Sorting out a 99' Continental

[Sincoln]

Hi. New to Continentals, but had a VERY reliable 96' Mark VIII that I ran hard for years, and decided to gamble a bit here as that car never had any serious issues and I drove it cross country, towed other cars with it, etc. and put almost 70k on it before selling (had 60k when I bought it).

Anyhow, picked up a 99' Cont. with engine running issues for next to nothing. About 84k miles on the clock and everything works (AC, heat, radio, gauges, seats, mirrors, all windows, etc.) plus it's straight w/o rust and only minor paint issues on hood and bumper. Has aluminum intake and only rear has bags (dunno if that's normal on these or not?; My Mark VIII had bags all around). It had some hidden rodent-chewing wire damage right where the coil-on-plug wires enter under the cover on top of the valve cover causing the running issues, and so far seems to be the only chewed on spot.

Only code (P1137 iirc) it had, cleared after I fixed the wiring going to the firewall-side COPS (I pulled the battery cable to reset). I put oem Motorcraft plugs + coil boots in as well. Went from barely running, to running. Shifts good, brakes felt good, doesn't pull, everything feels like it should, but, there are a few things that still need sorted:

1. Took it for a quick jog down some back roads after fixing wiring and new plugs. No stored codes, no CEL. However, it's stalling at stops. Once warm, it can also stall going from Park or Neutral to D or R. I pulled the IAC and cleaned it out, and gently stuck a plastic zip tie end in to verify the valve could move and to also aid in getting the valve flapper clean. Also noticed if idling in Park, and I turn something like the heater on (heavy electrical demand), it'll eventually stall as well. Doesn't seem to be getting the signal to kick up idle speed?


2. Alternator is making a rather loud engagement clank sound when a demand is being applied- akin to an A/C clutch engaging/disengaging, or like what a strong magnet sounds like when it hits metal. Something amiss? Or are they inherently loud?


3. Are the serpentine tensioners known for getting noisy i.e. knock after awhile? I'll pull the belt to see if what I'm hearing will stop or not, just wondering what their life span and reliability is like?


4. Car feels down on power, and even though water IS coming out the tail pipes, getting some raw exhaust gas smells that you normally only get from cat-less cars, AFTER it's at operating temps. How durable are the cats on these and how much of a pita is dropping the front y-pipe? (has a new flex section immediately after the 3rd down-cat, so that area should at least be easier) Have a hunch one or both up-cats might have an issue, which is entirely possible if it was driven too long with that kind of wire short, but I'd think the down O2 would be popping a cel? Or do these need a solid 50 miles of driving before popping certain codes? Is there a good spot to T-in a vacuum gauge to see if it's vacuum reading might shed any light on the issue?


Since it straightened out after the wiring was sorted, gonna push a little further. Figured I'd ask the in-crowd first and sort whatever is possible, before getting it examined at Ford. Normally, I'd take it for a good run on the highway to give it a chance to burn off all the nasties it picked up and give sensors like the O2 a chance to cleanse, but not sure if that's the right approach at this point; had a 92' SHO with a CPS loom pinched in the timing cover, and the crank pulley rubbed through, creating a nasty, hard to pinpoint short, and Ford after fixing said "run it hard to clean it out".

 

[Firebrian]

Belt tensioner and idler pully getting noisy is fairly common. I'd say it's the luck of the draw. With 230K miles on my 1997 Conti I never got a bad noise from the pulley area. Same comment with the CAT. It lasted the life of the car. Same for the rear air suspension components. Squeals and sqeaks in the belt area are somewhat common. But a light cyclical, metallic scraping in the alternator/water pump area could be a failing water pump. My Continental exhaust have always seemed to drip some water even hot. My current one has a nice light gray coating on the inner exhaust outlets....doesn't burn much oil at all at 78K.

I'd also look at replacing the fuel filter (easy) and cabin air filter (easy). Checking your air inlet stream, MAF and throttle body valves for cleanliness is a good idea. If your not sure of the age of the transmission fluid, just change it to start a baseline...and to ensure you have Mercon V in there. I suspect the last Quick Lube trans service I got they put Mercon in my car. Only way to be sure is to do it yourself. If I could do it over again, I'd change Trans fluid every 20K miles for a non-highway driven car.

