[Timbersteel]

Hello to everyone on the forum! This is a great site! I also belong to FTE (Ford Truck Enthusiasts)

I am mechanically inclined. I own 3 OBS F150's. I have owned 5 OBS F150'S total and I also owned a '97 Ford Taurus from 2000 to 2002.
I have a few questions I need guidance with if possible.

I recently inherited my mothers' 2005 Ford Taurus SE, 3.0. It has and did have numerous issues that I have been slowly working on. Its had 85k miles original, she is the second owner since 2006. The car lived its life in the south and now resides on Mid-Missouri.

The most recent issue is cold start, rough idle. In Louisiana, we rarely see cold mornings below 25°F. Here in Missouri, that is usually the average high in winter. Overnight cold soak, creates a rough, hard start and stumble, but clears up. Sometimes, even when its colder, it's a 2 key startup as the engine will die. My wife just found out about the 2 key startup. She started it, came in, waited 10 minutes, realized the defrost was blowing cold air since the windshield had not cleared of frost. Had to restart it again.

I removed and cleaned the IAC valve and it really wasn't that dirty. Haven't touched the MAF sensor yet.
After the 2 start try, I finally received the CEL, pulled codes and had P0300 and P0316.
My mother had it diagnosed 2 years ago as it will misfire even in hot weather. I ordered her a new Motorcraft coil, and the issue went away. I haven't noticed any misfire while driving or when its idling after started regardless of temp outside.

What I don't know about are plugs and wires. They look to be original OEM. She nor my late father mentions anything about that being replaced since they owned it.

I visually check the appearance of the CKP and the pigtail and it looks fine, but have not removed it and inspected it.

I replaced the fuel filter with a WiX unit. Really nasty crud in the filter when I let it drain into a clean container, but otherwise that seems to be ok. I've seen far worse, so I feel that and the fuel pump are fine. I've driven it really hard running fuel injector cleaner through it and running premium fuel as well.
I do know it's a FFV Taurus but can't remember if the engine is a Vulcan or Duratec.

I've replaced busted gas cap, had an emission code and found it broken.

Dropped transmission pan, replaced filter, flushed and refilled with Certified Mercon V.

Just had my 2nd child, a healthy baby girl. I have a 2.5 year old son. So, I had to bite the bullet and have a shop replace lower passenger side ball joint, passenger side tie rod, and the HP power steering line O-ring. I have all the tools, but no time for a DD family car.

If anyone has thoughts, ideas about those 2 codes and how to clear the startup, rough idle, I'd love to hear them.

Thank again!

 

[Jeff K]

I would start with plugs and wires. Relatively cheap and easy to do, and probably needs plugs and wires anyway at 85 K miles. Motorcraft plugs or their NGK equivalents only, and Motorcraft plug wires, not cheap aftermarket junk.

 

[Timbersteel]

Thank you for the reply. I have looked at plugs and wires, but wasn't sure about recommendations.
For ignition, cooling and engine, I only use Motorcraft OEM parts. Been there...done that... lessons learned about being stranded.

I plan on ordering from RA. I have a credit with them so I need to use that.
Are just regular platinum plugs recommended or double plat? I haven't used platinum plugs in over 20 years. I didn't even use them on my ex-wifes 2000 Expedition, 5.4 (Hated that plug design, but loved the power the engine had) and regular coppers did fine.

Thanks again!

 

[Automender12345]

I had a similar cold start issue on my Vulcan 2001. It drove me crazy trying to troubleshooting that problem and I have worked on these cars for 25 years. Thought it could be a weeping head gasket letting coolant into the #3 cylinder overnight since it never happened after a few idle hours. Finally I was replacing the rear valve cover gasket I removed the upper intake manifold and discovered the silicon gasket rings were showing signs of leaking. I suspect the gaskets leaked when the plastic was cold and sealed when the plastic expanded. Work through the easy possible issues but it could be leaking upper intake gaskets. Gaskets were cheap and labor was a few hours of my time.

 

[chartmaker]

Thank you for the reply. I have looked at plugs and wires, but wasn't sure about recommendations.
For ignition, cooling and engine, I only use Motorcraft OEM parts. Been there...done that... lessons learned about being stranded.

I plan on ordering from RA. I have a credit with them so I need to use that.
Are just regular platinum plugs recommended or double plat? I haven't used platinum plugs in over 20 years. I didn't even use them on my ex-wifes 2000 Expedition, 5.4 (Hated that plug design, but loved the power the engine had) and regular coppers did fine.

Thanks again!

Plugs= With COP's single platinum or even copper is OK. With Coilpack all is different. Coilpack sparks twice as often, and the rear bank is reversed polarity which eats plugs. Originally Ford put double plats on rear and single plat on fronts but that was confusing. Saved them a penny but confuses maint. PIc of plugs after 111K miles on DOHC and the front bank still has plat chips on both electrodes. Rears have the chips eroded away and gap is starting to open. I had major issues with Autolite as the top electrode did not fit good in the wire connector and arced tracking the plug and wire in one year. MC plugs fit and last. Minor cost compared to the labor of installing junk.
-chart-

 

[Timbersteel]

Thanks for the heads up about the intake gasket leaks and the pic of the plugs. I did read about leaking intake gaskets somewhere on this site..Can't remember where now as I've been looking through this site heavily for 3 weeks.

