cop problem

[ewclement]

I took my T-Bird in for a number 7 coil on Monday. The service manager told me the new coil he put on was an improved version and would not fail as readily as the old ones. Is that true? Are the new coils better than the installed ones?

[joe166]

Re: cop problem

I took my T-Bird in for a number 7 coil on Monday. The service manager told me the new coil he put on was an improved version and would not fail as readily as the old ones. Is that true? Are the new coils better than the installed ones?

I think so. I have no way of proving that, though.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: cop problem

I think so. I have no way of proving that, though.

There is a new part number but of course that in itself doesn't mean much.

I'm not even entirely sure that anyone knows for sure why the coils are so prone to premature failure in the first place.

Heat seems like the most likely culprit yet many people report water and oil contamination also.

I would like to think a company with Ford's massive R&D budget could solve a heat problem. If your problem is failed gaskets causing a contamination problem in the area where coils and plugs make their connection I really doubt anything can be done to the coil itself that will help........then again that's not really a COIL failure anyway is it?

In that case you'd really want to see a better "fix" for what-ever the cause is behind all that oil or water entering the area. Even a virtually indestructible coil isn't gonna work in a wet environment.

[rpatton3]

Re: cop problem

Are these COP problems more common in wet weather areas or less likely in dry states?
Could over zealous washing, pressure washing under the hood, etc. be part of the problem?
We've had good luck so far but our 2002 Thunderbird has been driven only 4,100 miles in dry weather.

[joe166]

Re: cop problem

Are these COP problems more common in wet weather areas or less likely in dry states?
Could over zealous washing, pressure washing under the hood, etc. be part of the problem?
We've had good luck so far but our 2002 Thunderbird has been driven only 4,100 miles in dry weather.

I think that humidity matters, but there are others who think excessive heat is the problem. I suspect that it could be either one or both. Several of my failures followed tropical storms, once when I had to leave it outside, once when I had to drive through standing water. I have also had a failure immediately after a pressure wash from parking under a squash berry tree (the alternative was watching my paint bubble and peel). The last time they saw no evidence of water (or oil) intrusion, but they were bad anyway.

Who knows?

[bronzebird]

Re: cop problem

Are these COP problems more common in wet weather areas or less likely in dry states?
Could over zealous washing, pressure washing under the hood, etc. be part of the problem?
We've had good luck so far but our 2002 Thunderbird has been driven only 4,100 miles in dry weather.

Surveys of one or just a few are often dangerous but in my case there have been four COPS failures. My car has never been through a car wash, the engine has never been pressure washed and it has been rained on just three times to my knowledge. This part of Georgia does have hing humidity.

None of my coil pack replacements (including the rest of them that I installed myself), were accompanied by any evidence of moisture or oil. The coils looked fine on the outside and the composition material that goes into the plug well looked brand new.

Bronzebird

[Ol'Dave]

Re: 4 T-Birds at once with COP Problem

WOW. Can you imagine FOUR!! All at once!! same place, same time! All with COP Problems. Only in Florida I guess!!!

[V8 Cat]

Re: cop problem

Surveys of one or just a few are often dangerous but in my case there have been four COPS failures. My car has never been through a car wash, the engine has never been pressure washed and it has been rained on just three times to my knowledge.
Bronzebird

This is not good news for a fellow 2005 owner in Georgia. I had thought (or wanted to think) that most of the COPs failures were due to moisture getting to them through the seal that was letting the water get into the engine compartment (A TSB was issued with a fix for nearly all Tbirds but the 05s as I remember)-or from defects in the COPS themselves that was "hopefully" fixed by 05. Then there was the possibility of letting the car sit outside in rain, driving it through rain storms, washing the engine, bad gaskets. Looks like all of this was ruled out and the COPs are just junk. I wonder why LS owners don't report more of these problems? Of course a lot of them came with the V6s that may use a different COP.

[BigDJBird]

Re: cop problem

I only have one of the remaining origional COPs in my '04 PCR-currently 66,000miles. The last time I had a problem was back in April. Went through a car wash that had a really strong undercarriage spray. Thought I would take advantage of that and really clean the undercarriage by backing up and moving forward again into the carwash. After that 3 time undercarriage wash I didn't get a few hundred yards and it started sputtering followed in a mile or so with the engine light coming on. Headed to a near by Ford Dealer at about 10mph max. The manual states that under these conditions driving it too fast could cause the floor board to catch on fire. I never felt any heat from the floor board but I followed the Ford Manual's suggested procedure to not accellerate fast or drive fast, not that it would do either. It was under extended warrenty so they replaced two cops (I believe it was two). When I got back to my local dealer and told them that I had almost been stranded for the second time (first time was several months before) and had it repaired at another Ford Dealer (on this last occasion), my local dealer asked me to leave it and they would check it out and get it running smoothly again. They did replace additional COP/COPs and when I asked, they did confirm that they had also replaced the valve covers and sealant with new versions of both. Don't know how much of this is true but I've been through several car washes since and have not had a problem. They explained that V8 retro birds have a Jaguar engine and the spark plug (COP) wells are not slanted but vertical allowing water to sit around the plug base. Supposedly the new valve covers and sealant will keep the water out now. I do think my previous COP problems were water related also. My local dealer showed me a COP out of a T-bird that was completely rust colored. I definately think water, moisture, oil or any other liquid that gets and stays (obviously being a vertical well it can't drain itself) in the wells can bring on the problem. I don't think anything is able to leak into the engine but perhaps water or excessive oil or moisture does not allow the plug to become hot enough electrically or it electrically shorts out the COP.
Hope this sheds some light. I have another post in one of the COP threads I made back in April. If interested it might give you more accurate information as it's been several months now.
Good Luck-I still like my bird. It seems like a well build car.