Iggy
Well-known member
A little background first. Last fall I was driving up in Portland Oregon when all of a sudden my van started shaking while driving down the freeway. I backed off the gas and it stopped. But every time I accelerated, it would do it again. The check engine light had come on too. It felt like the tranny was coming apart. It was late at night so no place to take it. So I eased it down the highway to Salem and made it safely. The next day I took it to a transmission guy that I trusted and had him check it out. He called me back in an hour and said that the tranny was in perfect shape but the engine felt like a cylinder was missing. He recommended a shop down the street. Well, that shop said the spark plugs were worn out, it needed new spark plug wires, the computer needed recalibrating, and the coil on cylinder #5 was shot. I thought that sounded excessive but wanted the van in tiptop shape. So $700 later, I got it back and it ran fine for 6 months and 8000 miles.
In March, I was driving from Las Vegas to Ventura CA and the van started shaking and the engine light came on. I wasn't far from Ventura so I limped into town and took it to an auto parts store. They checked out why the engine light came on and their tester said that cylinder #6 was misfiring. So I took it to a mechanic and he said that the van required all new plugs because they were Autolite double platinums and only Motorcraft plugs were recommended for Fords. And he wanted $350 to install them. I called up the mechanic in Salem and asked him about the plugs. He looked up the paperwork and said someone was trying to scam me, that the plugs were right. He thought the coil on #6 had probably went bad.
So I did nothing and drove it around for two months without the problem reoccurring. Drove all the way back to Salem, no problem. Now this week, it started doing it again. Took it to a different mechanic that is dating my niece, he thinks that there is a short somewhere in my wiring but doesn't know where. It is only doing it if I drive for more than an hour and the shuddering is quite mild, not like in CA. I'm inclined to go back to the first mechanic but can't afford another $700 bill. Any motor whisperers on here have an idea what the problem is?
On a different note, last night it poured rain here. This morning I discovered a major leak at my back doors. The water is coming thru the brake light mounted over the doors. Does anyone know where I can order a new gasket for that light?
In March, I was driving from Las Vegas to Ventura CA and the van started shaking and the engine light came on. I wasn't far from Ventura so I limped into town and took it to an auto parts store. They checked out why the engine light came on and their tester said that cylinder #6 was misfiring. So I took it to a mechanic and he said that the van required all new plugs because they were Autolite double platinums and only Motorcraft plugs were recommended for Fords. And he wanted $350 to install them. I called up the mechanic in Salem and asked him about the plugs. He looked up the paperwork and said someone was trying to scam me, that the plugs were right. He thought the coil on #6 had probably went bad.
So I did nothing and drove it around for two months without the problem reoccurring. Drove all the way back to Salem, no problem. Now this week, it started doing it again. Took it to a different mechanic that is dating my niece, he thinks that there is a short somewhere in my wiring but doesn't know where. It is only doing it if I drive for more than an hour and the shuddering is quite mild, not like in CA. I'm inclined to go back to the first mechanic but can't afford another $700 bill. Any motor whisperers on here have an idea what the problem is?
On a different note, last night it poured rain here. This morning I discovered a major leak at my back doors. The water is coming thru the brake light mounted over the doors. Does anyone know where I can order a new gasket for that light?