Looks like the front plugs are easy enough to replace, the rear..well, I compare that to the long tube headers, passenger side on my '92 , 302. Doable, but sense a headache, scratched hands and scarred knuckles.
If the plugs can be changed in a few hours, in 45°F sunny weather, I can tackle it. Telling wife I snapped a bolt or plug, and its pass 4pm, I'm royally screwed.

Also, I believe the engine to be the FFV Vulcan as it's not the DOHC Duratec.

 

[sheila]

^+1. FFV is the Vulcan engine. Welcome from KC.

 

[Automender12345]

I do rear plugs by feel and it only takes an hour max for all plugs. I use compressed air to clean the well then loosen the plug a bit then compressed air again. I never had an issue but you can't tell the first time on a new car.

 

[Timbersteel]

Sounds like it isn't near as bad as I've envisioned then for the rear plugs. I've got Dielectric grease and Motorcraft nickel anti-seize.
Any specific torque required? I know that the early 5.4 Triton engines were notorious for splitting plugs if they weren't torqued correctly and I was meticulous when I did the 2000 Expedition. I have several beam and click style torque wrenches.

Thanks for the Welcome Sheila! I lived in KCK years ago, around the Lenexa and Olathe area.
And thanks to Everyone else for the Welcome, the advice, the experience, and tips.

 

[chartmaker]

Sounds like it isn't near as bad as I've envisioned then for the rear plugs. I've got Dielectric grease and Motorcraft nickel anti-seize.
Any specific torque required? I know that the early 5.4 Triton engines were notorious for splitting plugs if they weren't torqued correctly and I was meticulous when I did the 2000 Expedition. I have several beam and click style torque wrenches.

Thanks for the Welcome Sheila! I lived in KCK years ago, around the Lenexa and Olathe area.
And thanks to Everyone else for the Welcome, the advice, the experience, and tips.

First, Vulcan is iron head and torque of the plugs is not too critical. Never torqued a plug. The taper seat means it will max out torque before twisting the threads. Pic of results of a loose plug aluminum head Intech. New plug and OK for many more miles. Factory mistake. Somewhere I saw plug maker turning 1/16 turn after snug.
As a sidebar: I have been through KS, family in Olathe and there in Chanute. Many trips. All that in the rear view mirror.
-chart-

 

[sheila]

^+1 fellas. I live in KCK, lol.

 

[chartmaker]

^+1 fellas. I live in KCK, lol.

Last time I was in KS I drove a 24' Uhaul with a towing dolly with a '98 Taurus on the back. Up R 69, across 470 to I-70 and 800 miles east on that boring to second night at motel. That was the last long haul trip I made, and also the last time I flew on commercial. Flew out, drove back.
I thought you were in PA so what happened.
-chart-

 

[sheila]

^ No Mike, born and raised in KCK, lol.

 

[Timbersteel]

Just an update everyone....

I did get the plugs changed. Front bank facing the radiator were worn excessively. Showing 0.075, and rear bank was 0.060.
I changed plugs, didnt have a chance to do wires, but they didn't show any arc tracking and still had a good bite disconnecting and reconnecting. I'll do the wires when I have more time.

So....cold start, 19°-20°F, it took 3 different cranks to start. Wife said yesterday when it was sunny and 35°F, the car was squeaking, like a belt was chirping. I chalked it up to the washer fluid hose had cracked and shot fluid over the serpentine belt. Well, this morning, it did start chirping after a few minutes of running. Completely warmed up, it was definitely chirping. I isolated the chirping near the tstat and I believe the Camshaft Synchonizer.

Did new plugs aggravate the issue as it wasn't there before.
I have heard the Camshaft Synchonizer starts chirping when it's on the way out.

Looking at the part, its 2 piece engineered design. Camshaft position sensor and a Camshaft Synchonizer.

If any one can point me in the right direction, my wife and myself would greatly appreciate the help and knowledge.

 

[Jeff K]

Squeaking, especially on cold start that isnt a belt or tensioner pulley is likely the cam sync (cam sync sits in the hole on the driver side rear out of the intake manifold where the distributor was on the earlier EEC IV Vulcans). If that is what is squeaking replace it with the Motorcraft part only (around $100). Aftermarket cam syncs are junk. Be sure to use the alignment tool that comes with the new sync and follow the install instructions exactly.

There is a big wire bundle in a rectangular black plastic wire run that sits on top of the cam sync that can be muscled out of the way to get to the cam sync. Not the most fun job, but not too bad. Hardest part is getting the wire run out of the way.