96 taurus misfire

================================ Is it a continous miss or just intermittant? Check the plug wires too?

intermittent but the check engine light stays on pretty much all the time. aargh!

================================ Intermittant misses are almost always plug/plug wires. You didnt say you replaced the wires. Did it have a code for the miss on #4, is that why the light is on? I'm not so sure you mechanic is "a good one" if he can't figure it out. Does the miss happen at certain times like on the highway, idle? or what? Please explain exactly whats going on, what the miss feels like ect. and when it happens and answer all my questions. :)

Thanks for answering. The cpu codes have been a constant for the four years i've had the car. Whenever the check engine light gets cleared it only stays off for a day at the longest. The car drives well at around 30-50 mph. The car is usually fine when it idles. Only recently (in the last two months) have the misfires centered on cylinder #4. Before various cylinders would misfire alone or in combination. After cleaning the wires and 02 sensors - trying a new cpu and fuel injection coil two days ago the check engine light stayed off for about three blocks then came back on. The misfire makes the car slow down on straightaways or slow down or stalr on steep inclines. The new proble m is that the car has always passed the smog check with flying colors. (It is well maintained.) This time it is in the gross polluter range. I am trying to get another year out of it.

=========================== You say the codes are cleared, what are the codes? Is it a "misfire #4 cylinder" code? If this car has never had plug wires change them. Also change the fuel filter if its been a while. You said clean the wires and O2 sensors. You dont "clean" the wires or O2 sensors, you replace them.

I think it's the coil pack. I have a '96 as well and at 80k one plug kept fouling. This was the source of the misfire. I think the coil runs about $75. Install is not hard either.

Code was for misfire #4. Fuel filter was changed just a short time ago (five months). I checked the bill - O2 sensors and wires were replaced. I was reading a car magazine. Could this be caused by a weak catalytic converter? Thanks!

============================= No, it wont be caused by a bad cat, but it will make the cat bad by pumping raw gas though it. So, you've have had: fuel filter plugs wires o2 sensors computer fuel injector

I think Tiger might be right, coil pack, its about the only thing left!

I too replace the coil pack. Check engine light started flashing. Replaced the pack and a week later the light went out altogether.

didn't work but the ford techs are working on it now

Let us know what it was.