2007 Ford Fusion 3.0 Duratech V6 - P0302

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This is a friend's car, with roughly 150K km (95,000 miles) on it. It has a 3.0 l DOHC V6, which I assume is the Duratech. It runs well at idle and under low load, but triggers the CEL when pushed hard. The code is P0302 (misfire on #2).

I'm having trouble finding the cylinder numbering. Lots of contradictory information out there. The consensus seems to be:

FIREWALL
___________
1 2 3

4 5 6
__________
RADIATOR

Can anyone confirm this for me?

If this is correct, #2 is underneath the IM. Doesn't look too hard, although of course the front bank would be easier.

I pulled the middle plug on the front bank (#5, if the above is correct). It was clean, with no carbon build-up or oil fouling.

The owner thinks they were replaced not long ago, perhaps 5000 km (3000 miles) ago.

Therefore, I figure the #2 coil (it's a coil-on-plug layout) is probably bad.

I think this is a wasted-spark ignition system, and therefore at least one bank should be running double-precious-metal plugs. The one I pulled on the front bank was a standard plug, probably platinum.

So, at this point my plan is to pull the IM, and replace at least the three coils on the rear bank, and possibly replace the three plugs on that bank with double-precious-metal plugs.

It's quite possible the coil is OK, and the plug is breaking down under load, but it makes sense to change the coils while the IM is off. (And check the VC gasket, and replace it if it's leaking.)

Thoughts? Thanks, all!
 
It's a coil on plug engine, but also wasted spark?

That doesn't compute for me, am I missing something?
Ack, I never thought of that. Wasted-spark uses a central coil pack, right?

One site said it was a wasted-spark ignition, and I didn't question it. In that case I wonder if it's worth changing the almost-new plugs.
 
I think the early Duratec might have had wasted spark with a coil pack (not COP) My 2002 MPV was COP and had coil failures.

I think the upper intake (plastic, right?) is a bit of a pain to take off IME.
 
I think the early Duratec might have had wasted spark with a coil pack (not COP) My 2002 MPV was COP and had coil failures.

I think the upper intake (plastic, right?) is a bit of a pain to take off IME.
My old MPVs ('90 2.6 and '97 3.0) both had distributors! 😳

Gen 2 was certainly a complete change. I wish they still sold them. There's a red JDM one in the neighbourhood - looks mint.
 
I think the early Duratec might have had wasted spark with a coil pack (not COP) My 2002 MPV was COP and had coil failures.

I think the upper intake (plastic, right?) is a bit of a pain to take off IME.
Nah, even the 3.0 in the Escapes circa '04 was COP

It was an '05 Escape where I came across zip tie city under the intake for coil connectors.

Everything on the front bank looked great but apparently for some it's out of sight, out of mind.
 
Nah, even the 3.0 in the Escapes circa '04 was COP

I did some research and it looks like the Taurus was coil pack for 1996-1999 and went COP in Y2K.

Here's a 99 with coil pack: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1999-ford-taurus-se-comfort-wagon/


EDIT: I was looking at this a little more and it seems the Taurus went back to coil packs for 2001-2003: https://www.ford-taurus.org/taurusinfo/Engine/index.php Ebay searches for junkyard Taurus Duratecs seem to confirm this. I don't know about the Escape!
 
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Also you'll pay through the nose for coil connectors at the parts stores but you can buy a whole box of 6 or 8 for less than one or two locally.

If the job is a ways off I'd just have connectors from Amazon at the ready. Small heat shrink butt connectors, too.

And of course lift the tabs with a pick for ones that aren't broken.
 
Yikes, the coils are expensive!

Is the Motorcraft a must, or would NGK or Denso be acceptable? (I'm not considering the Brand X ones.)

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The plot thickens ...

I talked with the owner's son, who has worked on the same problem on the car previously.

To summarize his explanation:

The last time, the problem was a bad diode in the PCM. It was obvious visually once the PCM case was opened. He sent it off to a rebuilder in the US, which repaired it.​
It's now doing it again, with the same code (P0302 - misfire on Cylinder #2).​
The PCM has likely failed again. The nature of the failure causes the coil to fail.​
There is now a local rebuilder who can repair the ECM.​
I'm questioning this for the following reasons:

1. I could see a bad coil damaging the PCM, but am surprised a bad PCM could damage the coil.

2. I watched a video about pulling the PCM, which says that a damaged PCM will trigger codes P0351, 352, 353, 354, 355, and/or 356. The more generic misfire codes of P0301 through 306 are not mentioned.



Anyway, I'll contact the local rebuilder and see what he says. I'll also pull the ECM and see if there's any visual damage.

To be continued ...
 
I'm back on the Fusion today. It idles well, but jerks and stumbles as soon as it's put in D.

Drivability is weird - it stumbles and hesitates at low RPM, and then wakes up and runs smoothly under acceleration and at cruise.

In spite of accelerating hard a few times, I was unable to trigger the CEL.

I pulled the #4 and 6 plugs. Both were the correct Motorcraft plug, clean, and with the correct gap.

I couldn't see light through the air filter, so replaced it.

I sprayed the throttle plate and MAF with cleaner.

I wanted to put a vacuum gauge on it, but couldn't find a port anywhere on the IM.

I sprayed WD-40 around the IM, hoping for a change in idle speed (indicating a vacuum leak), but had no results.

If it is a misfire, it's weird that there's no code set.

I guess I'll have to pull the IM and try swapping the back coils to the front.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
 
I'm back on the Fusion today. It idles well, but jerks and stumbles as soon as it's put in D.

Drivability is weird - it stumbles and hesitates at low RPM, and then wakes up and runs smoothly under acceleration and at cruise.

In spite of accelerating hard a few times, I was unable to trigger the CEL.

I pulled the #4 and 6 plugs. Both were the correct Motorcraft plug, clean, and with the correct gap.

I couldn't see light through the air filter, so replaced it.

I sprayed the throttle plate and MAF with cleaner.

I wanted to put a vacuum gauge on it, but couldn't find a port anywhere on the IM.

I sprayed WD-40 around the IM, hoping for a change in idle speed (indicating a vacuum leak), but had no results.

If it is a misfire, it's weird that there's no code set.

I guess I'll have to pull the IM and try swapping the back coils to the front.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
The last time I saw this it was bad fuel -- except for idling OK in P. Is there the slightest possibility of this?
 
Also I've personally never had the spray-an-aerosol trick show me a vacuum leak.

I'm not saying it's never worked for anybody, but it's never worked for me. You may need to pony up for or build a legit smoke machine.

What are MAF readings and fuel trims doing?
 
The last time I saw this it was bad fuel -- except for idling OK in P. Is there the slightest possibility of this?
Good question - I don't know. I did the idle relearn, and it runs a lot better now.

So many possibilities - people on a Fusion forum suggest that bad motor mounts are common around this mileage (157K km/97.5K miles).

I don't want to fire the parts cannon at it though - I'll turn it back over to my friend, and ask him to let me know if/when the CEL comes back.
 
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