 

[Svets96]

Hi. New to Continentals, but had a VERY reliable 96' Mark VIII that I ran hard for years, and decided to gamble a bit here as that car never had any serious issues and I drove it cross country, towed other cars with it, etc. and put almost 70k on it before selling (had 60k when I bought it).

Anyhow, picked up a 99' Cont. with engine running issues for next to nothing. About 84k miles on the clock and everything works (AC, heat, radio, gauges, seats, mirrors, all windows, etc.) plus it's straight w/o rust and only minor paint issues on hood and bumper. Has aluminum intake and only rear has bags (dunno if that's normal on these or not?; My Mark VIII had bags all around). It had some hidden rodent-chewing wire damage right where the coil-on-plug wires enter under the cover on top of the valve cover causing the running issues, and so far seems to be the only chewed on spot.

Only code (P1137 iirc) it had, cleared after I fixed the wiring going to the firewall-side COPS (I pulled the battery cable to reset). I put oem Motorcraft plugs + coil boots in as well. Went from barely running, to running. Shifts good, brakes felt good, doesn't pull, everything feels like it should, but, there are a few things that still need sorted:

1. Took it for a quick jog down some back roads after fixing wiring and new plugs. No stored codes, no CEL. However, it's stalling at stops. Once warm, it can also stall going from Park or Neutral to D or R. I pulled the IAC and cleaned it out, and gently stuck a plastic zip tie end in to verify the valve could move and to also aid in getting the valve flapper clean. Also noticed if idling in Park, and I turn something like the heater on (heavy electrical demand), it'll eventually stall as well. Doesn't seem to be getting the signal to kick up idle speed?


2. Alternator is making a rather loud engagement clank sound when a demand is being applied- akin to an A/C clutch engaging/disengaging, or like what a strong magnet sounds like when it hits metal. Something amiss? Or are they inherently loud?


3. Are the serpentine tensioners known for getting noisy i.e. knock after awhile? I'll pull the belt to see if what I'm hearing will stop or not, just wondering what their life span and reliability is like?


4. Car feels down on power, and even though water IS coming out the tail pipes, getting some raw exhaust gas smells that you normally only get from cat-less cars, AFTER it's at operating temps. How durable are the cats on these and how much of a pita is dropping the front y-pipe? (has a new flex section immediately after the 3rd down-cat, so that area should at least be easier) Have a hunch one or both up-cats might have an issue, which is entirely possible if it was driven too long with that kind of wire short, but I'd think the down O2 would be popping a cel? Or do these need a solid 50 miles of driving before popping certain codes? Is there a good spot to T-in a vacuum gauge to see if it's vacuum reading might shed any light on the issue?


Since it straightened out after the wiring was sorted, gonna push a little further. Figured I'd ask the in-crowd first and sort whatever is possible, before getting it examined at Ford. Normally, I'd take it for a good run on the highway to give it a chance to burn off all the nasties it picked up and give sensors like the O2 a chance to cleanse, but not sure if that's the right approach at this point; had a 92' SHO with a CPS loom pinched in the timing cover, and the crank pulley rubbed through, creating a nasty, hard to pinpoint short, and Ford after fixing said "run it hard to clean it out".

** '98 or '99 was the first year for rear air bags only. You don't have to worry about getting these.

1. For the idle issue I would probably get a new IAC solenoid, and check the EGR valve too for any build up and use cleaner to dissolve deposits, may need a new one if its really bad. Clean throttle body ports with cleaner, might be gummed up drench a rag with it and pull throttle blades open and clean behind and front. Also check for any vacuum leaks. There is a rubber elbow on top of the intake on PCV valve look to see if there is a split or dry rot. Check any related fuses under hood and dash to see if any are blown per stalling out scenario. Would cater to the slight "load" you might be experiencing. Plus the rodent chewing on the wires would be your likely culprit. Video on how to repair:

They sell new plugs and rewiring kits for this: Motorcraft® Wiring Sets for Ford and Lincoln Vehicles | The Official Ford Parts Site | FordParts.com

2. I found out that alternators in good operating condition on this model have a slight dieseling sound, think 5.4l Triton V8 idle. Anything louder it maybe on its way out. Should replace it if its the original which it probably is original good deal for it surviving that mileage for sure.

