Ignition coil problems

[George]

Pete:
Not true. Mine is a 2002 and no issues. Also There are about 16 Retro Birds in our New England group and only one had a COPS issue
But so what, yours will be covered under the 100,00 mile ten year deal for COPS - So drive on and be 😎

This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 

[pete z]

Thx George -Just One More Question

Thx George, that sounds hopeful. Altho the warranty sounds like a good solution to most, my nearest dealer is a $300 tow away and is reportedly dumb about T-Birds. But if, if the coil thing happens, is it just a check engine light, or that plus rough running or what (have you heard)? I get check engine lights on my Ford 500 all the time and they mean nothing other than bad gas when checked out, and are solved with a can of SeaFoam. Many thx for your patience- I think I have bought what I believe to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and I want to fully enjoy it. And say hello to your enthusiast group for me- I'm with them. -Best Regards, Pete Z

 

[George]

Thx George, that sounds hopeful. Altho the warranty sounds like a good solution to most, my nearest dealer is a $300 tow away and is reportedly dumb about T-Birds. But if, if the coil thing happens, is it just a check engine light, or that plus rough running or what (have you heard)? I get check engine lights on my Ford 500 all the time and they mean nothing other than bad gas when checked out, and are solved with a can of SeaFoam. Many thx for your patience- I think I have bought what I believe to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and I want to fully enjoy it. And say hello to your enthusiast group for me- I'm with them. -Best Regards, Pete Z

Pete:
If you can find a Lincoln dealer, they are most knowledgeable because our powertrains are 100% Lincoln LS with same issues. And many more of them sold.
Running rough is the best thing to go by, sometimes check engine light.
Eng light can also be loose gas cap.
Thanks and keep us tuned in
Geo.

 

[edward301]

Reading the entries above, this cop issue seems only related to 2003 and up, is that correct. I have a 2002 with 11k miles, we do not use it much and it
stays in the garage.

We have not had any problems yet, but most likely should not with this
few miles. Since the car is 9 1/2 years old and any type of warranty is
most likely gone, is there anything we should be on the lookout for.

The original battery went south last year, and after installing a new battery
it took several cycles for the windows to slightly open when opening a door.

 

[George]

Ed:
I have a 2002 with 17,000 miles and no issues. However, that does not mean we won't, eventually.
If you have any concerns, Ford does offer a used car warranty, with an inspection of your car for $100. It would be for 4 years or 48,000 miles on top of the miles you have.
Shop around at your Ford or Lincoln dealers for a price. I did and the best possible price I found was out at a Ford dealer in Illinois. NO one could beat his price up here in MA and I know of at least 30 others across the country that have bought from them. If you're ever interested, send me your email address and I send you the guys phone and email so you can get a quote.

Reading the entries above, this cop issue seems only related to 2003 and up, is that correct. I have a 2002 with 11k miles, we do not use it much and it
stays in the garage.

We have not had any problems yet, but most likely should not with this
few miles. Since the car is 9 1/2 years old and any type of warranty is
most likely gone, is there anything we should be on the lookout for.

The original battery went south last year, and after installing a new battery
it took several cycles for the windows to slightly open when opening a door.

 

[YellowTBird]

Ignition Coil Problem on 2002

I know I am late to this post, but hopefully it will be seen. I have a 2002 model with 89,000 miles. During the last couple of years my car has been in the shop too many times to count. I have had all 8 coils replaced, and today, I am starting round 2 - it is in the shop again. My mechanic has been awesome - last time he replaced 3 at once and only charged me for a small amount of labor. I have also had a starting problem, but a new battery fixed it - hopefully it will last - I am to the point of not trusting this car at all. A couple of months ago I cranked it up to the sound of the power steering pump exploding and fluid running everywhere. I used to really love this car - I am almost done with it!

 

[YellowTBird]

Ignition coil problems on 2002

Oh, yeah, in addition to my last post, I did call the Ford company. They told me the coil issue was only a defect on the 2003 - 2005 models and that mine was not included and that they could do nothing for me except lodge a complaint. Wow - that was helpful.

