Misfire on rough running engine. No CEL

Tiny
RMURDOCK
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 FORD ESCAPE
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 156,000 MILES
Greetings:

Using a coil on plug tester, Cyl #6 appears not to be firing and #4 randomly firing. I swapped #6 Coil and plug with #5 (the working cyl) and the problem stayed with cylinder #6.

I checked wiring continuity all the way back to the ECM. No opens. No shorts.

There is no check engine light. The front bank cat melted which also clogged the downstream cat. Replaced both and am now trying to deal with the underlying problem of the cylinder misfire.

QUESTION:

Does this sound like an ECM problem? Why would the ECM single out one cylinder; and how does the ECM know when a coil is failing enough to throw an error code?

Could a failing camshaft or crankshaft position sensor affect a single cylinder?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 AT 9:47 PM

56 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Hi rmurdock, Welcome to 2carpros

This sounds like you have a fuel injector that is not working right if you pull the spark plug is it white like nothing is happening in the combustion chamber?

If so I would remove the injector to test it here is a guide.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-a-fuel-injector

Check out the diagrams (Below). Please run this test and get back to us.

Cheers
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010 AT 1:51 AM
Tiny
RMURDOCK
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Greetings:

I did what you said and the injector is not opening so I got a new one for $67.00 and installed it the engine has never run better. I love this site.

Thanks for your response.
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010 AT 10:57 AM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Good to hear, please use 2CarPros anytime we are here to help.

Cheers
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Thursday, May 27th, 2010 AT 3:56 PM
Tiny
KEVISHA
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2002 FORD ESCAPE
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 104,120 MILES
I want to know how much it cost for a new cylinder.
1- cylinder is missing and also my linkage is loose
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
You can't purchase just one cylinder. If it is missing then you may simlpy need a tune up (new spark plugs and wires, fuel injector cleaner etc.). If the cylinder wall has scratches then you will need a new or rebuilt cylinder head.
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEVISHA
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
So what about the linkage being loose it has something to do with the transmission? Thanks a bunch in advance!
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
You talking about the shift cable linkage?? If so you will need to follow steps below to adjust it..


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Noname_1657.jpg

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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ANNIEG88
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 FORD ESCAPE
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
Hi, my vehicle is running on four cylinders and should be running on six. It had been to an auto electrician and had new spark plugs and a coil pack replaced and it still seems to be running very rough and has not much power. A mechanic has had look and is still not sure what the problem is because he said the two cylinders that rant running are firing up and working but the cars not picking them up. He said it may be in the fuel line and has put some cleaner in with my petrol to see if it cleared it up and it notice last night my fuel pump is leaking and my exhaust was glowing bright red. Would you have any idea of what may be the problem?
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JIS001
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,411 POSTS
Sounds like he has just about thrown every part on there. Find out which two cylinders are misfiring. Remove the fuel injectors for that cylinder misfiring and swap with a good cylinder. If the misfire follows that cylinder then your fuel injectors are bad. If it does not then you need to have a compression check and cylinder leakage test. As far as the fuel pump is concern, you will need to have the pump replace.
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
  • 2001 FORD ESCAPE
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 152,000 MILES
Ok backstory I'm cheap I buy cheap pieces of junk fix them drive them for a few years sell them and usually turn a profit this escape makes me want to go the way of the dinosaurs I picked it up for 300 body great condition engine has a miss he swore no body ever tried to fix it it was dark and the notary was about to close so I paid the money thinking id fix and this would be my daily driver fast forward the next morning I pop the hood I notice valve covers are both leaking bolts are loose upper intake plenum bolts are loose random bolts are missing everywhere I think its all good a couple gaskets and shell be good to go so heres the list the misfire was due to a genius having coil on plug wires reversed it misfired for so long the cat all melted so I had to cut exhaust of to get it to even stay running once I had her running with new coil on plugs and spark plugs I noticed it idled horribly up and down in park and neutral and just down in drive or reverse my scanner shows it would idle between 550 and 850 not in gear and between 350 and 500 in gear so I decide to replace a few things since it wasn't throwing codes I did upper and lower intake gaskets both valve cover gaskets iac valve tps sensor cleaned the maf replaced pcv checked for vacuum leaks with carb cleaner couldn't find any fast forward again she does run better about 750 in park or neutral fairly steady but any strain on motor dropps the idle ac running light on putting a window up and most importantly putting in gear my scanner shows around 600 in gear after it levels but when you first throw it in gear it drops to about 200 I would say sometimes it stalls depending if you have heater on or not my oil pressure light flickers in gear I'm assuming because of idle speed being so low and raise in rpms shuts the light off I just gave it an oil change 5w 20 as manual stated I put synthetic in after I gave it an oil change now my valves are ticking fairly loud at idle they quiet when raising rpms to about 1500 fast forward driving to work yesterday I finally got a code misfire cylinder 4 hooked my scanner up fuel injector cylinder 4 dead replaced yesterday major power increase and whe I un plug coil 4 it actually makes a difference in engine performance now so that's good I guess so I'm driving after injector change and I notice it spits and sputters on acceleration for the first minute or so of driving now it does it at start off in first and when trying to give it gas in overdrive it sputters bad so bad you have to floor it to make it upshift but like I said it only does it for about a minute then levels off it thru me another code yesterday cylinder 4 misfire again so I was thinking maybe plug is fouled because of not getting any gas for three days while it was running on 5 cylinders so I swapped it no more sputtering until today its at it again for the first minute of driving it does it also still have low idle and engine oil light flickering and any load on engine tries to kill it unless I give it gas ps ive also tried resetting pcm learned values and reteaching it which did make it stop stalling in gear but it stills idles horribly low

