How To Test The Ford Escape COP Coils (Troubleshooting A Misfire)

Spark Plugs And Boots Soaked In Oil

In Test 3 (or Test 4, or Test 5, or Test 6), you found that the spark plugs and the spark plug boots were covered in engine oil.

This, of course, tells you that the valve cover gaskets are not sealing anymore and both of them will need to be replaced.

Here are my recommendations:

1. When replacing both valve cover gaskets.
   • Do not use RTV Silicone on them, install them dry.
   • Bathing the valve cover gaskets with any type of sealant will only result in a come-back down the road.
2. Replace the plenum gasket with a new one.
   • Do not use RTV Silicone on them, install them dry.
   • Bathing the plenum gaskets with any type of sealant will only result in a come-back down the road.
3. I recommend also replacing the intake manifold gasket too (since you already have everything off).
   • Do not use RTV Silicone on them, install them dry.
   • Bathing the intake manifold gaskets with any type of sealant will only result in a come-back down the road.
4. Replace all of the spark plugs.
   • Cleaning the oil off of the spark plugs in solvent (like Carburetor Cleaner Spray) is not 100% effective and will eventually lead to the formation of carbon tracks on the spark plug and spark plug boot and then you're back to square one with a misfire again.
5. Replace all of the spark plug boots.
   • Cleaning the spark plug boots in solvent (like Carburetor Cleaner Spray) will lead to more problems since the solvent will start to break down the rubber the boot is made up of and this will eventually lead to a misfire.
   • Also, the solvent does not completely remove the oil and this will eventually lead to the formation of a carbon track (as the oil starts to cook and harden) and you'll have a misfire condition on your hands again.

I can tell you from personal experience that cleaning off the engine oil on the spark plugs and/or spark plug boots with solvent (like Carb. Cleaner) will not work most of the time and if it does, it'll only be a temporary reprieve from the misfire you're trying to solve.

So, if you do go the cleaning route, you'll eventually have to go back and tear everything down and replace them with new ones anyway (more sooner than later). So, it's best to just replace them all from the get go.

Location Of The Fuel Pump Relay

The fuel pump relay in the 2001 through 2007 Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute is found in the fuse and relay box in the engine compartment.

The photo above applies only to the 2001 thru' 2007 Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute. The orange arrow points to the fuel pump relay. If you need to find the location of the fuel pump relay in any other vehicle covered by this tutorial, you'll need to consult the shop manual or the vehicle owner's manual.

Article Summary: Note From The Author

I really didn't think that this article would take me so long to write and cover so many pages (7).

As I sat down and brain-stormed this article and worked out its details, I was pretty amazed at some of the stuff that I take for granted (knowledge wise) that I did not include in the first rough drafts of this article.

Having worked on cars far longer than I really cared to in this life, testing the COP coils under the plastic plenum is no big deal to me but it can be quite intimidating to a lot of other folks, and hopefully I was able to provide you with some helpful insights to do this in a safe and professional way.