Man.....this car......

De-marko

De-marko

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Ok, I have a '00 LS8. Yesterday I am driving around, make a few stops and the car runs as smooth as glass almost all day. I jump into the car after going to the store and start it up and this thing runs like it is on 4 cylinders. The whole car has a shake to it like i'm running a huge cam and idles horribly. I pop the hood and I hear a pop..pop..pop sound coming from the intake manifold which almost sounds like an exhaust leak. While driving the car, it is smooth as glass again till I come to a stop. Then the whole car fills up with the smell of raw exhaust and runs rough again.

Is there a exhaust cross-over in the intake manifold that can burn out causing a vacuum leak? Does this sound like a fried EGR to anyone? What could be up now.:mad: The car has 145K on it and until now has been great. Also the check engine light came on about a week before this happened and all I got was a O2 sensor defective on bank 2, which I replaced. Gheesh:Bang
 
Ignitions coils are most defintally one of your problems. The car runs smooth when driving for some reason and then at a stop is all rumbly....typical of Ignition coil failure. That would also explain why the smell of gas is coming into the interior, when the ignition coil doesnt fire, the spark plug doesnt fire, and the gas in the cylinder is released without having been ignited. That would also explain the 02 sensor, because the unignited fuel from the cylinder is fgoing into your exhaust and burning out your cats.... If your cats arent already shot, I would fix the Ignition coils as soon as possible so that you dont burn them out. It happened to me and now I got a more expensive problem than I had before.
 
exceptionaLS said:
Ignitions coils are most defintally one of your problems. The car runs smooth when driving for some reason and then at a stop is all rumbly....typical of Ignition coil failure. That would also explain why the smell of gas is coming into the interior, when the ignition coil doesnt fire, the spark plug doesnt fire, and the gas in the cylinder is released without having been ignited. That would also explain the 02 sensor, because the unignited fuel from the cylinder is fgoing into your exhaust and burning out your cats.... If your cats arent already shot, I would fix the Ignition coils as soon as possible so that you dont burn them out. It happened to me and now I got a more expensive problem than I had before.
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+1 on the cats and the O2 sensors I'm currently dealing with the same situation.
 
if the problem is only at idle (high vacuum) you may have a vacuum leak. you could try a vacuum gauge on the intake manifold - if you are not getting 18-22hg of vacuum, then that's your problem. It will also cause the car to mis-fire horribly at idle or low rpms.
 
I had this same problem and it turn out to be a vacuum leak. I have a V8 and the problem was at the pass side value cover. A hose had come loose. reconnected problem gone.
 
All the connections intake wise that ford/lincoln/jag used pretty much suck on these cars. The plastic gets brittle very fast and easily letting the vacuum connections crack, chip, break and cause leaks.

I have even found a hole in my drivers side plastic valve cover once right by the power steering reservoir. The hose clamp on the hose coming off the reservoir was facing with the prongs toward the valve cover and at some time the motor moved enough to puncture a hole in the cover.

like mentioned I would also look into the coils.
 
I agree on the plastic connections. When I changed the spark plugs, that vacuum canister that sits on the drivers side shock tower had to be removed so I could get better access to the coil cover bolts and plugs. I pushed on those vacuum hose ring connectors and they disintigrated in my hand.:p
 
After work I stopped by autozone so they could hook up their scanner.
The codes that were pulled are: P0430 and P0174.

Code P0430 says, "catalyst efficiency low-bank 2" Probable causes, catalytic converter defective, ENGINE MISFIRE, and what you guys mentioned, Large Vacuum Leak.

Code P0174 says "rich or lean condition" Probable causes, ENGINE MISFIRE, Fuel injector problem, Failed O2S.

Like Quik suggested, I'll put a vacuum gauge on there and see what it reads, then try to find the leak. I'll go ahead and buy a set of coils also. They all looked to be original except one of them when I changed the plugs. BTW, the suggested plug gap is .044 and a couple of the plugs I pulled out were opened/burned as much as .187:eek: That is 3/16 of an inch.

Has anyone tried these coils before from ebay? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...=2&item=400026466839&category=33689&viewitem=
 
I have heard that the ebay coils are good as long as they plug in. I will be getting the ebay coils for my LS when I do valve cover gaskets and all this spring.
 
On some LS's the harness plug won't plug into the coil. From what I read it is most common on earlier LS's like the 00-01.
 
De-marko said:
After work I stopped by autozone so they could hook up their scanner.
The codes that were pulled are: P0430 and P0174.

Code P0430 says, "catalyst efficiency low-bank 2" Probable causes, catalytic converter defective, ENGINE MISFIRE, and what you guys mentioned, Large Vacuum Leak.

Code P0174 says "rich or lean condition" Probable causes, ENGINE MISFIRE, Fuel injector problem, Failed O2S.

