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SchwarzPaul

Explorer Rough Idle Stalling Jerking

Hey, I'm having trouble with my 2012 Ford Explorer (gas engine). It's got 224676 km on it. The engine runs rough and sometimes stalls when idling. The check engine light is on, and it jerks when I accelerate. I'm thinking it might be an ignition coil. Could it also be a bad cable or plug connection?

4 comment(s)

lennyeule1

Rough idle, stalling, and jerking? Sounds like a coil pack issue for sure. Have you checked your spark plugs? A bad plug can make a coil work harder and fail. When did you last replace your plug wires? Old wires can cause misfires and make the engine run poorly. Try swapping the coils around to see if the problem moves to a different cylinder. That might help you narrow it down.

SchwarzPaul (Author)

Thanks! I haven't checked the spark plugs yet, but I will. Can you tell me more about swapping the coils, and what the risks are? I'm not very experienced with auto repair, and I don't want to mess anything up.

lennyeule1

No worries, swapping coils is pretty easy. Just make sure the engine is off and cool. Disconnect the electrical connector and remove the bolt holding the coil in place. Then, pull it straight out. Swap it with another coil and see if the misfire follows. But honestly, with those symptoms and mileage, and if you're not super comfortable doing the work, I'd just take it to a shop. They can diagnose it properly and get you back on the road quickly. It'll be around 95€, including the part and labor.

SchwarzPaul (Author)

Thanks so much for the advice! I took it to a workshop. It was a bad ignition coil, probably from a faulty connection like I thought. The total cost was 95€, just like you said. The car is running smoothly now!

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