3. For the noisy belt, if the serpentine belt, tensioner assembly, and idler pulley haven't been changed or are squealing change it all at once, do it when you get a new alternator as well. Its a job that will take some time, might as well replace all as necessary like your scenario. That is why its noisy needs replaced. Mine was changed at around 78K for the same described symptoms.

4. For the Cat Converter prob. It may be resulting in the chewed COP from the mice. It will run inefficient and throw more fuel into the cats wiping them out. Soon you should get a CEL for the CAT malfunction. O2 sensors would need changed as a result. If the cats are gone, Walker is a good replacement, Maganflow is good to but some have complained that they malfunction quickly. Water out the exhaust is common on Ford V8 and V6 engines they are tuned lean from the factory hence the water.

Update as much as you can.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sincoln]

Thanks for the replies! I already cut and soldered the 6 wires with rubber sleeving nibbled on (rodent was VERY thorough, I'll give it that, cleanly stripped the rubber despite the wires being factory stuck together) and added heat shrink tubing to each section, and electrical taped them all back into a group.

Alt is probably acting up then. Could be causing other issues as well, especially if it's requiring more effort than intended to turn + a restricted exhaust...

Belt isn't squeaking, but there is a deep knock from the area. Removing belt will indicate if it's accessory noise or engine. I know some modern Subaru for example have this problem with tensioners that can't maintain tension, and it "bounces" rapidly and transfers the sound to the front cover and comes across as main bearing knock. I noticed what appeared to be excess, "unrefined" movement on my tensioner. Will update on that after yanking belt.

Where is the fuel filter on these? Did everything on my Mark VIII (trans, engine, rear oil, + plugs, wires, coolant, fuel and air filter, etc. and did routine stuff going forward) and will eventually do the same assuming this Cont. isn't a basket case. Trans fluid actually still smells good, so that's usually a good sign going forward. When in wreaks of a 1980's hair perm (chemical used was extremely noxious), it's often a bad sign of neglect.

Are the Walker cats part of the y-pipe? And is the pipe Galvanized or like the mild steel from the factory? I've seen Ford cats glob up (literally melted the substrate) on one side of the cat housing, while leaving a small section unobstructed, to blowing out the substrate in chunks which end up in the muffler or blocking the cat they hit downstream). Have a sinking feeling one or both scenarios might have happened. Or one cat on one side is destroyed, while other is intact.

Good to know on the rear bags. Was semi-worried someone hacked into the air lines and retrofitted standard struts up front, but a little disappointed these didn't have 4 corner bags as I miss that type of ride. Front sits rather high. Rear does drop after about 2 days of sitting, which was to be expected, but both are dropping in unison. Think I had to do my rear bags in the Mark around 85k, and front appeared to have been done before I got that. Compressor sounds just like the Mark, which is good.

I'll try and find a good spot to T-in my vacuum gauge and get some vacuum readings as they can actually pinpoint obstructed exhausts, valve issues, etc. Fingers crossed!

 

[Firebrian]

My 1997 rear suspension would lower the car some by the next morning. Yet, the compressor, piping, and bags never needed any work. The car died at 232K miles without having touched the air suspension system. So you'd be surprised how long they can weep/leak and not be a problem. My wife was driving the 2002 out of state one time and bottomed out the rear end of the car like a dragster when she came out from stopping at a restaurant. The only logical reason was that something cycled on the rear switches when going over some severe dips on a road being re-paved. She drove it all the way home (carefully) with the rear end nearly on the ground. When it got home, I turned it off, cycled the air suspension on/off switch, and it came back to life to normal leveling. Has never done that again.

Fuel filter is located on the driver's side, about mid-way, tucked in behind the lower rocker panels. A couple of screw drivers, needle nose pliers, and/or pointed vice grips is all I remember using. There's a slip on compression fitting that has to be squeezed to release it, somewhat similar to the trans cooler slip fitting of the block. I didn't bother to release system pressure from the engine bay fuel line vent. Might have just run the engine for a bit with the with the fuel pump fuse removed prior to working on it. Just google it and you'll find the procedure. I only got a small amount of residual fluid out, maybe 1/4-1/2 cup. No difference to me on how it ran before or after (changed at 65K miles).

