Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Help, Car suddenly running rough

Guys,


Our Contour this afternoon suddenly started running rough. Its most noticebale at a stop sign or when 1st accelerating.

What should I be looking at and what can I test with basic tools. No CE light has come on.

Thanks

plugs/wires come to mind, first, as long as idle rpm is right around normal. (not drastically below normal)

Duratec plugs should be Autolite APP764 Double Platinums, gapped to 0.054.. wires are OEM Motorcraft replacements or the expensive ones which are Magnecors (better performance, but much more expensive)

check the gap, and condition of all plugs, and make sure the plug wires are still connected securely and are clean.

Avoid mixing up the wiring order, as the coilpack and cylinder wiring order are different for two plugs (6 and 2, I think)


for Zetec, ignore the wiring order thing I said, as that is a different ballgame.

Ray

Its not horrible, but there is definetly a shake to the car. Very much like a rough idle.

I just misted the wires at night here to see if I could see any arching, and I could not.

Replaceing the plugs, seems reasonable as well as maybe a fuel filter. Anything else, I would think the car would set a code if something was off like a IAC or something else

Maybe trying cleaning the TB and MAF. Filters are a good start. There is a how-to for TB and MAF cleaning on the main page IIRC.

Could also me motor mounts, but I wouldn't actually suspect them if it started REALLY abrubtly.

I would look in to the fuel filter and plugs first

Ray

Wires or possibly the coil pack are most likely.

Im going to try replaceing the FFilter now and if there is no marked improvement move onto the wires/plugs.

There is a definite miss under load.

I hooked up a scan tool to look for any codes and there were none. I also think on 95's the computer codes wernt as sensetive or numerous as there are on later model vehicles

Well,


After checking with a few shops about doing a tune up (plugs and wireset) and hearing prices between 350-400, and having to swallow hard.

I found a local garage that I have done some work with in the past, I had them replace the plugs and wireset (I provided the Autolite plugs) FFilter and they cleaned the TB and the MAF sensor (they said they were very dirty) for 250.00 + my 28 for plugs.

Anyway the miss is gone, vehicle seems to be more reponsive, I think.

Looking at the old plugs, Im amazed it even ran, They were not fouled at all, but the electrode was paper thin and the contact was worn down at a 45 degree angle. Also on the #1 wire on the cermaic end there was evidence of arcing.

So hopefully this is it for a while.

For a extra car, its becoming expensive