1999 Ford Tarus Cylinder #3 misfire detected

Customer Complaint:
Check engine light on and flashing. Dead miss when engine running.

Shop Diagnosis:
Computer diagnostics showed code p0303 cylinder #3 Misfire detected.

Tested for spark and fuel injection pulse and both were found.
Performed compression test and found it to be low at only 20psi.
Coolant levels were good and engine oil appeared to be ok.
No white smoke from tail pipe.

Still suspected a blown head gasket as these engine are not prone to cracked heads.

Further Engine Diagnostics:
After removing the head, found the #3 cylinder combustion chamber in the head to be wet looking. After further checking( turn upside down and fill chamber with water) found the exhaust valve not sealing.

Repair:

Removed exhaust valve($15.00) and found it to be bent.
Replaced with new valve.
Reassembled and tested operation... No more misfire and customer is happy.

1998 Mercury Tracer Questionable Service?

Had my son’s car towed to the shop on Friday because it stalled on him twice. On his check up sheet in August 2010, the only thing needing attention was his serpentine belt; everything else was green.

After they checked the vehicle, they reported that the timing belt needed to be changed. Some other things they noted was the front brakes and the rotors needed to be changed, transmission flushed, new spark plugs. Is it possible for all this to go wrong in the space of two months?

1998 Mercury Tracer, 4 cylinder automatic

Response:

As for the tune up, transmission flush may just be time for this on the scheduled maintenance and in the long run, this will not hurt the vehicle. You can however put these to items off for another time.

As for the brakes, being a safety issue I would tend to be a bit concerned here. If you are having trouble stopping or hear grinding….you may want to have this taken care of.

If the brakes seem fine to you, you can say “NO” and bring it back when they do start to cause you an issue.

Some shops feel obligated to Continue.....

1999 Ford E-150 has a misfire problem that I can't seem to fix

TPS Sensor

My 1999, E-150 has a misfire problem that I can't seem to fix. I had to replace the Camshaft Sensor due to the 3-wire connector being fused together during a simple thermostat replacement. I had trouble connecting the Sensor back onto the 3-wire coupling due to an electrical degreaser I used, which melted the 3-wire insulation and caused the wires to touch each other.

After I put it all back together, and started the engine, I got nothing to run. So..... after breaking it all down again to discover the Camshaft Sensor fried, along with the 30amp fuse in the fuse box under the hood, I had to go find another connector (used) and a NEW sensor, and put it all back together. The engine turned on!

But..... the motor ran a bit rough at idle. Then I drove the van around and the misfire was in all driving gears and RPM's. It was rough enough for me to park the van and try to diagnose the problem. I replaced the spark plugs, tested the Coil Pack with an Ohm meter and still nothing helped.

What do I do now?

Response:
Try your T.PS. sensor sounds like that may be the real problem. I had same problem and that fixed mine.

98 Escort and drives great except when coming to a stop

Question: I have a 98 Escort and drives great except when coming to a stop and it will just about shake the fillings out of your teeth. My only remedy so far is to put it in neutral when i have to come to a stop. Does anyone know what could be the problem? Doesn't miss-fire and no other problems other than the shaking. Already Tried: Replaced spark plugs, oil, oil filter, air filter, had the front rotors turned, balanced and rotated the tires. Answer: It could be that the exhaust system is in a bind, and it is vibrating because it is not able to move freely. To remedy this would require loosening all points of the exhaust mounting and the connection to the exhaust manifold, then while loose the engine is rocked back and forth and allowed to settle (it works better if the engine mounts are also loosened to allow the engine to settle into a natural position where it is not bound up either). This process is called "neutralizing" the engine and exhaust. If the shaking is still present, it may help to replace the motor mounts. But there will always be some amount of vibration at idle on a four cylinder. Some cars are more prone to vibration than others, because the body of the car can sometimes resonate in tune with the frequency of the normal engine vibration. Compare the feel to another Escort with the same body style and engine to get an idea what is normal.