Top Issue- 02-05 Ford Thunderbird Ignition Coils COP

I have a few questions. There are so many knowledgeable folks on here, that I hope can point me in the right direction. My car has approximately 48,000 miles. I'm the original owner so I had some of the coil packs replaced under Fords extended warranty. I replaced more as needed, for a total of 7. The past few times I took the car out I noticed the same rubble sound like a misfire when I had issues with the coil packs. It's not on every start. Today it was on the 3rd time I started it when i was out doing a few errands. When I give the car gas, nothing no power. I restart the car and depress the gas pedal still nothing but within 6-12 seconds the car is reving. I have not checked for any codes as of yet. I have always had my car serviced and do not know how to repair it. I've read on here the coil packs parts are very inexpensive but to get a shop to do them it was about a $250 charge each time. So I ask you experts, should I replace all the coil packs if I get a code that indicates one is misfiring?
Also, I have read so many post about FEM going bad and pray that isn't my issue. I do recall reading a recent post saying a tell tail sign of a bad FEM is the light going out in the gear shift. Mine has done that. I thought it was just a burnt out light bulb. Since I don't have the ability to repair this car I often consider selling it before I get to the point of very expensive repairs and impossible to find parts. I love driving my bird and it has a very sentimental meaning for me so I always talk myself out if it.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
I have had a similar experience doing errands. I stop for 5 to 15 minutes and when I start it up it idles very rough, but stepping on the gas and letting engine rev a bit (in park) it always seems to clear itself up. Electrical problems with the coils might be the problem but it seemed to me like a vapor lock or fuel injector situation. When I turn the car off maybe there is too much fuel in the cylinders when I go to start it, or one of the fuel injectors has fouled. Doesn't hurt to put a gas additive in the gas tank designed to clean the injectors. This would be my first and easiest step, which I am going to do after writing this!!. Do two tank fulls. But If this is happening very regularly under conditions like I describe and not reliably self correcting itself, risking you getting stuck, then I would do something more. Intermittent problems are not easy to solve cause if you take it somewhere and it isn't doing it no one can be of much help unless it threw a code. And yes if you get a code that one is misfiring and you haven't recently changed the coils, I would change them ALL out. The work to get access to any of them from what I have seen is substantial so changing one seems not worth the access effort. Or, at least change them all on the same side of the faulty one. Not sure about your FEM /light bulb problem is a valid thing to worry, but I just don't know, so I would Fughettaboutit.
 
Hi all, my wife got a 2005 Thunderbird last summer, 37K miles. We have driven it 2k the last 12 months, and this spring, the check engine light came on, and the code indicated cylinder 7 was not firing the way it should. I figured it was the coil, so I replaced all four on passenger side with new plugs, and when I took the cover off on the driver's side, I noticed a good amount of condensation around the coils, and it must've been there for months. It was water, not antifreeze, no oil. Somebody told me that there is a leak around the windshield wiper motor. Can anybody expand on that? Does it only happen when the car is outside in rain? Or should I be looking at something else to find out how the condensation got in there? Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln LS have a widely known issue with Ignition coils going bad and also fouling out spark plugs causing misfires
. Just by replacing these components, you may be able to bring new life to your engine!

At the time of this post, 59.30 for an entire set of Ignition Coils! Can't beat that! If you have a 2002-2005 Ford Thunderbird I would buy these just to have on hand because of the history of these going bad! Don't forget to order 8 spark plugs too because the coils foul them out!

UPDATE April 2020
Here is the link for the updated part as of 04/2020 that fits better with the valve cover- https://amzn.to/31CezPd previously everyone was ordering parts galaxy which works, but is a tight fit.

There is a post below with installation instructions- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...hunderbird-ignition-coils-cop.5040/post-35040

Important- You may also have a problem with your cowl seal, wiper seal or valve cover gasket, which is causing the coils to fail! You can read more about that in this post. If you have coils problems after a few days/weeks/months it's likely not the coil, but an additional problem.