 

[lheverly]

2002 coil proplems

Yes. I have a 2002 and have replaced 4 coils not under warranty for 02's. Also replaced both valve cover gaskets at 50K miles, and shifter assembly ( wouldn't go into 4th gear). Oh, also hydraulic radiator fan, and passenger door lock solenoid. But still love the car

 

[George]

Yes. I have a 2002 and have replaced 4 coils not under warranty for 02's. Also replaced both valve cover gaskets at 50K miles, and shifter assembly ( wouldn't go into 4th gear). Oh, also hydraulic radiator fan, and passenger door lock solenoid. But still love the car

Not sure if you are interested but you have only until next Sept/Oct (2013) to get the very last extended warranty from a Ford dealer -

These vary considerably from town/State to town/State. No one could touch the price I paid (out in Il & I'm in MA) when I got mine. I know that many do not think they are worth it, but as these cars age the issues may increase

 

[ImpetuousRacer]

My parents thunderbird had some cop problems. They brought it in and fixed it a while back. Recently, it started misfiring again.

I'd prefer to do everything myself. From this thread I saw that I need these parts:
8 DG-529 Coil AS (These are the Coil Over Plugs)
8 SP-468 Spark P (These are the OEM Spark Plugs)
1 5W4Z-54021A46-A Seal (Wiper motor bracket/seal?)
2 XW4Z-12025-AD Cover (New Coil Covers)

My questions:

1. If I source the parts myself, do the newer revised versions have new part numbers?
2. What are the other seals that everyone is talking about?
3. Is there a better aftermarket COP available that will last longer?
4. The transmission is choppy, I would love to get the PCM update. However, almost EVERY time I go to a dealer, they have no idea what Im talking about, they've never heard about it, etc etc. Is there a TSB article or anything else I can reference?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[George]

If it's a 2003-2005 coils are covered up to 100,000 miles

 

[ImpetuousRacer]

It's a 2003 and under 100k so I brought it in. COP 7 & 8 were bad. They are replacing that under warranty. I wrote down about the updated Coil Covers and Seal, and they didn't mention of doing anything for that. Is this optional or warranty? This is the second time for the COP, I dont get why they just dont do them all. Or is the design not revised? They are just putting new ones of same failed design?

I asked them about the PCM/ECU update, they mentioned there were a couple and that it would cost $120. I opted to have it done. Thanks for the help.

 

[George]

Absolutely NOT optional. It should all be covered, per the Ford letters. They can only replace the bad ones.So it will be a pain until they all get replaced. I believe that the new ones they put in are better. All reports I have heard are those last long. Here's some data:

The coils and the valve covers should be replaced since they usually leaked oil into the coil area causing the issue and then there was the coil covers and wiper motor bracket which allowed water to create a coil issue. All covered under warranty. Read this entire thread and then the following three threads for coverage.

http://forums.thunderbirdforum.com/...ight~Ford+extended+warranty+100,000+miles.htm
http://forums.thunderbirdforum.com/...ight~Ford+extended+warranty+100,000+miles.htm
http://forums.thunderbirdforum.com/...ight~Ford+extended+warranty+100,000+miles.htm

I have copies of these letters as a PDF file, but if you read everything here you should be all set.
By the way, if you are dealing with a Ford or Lincoln dealership, they should have everything you need right on their OASIS System

Finally, the majority of owners have had better luck with Lincoln dealers, since the entire drivetrain is Lincoln LS, which had the same issues and extended warranty.
And, they sold a lot more LS's than they did TBirds.

 

[George]

It's a 2003 and under 100k so I brought it in. COP 7 & 8 were bad. They are replacing that under warranty. I wrote down about the updated Coil Covers and Seal, and they didn't mention of doing anything for that. Is this optional or warranty? This is the second time for the COP, I dont get why they just dont do them all. Or is the design not revised? They are just putting new ones of same failed design?

I asked them about the PCM/ECU update, they mentioned there were a couple and that it would cost $120. I opted to have it done. Thanks for the help.

