Problem started a while after an oil/filter change and fuel filter change. Was on the road for 2 hours and it started to rain and engine started to run bad (small chokes) around 2000 rpm. Check Engine light came on and off repeatly. Next morning the problem was gone. Problem came back a month later after the car had sit 2 days without running and also 2 days of rain. Check engine came on and brought it to a garage. Forgot code number but it was about a high rpm input which it look like a bad input cause I never took the engine at high rpm so we erase the code to see if it will come back. But engine run fine after that but I thought maybe spark plug need to be change (only 55k miles), so I changed them. Another month past and that is 2 weeks from today, after a rainy night and again 1 or 2 days without running, the problem came back, it was sunday so I use the car anyway thinking that I make it check on monday but I never made it to monday. On the road, engine started to loss power and then cmplete loss, I could start the engine but could not run higher than 1500 rpm. I tow it to garage and they found the first catalytic converter radiator side burn and the last clogged. It's still under warranty but dealer says that the clogged code must come out with scan test even if they are clogged, no codes came out so it cost my 2600 $ to change 2 catalytic converters. When I left the garage, after 1/2 hour the engine started to do what it did the first time at around 2000 rmp, now I don't want to pay another 2600$ so I brought right away to the garage. Car mecanics tried it right away and says this is what cause to clogg the converters and looks like a fuel built up and fires it. He will make a couple of test. We saw 2 crack coils on front but it can be something else that is causing all this. Now the car sits at the garage and I should have an answer tomorrow if he finds something.
Does anyone here had a similar problem ? Now I'm thinking about selling that car as is by chance it cost me to much to repair it. I would appreciate any help to solve this problem. Thank-you

 

Problem was the ignition coils, all 6 of them were cracked. This is 90$ per coil. Now my questions are: Is that normal ? The garage says its not rare that he change the coils for the Tributes and Ford Escape around 100k km, I had 91k km. Now, for how long will I make it with these new coils ?
Mazda or Ford engineers should lean on that common problem and find a solution.
Like I said in first thread, I had changed the spark plugs but the problem was there before. I use NGK, garage says its ok but next time I should use Motorcraft (Ford). Since the problem was there before I use NGK, does NGK accelerate the problem ? I don't want to spend another 700$ just for coils.

Garage also says, excessive heat makes the coil to crack. Should I install 12v fans under the hood ?

For your information, the coils I use did not come from Mazda, garage says its the same cause they're from Ford and Mazda buys them from Ford and sells it higher.

I have the old coils, if anyone would like to see what it looks like crack coils, let me know and I'll try to post some photos.

 

Not sure if the fans will help - the coils are buried in the block and they heat up while driving, no? Once the engine is turned off, it does not matter how fast you cool them down.
Concerning the price of the coils, I was reading somwhere that the dealer price is that high, and that at autostores is much cheaper (maybe 30% of the posted price - like about 23 or 24 bux/ piece - but I might be wrong)

 

I read somewhere that removing the shield over the engine will help the catalytic converter to last longer but since the coils were my problem, I should put it back to protect the coils cause you say nothing can cool them by the outside ?

The coils came from an autopart and garage says they're the same as Ford. I got them for 90$ CAN each and Mazda sells them 154$ each so its almost twice !!

 

Here they have a set (it is OE) at 245 bux (plus shipping). I received lots of parts from down South, and I also ship them at Sweet Grass Shipping Outlet (I join with a friend of mine, and we both order different stuff, then one Saturday we drive to the border and for a 3$ storage fee/month, we cannot go wrong).

Also, I am not sure, but to diminish the heat, there are different plugs: hotter and colder. Maybe a colder plug might work? (having the same gap)

 

Hi tommloye. I am having simmilar problems with my tribute. 3 of my coils have been changed but the other three are original. 2 of the old coils have a very small crack on the top of each of them and all 3 have a crack in the same place just above the rubber boot. My check engine light has not come on but the car is missing almost all the time especially around 1500rpm. I have had a look at all of them and i can't see any ark marks on the coils or in the head. Do you think i might be up for some new coils?

 

If you don't want to risk the catalytic converters which cost way much higher then a set of coils. When the coils misfires, some gas goes in the catalytic converters and when it fires it creates a bombe and breaks the catalytic from the inside and these small piece of metal clogs the next one which makes two to change, maybe 3 = $$$$.
Since the coils misfires only when its humid or rainy outside, I found on the web that you can simulate humidity with a bottle of water with a sprayer. Run the car and spray small mist of water on the coils and you should see some sparks on the failed coils. I also found out that you can repair the coil by putting a good layer of high temp epoxy (at least 300 deg. F) all over the boot and around the connector. Just make sure the coil is all dried up. You'll pay 5-10$ of epoxy instead of 90$ per coil. I've seen this on a coil pack but I'm sure it will do the job on multi-coils. Next time it happens to me, this is what I will do.

Check carefully on the coils cause before I saw only 2 colis were cracked but checking carefully, all 4 left were cracked around the connector.

Let me know if you will try the simulation or the epoxy to know if it work !

 

The rear coils always seem to go first. The spark plugs are deeply recessed in the block. A common problem is when people wash their vehicle and will rinse the engine compartment and get water down in the recesses which cause a short and ruin the coils. Some times heavy rains can do the same thing. The three rear coils are a pain to change, but the three front ones are easy. Also the water can get into the computer's wiring harness and heat from the engine can melt the thin insulation on these wires and cause a short. This can be very hard to locate.