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Jim Grant's Tech Tips '96
Ford Windstar, Misfire Codes or Misleading Computer
Q:
My
’96 Ford Windstar has a reoccurring computer code for a #4 cylinder
misfire. I have changed the coil, plugs, wires, do you have a suggesting.
I have changed these items one at a time and every time it comes back
as #4 cylinder. Oh ya, I changed #4 fuel injector.
-
Joe A.
A:
You
may not be happy with this. You cannot always believe the cylinder misfire
code that the computer is reporting. That’s right, the computer can
be wrong. We had a Ford Windstar in the shop that had a misfire code for
#6 cylinder. There was no problem telling the engine was skipping; it
was clearly running rough. Diagnosis found that there was not a problem
with #6 cylinder. The real problem was in #2 cylinder. The problem was
# 2 cylinder was on the opposite side of the engine. It turned out that
#2 cylinder had a bad valve (no compression in that cylinder). The vehicle’s
computer was insisting that the problem was #6 cylinder. Your vehicle’s
computer could be sending you on a wild goose chase. That is why you should
prove the problem before replacing parts.
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