She studdddders

n8bachelor

n8bachelor

Dedicated LVC Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
Messages
1,622
Reaction score
12
Location
Bentonville, AR
This weekend my 06 LS with just 50k miles started to hesitate and shudder right about 2k rpm. Happens in 4th and 5th gear when the engine is loaded for mild accelleration. Any sharp acceleration will drop a gear and go but that 1800-2200 range has started to buck.

I'm assuming this is coils even though only 50k on the clock. My v6 lasted till 85k before I changed them but this LS is 10 years old now.

Where can I get Motorcraft coils and plugs? I understand Accel is also an option I should entertain. I want to do it right, no cheap stuff.
 
Last edited:
n8bachelor said:
This weekend my 06 LS with just 50k miles started to hesitate and studder right about 2k rpm. Happens in 4th and 5th gear when the engine is loaded for mild accelleration. Any sharp acceleration will drop a gear and go but that 1800-2200 range has started to buck.

I'm assuming this is coils even though only 50k on the clock. My v6 lasted till 85k before I changed them but this LS is 10 years old now.

Where can I get Motorcraft coils and plugs? I understand Accel is also an option I should entertain. I want to do it right, no cheap stuff.
Click to expand...
I thought the customer satisfaction warranty was 10 years and under 100000 miles. So, it may still be under warranty. It does sound like coils. Always change the spark plug along with the coil, and the valve cover gasket if there's oil in the well. I had good luck with American made BWD coils from Advance Auto Parts. The last Motorcrafts I bought were made in China.
 
Gus_Mahn said:
I thought the customer satisfaction warranty was 10 years and under 100000 miles. So, it may still be under warranty. It does sound like coils. Always change the spark plug along with the coil, and the valve cover gasket if there's oil in the well. I had good luck with American made BWD coils from Advance Auto Parts. The last Motorcrafts I bought were made in China.
Click to expand...

I don't think the extended coil warranty covered the 06 model year. Supposedly they had it fixed by then and didn't need to cover the 06. BS.

I will change all 8 plugs and coils simultaneously. Need to find some quality factory replacements to last me another 10 years and hopefully a lot more miles.
 
Yup, sounds like a mild misfire.

Since it's just a Motorcraft part, pick your favorite supplier (online dealer, rockauto, o'reilly/autozone/advance/etc, amazon). Be careful on Amazon to use a well-known seller to avoid counterfeit or knockoff parts. Make sure to gap the plugs correctly.

The only trick is the locking tab for the plug connector tends to break. The quick and easy is to zip-tie the connectors in place when reinstalling. You can also replace the pigtail, or with the right tools and some patience just replace the connector housing. While you're in there, make sure the cowl weatherstrip is in good shape. Douse the windshield/cowl with a hose and see if any water makes it onto the top of the engine.

The accel coils do work, but the wires on the connectors have to be reversed, you have to come up with a way to bolt them down (Hite briefly made some mount adapters), and the coil covers won't fit anymore (someone cut up the coil body to modify the connector which gave just enough room to mount the cover). The boots seal better at the top, so losing the cover isn't as big of a deal. I'm not convinced it's worthwhile.
 
Odd thing is even after a few days driving it now and a few hard stumbles, there is no CEL. Don't want to drive it too long with the misfire else I foul out a cat.

I'll end up replacing all coils and plugs and the vcg if there is oil in the wells; just wasn't expecting to do it so soon. Guess I need to read up on the v8 coil replacement guidelines (this site is great). The v6 was a lot of work to remove the intake manifold to get to the passenger side coils. V8 looks to be a bit easier to access.

Thanks for the tips on the Accel coils. I thought they were more of a direct fit but the coil covers just didn't fit. Don't think I'm up for that much trouble right now when the job is pressing; maybe if I had more time to tinker.
 
My car had misfires when I bought it, so who knows how long it was missing before that, BUT I could get to buck without throwing a code (at least not immediately). If I floored it above ~5000rpm, it'd throw a code and shut the cylinder. If I kept it below that, it'd just buck at 45mph
 
To the OP---It's very perspicacious of you to combine 'stutter' and 'shudder' and create 'studder'.:):):):):):rolleyes:

KS
 
1600+ posts and your first coil issue?!

Damn, well this is your true baptism.
 
Well, Delphis are in. Runs smooth as silk over the weekend. Will be posting more about my search on COP's, but these for now have two thumbs up. Longevity is to be seen, and it will be fresh since I have 2 completely new valve covers.
 
Andrizzle said:
1600+ posts and your first coil issue?!

Damn, well this is your true baptism.
Click to expand...

Not quite. I have a how-to write up post with pics on here for my 04 v6 coil replacement. It was a bit of a process removing the intake and there wasn't a help article on the 2nd Gen v6 at the time.

This is the first coil issue on my 06 that I bought 2 years and 20,000 miles ago. She has a few other minor items that need to be fixed like any other 10 year old car would...but the coils are priority.
 
Replaced all coils and plugs last weekend with Motorcraft parts. Car runs great again, no hesitation or misfire. There was no oil in the wells so no change on the gaskets needed. The driver side was a PITA between the evap valve, oil dipstick, and the coil cover bolt by the firewall it took twice as long as the passenger side.

Sidebar discussion: guy at AutoZone thinks all plugs come pre-gapped no matter what car they are ordered for. I LOL'ed when he told me that and got a gap tool anyway. Plugs came out of the box with 0.045-0.048 gap which is out of spec for the LS. I carefully set them at 0.041 and can't be happier.
 
Back in the day, it was necessary to put in a new set of plugs, a set of points and a condenser about every 10K miles. And every third time you did so you also needed to put on a new cap and rotor and perhaps a set of plug wires.

All the gritching about a set of coils and a set of plugs every 100K or so simply says to me---you don't know how good you have it!!!:)

KS
 
Last edited:
cammerfe said:
Back in the day, it was necessary to put in a new set of plugs, a set of points and a condenser about every 10K miles. And every third time you did so you also needed to put on a new cap and rotor and perhaps a set of plug wires.

All the gritching about a set of coils and a set of plugs every 100K or so simply says to me---you don't know how good you have it!!!

KS
Click to expand...

AMEN!!! Don't forget a new coil every 25Kish. Also, adding oil between the 3K mile oil changes. CONSTANTLY having to fine-tune the carburetor. It is SOOOOOOO much better now!!
 
n8bachelor said:
Sidebar discussion: guy at AutoZone thinks all plugs come pre-gapped no matter what car they are ordered for.
Click to expand...

this is why he is working at AutoZone reading boxes and slinging parts and not as a technician at a dealership or speed shop who actually does the work...
 
cammerfe said:
Back in the day, it was necessary to put in a new set of plugs, a set of points ...
Click to expand...

or take some fine sandpaper and simply cleanup/refresh the contact points.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 295 (members: 0, guests: 295)
Back
Top