Engine Misfiring? Visit Your Ford Dealer Today!

An engine misfire means that your Ford is having difficulty completing combustion. Combustion problems can cause wear and tear on your engine, and they will also mean that you use more fuel. In addition, poor combustion can lead to damage to your catalytic converter and will increase the amount of pollution generated by the engine. As your Ford dealer, we want you to know some of the reasons for your engine misfiring.

Engine Misfiring Causes You Need To See Your Ford Dealer About

Spark Plugs

For combustion, you need fuel, air, and a spark. Your spark plugs provide the ignition source for combustion. These plugs can wear out, but they can also be damaged by other problems in your engine. One of the main causes of damaged spark plugs is a blocked air filter. The air filter’s purpose is to keep dirt and other contaminants out of your engine. The air filter will eventually get clogged with dirt and debris.

A clogged filter will prevent enough air from reaching your engine for efficient combustion. Without enough air, your engine will become fuel-rich. This fuel-rich environment means that much of the fuel in your engine won’t burn and will be forced out of the engine. The fuel-rich environment also causes the plugs to be coated with carbon which will cause the plugs to misfire.

Ignition Coil

Newer Fords have one ignition coil per cylinder, and the coil fits right over the spark plug. Older Fords with a distributer have a single ignition coil. An ignition coil converts 12v battery power into high-voltage charges for the spark plugs. If there is a problem with one or more of the coils, your engine will experience misfiring and shaking.

We advise coming in to get a coil problem fixed ASAP. A damaged coil can lead to damage to your catalytic convertor. Incomplete combustion can result in hot, unburnt fuel being dumped from the misfiring cylinder into the converter. This hot fuel can cause serious damage to the honeycomb structure of the converter.

Low Compression

For combustion to occur, the pistons in the cylinders have to generate a high compression. Without this compression, misfires will occur. The compression process involves:

• The piston goes down, and fuel and air enter the cylinder.
• The piston rises, compressing the mixture to a high degree.
• The spark plug ignites the mix, which pushes the piston down and rotates the crankshaft.
• The piston rises to dump the burnt fuel mix into the exhaust.

Damaged piston rings and damaged pistons are two major reasons for low compression. Each piston has two to four rings around it. These rings serve to prevent compression from leaking into the crankcase. Worn or damaged rings will reduce compression. Damaged pistons can also cause low compression, as gases will leak into the combustion chamber.

Misfiring can damage your engine if it’s not repaired. If you experience misfiring, call us right away at North Country Ford. Our expert technicians will find and fix the problem. Your car will be as good as new in no time.