Like Quik suggested, I'll put a vacuum gauge on there and see what it reads, then try to find the leak. I'll go ahead and buy a set of coils also. They all looked to be original except one of them when I changed the plugs. BTW, the suggested plug gap is .044 and a couple of the plugs I pulled out were opened/burned as much as .187:eek: That is 3/16 of an inch.

Has anyone tried these coils before from ebay? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...=2&item=400026466839&category=33689&viewitem=
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STOP!!!! don't waste your money on anything.... the same thing happened to my car and i promise you it is the same... SO STOP, DONT BUY ANYTHING YET.. this news is going to suck but it is a "timeing change tensioner pully" it is broke, so do NOT drive it... when this happens the timeing change is loose and it cuts into the block!!!! so don't drive it or even run it until you check this out... take it to a shop tell them to check for this because i spent almost $400 dollars on parts and labor to fix what the "computer" said was wrong and no results, i had to pay to get a leak down test performed and thats when they found the problem, now they are going to tell you that you need to replace the motor, but as long as you don't drive it or run it that much you will be ok, i have been driving my every day for the last year with no problems sence this happened to me!!!

i have pics i will try to post also
 






this is what the tensioner looks like, bad photo but it is the red plastic looking thing in the middle... also i showed it on the tow truck because that is the only way to transport a car in this condition!!!
 
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cmoney23 said:
STOP!!!! Don't waste your money on anything.... the same thing happened to my car and I promise you it is the same... SO STOP, DONT BUY ANYTHING YET.. This news is going to suck, but it is a "timing change tensioner pulley" it is broken, so do NOT drive it... When this happens the timing chain is loose and it cuts into the block!!!! so don't drive it or even run it until you check this out... Take it to a shop and tell them to check for this because I spent almost $400 dollars on parts and labor to fix what the "computer" said was wrong and no results. I had to pay to get a leak down test performed and thats when they found the problem. Now they are going to tell you that you need to replace the motor, but as long as you don't drive it or run it that much you will be ok. I have been driving mine every day for the last year with no problems since this happened to me!!!
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Let me ask you, did you have a rattling sound coming from the passenger side front of the engine before you had your engine repaired? How much did it cost you (if you don't mind me asking) to get this tensioner fixed? Did you replace all of the chains while it was apart? After you had this done, did your rough running and CEL disappear?

Man, this might SUCK! :dancefool
 
no, no rattling sound i can think of, it just ran like it had some big cams in there at idle and would smooth out when i would start driving,

it cost me $1,400 to get it fixed (this is after i spent all that money to figure out what was the problem, ie... replaceing the coils, a fuel injector, the cattilitic converter) and they replaced everything, tensioner, chains, pulleys, everything!!! so what i would do is TOW it to a shop have them pop the valve cover on your passenger side first, then the other, and check the tensioner, that should only run 20-50 bucks... and if it is.. look at it your self and see how bad the ware on the block is, then change the oil after its fixed with a heavy duty oil filter, run for 300 miles, change again, run for 1000, change and then 3000 and change, the reason for this is to remove all the metal from the motor... lincolns have aluminum blocks and you can't just use a magnet in the oil pan...

and after i had it done everything ran great... and about a week later a coil went out... but that happens all the time with these cars!!!:mad:
 
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Well, for sure the cats are bad on this car and the guy I bought it form told me that the cats were rattling and they were, so this is also a problem.
 
I find your information highly interesting, but you have me a little confused. The basis for confusion: You say it's a 'pulley' but the red thing you point out is triangular and looks very like a shoe on the chain guide, although mine as an off-white color. Maybe you can clarify? Thanks much!
KS
 
More codes

Today I get code P0302, P0304, P0420. I have coils on order so hopefully that'll knock out a couple codes on misfire on cyl. #2 and #4.:eyeroll: The MPG fell way off from 23.6 to 18.2. As to be expected.
 
cammerfe said:
I find your information highly interesting, but you have me a little confused. The basis for confusion: You say it's a 'pulley' but the red thing you point out is triangular and looks very like a shoe on the chain guide, although mine as an off-white color. Maybe you can clarify? Thanks much!
KS
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sorry i am an old ford guy, so i still call them pulley, the name is "timing change tensioner" sorry for the confusion
 
De-marko said:
Today I get code P0302, P0304, P0420. I have coils on order so hopefully that'll knock out a couple codes on misfire on cyl. #2 and #4.:eyeroll: The MPG fell way off from 23.6 to 18.2. As to be expected.
Click to expand...

ok well let me know when you install them and i really hope that works but i am betting it doesn't, but my praiers are with you
 
cmoney23 said:
ok well let me know when you install them and i really hope that works but i am betting it doesn't, but my praiers are with you
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The coils were something I was going to buy anyway along with "cats", VCG's, exhaust manifold gaskets, brake pads etc.
 
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