Please help! Hesitation, lose of power, and the list goes on...

[BlueLincolnLS]

Ok, well here’s the problem. I noticed some hesitation in my car a few weeks ago, and found out that it was the coils. So I replaced them, and everything was good for about a week. The hesitation has returned 10 fold. I replaced one of the coils (Again) and replaced all of my spark plugs (one of the plugs was covered in oil when I pulled it out). That fixed the problem for a few hours. Wile I was driving down the road, my engine light started flashing and my car was sputtering and hesitating like never before, But I continued driving and a few seconds later, the light went off and the car ran fine. On my way to work this morning, I noticed the hesitation was back, but once my car warmed up, it got better. I just when out on my lunch break and started my car, and it is idling really rough. I started driving and my car just doesn’t want to go anywhere, it’s acting as if it's only running on 2 or 3 cylinders. And I also noticed that the inside of my car stared to smell like exhaust fumes.

Also, ever since the hesitation first started, I have had a HUGE lose of power. I have not been able to fix that or figure out what is causing it.

So here’s the list:
Rough idle (almost staling)
Horrible hesitation
Smell from engine
Oil on one of my spark plugs
HUGE lose of power

Please someone help me. I am loosing my mind with this car.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[shorod]

If you can get your car to a local auto parts store that reads codes, have them read. Since you mention your check engine light was on, you should have some stored codes. Most of the chain parts stores (Autozone, Advance Auto parts) will read the codes at no cost. Get the codes and post them back on here.

Since the light was flashing, they computer was reporting a problem that is dangerous to the emissions system.

I would imagine that since you changed all coils and plugs, you would notice is the air intake hose is disconnected, but check it again anyway and make sure it is tight. Also, do you have a K&N or other oiled air filter? If so, there's a good chance the oil has contaminated your Mass AirFlow (MAF) sensor which, in extreme cases, can cause the symptoms you describe, especially if you recently oiled it. It is possible to clean the MAF, but one must be very careful as the wires are quite fragile. Also, make sure the electrical connection to the MAF is good.

Check over the engine compartment for rotted, cracked, or disconnected vacuum lines.

Are you confident the spark plug was actually covered in oil and not in fuel? Do you still have the plug? If so, is it still wet, or has the liquid evaporated? If it is still wet and definitely oil, then you probably have bigger issues that new coils, spark plugs, MAF sensor cleaning, etc. are not going to fix. You may have blowby due to scarred cylinder walls or bad rings, or you may have a cracked block or head gasket. What does that cylinder have for compression?

I would suggest you check all the vacuum lines and the air intake system. If that is all fine, get the codes read and posted here.

-Rod

[BlueLincolnLS]

Ok, i will check the intake and MAF.

When my car was running better, i also had the problem where at about 70mph it sputters durring exceleration and going up an incline. Could this be the fuel pump or MAF? or is it related to the other issues?

Thanks for the help!

[alphalanos]

Sounds like a fuel pump or filter problem. Or injectors. This happened to my dads Chrysler and it was the injectors that were at fault.

[shorod]

Originally Posted by BlueLincolnLS

Ok, i will check the intake and MAF.

When my car was running better, i also had the problem where at about 70mph it sputters durring exceleration and going up an incline. Could this be the fuel pump or MAF? or is it related to the other issues?

Thanks for the help!

Could be one of several things, bad fuel, bad fuel pump, restriction in the fuel system, bad coil pack, vacuum leak, bad spark plugs, etc. I'd suspect more an electrical issue, but it would be easy to check the fuel system pressure at the fuel rail to see if it is in spec.

-Rod

[Quik_LS]

did you replace the valve cover gaskets with the newer type? The early LSes had a well known issue with leaking oil into the spark plug wells - cause horrible misfires and bad coils. You can replace the coils all day long but unless you replace the vc gasket you'll just keep doing it.

If you have driven any significant time with the misfire condition - chances are you have damaged the catalyic convertors - and that's where the funky smell is coming from. Can't fix it - can only replace them - dealer only.

[shorod]

Ahhh, yes, good point. I made the assumption that when the coils were pulled, he would have noticed oil, but didn't make the connection that maybe the oil on the spark plug he was mentioning was actually on the external ceramic of the plug rather than the tip in the combustion chamber. Very likely, and would definitely cause the misfire.

This was a common problem on the Taurus SHO as well, 10 years before the LS. Too bad Ford and the gasket suppliers didn't figure out a way to fix the issue before the LS.

-Rod

[BlueLincolnLS]

Yeah, there was oil on the outside of the plugs as well as the inside being covered in oil on a few of them. I finally got irritated enough to just take it to a shop rather then try to troubleshoot it myself. I should hear back from them today and will post what the diagnosis is. Thanks again for the help!

[jsbach]

i am so curious as to what the end result was when you got or if you got the car fixed since i am now experiencing exactly the same goddam thing.... plus my cruise control, horn and air bag are not working.... please fill me in with goods thanks hope all is well....

[Quik_LS]

Originally Posted by jsbach

plus my cruise control, horn and air bag are not working.... please fill me in with goods thanks hope all is well....

this sounds like your clockspring is bad. it sits on top of the steering column (under the steering wheel) and is where all the steering wheel controls go through (horn, airbag and stereo controls).

the part is about $100 and take about 20mins to replace.

[jsbach]

what if the stereo controls work fine is it still clock spring? today airbag light was off but the middle of wheel feels soft like not hard like maybe airbag is not really ready or something probably just my imagination since i noticed the light on now i think the wheel feels different... so horn was working then not then was then not now not at all... same with cruise just not working but stereo is working on wheel... the controls that is.... so is it the clock spring if stereo controls are working? what does a clock spring look like is it easy to put in?