Originally posted by bentleywarren:
A loose or leaking vacuum hose can cause all sorts of idling problems.
My thoughts exactly.
Originally posted by TDawg76:
I'm a college student and don't have much money and I need some sort of partially definitive game plan before I start draining my savings account!
Originally posted by TDawg76:
I don't know my way around an engine bay - can someone provide an explanation for "dummies?"
Unless you have a good friend or family member that works on cars, bringing you car to a mechanic is a crap shoot. In my opinion, most are rip-off artists, and very few are honest. Having said that, I would suggest learning to work on your car so that you don't blow your whole savings account trying to fix something that is probably simple.
Replacing the ignition wires is one of the simplest things to do on our cars. The only tool that you will need is a socket wrench (to remove water pump pulley shield (the plastic cover that is just to the right of the oil cap as you look at the engine from the front of the car)). You should also get dielectric grease (available at your local auto parts store for ~ $1-$3) to coat the inside of the ignition wire boots.
One more tip (as mentioned above) is to replace one wire at a time, since you don't want to cross-wire the plugs.
Here are the detailed instructions from the Ford Technical Service Publication (in case you decide to tackle the problem yourself):
Ignition Wires
Removal
1. On 2.5L engine, remove water pump pulley shield.
2. CAUTION: Do not pull on the ignition wire directly as the wire may separate from the connector inside the boot.
Disconnect ignition wires from spark plugs (12405) by grasping the ignition wire spark plug boot and twisting slightly in both directions to free it.
3. CAUTION: Do not pull on the ignition wire directly as the wire may separate from the connector inside the spark plug boot.
Disconnect the ignition wires from the ignition coil (12029) by squeezing the locking tabs and twisting while pulling upward.
4. Open ignition wire separators (12297) and remove ignition wire.
Installation
1. CAUTION: Proper installation of ignition wires is critical to vehicle operation. If one ignition wires is not properly installed on the spark plug or ignition coil, both spark plugs connected to that ignition coil may not fire properly.
Whenever an ignition wire is removed from a spark plug or ignition coil, or a new ignition wire is installed, apply Ford Silicone Dielectric Compound D7AZ-19A331-A (Motorcraft WA-10) or equivalent meeting Ford specification ESE-M1C171-A to the boots prior to installation using a small, clean tool. Coat the entire interior surface of the boots.
2. Install each ignition wire to the proper terminal on the ignition coil. The terminals on the ignition coil are numbered. Make sure the boots are fully seated and that both ignition coil boot locking tabs are engaged.
3. Route ignition wire through ignition wire separators and close ignition wire separators.
4. Connect ignition wires to spark plugs.
5. On 2.5L engine, install water pump pulley shield. 
