1999 FORD ECONOLINE Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

MY FORD E350 1999 MADE A LOUD FLAPPING NOISE AS I WAS LEAVING MY HOME. I PULLED RIGHT BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I FOUND OUT THAT THE #2 SPARK PLUG HAD COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED ON ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLES. I AM A MECHANIC, AND FORMER JET ENGINE MECHANIC ALSO. MY OBDII CONFIRMED A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER #2 THAT IS HOW I LOCATED WHICH PLUG IT WAS. FORD SAID IT WOULD COST $260 TO LOOK AT IT, AND UP TO $1700 IF THEY COULD REPAIR IT. PLUS TOWING. I ASKED HOW MUCH A NEW ENGINE WOULD COST SINCE THE VAN IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. FORD SAID IT WOULD COST $7,200 FOR A NEW ENGINE. THIS VAN HAS COST MORE FOR REPAIRS THAN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED IN MY LIFE. I AM 62. AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR $700.00 COIL ON SPARK PLUG $130 ABS BRAKE SENSOR $138.00 FLEX PLATE AND FLYWHEEL $700.(CAUSED BY LOOSE IGNITION SWITCH) EGR BLACK BOX $400 REPLACEMENT. FORD WANTED $100.00 TO CHANGE MY FUEL FILTER. I WENT TO THE STORE AND BOUGHT THE SPECIAL WRENCH FOR $16 ,DID IT MYSELF IN 15 MINUTES. RECALL FOR WIRING NEAR THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT COULD CATCH FIRE, 1/2 DAYS WAGES LOST. IT TOOK ME 4 HOURS TO CHANGE SPARK PLUGS. IT WAS THE WORST DESIGN I HAVE EVER SEEN. A NIGHTMARE TO GET TO THE SPARK PLUGS. I SOLD THE VAN FOR $500 TONIGHT. GLAD THE NIGHTMARE IS OVER. *TR

Mileage: 197,540

THE SPARK PLUG EJECTED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO WEEKS AND THIS TIME HAD A SMALL FIRE THAT WAS PUT OUT RIGHT AWAY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN REAL TROUBLE AS WE HAD 9 PEOPLE IN THE MOTORHOME AT THE TIME. *TR

Mileage: 76,589

WELL IT GOES LIKE THIS, NEW PLUGS AND COIL PACKS WHERE INSTALLED AT DEAN ARBOUR FORD IN PINCONNING MICHIGAN IN MY 1999 E350 ECONOLINE VAN. SO THE ISSUE AT HAND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ABOUT WAS IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF SAID PLUG OR PLUGS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ IN ANSWERS.COM FROM WHAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS SAID THAT IT IS IMPROPER INSTALLATION OR OVER TIGHTENING, NOT TORQUED PROPERLY. WELL IF THIS WAS THE ISSUE AT HAND THEN THEY ARE NOT PROPERLY TRAINING THEIR TECH'S, WHICH I DO NOT SEE THAT BEING THE ISSUE AT HAND. IT IS AS I SEE, POORLY DESIGNED AS TO THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENING TO SO MANY OTHERS. WHICH I SEE THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DESIGN FLAW. MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY PROBLEM AT HAND WAS NOT UNDER HEAVY LOAD, I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND WENT TO PROCEED. WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT WAS STEPPING ON THE GAS SLOWLY TO MOVE FORWARD AND BANG, AND I MEAN (BANG). IT KEEP POPPING UNTIL I SHUT IT DOWN IGNITING AS THAT CYLINDER IN ROTATION CAME TO THAT FIRING ORDER FOR THAT CYLINDER. EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE READ INDICATES THAT THE CYLINDER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF A 5.4 TRITON HEAD 2ND ONE FROM THE BACK FORWARD IS THE ONE THAT IS FAMOUS FOR EJECTING FROM THE HEAD. RIGHT ABOVE THE PLUG IS THE COIL PACK AND ABOVE THAT IS THE FUEL RAIL WHICH INTERN WHEN THE PLUG EJECTED ITSELF COULD HAVE BEEN VERY HAZARDOUS. THE POPPING WAS THE PLUG SPARKING, WHICH WAS IGNITING THE FUEL PUMPED INTO THE CYLINDER BY THE INJECTOR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY EXPLOSIVE SITUATION MEANING (FIRE). WITH THE LUCK OF THE DRAW I WAS NOT LIKE SOME OF THE UNLUCKY ONES THAT HAVE CAUSED A FIRE FROM THE EJECTION OF THE SPARK PLUG. WITH THE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE ARISED FROM THIS ISSUE THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM, BEFORE SOMEONE LOOSES THEIR LIFE FROM THIS KNOWN ISSUE. YOU WOULD THINK THAT FORD WOULD WANT TO ADDRESS THIS KNOWN ISSUE FOR LIABILITY REASONS, BEFORE THE UNKNOWN HAPPENS. LOSS OF LIFE, YOU CAN'T REPLACE IT, BUT YOU CAN REPLACE OR ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

