4.6 engine problems

[ChuckTbird]

So my car sat through a rough wisconsin winter (It was covered so it still looks pretty) but when I went to start it yesterday it didnt want to start. When I got it started it was idling at about 400-650rpms. when I gave it throttle it really struggled to pick up rpms. Im not really sure whats wrong and any suggestions would be very helpful.

 

[ChuckTbird]

UPDATE:
I forgot to mention that the car is a 1996 4.6 So since I posted this I've gotten some information about the car. The previous owner had replaced one of the coil packs because he had a similar problem. That fixed it for him but I'm unsure if I should just spend money on a new coil pack or can I test it. Also replaced the battery (the old one was dead) and the the fuel filter. Any help is appreciated. Just want to get my love back on the road. Thank you

 

[FLbirdman]

Well, I have two similar 4.6 Birds and one of the things I really like is that you can still find them, pretty nice ones, for little money and have NO CAR PAYMENTS, That being said, if you really love your Bird and have not had car payments, don't you think it is deserving a new coil pack. If one goes bad, replace them both, not just one. There are several good articles on the net about how to test your coil output, but your 1996 is 20 years old and if one coil pack failed I would just replace he other right off. Good luck with it, these cars are great drivers, and very dependable.

 

[Richard]

Agreed I would replace both coils and go from there. Might also try some dry gas just in case there's water in the tank from sitting

 

[1955moose]

I have never been taught to just start throwing parts at random at your car, unless your made of money. From your first sentence of the bargain you got, I would assume not. The first thing I would do is buy a can of maf sensor cleaner, and spray the wiring of it. My next question is do you have any check engine light on? Run a obd scanner to see if you have any codes. You probably got moisture in a plug or wire that feeds either spark or fuel. You test coils very simply with a volt/ ohm meter. I like using dielectric grease in all secondary ignition connections like where coil wires go to plugs. I also like to use it in plugs where wires snap together.How old is fuel in tank ? Also an important thing to check is fuel pressure with a gauge. A weak pump, or a failing hose in the tank can cause your problem. Let us know what you find.