Rodent tip. My wife recommended scented, clothes dryer sheets. I now put them in several spots in the engine bay. Those varmits also get into the hood as well via the rails on the side. So I stuffed a dryer sheet inside the hood's round drain holes at the front and rear. Stuff one into the mid-hood square cavity opening on each side as that's probably prime nesting area #1. No signs of them since. I also found a small nest in the rear rocker area. They got in through the missing oval drain plug just forward of the rear wheel well. A dryer sheet could go in there too.

 

[Sincoln]

OK, yanked serpentine belt and engine sounded quieter on the front by a good margin, but still has a low deep knock coming from the back side of the engine near the trans. Did a couple quick searches of DOHC 4.6L noise, and found a video where the guy claimed to have a knock, replaced the engine, only to have the same knock persist despite being a new engine (actually went from a 2v to 4v in a Mustang). General consensus in the replies was the flexplate was at fault as it was one of the only things the old engine and new engine had in common, other than the exhaust. The guy's video the sound is basically identical to mine, though mine is quieter. Have you guys heard of flexplate issues on the FWD DOHC cars?

On a side note, tested the vacuum and it was strong and steady at about 20Hg. Needle stayed right on it, which was a surprise. Blipped throttle and it seemingly passed that as well, meaning no exhaust obstruction, but not entirely convinced all the cats are OK.


Thanks for the fuel filter location. Hopefully the other issues can be sorted and I can get the car a good fluid/filter service.

 

[Svets96]

Thanks for the replies! I already cut and soldered the 6 wires with rubber sleeving nibbled on (rodent was VERY thorough, I'll give it that, cleanly stripped the rubber despite the wires being factory stuck together) and added heat shrink tubing to each section, and electrical taped them all back into a group.

Alt is probably acting up then. Could be causing other issues as well, especially if it's requiring more effort than intended to turn + a restricted exhaust...

Belt isn't squeaking, but there is a deep knock from the area. Removing belt will indicate if it's accessory noise or engine. I know some modern Subaru for example have this problem with tensioners that can't maintain tension, and it "bounces" rapidly and transfers the sound to the front cover and comes across as main bearing knock. I noticed what appeared to be excess, "unrefined" movement on my tensioner. Will update on that after yanking belt.

Where is the fuel filter on these? Did everything on my Mark VIII (trans, engine, rear oil, + plugs, wires, coolant, fuel and air filter, etc. and did routine stuff going forward) and will eventually do the same assuming this Cont. isn't a basket case. Trans fluid actually still smells good, so that's usually a good sign going forward. When in wreaks of a 1980's hair perm (chemical used was extremely noxious), it's often a bad sign of neglect.

Are the Walker cats part of the y-pipe? And is the pipe Galvanized or like the mild steel from the factory? I've seen Ford cats glob up (literally melted the substrate) on one side of the cat housing, while leaving a small section unobstructed, to blowing out the substrate in chunks which end up in the muffler or blocking the cat they hit downstream). Have a sinking feeling one or both scenarios might have happened. Or one cat on one side is destroyed, while other is intact.

Good to know on the rear bags. Was semi-worried someone hacked into the air lines and retrofitted standard struts up front, but a little disappointed these didn't have 4 corner bags as I miss that type of ride. Front sits rather high. Rear does drop after about 2 days of sitting, which was to be expected, but both are dropping in unison. Think I had to do my rear bags in the Mark around 85k, and front appeared to have been done before I got that. Compressor sounds just like the Mark, which is good.

I'll try and find a good spot to T-in my vacuum gauge and get some vacuum readings as they can actually pinpoint obstructed exhausts, valve issues, etc. Fingers crossed!

No problem!

Actually the fuel filter is located on passenger side side inner rocker panel. Thank God its really easy to change and get to with the old style clips and compression fittings.

Make sure you change the Transmission fluid every 15K miles not the Ford recommended 35K. The AX4N transmissions need clean fresh fluid going through the fluid cooler. These transmissions heat up though, some say it can boil over meaning you'll see foam coming out of the dipstick, that happen. Typical trans problems include: Torque converter not locking up, shift pack malfunction are the real problems. Take it easy on the trans and you'll have it run for a long time. Look to Sonnax and Jasper for new and rebuilt trans if you need a new one.

Walker cats are the whole Y-pipe assembly for everything. You can purchase those just about any where. I believe they are a mild steel. If you hear any rattling in mufflers and or see metal pieces blowing out yea the cats are toast lol.

