[sixfofalcon]

I just got a call from my dad who is in Key West visiting my aunt. Apparently she has been having problems with her Taurus stalling (or sometimes almost stalling.) The stealership has looked at the car several times and has dumped a couple thousand bucks into the car to no avail. The problem sounds EXACTLY like a coil-pack, as I learned from my 97 SHO. The car quits occasionally under acceleration... the tach drops down to practically nil. Sometimes the car will recover, other times it will stall altogether. It doesn't throw any codes or light up the SES light.

Now my question is... has anyone else had coil-pack problems on the Duratec? Do they seem to favor the rear cylinder bank, like the SHOs do? How hard is it to replace the coil packs?

I'm thinking she should ask the dealer to do a load balance test. That might pinpoint the faulty coil.

 

[mwt]

What year?

 

[sixfofalcon]

Originally posted by mwt@Dec 19 2003, 05:14 PM
What year?

As in the title... I believe it is a '97. I'll try to get the VIN next time we speak, but I am certain it is a Duratec. All Duratecs were DIS, right?

 

[Bob Gervais]

All Tec's are DIS, but they have a single coil pack, not separate like the SHO. The only year that had coil on plug was 2000.

It sounds to me like a crank position sensor could also be at fault. Being it's an intermittent problem though, it's tough to diagnose. The dealer should have been able to test the coil pack, I'm unsure how to do it though. If it's the same coil pack as a Vulcan I have a spare good one. Let me know if they want it to try out, and I can ship it down there.

 

[Bob Gervais]

Just checked out some part numbers, and it's the same coil for a Tec and a Vulcan. PM me an addy and I'll ship it out. Are they going to need it like overnight, or USPS Priority? Priority is 2-3 days.

 

[sixfofalcon]

Thanks, Bob... I'll let you know what the deal is in a few days. She is going to take the car to the stealer and hit them up for their so-called work guarantee, since they haven't solved any problems yet. The Check Engine Light was on when she took it in the last time, and it is still on now. How's that for savvy mechanic work? They didn't even bother to clear the code!?

At any rate, my dad is going to go in with her so they don't give her the runaround. I told him to make sure they physically test the coil pack. I also told him to write down the codes they pull. He'll be returning to PA on Christmas Eve, so I don't think the problem will be resolved by then. My cousin who is there for a few weeks is pretty smart, though, even though he's not a "car guy." I'm sure if we diagnose the problem for them, he can make sure the right parts get installed.

Basically, if it IS a coil pack problem, it should not be too difficult. NAPA has the coil pack for $109.00, so I'll probably direct them there, so they can take advantage of the guarantee. If it's the CKPS, I'll have the stealer do it under guarantee. If it comes back inconclusive, I'll take you up on that offer, Bob, and see if the coil pack does the trick. Thanks!

 

[tmonster]

You might laugh at me, but when my IMRC box went, my car would jump down to 250rpms and give me the check engine light telling me the butterflys were stuck open. After I replaced the box my very low idle disapeered....just another thing to check out. Rev the engine and look by the side of the intake (driver side) You should see movement when the rev limiter kicks in and you let off the throttle....