It always feels like you waste time when you gotta get out the compression tester and the leakdown test, because usually those are the last things to go for with a misfire. I'm usually at least a half hour to an hour deep before I grab those cuz I'm trying everything else before I jump to mechanical issues. But you found it, on to the next
Tune up your ears… you can hear a low compression misfire… a “dead” mechanical miss sounds entirely different than spark/fuel related… maybe try paying attention or taking notes on your lube jobs
@markblonski6635 yes that's true, sometimes you can hear a compression issue right away, uneven cranking rhythm and such. But it's not always the case, if you could always hear it, he wouldn't have wasted so much time getting to that point on this crown vic, he would have immediately gotten the compression and leakdown test. Just saying sometimes it's not obvious right away, that's why we do diag
@@christophermaldonado1777 sometimes you don't notice the uneven cranking. That's especially true when a vehicle starts up immediately. It tends to be more noticeable if a vehicle has to crank a while before starting. But even then it isn't always obvious. And with a low mileage 4.6 it's nearly almost always ignition coil failure. To be honest, I probably would have taken the same route and replaced the call on the offending cylinder and replaced the spark plugs. When that didn't work, that's probably when I would have done a listening compression test followed by an actual compression test. I probably would not have done anything any different than Alex unless I had noticed something sounding strange either with the engine running or doing cranking
Homie got that honest to god humbleness I respect he sees he’s made mistakes and goes on record and says he made the diagnosis final and show the true problem Shout out from Funky Town Tx
@@chasedyer5950 if a crown Vic engine gives up the ghost in less than 200,000, I consider that premature failure 😅. On a fuel occasions they have timing chain problems if the tensioner starts to fail. But even that usually takes well over 100,000 MI. And even that is somewhat rare
@@dmandman9 I have a buddy with an older one that is super bad with doing car maintenance, and that thing stays running amazing. I’m the opposite and I’m working on my well maintained cars like every week lol
Honesty, integrity, professionalism, I own a repair shop myself , and I 100% agree with your decision on not charging a customer from a misdiagnosis, keep up the great work
@@user-qw2sv2xj9h normally your right, ford for the most part makes garbage, but crown vics where made better than the other ford's back when they cared.
That’s the proper way to do business. A misdiagnosis is a no charge. Doesn’t happen often but when it does the customer shouldn’t be held responsible. Honest man right there. Keep it up.
Tip for any misfire: Pull the fuel pump relay/fuse, bleed off the pressure, crank it and listen for even compression. This one might have been hard to notice as it doesn’t sound like a bad leak, but sometimes the sound will give it away. I found a broken rocker arm on an exhaust valve this way recently. Surprised me as the vehicle had two exhaust valves per cylinder and one was working!
True, had a 3.6 Promaster van, cylinder misfiring. Did the clear flood crank, listening for compression pulse deviation. Sounded normal/even. #4 cylinder had #60 psi compression.
@@JamesSmith-xs7sr If it sounded even, what ultimately led you to do the compression test? My method certainly isn’t at all foolproof and I’d love to improve my ability to suspect low compression.
Man car dr.is a beast good honest mechanic and I swear I haven't met one in my city.I do my own mechanical work but if I can't figure something out I take my cars in but yeah I haven't met a honest mechanic where I'm from
That's a baby! Is that a 4.6l? I know back in the day, they had problems w the plastic intake manifold cracking leading to overheating or possible hydrolock. Definitely needs head work but I'd be interested to know what caused the valve to lose its seal.
I had a few experiences with stubborn misfires. Misdiagnosed a few cause I was too lazy to take out the compression test kit. I learned my lesson never skip those important steps rather waste 10 minutes doing a compression test and cover my behind.
Had the same scenario, same vehicle model. Misfire, 1 cylinder. I was thinking that day, went old school & attached a vacuum gauge to the intake, gauge fluctuaded rapidly at idle, indicating valvetrain failure. Glad I thought of that first thing!
Been there many times before when you think just a simple set of plugs and or coils can fix a problem. Then you found out "Maybe I should have got the gauges out" and find a bad valve. It happens to the best of us.
I would have done the same thing. No way would I have figured that a 4.6 in a crown Vic would have a leaking valve. Most are just getting broken in at 200,000 miles. The most common issue is a leaking intake. And perhaps an oil leak. Every so often I see timing chain issues cased by a weak tensioner causing guide damage. But most are nearly bulletproof.
When I get a misfire that dosent follow swapping coil packs, I always do a compression test on that cylinder to start. Or charge for a test to be done first.
Alex. You ever have a Cadillac / GM stuck in limp mode? I got the reduce engine power error and service stabilitrack error and I can’t go beyond 30mph.