 

[Svets96]

OK, yanked serpentine belt and engine sounded quieter on the front by a good margin, but still has a low deep knock coming from the back side of the engine near the trans. Did a couple quick searches of DOHC 4.6L noise, and found a video where the guy claimed to have a knock, replaced the engine, only to have the same knock persist despite being a new engine (actually went from a 2v to 4v in a Mustang). General consensus in the replies was the flexplate was at fault as it was one of the only things the old engine and new engine had in common, other than the exhaust. The guy's video the sound is basically identical to mine, though mine is quieter. Have you guys heard of flexplate issues on the FWD DOHC cars?

On a side note, tested the vacuum and it was strong and steady at about 20Hg. Needle stayed right on it, which was a surprise. Blipped throttle and it seemingly passed that as well, meaning no exhaust obstruction, but not entirely convinced all the cats are OK.


Thanks for the fuel filter location. Hopefully the other issues can be sorted and I can get the car a good fluid/filter service.

I think I have heard about flex plate issues with the trans before. It's probably due for a new one, considering how the car was treated would depend how it is acting up on you. Go to Sonnax transmissions they have upgraded parts ect. Maybe the car might be due for a trans. can't really tell. As long as its not throwing codes like TCC on the message center.

 

[Sincoln]

Yeah, when they fail to throw codes, it's always more interesting trying to sort through them. No actual codes thus far though. CEL lights with key on, then goes out once running. Everything in the cluster was reporting "OK". Handheld isn't seeing any pending or overt codes.

The guy I got the car from, had a new flex pipe section welded after the down cat (strange priorities given it barely ran and might be a red flag). Car was in Canton (no e-check there) and have a funny feeling if I drop the flex pipe, there might be an empty 3rd cat (it's easy to hollow cats out unfortunately and given Canton was never "blessed" with an e-check means this issue is still common). Though it's at least easier to have a new cat welded on there if that's the case.

Apparently some Fords from this era had torque converter issues (most posts are about rwd applications) where they stay mechanically locked, and cause stalling at idle when in gear. I remember Taurus had a similar issue, but that was an electrical issue that could be bypassed temporarily by unplugging the trans connector for the OD IIRC, unlocking the converter. Is that possible on these? If it is indeed locked up, unlocking it would at least allow it to get e-checked assuming the cats are squared away and I can get it plated, else I'll have to get 30 day which I'd rather avoid.

BTW, if heat is an issue on the trans, an external trans cooler with a temp-operated switch to a fan is the ticket. Just adding one can extend trans life. Can get RV coolers at Summit. Room is the big issue on what you can use.

 

[Svets96]

Yeah, when they fail to throw codes, it's always more interesting trying to sort through them. No actual codes thus far though. CEL lights with key on, then goes out once running. Everything in the cluster was reporting "OK". Handheld isn't seeing any pending or overt codes.

The guy I got the car from, had a new flex pipe section welded after the down cat (strange priorities given it barely ran and might be a red flag). Car was in Canton (no e-check there) and have a funny feeling if I drop the flex pipe, there might be an empty 3rd cat (it's easy to hollow cats out unfortunately and given Canton was never "blessed" with an e-check means this issue is still common). Though it's at least easier to have a new cat welded on there if that's the case.

Apparently some Fords from this era had torque converter issues (most posts are about rwd applications) where they stay mechanically locked, and cause stalling at idle when in gear. I remember Taurus had a similar issue, but that was an electrical issue that could be bypassed temporarily by unplugging the trans connector for the OD IIRC, unlocking the converter. Is that possible on these? If it is indeed locked up, unlocking it would at least allow it to get e-checked assuming the cats are squared away and I can get it plated, else I'll have to get 30 day which I'd rather avoid.

BTW, if heat is an issue on the trans, an external trans cooler with a temp-operated switch to a fan is the ticket. Just adding one can extend trans life. Can get RV coolers at Summit. Room is the big issue on what you can use.

Good that its not throwing codes.

Sounds like the 3rd cat is hollowed out to me. The 3rd cat is a "dummy" cat any way, it will not effect any performance at all. A lot of dudes on LVC remove the 3rd cat and place a piece of pipe in replace of it. It'll sound a little deeper to. You can get a new universal cat welded up its not part of the Y-pipe, it just sucks about emissions where your at. Your not to far from me, about less than an hour. We don't have E-check here, thank God.