Mileage: 170,000

OIL LEAKING FROM UNDER HEAD (GASKET) ONTO EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR

Mileage: 36,103

HAVE A FORD 1999 ECONOLINE VAN WITH A TRITON ENGINE, HAVE SO FAR BLOWN X3 SPARKPLUGS, ALL FIXED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING FROM NEW YORK TO PHILADELPHIA WHEN I ALMOST GOT HOME THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE ON THE BACK OF THE CAR WHERE THE WHEEL ARE, ON MY PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

1999 FORD ECONOLINE 250 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR ITEM. HE HAS HAD ALL WORK DONE BY FORD. FORD WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR COST. HE STATES THAT IF SOMETHING IS WRONG IT IS FORD'S FAULT. *KB

FORD TRITON 5.4L BLEW OUT #2 SPARK PLUG. REQUIRING CYL. HEAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2680.61. *NM

Mileage: 71,621

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT 1999 FORD ECONOLINE 350 BLEW A SPARK PLUG AT 60 MPH. THIS BLEW OUT OF THE WHOLE MANIFOLD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, AND THE PRICE THAT THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED WAS AROUND $2500.00. THE CONSUMER WAS IN CONTACT WITH FORD. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT FORD COULD CARE LESS. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED NOW BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY PRIOR PROBLEMS. IT WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED BY THE CONSUMER. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS HAPPENED DUE TO LACK OF THREAD ON THE ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEAD. *NM

Mileage: 62,000

WHILE BRAKING AT LOW SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 55,000

I BELIEVE INEFFECTIVE REPAIRS ARE BEING DONE AND ONLY THE SYMPTOMS ARE BEING TREATED. I HAVE TWO FAILED OIL PUMPS, THREE FAILED WATER PUMPS, A FAILED ALTERNATOR...AND THREE ATTEMPTS TO FIX VARIOUS OIL LEAKS....ALL WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE EXHAUST BOLTS THAT WERE PUT ON IN MAY, 2003 WEREN'T EVEN ON IN AUGUST, A COVER THAT GOES UNDER THE RADIATOR FLEW OFF ON THE HIGHWAY...I AM NOW WONDERING WHAT ELSE...IN ADDITION...THERE NEEDS TO BE A CAUSE TO THE CONSTANTLY FAILING WATER PUMPS. THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, AC, ETC. FAILURES ARE MINOR IN COMPARISON.

I BELIEVE INEFFECTIVE REPAIRS ARE BEING DONE AND ONLY THE SYMPTOMS ARE BEING TREATED. I HAVE TWO FAILED OIL PUMPS, THREE FAILED WATER PUMPS, A FAILED ALTERNATOR...AND THREE ATTEMPTS TO FIX VARIOUS OIL LEAKS....ALL WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE EXHAUST BOLTS THAT WERE PUT ON IN MAY, 2003 WEREN'T EVEN ON IN AUGUST, A COVER THAT GOES UNDER THE RADIATOR FLEW OFF ON THE HIGHWAY...I AM NOW WONDERING WHAT ELSE...IN ADDITION...THERE NEEDS TO BE A CAUSE TO THE CONSTANTLY FAILING WATER PUMPS. THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, AC, ETC. FAILURES ARE MINOR IN COMPARISON.

ENGINE REPLACED.

WHILE TRAVELING IN HOT WEATHER VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION.*AK SERVICE THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WHEN ENGINE DIED, THE DRIVER COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK. *YH

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT A HIGH SPEED VEHICLE WANDERS TO THE RIGHT. VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ENGINE RECENTLY REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME , DUE TO OIL LEAKS OUT OF THE HEAD GASKET.BOTH TIMES THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED WITH A BRAND NEW ONE. VEHICLE STILL NOT REPAIRED. *AK.ET.