Cracked sparkplug...

[Rinn69]

So, I'm driving home about 2 weeks ago, and out of nowhere, the truck kinda jerks...didn't slow me down, just felt it. About 15 min later, it does it again. Once I got into town, I accelerate like I normally do, and it starts bucking and stuttering, the CEL flashes on and off a few times, so I let off the gas and coast for 100 feet or so, lightly get back on the gas and it's fine. Tried to give it some more gas and it does the same thing. I took it into the dealer today, sweating bullets thinking it's the tranny, so I set the tune back to stock the day after it happened.... The tech comes and tells me it's just a cracked sparkplug and it was misfiring....WHEW !!!! I was already looking at the price of a new trans--$3K + install. Gonna leave her untuned for a while, just in case.

Side note--I swapped a bad trans out of my 04 Explorer (which were known to go bad around the 60-70K mile mark). With all the computers and stuff, I don't suppose swapping a Ranger trans would be doable without "mating" it with the engines computer ?? Anyone know for sure ??

Sponsored

 

[AzScorpion]

So, I'm driving home about 2 weeks ago, and out of nowhere, the truck kinda jerks...didn't slow me down, just felt it. About 15 min later, it does it again. Once I got into town, I accelerate like I normally do, and it starts bucking and stuttering, the CEL flashes on and off a few times, so I let off the gas and coast for 100 feet or so, lightly get back on the gas and it's fine. Tried to give it some more gas and it does the same thing. I took it into the dealer today, sweating bullets thinking it's the tranny, so I set the tune back to stock the day after it happened.... The tech comes and tells me it's just a cracked sparkplug and it was misfiring....WHEW !!!! I was already looking at the price of a new trans--$3K + install. Gonna leave her untuned for a while, just in case.

Side note--I swapped a bad trans out of my 04 Explorer (which were known to go bad around the 60-70K mile mark). With all the computers and stuff, I don't suppose swapping a Ranger trans would be doable without "mating" it with the engines computer ?? Anyone know for sure ??

Glad to hear that's all it was Mike. You should still be covered under the 5/60K warranty unless you're over that for mileage?

 

[P. A. Schilke]

So, I'm driving home about 2 weeks ago, and out of nowhere, the truck kinda jerks...didn't slow me down, just felt it. About 15 min later, it does it again. Once I got into town, I accelerate like I normally do, and it starts bucking and stuttering, the CEL flashes on and off a few times, so I let off the gas and coast for 100 feet or so, lightly get back on the gas and it's fine. Tried to give it some more gas and it does the same thing. I took it into the dealer today, sweating bullets thinking it's the tranny, so I set the tune back to stock the day after it happened.... The tech comes and tells me it's just a cracked sparkplug and it was misfiring....WHEW !!!! I was already looking at the price of a new trans--$3K + install. Gonna leave her untuned for a while, just in case.

Side note--I swapped a bad trans out of my 04 Explorer (which were known to go bad around the 60-70K mile mark). With all the computers and stuff, I don't suppose swapping a Ranger trans would be doable without "mating" it with the engines computer ?? Anyone know for sure ??

Hi Mike,

Curious...did the Tech indicate how the plug cracked?

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Bludrok]

Whew. Glad to hear it was just a plug. I had Honda effectively void my powertrain warranty of my 2019 civic si because I installed a tune. It wasn't actually voided, bjt if I ever brought it in for powertrain issues, they would just cite the tune as a reason to deny it.

I can imagine the anxiety you must have felt.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Mike, how worried were you that they would tell you it was “all the mods”? Man, I’m glad it worked out, but like Phil said - any word on how it cracked?

 

[Zaph]

Hi Mike,

Curious...did the Tech indicate how the plug cracked?

I'd like to know too. I see no reason for a plug to crack in these... unless there was something wrong with the tune, making it go lean in a spot and run hot. I mean how often are plugs defective from manufacturing?

Brings back memories of the days of the 08-14 F150 with the 2 piece spark plugs. From @Rinn69 post, it sounds like they got it out ok without having to take the entire head apart F150 style. I know 3 people who had that happen.

 

[kieefer]

Need to use a colder plug.

 

[JTDay]

On my tuned MS3, I found myself changing the plugs every 10-15k. I can't imagine it's much different for these ecoboosts. People had a lot of cracking with the denso itv22s but the ngks always worked flawlessly in that motor. Who knows why.

 

[LoneRNGR]

Curious...did the Tech indicate how the plug cracked?

Oh no. Are you thinking that it might have been the tailgate damper?

 

[Rinn69]

Hi Mike,

Curious...did the Tech indicate how the plug cracked?

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

The tech didn't say how or why it cracked, he just said that if you hold it up, you can see little cracks in the porcelain, so it was grounding out on the head. He also said that sometimes, they just go bad, so I didn't question it. I was just glad it was a very minor issue (and covered).

Yes, I was worried that they would say it was the tune, but I was more worried about how long it would take to get the parts....my savings would have taken a hit, but you gotta pay to play....so, I'll be keeping the stock tune for a while.

The tech also informed me that I should ditch the damper, just to be safe....he said he'd keep it on the down-lo until I remove it.....

 

[AzScorpion]

The tech didn't say how or why it cracked, he just said that if you hold it up, you can see little cracks in the porcelain, so it was grounding out on the head. He also said that sometimes, they just go bad, so I didn't question it. I was just glad it was a very minor issue (and covered).

Yes, I was worried that they would say it was the tune, but I was more worried about how long it would take to get the parts....my savings would have taken a hit, but you gotta pay to play....so, I'll be keeping the stock tune for a while.

The tech also informed me that I should ditch the damper, just to be safe....he said he'd keep it on the down-lo until I remove it.....

 

[viperwolf]

Oh no. Are you thinking that it might have been the tailgate damper?

There it is, you can always count on a Damper discussion ?
The thread did not make to page two even.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

 

[Mcssls]

A cracked spark plug can be manufacturer or shipping or installer. It doesn’t take much but if it went in new with the start of a crack then heat cycling the engine will cause it to crack more and more til this happens.

ps I had a 99f150 blow one of those crap spark plugs out. I never changed plugs in my 05 just to not deal with that PI design

 

[P. A. Schilke]

The tech didn't say how or why it cracked, he just said that if you hold it up, you can see little cracks in the porcelain, so it was grounding out on the head. He also said that sometimes, they just go bad, so I didn't question it. I was just glad it was a very minor issue (and covered).

Yes, I was worried that they would say it was the tune, but I was more worried about how long it would take to get the parts....my savings would have taken a hit, but you gotta pay to play....so, I'll be keeping the stock tune for a while.

The tech also informed me that I should ditch the damper, just to be safe....he said he'd keep it on the down-lo until I remove it.....

Hi Mike,

I recall posts of spark plug failures that were diagnosed as a poor seal around the spark plug/coil due to water collecting in the spark plug pocket. So my question was to see if this was a sealing failure so other folks and me can learn. This was the nature of m question...Sharing knowledge on these forums. So we do not know the root cause of the failure but at least you are back running again...

Sponsored