Transmission symptoms I've heard of, especially the torque converter. You can try that trick, to see if it works.

For '99 model year it has a trans cooler from the factory. Its about a foot long by 6 in. or so, placed at an angle behind the front bumper. You should see it clearly under the car. This is one thing you don't have to worry about.

 

[Firebrian]

Since you guys are discussing coolers, my 2002 has a very long (2 ft x 1/2 ft.) secondary cooler in front of the radiator in the lower grille area. I just assumed that was a stand alone power steering cooler. It has 3 lines going into it though (why not 2?). The driver's side tank of the main radiator is where the transmission cooler lines go into. Did Ford feel this was a superior set up for a combo (yet separate) PS/Trans fluid cooler?

 

[Svets96]

Since you guys are discussing coolers, my 2002 has a very long (2 ft x 1/2 ft.) secondary cooler in front of the radiator in the lower grille area. I just assumed that was a stand alone power steering cooler. It has 3 lines going into it though (why not 2?). The passenger side tank of the main radiator is where the transmission cooler lines go. Did Ford feel this was a superior set up for PS/Trans fluid cooling? Didn't these use the same finned cooler in earlier years?

I'm not quite sure on earlier years. They probably routed this in the best way for cooling efficiency.

 

[Sincoln]

Had to do a ton of digging as for whatever reason the TCC solenoid for this actual car isn't easy to find online (plethora of Sable/Taurus in wrong ohm are). Got lucky and found the Ford part number F7OZ-7G136-AA (that number seems to cross correctly for the year/model).

Are the trans pans easy to drop on these? Read elsewhere a subframe connector might be in the way and might loosening and wedged down a bit so the pan can clear (I'm assuming the valve body?) and slide out?

 

[Firebrian]

Trans pan is easy, at least on my 2002. Nothing in the way. Never did it on my 1997. The factory pan gasket is near bullet-proof and very likely reusable. The only thing to really watch for is getting out the old rubberized metallic backed filter neck seal (it's orange or green on the outside). It actually starts out like a plastic when new and turns softer over time. It invariably gets left behind when you pull out the filter. You have to crush or collapse it around the edges to be able to grab it with a pair of needle pliers. Careful that you don't scrape too hard behind the seal with a screw driver when trying to remove it as you can score the trans casing metal lining and create leak by. Some people just leave the old seal in place and pop in a new filter (new seal removed).

Some seals are only 1/2" and others are 1" long. Some are orange, green, etc. From my experiences, the 1" one is the correct OEM version and seals the full depth of that inlet port. But what came out of mine as probably the original OEM filter was a 1/2" orange seal. I got my new one from a Ford dealer (1" green as I recall). Can't recall what the differences are for green vs. orange....or if it even makes a difference.

 

[Sincoln]

Great! Thank you for the advice.

 

[Sincoln]

Just an update. New alt, IAC, and tensioner. Random stalling still, though the first time I started it after parts were in, it it held idle regardless if AC or anything demanding was turned on. Took for a 20 mile jog. Seems to shift OK, and it'll manually drop out of OD if selector is in 3, but on occasion it feels like a rumble and it stumbles a bit, and noticed an obvious power surge/throttling if I stood on it from a near stop to around 60. Can't tell if it's the trans or the engine or electrical. Weirdest part is it's not throwing any CEL codes yet, which is frustrating to say the least.

Some of the vacuum lines/hose need attention, so those are next, then gonna probably drop at Ford and let them inspect it and go from there. Definitely has a cat missing. Would rather have a down cat missing vs. a damaged upper, though that might explain the power issue.

 

[Sincoln]

Finally got it running right . After much frustration, decided to actually test each COP with an ohm meter. ONE coil was about 2 ohms lower than the other 7. Probed center and checked each lead out of circuit, (dunno if that's the "right" way or not) and all other coils were roughly in the 4.5~ ohm range on each lead. The suspect coil was 2.4 ohms. Local yard had a like new Motorcraft coil (also matched the ohms of the other 7) so swapped it in, reset battery to be safe, and it ran like it should. Took it out for a 20 mile run of mixed traffic, and it ran great. Definitely needs oil and trans fluid still, but it made the trip w/o stalling and everything was working. It was the reason for the gas smell as well in the exhaust.