so current symptoms sputtering for 1 minute after intial start usually worse when cold

really low idle in gear dropps to 200 then levels out

any load on engine tries to stall it

ticking coming from front and rear valve covers gets quieter at about 1500 in park

flickering oil light in gear I believe may be due to low idle not sure sometimes flickers in park but only when engine is warmed up

sometimes when cold engine idles nice for about 5 min even in drive around 750 to 800
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
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I wanted to add something when it sputters when you first started it seems like its struggling to find fuel I do not have a fuel pressure tester so I haven't tested it yet and I do have a new fuel filter but I haven't put it on yet my question is can a clogged fuel filter or a bad fuel pump make your computer only throw a code for cylinder for it is the farthest away from the pump itself but I have no car genius so I don't know about that
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
I also haven't done a compression test on that cylinder because I haven't got that old yet and I haven't done and oil pressure test to see if I really AM low on oil pressure at idle my main concern is the low idle in the sputtering
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
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And the ticking valves after I change the oil
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Also wanted to add that it didn't sputter until I change the new injector when it was running on 5 cylinders and didn't stutter It didn't run that good but it didn't stutter at all and the valves didnt tick until after I change the oil
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Oh and if you're thinking timing I don't know much about timing all I know is that it starts right up within three or four rotations of the engine
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:18 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
And when I said I had to cut the exhaust off to get it started all I cut off was the rear cat and the muffler the front cat bank 2 melted and sent all of it to debris into the rear cat which clog the whole exhaust so it still has bank to cat and bank 1 cat on there so I don't know if bank to cat might still be clogged if these symptoms fit a clogged cat let me know and I'll cut it off right now
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:19 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
One last thing when idling the pedal is not very responsive it takes awhile for it to come back down when you hit the gas it's more responsive than it was when I got it but it's still fairly unresponsiveI've already clean the throttle body thoroughly
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:19 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
By the waythe oil pressure light goes out at about a thousand Rpm
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:19 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
If you don't put new isolater bolts on intake it WILL have a vacuum leak. Try a good oil filter like wix, Purolator, napa. If oil pressure still low it will shut your fuel pressure off so bearings may be bad if filter not the problem. Then scan for codes and check fuel pressure with a gauge auto parts rent it. They can scan as well for engine codes.
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:19 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DENISLEE2015
  • MEMBER
  • 12 POSTS
Ithas new isolator bolts on it the filter is a Purolator I ran seafoam thru you don't think some sludge could be caught in pickup screen
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Thursday, July 19th, 2018 AT 2:19 PM (Merged)

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