What you need to buy
1- Ignition Coils (Amazon Purchase Link)
2- 8 Spark Plugs (Amazon Purchase Link)
3- Dielectric grease (Amazon Purchase Link)
4- Valve Cover Gasket (Amazon Purchase Link) (EBay Purchase Link) (optional but highly recommended while doing the job)
5- If you need the deep & shallow 7mm sockets, here is a pack with both (Amazon Purchase Link) Also, this 1/4" swivel socket will help you get to the one hard to reach. Note: 1/4" drive makes the job easier!
6- This type 7mm wrench will make the job easier



View attachment 10794

View attachment 673
There are several other issues that cause the coils to short out. One is the poor seal on the drivers side of the wind shield. Water seeps under the seal on top of the aluminun wind shield motor and on to the valve cover. The neck on the valve cover is held in place with a rubber seal. Oil also seeps out around the filler neck over a period of time. The long narrow plastic covers over the coils also flex from heat and the oil seeps in. If you clean the surfaces along the top and both ends of the cover with a cleaner that leaves no residue. Alcohol will work. Then apply a thin beed along the top edge and the front and back edges of the covers this will prevent the oil and water from seeping in. The covers have no gaskets they relay on several layers of thin plastic to keep the oil and water out.
Go Figure.
 
After you remove the cowl cover the washer hose can be disconnected at the washer fluid hose connector.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue
Cowl Cover.jpg
Washer Hose.jpg
 
Greetings all. It seems that we are confusing parts in our discussion. Regarding gasket issues with oil and/or water contaminating the COPS assembly the component in question not the "valve cover" gasket. Rather on the 3.9 engine I believe it is termed a "coil cover" gasket (XW4Z-12025-AD). I ordered the gasket kit from Amazon suggested in the thread above and it does NOT include the gaskets that seal the cover for COPS. If there is a suggestion for a better replacement for the stock Ford part please post your results. And, if I'M "all wet" with my perception of the discussion my apologies.
 
Greetings all. It seems that we are confusing parts in our discussion. Regarding gasket issues with oil and/or water contaminating the COPS assembly the component in question not the "valve cover" gasket. Rather on the 3.9 engine I believe it is termed a "coil cover" gasket (XW4Z-12025-AD). I ordered the gasket kit from Amazon suggested in the thread above and it does NOT include the gaskets that seal the cover for COPS. If there is a suggestion for a better replacement for the stock Ford part please post your results. And, if I'M "all wet" with my perception of the discussion my apologies.
Read post #1- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...-05-ford-thunderbird-ignition-coils-cop.5040/
 
Car has 29k miles and is immaculate. Just developed an intermittent skip but only under load, it runs smooth as silk at idle. I ran the gas down and put in new gas, but no help. The check engine light is NOT on but I scanned it anyway and no codes show up. Wouldn't bad coils or bad plugs throw a code? I hate to start throwing parts like coils and plugs at it without some confidence. Would a plugged cat converter be something to look at, wouldn't that throw a code?
Thanks for any ideas
 
Car has 29k miles and is immaculate.
The car is also 21 years old, 2+ decades old.

The check engine light is NOT on but I scanned it anyway and no codes show up. Wouldn't bad coils or bad plugs throw a code?
Not necessarily, especially during early stages.

I hate to start throwing parts like coils and plugs at it without some confidence.
Pull the spark plugs and examine them. Since the COPS are a common problem as well as a leaking gasket, take a look at one and consider changing these items as maintenance as well- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...2-05-ford-thunderbird-ignition-coils-cop.5040 Nobody over the internet is going to be able to tell you for sure.
 
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#1 was dry. #2 was damp. #3 was wet. #4 was dry and didn't look bad. It doesn't seem to be oil but has a smell I can't place. If it is antifreeze, it doesn't smell like any I've smelled before.

IMG_20240327_164404.jpg
 
#1 was dry. #2 was damp. #3 was wet. #4 was dry and didn't look bad. It doesn't seem to be oil but has a smell I can't place. If it is antifreeze, it doesn't smell like any I've smelled before.

View attachment 31048
Does your car sit out in the rain? The orange is rust from the spark plugs, I have a truck that does this now and again. If the coils are good you can buy replacement boots from Napa.
 
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