Still dumbfounded it never threw a code as I assumed the coils were OK and surprised ONE coil being off by 2 ohms cuased that much trouble... Must only check for shorts in the coil or needs a larger ohm variance? Epoxy on top had a hairline crack, which is bad. Saab had the brilliant idea of mounting all 4 coils into a LARGE singular epoxy setting and making that the entire cover for the plug galley, then charging $$$$ to replace the entire unit (Google Saab DIC and you'll see why) which also sneakily detected engine knock...

Putting coils on the actual head is the dumbest idea as the heat soak is what's killing them, or rather cracking the epoxy and leading to very short lifespans. Bet you could mount the actual coils in a row w/o the boots, off the head and run traditional DOHC wires with deep boots (like a shortened set of Mark VIII wires) and never have to worry about them again, similar to the Mark VIII's where they just had 2 physical packs with 4 coils in each block. 128k miles and I still had the stock units, though it need new plugs every 20k miles. This poor Continental just turned 85k and already needed replacements. But hey, it's running proper atm.

 

[Svets96]

Good to hear the car is fine. I didn't even think to even bring up the coils. They do get hairline cracks in them, my '06 F150 did the same thing it left codes about misfire. Although my truck was ready for a tune up anyway. Plugs and coils on the InTech and other Ford engines are very finicky about the replacements. Make sure you use Motorcraft for many replacement parts.

On a side note I though about running Accel or MSD coils on the Lincoln, and I've researched that this engine will not like them. It will blow them right out. So Motorcraft it is, when the time comes.

 

[Sincoln]

I was meaning something like getting a set of Mark VIII plug wires (up to at least 96' it didn't have COP, it had 2 physical coil packs that handled 4 plugs each, and it's plug wire boots should work deep in the head same as the RWD 4.6L DOHC), and shortening their lengths (very easy to do with traditional plug wires and universal sets are trim to fit). With the factory COPS, you'd remove them from the head, completely remove the factory boots/springs so you'd only have an individual coil, and attach opposite end of plug wires directly to the where the boot would go. As long as the plug wire crimp touches the center spade of the coil, it should send the current from the individual coil through the shortened plug wire and directly to the spark plug and they actually have a round sleeve a boot could grab to. As long as the ohms are still the same at the plug, I think it'd work. Can reroute the entire coil harness above the cover. The ideal aspect here is getting the coils out of the radiant heat the heads are soaking them with, and theoretically increasing their lifespan greatly. Assuming it'd work, mounting the coils to something would be the hard part. Given how expensive they are x 8, it's pricey if they won't survive long enough due to a design flaw.

 

[Sincoln]

Well, she fast-past e-check today! Another major hurdle overcome!

 

[Svets96]

Good deal

 

[Sincoln]

Just some updates/thoughts.

1. Coils change resistances when hot. Ohms apparently can increase slightly by +1-2 ohms. Check when cool.

2. You can have a failing coil and NOT have a CEL and it can still read OK. In my case (neither bad coils were popping anything), I had another one going bad. Engine had a very slight stumbling at idle, that "felt" more pronounced in gear but went away above 1k rpm. It was barely noticeable at first, then gradually became more obvious/severe. After about 200 miles of it being there but NO codes; while idling in the driveway it finally popped a P0307. Reset it with hand held, and let idle more. Code came back. Luckily had a spare, swapped it out and stumble at idle stopped. I personally suggest replacing all 8 at the same time. Keep old ones for a rainy day back up.

3. Alarm can somehow set it itself with driver's door unlocked... Unplugged hood sensor, and the trunk has a sensor on the latch, hidden behind the trunk lining. I disconnected that and also disconnected the other connection at the trunk lock for the time being. The info center reports back everything is shut, so they apparently don't need jumpers at the connector- just unplugging them is enough. Now the waiting game. Alarm had tripped at night, at LEAST 3 times I'm aware of. Hopefully it was the hood or trunk.

4. If you have an aluminum intake, check your upper plenum for tightness. With engine running, I found two of the bolts nearest the center (runners closest radiator side) were loose, and snugging them increased the engine idle. So new gaskets were ordered. Considering Ford jumped a Fonzi-sized shark with the plastic intakes, any of the aluminum ones added later might need an inspection.

5. Normal idle seems to be around 650-700 (in gear) which is where my Mark idled. If your tach is hovering around 500~, might be worthwhile to check things out