All them people in the old video talking so good about them trash 4.6L ford V8’s😂They always had issues even with low mileage spark plugs be breaking off while trying to do regular maintenance. This car is a mechanics dream usually. They not that hard to work on & they gonna need work😂
Such a rarity for one of the most reliable and durable vehicles out there! Only 70k miles. Must have been poorly maintained. How is the color of the engine oil, Alex?
Just bought an 03 lesabre with 112,000 from a guy i work with for 200$ says he overheated it when the coolant elbows broke. Im hoping it's just the LIM gaskets 😅
Just had one like this yesterday a 2010 Ford escape with a misfire that had new plugs in it I checked compression right away because that engine has issues with valve train and cylinder #1 had low compression compared to the rest. Recommend a cylinder or engine but customer declined all repairs. @alexthecardoctor
I had one bite me the other day Kia had 60k miles and radiator was had crack in it put the radiator on was bleeding the cooling system I was thinking why it keep bubbling done a block test it failed called the customer let him know and his head gasket was bad so I put a head gasket on it but no that head gasket was cracked I wouldn’t think a car 60k miles would have blown head gasket
Lots of guys that own these tend to think that because they are damn there tanks that they won't go down,,shiiiiiiiiiiiiii ive had to deliver the news on loooots of the 4.6's
It always feels like you waste time when you gotta get out the compression tester and the leakdown test, because usually those are the last things to go for with a misfire. I'm usually at least a half hour to an hour deep before I grab those cuz I'm trying everything else before I jump to mechanical issues. But you found it, on to the next
Tune up your ears… you can hear a low compression misfire… a “dead” mechanical miss sounds entirely different than spark/fuel related… maybe try paying attention or taking notes on your lube jobs
@markblonski6635 yes that's true, sometimes you can hear a compression issue right away, uneven cranking rhythm and such. But it's not always the case, if you could always hear it, he wouldn't have wasted so much time getting to that point on this crown vic, he would have immediately gotten the compression and leakdown test. Just saying sometimes it's not obvious right away, that's why we do diag
@@christophermaldonado1777 sometimes you don't notice the uneven cranking. That's especially true when a vehicle starts up immediately. It tends to be more noticeable if a vehicle has to crank a while before starting. But even then it isn't always obvious. And with a low mileage 4.6 it's nearly almost always ignition coil failure. To be honest, I probably would have taken the same route and replaced the call on the offending cylinder and replaced the spark plugs. When that didn't work, that's probably when I would have done a listening compression test followed by an actual compression test. I probably would not have done anything any different than Alex unless I had noticed something sounding strange either with the engine running or doing cranking
Snoop dogg/ kat Williams vibes 😂
Homie got that honest to god humbleness I respect he sees he’s made mistakes and goes on record and says he made the diagnosis final and show the true problem
Shout out from Funky Town Tx
Always genuine and humble!!! Much love and respect to Mr and Mrs Car Doctor 🫡 🙌🏾PEACE AND BLESSINGS TO YOUR FAMILY AND SUPPORTERS KING
Call Guinness, we found someone capable of breaking a Vic engine
@@chasedyer5950 if a crown Vic engine gives up the ghost in less than 200,000, I consider that premature failure 😅. On a fuel occasions they have timing chain problems if the tensioner starts to fail. But even that usually takes well over 100,000 MI. And even that is somewhat rare
@@dmandman9 I have a buddy with an older one that is super bad with doing car maintenance, and that thing stays running amazing. I’m the opposite and I’m working on my well maintained cars like every week lol
Honesty, integrity, professionalism, I own a repair shop myself , and I 100% agree with your decision on not charging a customer from a misdiagnosis, keep up the great work
Always follow your protocol for diagnosing. Thanks Doctor! 🙌🏾. Honest man! ❤
It's still a Crown Vic and worth an engine replacement if it's not rusty.
@@monterreymxisfun3627 ford junk
@@user-qw2sv2xj9h yeah but those crown vics can take a lot of beating and still run tip top
@@user-qw2sv2xj9h normally your right, ford for the most part makes garbage, but crown vics where made better than the other ford's back when they cared.
I don't understand what people see in them. They are raggedy, ugly, and will never come back in style. I would be embarrassed to be seen in a Vic.
@@user-qw2sv2xj9h I’m a Japanese car guy and I can admit the Crown Vic is one of the most reliable cars ever made
I enjoy Bros videos good energy type of shop I would love to work for !!!
@@tommaswilliams6503 facts he seems like my homies. Able to tell you bad news but you know his heart is in the right place.
