Problem is you never know how many will break. This problem is said to affect the 1997-2004 model years that had aluminum cylinder heads. Ford's older two-valve 5.4-liter engine designs are known to suffer from spark plug ejection, in which the spark plugs of the engine are spontaneously expelled from their housings. Because the original spark plugs can weld themselves to the cylinder head and break into pieces when someone tries to unscrew them, leaving the bottom of the plug stuck inside the cylinder head. If working on an 01 or up SOHC with M14x1.25 plugs the Time Sert 5553 or 5600 is our top choice. In its earliest F-Series applications, notably the 1997 to 1999 model years, the 5.4-liter V8 is the only engine fitted on Ford's larger vehicles to have this particular problem. Average Rating . As the mechanic indicated above, an inexpensive HeliCoil kit will usually do the trick -- but not always permanently. So far the NHTSA has not opened any investigation into this problem, which means we're a long ways away from a recall. Maybe you're concerned you will soon. Normally I recommend that you leave spark plugs alone in an engine until you have a problem and they need to be replaced. Likewise, Ford 5.4 spark plug problems have been common on models from these years as well. A couple theories exist on why spark plugs in Fords are ejecting from the their cylinders. It looks like you can get a “trained” mechanic to do an over the fender thread insert for anywhere from around $500 to nearly $1000 for the first insert and something less for the second and third insert if other plug holes need inserts at the same time. A second Ford technician confirmed to ConsumerAffairs.com that, Ford has known about this problem since the first year the Triton V-8 was introduced. Owners complain that it's the original factory spark plugs that are often ejecting from the engine. Support … The original equipment Motorcraft brand spark plugs that were factory installed in many late model (2004 to 2008) Ford trucks with 5.4L V8 and 6.8L V10 engines, 2005 to 2007 Mustang GT 4.6 & 5.4L V8 engines, and 2008 Mustang GT models built prior to 11/30/07) can break when you attempt to remove them! If you have a different application, no problem, for a wider coverage of spark plug thread repairs see our Time-Sert thread repair kit section. ... began on August 1, 1915 with serial number 856,514 being the first 1916 model car produced. If the vehicle is still under warranty, Ford will replace the cylinder heads if they're damaged. Keeping this in consideration, what year did Ford fix the spark plug problem? "-Sean M. of Boerne, TX. It usually lasts a while and then blows again creating a bigger problem! I began to notice what sounded like a fairly loud lifter noise about 5 days prior to blowing a plug and should have been suspicious because this is a overhead cam engine and therefore HAS NO LIFTERS!! The 4.6 was certainly a smooth engine and a good power plant for a 4000 pound Lincoln. The 4.6 liter V8 was the first of what was dubbed the “Modular Engines” from Ford. Vehicle models from 2009 on do not use the original design. Known Problems: The Ford V10 is a very reliable motor, and has been known to exceed 300,000 miles. I have been very fortunate, had '97,2003, 2006 trucks all with 5.4 that never spit out any plugs. But any engine has to be maintained properly. ¿Cuáles son los 10 mandamientos de la Biblia Reina Valera 1960? The problem affects spark plugs in several Ford models, including the best-selling Ford F-150. Much to people's surprise, the V10 actually never stopped production. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US agency with the authority to conduct vehicle defect investigations & force recalls. Just make sure to have the work evaluated and done by a trusted mechanic. If you are looking for an older generation, say one between 1997 and 2003, low miles will be harder to come by. The TSB actually covers the V8 as well as the, When it comes to Ford 4.6 spark plug problems, the years. Is the v10 Ford engine reliable? I own a 2002 F-250 and just yesterday on a perfectly maintained personal truck, I blew the #2 plug while cruising at 60 mph.I had never changed my plugs due to lower mileage of this truck and therefore cannot be blamed for improper torquing of new plugs or any of the other unique ideas Ford is currently making up. Maybe you've experienced this problem. ... Support Model T Ford Fix. Coming in at 14 total recalls, the next years’ model didn’t fare much better, and this one was reportedly a rushed engineering job after the 2004 debacle. Most troubling to me is the huge diversity of dollar cost and repair procedures for a relatively simple thing to fix. Intercooler Condensation Problems in the 3.5 EcoBoost Engine Ford's made in the 2011 or 2012 model year sometimes had a problem with humidity and moisture building up in the form of condensation in the intercooler. The repair involved reaming the spark plug hole, tapping it and inserting a helicoil to hold a factory spark … ... And that’s on V8 and V10 Ford 3-valve cylinder heads of certain years. Valve Seals – The 1991-1995 4.6L is prone to leaking valve seals. Other years of the vehicles listed above that are affected by spark plug blowout in the Ford Triton engine: Other models: 1997 Ford Thunderbird, 1997-2004 Ford Mustang, 1997-2008 Ford Crown Victoria, 1997-1999 Ford F-250, 1997-2004 Ford F-350, 1997-2007 Lincoln Town Car, 1998-1999 Lincoln Navigator, 1997-2008 Mercury Grand Marquis, 2002-2006 Mercury Mountaineer. Reply. What years did the 5.4 Triton have problems? The 5.4 3 valve engine has the spark plugs that break off in the head when trying to remove them, the plugs