I have an 01 ford f150 which started throwing out the codes for cylinder 2&6 misfires... I checked the spark plugs and cleaned them up a bit and the cylinder 2 went away... I tried troubleshooting the coil pack and in the process took off the spark plug wires....i thought i put them back on in the right order..but i guess i didn't because then wheni started the truck there was a loud pinging noise about halfway down from underneath the truck.... Thought maybe i put the wires back on wrong?? How to i check? I tried to swap the wires to go along with the firing order but now it won't start... any other advice?? Please and thank you.
Here you go. That 2/6 misfire is a pretty good clue that you have 1 bad coil in your coil pack since cylinders 2 and 6 share the same coil in the coil pack. (arrow points to front of vehicle)
Since it wouldn't start i put the wires back how they were... Which only involved moving 4,5, and 6... I had put them to go 4 6 5 from the firewall to the front..... But that's what made it not start so i put them back to 6 5 4...now the truck starts...and its throwing out the codes for misfires in cylinders 1 and 2 and random misfire in 1 and 2... I didn't even mess with those wires!! And in the beginning when i was testing the coil pack it had the correct resistance for the primary ignition but the secondary i got no reading at all from it.... ?? What should i do next?? My boyfriend is still insisting on driving the truck around and im scared its going to fuck up the engine. My truck got stolen so his is all we got. So the sooner i can figure this out the better... Thanks.
So now (after doing nothing but drive the truck) i'm getting back the codes p0172, p0174, p0304, p0305, p0306... Still sound like the coil pack?
You're getting misfire codes on all the cylinders on the bank you switched the wires on. You have a wasted spark type ignition coil.
The coil provides spark to 2 cylinders at once. It's supposed to be simultaneously to 1 cylinder as it approaches TDC on the compression stroke
and to another cylinder at it approaches TDC on the exhaust stroke (wasted spark)
so 1/5, 2/6, 3/4 are supposed to be firing and the cylinders on the exhaust stroke don't have any fuel in them so they can't fire (wasted spark). Moving the plug wires changed that. You're getting spark in cylinders when it doesn't belong, you're getting misfires, (p0304, p0305, p0306) and your O2 sensors don't like it (p0172, p0174)
I suggest you replace the coil pack
If you buy the original equipment Motorcraft coil pack for your truck, Part No. DG-532
you'll see it has the plug wire locations labeled on it.
Thank you