache also!

By the way, thanks for coming here, I know it was not by accident!

The Medic

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