BTW, other than the COP warranty, you can still buy a Ford Service plan which most call an extended warranty, for 4 years 48,000 miles on top of existing miles you have. These are very negotiable and the cheapest I found was a dealer in Illinois

 

[ImpetuousRacer]

Absolutely NOT optional. It should all be covered, per the Ford letters. They can only replace the bad ones.So it will be a pain until they all get replaced. I believe that the new ones they put in are better. All reports I have heard are those last long. Here's some data:

The coils and the valve covers should be replaced since they usually leaked oil into the coil area causing the issue and then there was the coil covers and wiper motor bracket which allowed water to create a coil issue. All covered under warranty. Read this entire thread and then the following three threads for coverage.

http://forums.thunderbirdforum.com/...ight~Ford+extended+warranty+100,000+miles.htm
http://forums.thunderbirdforum.com/...ight~Ford+extended+warranty+100,000+miles.htm
http://forums.thunderbirdforum.com/...ight~Ford+extended+warranty+100,000+miles.htm

I have copies of these letters as a PDF file, but if you read everything here you should be all set.
By the way, if you are dealing with a Ford or Lincoln dealership, they should have everything you need right on their OASIS System

Finally, the majority of owners have had better luck with Lincoln dealers, since the entire drivetrain is Lincoln LS, which had the same issues and extended warranty.
And, they sold a lot more LS's than they did TBirds.

I just got it back, before I read the post. They said that the covers & washer seal are for water coming in and they didnt see any coming in, so they didnt replace any of that. My parents had it in at another dealer for some COP's before, so Im not sure if those were already replaced when they replaced the other COPs.

Asked for specifics on the PCM update. All they could say is that their tech plugs something in, and tells them there are updates and it updates it to the latest. The Service Advisor couldn't provide me with any change log, or what specifics were done with the update since the tech has a different system then they use.

Thanks for the links, I read the info, and it says valve covers are under warranty if they have failed. I guess the dealer found the covers to be in working order. Is it a matter of seeing if any oil is leaking into the cop area?
Really appreciate the time insight and info on everything.

 

[ImpetuousRacer]

BTW, other than the COP warranty, you can still buy a Ford Service plan which most call an extended warranty, for 4 years 48,000 miles on top of existing miles you have. These are very negotiable and the cheapest I found was a dealer in Illinois

Could you provide me info on which dealer in Illinois and how much? Thanks!

 

[George]

Shop around for a price at a Ford or Lincoln dealer then call Lou at 630-925-7590. The price depends on what plan you want. He'll explain everything and you pick it, Savings could be close to $1000.

 

[gsarvey]

Coil on plug problems.

I have a 2002 and I believe it has coil problems. Although the miles are low its beyond warranty and apparently 2002 weren't covered anyway. I plan to replace all 8 coilds and plugs myself. The dealer wants around $70/coil even though I see complete sets of eight coils on E-bay for less than $70. Does anyone have experience with replacing these coils outside of the Ford dealer network? I've found that many dealers don't know how to diagnose problems and they all charge outrageous amount of money for very marginal work.

 

[George]

I have a 2002 and I believe it has coil problems. Although the miles are low its beyond warranty and apparently 2002 weren't covered anyway. I plan to replace all 8 coilds and plugs myself. The dealer wants around $70/coil even though I see complete sets of eight coils on E-bay for less than $70. Does anyone have experience with replacing these coils outside of the Ford dealer network? I've found that many dealers don't know how to diagnose problems and they all charge outrageous amount of money for very marginal work.

G:
A 2002 still can get an extended service plan from Ford as I have posted before. And each dealer will give you different prices.
Plenty of info on this thread and others if you use the search feature.
Even if COPS are not covered, there are many expensive components on these cars.

 

[1911Tex]

I have a 2002 red premium; only 6k miles...purchased last month. My question: WeaponX now has an upgraded Coil; they do not specify for the DG529, only the DG-515:

WeaponX Part Numbers ICK8405

Replaces Motocraft PN DG-515

Ford Reference Number 2WE4-12A366-BD, 2W4Z-12029-BD

SMP FD506

Carter P74757M

Bosch 67381

Denso 9535043

FORD

2002-2005 THUNDERBIRD V8-242ci 3.9L F/I

http://www.weaponxperformance.com/w...3.html?zenid=977d1290eb9719030c01557fcd405d30

Thoughts?