You’re a real one man. Idk how many videos I’ve seen of you just always doing the right thing. Wish I lived closer bc I’d be a life long customer
That is the marks of a great mechanic.... Pure honesty, good or bad is what makes a great mechanic a great mechanic
thank God it's a 20 dollar valve and a head gasket tbh.
Other video, went for a new engine.
@@kidsythe just cause it’s the only pressing issue doesn’t mean it’s the only issue
It’s fine. You have to start somewhere and if I do a head or engine, I’m changing the plugs every time
That’s the proper way to do business. A misdiagnosis is a no charge. Doesn’t happen often but when it does the customer shouldn’t be held responsible. Honest man right there. Keep it up.
@@biggrip713 💯💯💯
Tip for any misfire: Pull the fuel pump relay/fuse, bleed off the pressure, crank it and listen for even compression. This one might have been hard to notice as it doesn’t sound like a bad leak, but sometimes the sound will give it away. I found a broken rocker arm on an exhaust valve this way recently. Surprised me as the vehicle had two exhaust valves per cylinder and one was working!
True, had a 3.6 Promaster van, cylinder misfiring. Did the clear flood crank, listening for compression pulse deviation. Sounded normal/even. #4 cylinder had #60 psi compression.
@@JamesSmith-xs7sr If it sounded even, what ultimately led you to do the compression test? My method certainly isn’t at all foolproof and I’d love to improve my ability to suspect low compression.
@@truthsmiles Misfire data indicated the cylinder misfire. (Actually a partial misfire due to lower compression)
God bless you for teaching us
Brotha my brotha, I respect your honesty. That takes a really honest tech to admit misdiag.
Always keep it real!! 💯
Man car dr.is a beast good honest mechanic and I swear I haven't met one in my city.I do my own mechanical work but if I can't figure something out I take my cars in but yeah I haven't met a honest mechanic where I'm from
Honest worker others will charge for their own mistake keep up the good vids 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Damn but you know that’s ok because had you not done so you would have not been able to find this issue.
That's a baby! Is that a 4.6l? I know back in the day, they had problems w the plastic intake manifold cracking leading to overheating or possible hydrolock. Definitely needs head work but I'd be interested to know what caused the valve to lose its seal.
I had a few experiences with stubborn misfires. Misdiagnosed a few cause I was too lazy to take out the compression test kit. I learned my lesson never skip those important steps rather waste 10 minutes doing a compression test and cover my behind.
If you have the feature on a scan tool, "relative compression" test is sometimes helpful/effective.
Had the same scenario, same vehicle model. Misfire, 1 cylinder. I was thinking that day, went old school & attached a vacuum gauge to the intake, gauge fluctuaded rapidly at idle, indicating valvetrain failure. Glad I thought of that first thing!
We always checked compression before any tuneup. You can a scope to check. No wrenching required.
Been there many times before when you think just a simple set of plugs and or coils can fix a problem. Then you found out "Maybe I should have got the gauges out" and find a bad valve.
It happens to the best of us.
If Katt Williams was a mechanic 🎉
This video made me subscribe.. good man
We all make mistakes, what we do, and learn from mistakes is what matters
I would have done the same thing. No way would I have figured that a 4.6 in a crown Vic would have a leaking valve. Most are just getting broken in at 200,000 miles. The most common issue is a leaking intake. And perhaps an oil leak. Every so often I see timing chain issues cased by a weak tensioner causing guide damage. But most are nearly bulletproof.
I am nearly sure you ruled it out. But I was wondering about the possibility of a broken valve spring.
Props to ya my brother 😊
When I get a misfire that dosent follow swapping coil packs, I always do a compression test on that cylinder to start. Or charge for a test to be done first.
Even When FRUSTRATED..."ALEX The Car Dr." STILL Has The Temperment Of "JOB"--A Man After GOD'S ❤!
Machine shop quoted me 300 to rebuild some heads. Don't think a new engine is really necessary here.
I feel like your going to bring back a lost art with your videos. U admit when u couldnt get it right away but show honesty
I appreciate your kind comment
Hey brother always appreciate it when people share their mistakes. Good on you brother. 👍
Always 👨🏽🔧🩺
Yes. If you're a mechanic, don't just assume, it'll come back to bite you.
Every single time
I need to the take Saturn s1 2002. I trust u more than anyone of my mechanics
Thought this motor was bulletproof
Dam imma check that on my 1997 Lincoln Town car
Sir I love the content but please wipe your camera I always think it’s my phone 😂
Favorite saying, assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups
Man bro wished you lived out here keeping it 💯 and real with 🗣️ after thousands of $ I put in 😅
My dad who is a master tech with 40 years experience always has to tell me that when I speculate about what could be wrong with a car, I’m working on.