were redesigned in 2009, the problem was the end of the plug was smooth and extends into the spark plug hole, this would accumulate carbon, when trying to remove them, the carbon would cause the end of the plug to seize as it is turned causing it to break. The full details can be found in TSB 13-8-1. !If this happens to you disconnect the coil harness at the plug in question as well as the fuel injector harness and you won't have an engine fire as a result of fuel vapor coming out of the plug hole and being ignited by the exposed coil!!! We believe this defect affects the following 2-valve engines: Triton 4.6L V8, 5.4L V8, 6.8L V10 & possibly others. Ford’s overhead cam 4.6L V8 engine has been in production since 1991 and has been used in a wide variety of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models from Crown Victorias and Mustangs to F-150s and Expeditions. Ford originally insisted the problem was due to replacement plugs being improperly torqued. Structural difficulties plagued this particular model, requiring tons of maintenance and repair. One of the main faults with the early V10 engines (1999 – 2005) was that the spark plugs could blow out of the cylinder head. Ford 4.6L, 5.4L and 6.8L 3 Valve engines have the two piece spark plug; The 2 Valve engine does not use this plug. The freeze frame data for the misfire should indicate the engine was above 2500 rpm with a 100% load. Ford also needed a new engine to replace its dated 7.5-liter (460-inch) V8. Similarly, how long do Ford v10 engines last? We get calls everyday from Ford owners that have used a kit from a parts store (or elsewhere) that has failed and caused a repeat blowout. Likewise, Ford 5.4 spark plug problems have been common on models from these years as well. Spark Plug. Others argue that the spark plugs were over-torqued and under-tightened during the manufacturing process. CarComplaints.com is a free site dedicated to uncovering problem trends and informing owners about potential issues with their cars. In TSB 07-21-2 Ford acknowledges that "some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, or 6.8L 2V engine and aluminum heads may experience a spark plug port with stripped or missing threads. What color walls go with black furniture? We have swapped all 8 in some with no issues and have broken plugs off in cylinders beside one that came out easily. © AskingLot.com LTD 2021 All Rights Reserved. He said he can get ford to help with the repair (which they initially rejected) and after 8 days and a final bill of $1193. Ford use a cast iron engine block with an overhead cam aluminium cylinder head design, that uses centrally mounted spark plugs and waste spark ignition. Ford F-150 2000 200000 miles. In TSB 07-21-2 Ford acknowledges that "some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, or 6.8L 2V engine and aluminum heads may experience a spark plug port with stripped or missing threads. Click to see full answer. The Calvan 38900 is for SOHC engines from around 1996-2000, if working on a DOHC InTech engine, use Time-Sert 5553 or 5600. Whatever the reason, here's a handful of things you can do to make sure it gets the attention it deserves. While repairs tend to be more severe than average, these issues occur less often, so major repairs are infrequent for the F-150. !, taking the last few threads with it.So here we are and what do we do now? Answer – Some repair inserts are definitely a temporary fix, no doubt. That's where you come in. In fact, there have been a small number of reports of engine fires due to spark plug ejection / blowout. I believe the modular Ford did have problems with the plugs but, IIRC, those went away in 2004. Ejections may strip the spark plug hole threads and damage the engine's cylinder heads. This would lead to things like misfires, hard acceleration, jerking and lurching of the engine and so on. Comment. Likewise, Ford 5.4 spark plug problems have been common on models from these years as well. Replacing spark plugs in cars has been a relatively simple task since Henry Ford mastered the assembly line, that is unless you have a Ford V8 engine from 2004-2008. Also, we do not recommend simply re-tapping the spark plug threads because the threads are probably too damaged already and the spark plug may just blow out again causing even more damage. It's very sluggish Solved. Major class action law firms use this data when researching cases. !When a plug is loose and an engine is rotating at 2000 rpm, it generates a tremendous amount of pressure each time it fires a cylinder.So the longer a spark plug wobbles from being loose in the threads the more thread damage it does and finally the last few good threads can no longer take the pressure and out comes the plug! XLT, is the heavy duty model. There are many different ways to perform a repair, a permanent one requires the spark plug to be held in with more than the original 4 thread. I am somewhat of a Ford person and am not here to bash Ford, however I would like to clarify what happens in this situation. It does have a few known problems: ... out the threads. We're also not aware of any class action lawsuits regarding this issue ... yet. Ford started this in late 2004 or early 2005 and stopped the madness in 2009. Besides, what was the last year that Ford has spark plug problems? Ironically, the reverse problem is happening in the same engines where the spark plugs get stuck and break off in the engine. Ford F-150 Reliability Rating Breakdown The Ford F-150 Reliability Rating is 3.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 7th out of 17 for fullsize trucks. - Answered by a verified Ford Mechanic. 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