Rough running ls

[joegr]

I made sure the plugs were at .44 on the plug gapper. Is that 1mm?

I assume you meant 0.044", not nearly 1/2 inch.
No, 0.044" is just outside (too large) of the specified gap range.
0.039" would be 1mm.

The bigger the gap, the higher the arc voltage. The higher the voltage, the more likely it is to burn through the epoxy inside the coil. Ford claims that high voltage breakdown of the epoxy in the coil is the biggest failure cause.

Most of the plugs that I have purchased have come with the correct gap, but one or two out of just about every batch has been wrong enough to need adjustment. You have to be very careful about how you do adjust the gap. The center electrode is very fragile and easy to damage. You can't apply any force against it, like forcing the gauge in to expand the gap. You have to bend the lower electrode and then check with the gauge.

 

[G-RELL]

Thats what i did wrong...

I thought it was strange modifying my plugs like that

 

[Cams-76]

I will pull the plugs and re gap them to .039. Yes they are at .044 now.

 

[Cams-76]

Was talking with the auto parts guy today and he said something I haven't thought of looking into yet. What controls the cops? amodule? Need to check a sensor? Cam position or crank position? I have the other three cops ordered in the case they don't solve the problem I guess I'll keep digging

 

[joegr]

The COPs are powered from the PCM, no other module. The PCM uses the cam position sensors as well as the crankshaft position sensor for timing data on firing the injectors and the COPs.
You would have different symptoms, problems, and codes if your problems were there. Bad COPs on the LS = very common. BAD PCM, crank sensor, cam sensor on the LS = very rare.
You already know you have the wrong plug gap and may have already destroyed coils.

 

[oddball]

Another thing I noticed about the cops. They have a few different part numbers? I noticed most say the part is 529' a few I ordered had number 515

529 is the latest rev, 515 is the prior part number. I would assume 529 is preferable.

 

[Cams-76]

Hope coils are not ruined. I have only run for maube 5 minutes since i got them

 

[joegr]

Hope coils are not ruined. I have only run for maube 5 minutes since i got them

Should still be okay then.

 

[Cams-76]

Sure hope the plug gapping and all new coils solves the problem. Only had the car for 4000 miles.

 

[Cams-76]

Well I regapped all the spark plugs and now have all new cops. Still have the same rough idle issue. I noticed it has quite a bit of white or gray smoke at start up and stinks. The check engine light is now on with these four codes. P0121, p0175, p1152, p0122. On the short drive to the auto parts store I stomped on it a little and it doesn't seem to be lacking power at all. Just runs real rough.

 

[Cams-76]

I went out and unplugged the throttle position sensor and the car did not run differently at idle. I'm not sure if it is supposed to?

 

[RigsLS]

Are you on the complete stock plastic intake ?

Take that whole thing apart and look for cracks throughout.

There is an extra part known as the silencer chamber (I forget the real name again, stabilizer or something)
that has been known to form a crack on the underneath side.

It's that extra chamber right closest directly behind the radiator.

Check all your connections on the intake.

Have you tried swapping out the MAF sensor, also double check the housing,
torque bolts have been known to either loosen, strip or go missing, causing the MAF housing to let in air.

verify connection to the throttle body is tight and no cracks anywhere.

Airbox filter is clean/new ?
fuel filter ?


~ has got to be a leak somewhere.

 

[Cams-76]

I'll go look right now. Yes it is the stock intake with a drop in k&n air filter. I cleaned maf sensor already but have not swapped out.

 

[RigsLS]

Very strange this problem of yours.

resetting the KAM by pulling the battery cables is only needed anytime a sensor somewhere is replaced but it doesn't hurt to allow things to reset and relearn, I personally just wouldn't bother with the whole drive cycle relearn procedure, it will do that on it's own.

So it's idling rough at low RPM but goes good without hesitations during WOT ?

 

[Cams-76]

Yes idles rough and a little rough throughout the Rpms while driving but when you stomp on it the car goes good. I just noticed oil in the intake tube coming from the little tube that goes to the valve cover drivers side. The oil goes from there to the other flex tube that runs to some solenoid.

 

[Cams-76]

Maybe it's the pcv tube?

 

[Cams-76]

This problem started about 200-400 miles after I changed the oil. My girlfriend was driving she pulled into parking lot and bam the rough running started

 

[RigsLS]

Based on your codes:


P0121 Throttle Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Range/Performance Problem / http://www.obd-codes.com/p0121

P0175 System too Rich (Bank 2) / http://www.obd-codes.com/p0175

P1152 Lack of Upstream Heated Oxygen Sensor Switch - Sensor Indicates Rich - Bank No. 2 / http://engine-codes.com/p1152_ford.html

P0122 Throttle Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Low Input / http://www.obd-codes.com/p0122


too rich, too much fuel not enough air.

 

[Cams-76]

Is the oil in the intake tube normal?

 

[RigsLS]

this thing ?



yeah, not supposed to be soaked with oil

 

[RigsLS]

Is the oil in the intake tube normal?

No!

should not be soaked with oil.

what solenoid are you talking about ?

 

[Cams-76]

Where that other flex tube from your intake up closer to the throttle body connects. Where the other flex tube connects near the throttle body has oil. Yes the one you circled seems to be letting oil into the intake.

 

[RigsLS]

it appears the vehicle is running too RICH - getting too much fuel ... P0175.
The o2 sensor reading is not 'shifting' = P1152

You're likely still misfiring on bank 2 somewhere.

 

[RigsLS]

Where that other flex tube from your intake up closer to the throttle body connects. Where the other flex tube connects near the throttle body has oil. Yes the one you circled seems to be letting oil into the intake.

ok, you said driver side ... confused me.

those lines are not supposed to be soaked with oil, they are for gasses only, there would be a slight build up of oil over time but not soaked.

it's to reburn the off gasses if I'm not mistaken, no oil should be re-entering the intake mixture before throttle body.

 

[Cams-76]

I bought a new Bosch 02 sensor put it in driver side no change so I then put it in the pass side no change. Sounds like I might have a bad cop? They are all new, some part 529 some part 515 all supposedly made for the ls 3.9. I did notice most of the spark plugs are black already and have very little run time.