• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

Just installed Accel coil pack - Problems!

C

ck42

CEG'er
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Messages
99
Well first....didn't realize that there was a horizontal and vertical model. Of course I ordered the wrong one, but hey...it fits anyway. You just have to connect the connector FIRST, then bolt the thing in.

OK...so I get all the wires switched over (dielectric grease installed) and fire it up.

It starts after about two seconds of cranking, and then idles low and very rough for about 1sec and then dies...with a little weird squeeling noise at the end.

So...I 2x and 3x and 4x check the wiring pattern. I compared what is shown here in the forums against what is in the factory service manual. Everything matches. No wiring mis-ordering.

So...for a loss of ideas, I swap #1 and #3. It starts up and idles. It idles a little rough but it's the right RPM and I can rev it. But it's just idling rough enough that I know something isn't right.

So....move the wires back to the proper location and try again. Same as before. Won't run.

Re-install the original coil pack. Cranks right up and runs fine.

Think well maybe there's a difference in how the coil is made with the horizontal connector. Ohm the original coil pack and find that there's a repeatable pattern from left to right. Compare this to the Accel. It matches...so there's no weirdness in the connector that I can tell.

So...original coil pack is back in for now, but I really want to get the new one working. Am I missing something here?? Anyone else got the Accel installed?

Chris
 
Last edited:
So you said there was a horizontal and verticle model... what do you think the chances ae, since you ordered the wrong one, that the fire pattern on it is different
 
This is my suspicion. But according to the Accel website,

"These are direct plug replacements for OEM coils."

and from the Summit site, this was the correct model to order for my '95. But everything that's happening points to a firing order problem.
 
You mentioned the coil connector is vertical or horizontal. Assuming that the coil is not defective and that you installed the wires in the correct order, try flpping the coil sets, i.e., remove SP wires at coil pack end for 4-3 and switch with 5-1. If that doesn't help, test the coil pack.

Spark plug wiring order. Note that it is 4- 6- 5 at the coil pack by the firewall side.

V6 Duratec Spark Plug Wiringorder
Firewall side
4- 6 -5 <--coil pack
3-2-1

1-2-3 <--engine
4-5-6
Radiator side

Spark Plug gap 0.054 inch




Zetec I-4 Spark Plug Wiringorder

Firewall
Engine 1 2 3 4 ..... Coil 1 3
Radiator ............... ....4 2

Spark Plug gap 0.050 inch


Autozonelink for testing coil pack
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1b/c4/02/0900823d801bc402/repairInfoPages.htm
 
Last edited:
I'd stick with stock, since your ground wire fixed the misfires. Alternatively, see if you can exchange the coil pack.
 
Tony,

Was thinking about that last night....wondering which wires would I switch IF it turned out that this coil pack was different somehow.

Question though. Is there any potential for any kind of damage by getting the wires mixed up in some particular order? My logical guess is, no....since it should just mean that spark is not going to occur when it's suppose to and the engine simply won't run. But I want to be sure.

I'll try moving the 4/3 and 5/1 sets next.


"FavoriteMystaque I'd stick with stock, since your ground wire fixed the misfires. Alternatively, see if you can exchange the coil pack."

Fav: The ground wire has NOT fixed the misfires. Not sure where you got that from. Now that it's hooked up, I'm certainly monitoring things to see exactly what difference it has made.
If experience has taught me one thing, it is that I cannot judge whether or not a problem like this is fixed or not based on only 1 or 2 days of driving.


Chris
 
Last edited:
"wondering which wires would I switch IF it turned out that this coil pack was different somehow."

As posted earlier, switch the two sets of ends around.

"I'll try moving the 4/3 and 5/1 sets next."

Correct

"Is there any potential for any kind of damage by getting the wires mixed up in some particular order? My logical guess is, no....since it should just mean that spark is not going to occur when it's suppose to and the engine simply won't run. "

No, it just won't start or won't idle well and we suspect it is already in the wrong position.

Test the coil pack just in case it is a defective one. Procedure previously posted.
 
Went through the new coil last night and ohm'd it out. The values are different than the OEM coil, so I can't pass/fail based on those known values. But....all three Primary/Secondary values are nearly identical, so that should be a pretty good sign.

I'll dive into again tonight and swap the wires around. Hope it works.

Chris
 
ck42 said:
Went through the new coil last night and ohm'd it out. The values are different than the OEM coil, so I can't pass/fail based on those known values. But....all three Primary/Secondary values are nearly identical, so that should be a pretty good sign.

I'll dive into again tonight and swap the wires around. Hope it works.

Chris
Click to expand...
OEM coil pack FTW! :idea:
Karl
 
Here is why I thought it ran well on original coil pack:
Found the braided ground wire...sure enough. Just hanging out back there.

On to next problem. See my newest thread regarding the new Accel coil pack.
Click to expand...
From this current topic:
Re-install the original coil pack. Cranks right up and runs fine
Click to expand...

If the engine is actually running with wrong firing order, the catalysts will get damaged (melted) after a while by excess fuel going into them. I had 3 and 5 crossed, sounded a little odd but ran. Experiment briefly..
 
Last edited:
Just got off the phone with the Accel support guy.

Engineers said that there is an actual firing order difference between the 140035 and 140036 (horizontal vs vertical connector)

CRAP! Oh, at least it's a mystery solved. Everyone take note.

Chris
 
Big Daddy Kane said:
Or, "Summit typographical errors FTL"?

...since I did look at those on there, and they do have the horizontal towers listed as a Contour part. I realized that was wrong right away... and my OEM is still working great :ponder:
Click to expand...
Ah, I like giving people a little "nudge" towards OEM parts, ESPECIALLY ignition parts. There's no reason to go anything else. It's been well documented on this site that the stock ignition is more than enough for a race engine. Hey, I still have the Accel Supercoil I used on the racing engiine for my 67 Barracuda but that was at a time when the stock coil had less than half the output of the Accel and the plugs were two or three heat ranges colder than stock. That's a lot different than what we're talking about here with this guy's Contour.
Karl
 
Doesn't the Accel need the later Cougar type plug wires or do they offer 2 now. Nothing wrong with our stock coil to switch IMO.
 
while I don't see any performance gains from using an accel coil pack over OEM, It will be interesting to see if it works! So let him try it and see what happens. I for one want to see pictures of the "vertical" coil pack.
 
FavoriteMystaque said:
So the right part is Accel 140036 Vertical?
Click to expand...

Correct.


As for my buying an Accel over the OEM....well, as it's been mentioned in other coil threads, the Accel is actually a few buck cheaper. So if it's suppose to be a better coil, let's leave the definition of 'better' alone for now, then why not choose it over the OEM?

Todras, my plug wires worked fine with the 140035 coil. although I did notice that the wires did fit more snugly...actually took a couple of seconds to get each one pushed in.

Zerohour, there are pix available on the 'net of the vertical style. Nothing exciting. Just looks like the 140035 but with a vertical connector.

Chris
 
ck42 said:
As for my buying an Accel over the OEM....well, as it's been mentioned in other coil threads, the Accel is actually a few buck cheaper. So if it's suppose to be a better coil, let's leave the definition of 'better' alone for now, then why not choose it over the OEM?

Chris
Click to expand...
Well, this remains to be seen. The OEM works. If you spend a few bucks less but spend a week trying to get it to work, did you really save any money? How much is your time worth? Sometimes ignition parts can't be returned. So then you're out double the cost. It's a nice experiment so carry on. At least this will be a good lesson no matter how it turns out.
Karl
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top