I wish the car doctor was in my area
Alex. You ever have a Cadillac / GM stuck in limp mode? I got the reduce engine power error and service stabilitrack error and I can’t go beyond 30mph.
Same exact thing happened to my wife’s 2018 grand Cherokee 3.6 at 69k miles
Ouch did FCA-Stellantis help out with a new engine?
damn that's crazy at 69k for a 6 year old car. Stellantis is just crapping the Jeep brand
@@XTRABIG I thank god everyday I had bought the extended warranty lol. It was gonna be 4300 to fix it. Paid 100 bucks
Wait until the plastic oil cooler, lifters and cams go bad 😂😂😂
@@puremayhemFTW good to hear👍those Pentastar 3.6 V6 can be trouble sometimes
Man can you open a shop in Bozeman MT every mechanic I’ve gone to here is so shady 😂
Hey, it's a humble guy who can admit a mistake, but seriously, be the last thing I would be looking at too
Notice how doesn’t let us hear the motor because any decent mechanic could have told ya it don’t have compression based on that sound
Could have happened to the best of us , possibly carbon build up to not allowing the valve to seat properly
Bro I happens. Not to mention it was something that did not cross your mind and that's not an easy test.
Happens to the best of us.
You get them in the second half
You’ve got no issue admitting it was a misdiagnosis and I can respect that so much more than others who try to hide it.
I gotta keep it 💯 all the way around!!
Good mechanic
Yeah, been there. Always disappointing to find when you think it's simple.
You realize your doctor will charge you for a wrong diag. I don't see why you should have to be more precise than a doctor.
Nice work
Sound like Kat Williams
Where is your shop located
@Alex, do you fool with older suburus? 2005 legacy to be exact
Need a new engine at 70k miles on it. 😮
All them people in the old video talking so good about them trash 4.6L ford V8’s😂They always had issues even with low mileage spark plugs be breaking off while trying to do regular maintenance. This car is a mechanics dream usually. They not that hard to work on & they gonna need work😂
Thats soooo rare Ive owned fleets of panthers and that never at 400,000s of thousands of miles
I know that’s why it threw me off!
At least you got a sweet side gonna use ky when you hand him a bill
Such a rarity for one of the most reliable and durable vehicles out there! Only 70k miles.
Must have been poorly maintained. How is the color of the engine oil, Alex?
Built Ford Tough 💪🏽
New valve seats put her back together
Let's not ASSUME
Just bought an 03 lesabre with 112,000 from a guy i work with for 200$ says he overheated it when the coolant elbows broke. Im hoping it's just the LIM gaskets 😅
Add some seafoam to it that crap fix anything
Anyone saying they ain’t made this mistake is full of 💩 I know I’ve done this atleat twice in my whole auto technician career
Dont worry. I would have done the same. Vic are TANKS. Unless their cats fail.
Wasted time yes but you did the respectable thing by not charging for the tune up..
Missed diagnosis 😢
It happens to the best of us 👨🏽🔧🩺
70,000 and this happened I'd be investigating 😂. That's junk
@@josephfarr2988 probably never took care of it
Subscribed
Good mechanic some still out here I'd do the same
Just had one like this yesterday a 2010 Ford escape with a misfire that had new plugs in it I checked compression right away because that engine has issues with valve train and cylinder #1 had low compression compared to the rest. Recommend a cylinder or engine but customer declined all repairs. @alexthecardoctor
Manny mechanics lose a lot of money working on a Ford
Yeap happened to me.
I had one bite me the other day Kia had 60k miles and radiator was had crack in it put the radiator on was bleeding the cooling system I was thinking why it keep bubbling done a block test it failed called the customer let him know and his head gasket was bad so I put a head gasket on it but no that head gasket was cracked I wouldn’t think a car 60k miles would have blown head gasket
Alex, what city and state are you in?
Morrow, Ga
@alexthecardoctor what test did you do to perform this??
Compression check, followed up with a Cylinder leak down test
Dont you scare me i got me a grand marquis 95 woth 58k miles
What city a State your located in??
Morrow Georgia
How are you a mechanic and not know that miles means jack shit ??
I just hit 269k on mines it’s a 96 I take very good care of my car.
And it will take you even further! Those are good cars!
@@AlexTheCarDoctor thank you so much man. I will continue doing my best.
I wish you could help me with my car 🚗 2017 Impala
Lots of guys that own these tend to think that because they are damn there tanks that they won't go down,,shiiiiiiiiiiiiii ive had to deliver the news on loooots of the 4.6's