Ford Ka 2012 Misfire

Soldato
Joined
30 Apr 2007
Posts
3,095
Location
Kent
Hi all

My sister has a 1.25l Ford Ka late 2012. It throws the following codes:

P0300 - Random/Multiple Misfire
P0301 - Clyinder 1 Misfire
P0304 - Cylinder 4 Misfire

It started Sunday last week, having only been serviced the Saturday. Having full service, including spark plugs, timing belt and water pump.

The misfire will only happen at speed, 60/70mph. It starts up fine and drive around town, pull away with no feeling of being down on power.

Was serviced and timing belt etc changed by the same garage and technician who we've used for years for this and other vehicles. They rechecked timing and also threw a set of leads on it and re-checked basics.

I've taken it to a friend of mine who's a tech at another garage.

We pulled the plugs and checked those, cleaned throttle body and swapped the coil. All to no avail.

I am going down the line of it's probably a coil taken out the ECU with it as when it misfires you can pull over, cycle the key and the misfire will have gone away.

Anybody had any similar experiences? Any suggestions?

Many thanks in advance!
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Apr 2007
Posts
3,095
Location
Kent
We swapped a new coil pack onto it and took it for a run today, still misfired at speed so that came off and went back to the motor factors!

Spark plugs were replaced last week with NGKs which are the OE plugs for that engine.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Dec 2011
Posts
10,401
It's possibly worth checking with an OEM.coil pack as the cheaper ones are a bit notorious for being....well not great.

Assume you've checked all the spark plug wells for water ingress too? Some of the smaller ford engines suffer from ingress through the centre plugs.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Nov 2005
Posts
24,553
Location
Guernsey
I don't know if ford KA suffer from this

But some cars if they put to much oil in the engine it can get into the air intake through the engine breather and the fuel sensor can get coated in oil..

Maybe Worth checking
 
Associate
Joined
26 Jul 2010
Posts
1,714
Location
Wiltshire
I would have thought it had a wasted spark ignition on this vehicle, the coil is split into two and cylinders 1+4 and 2+3 are triggered simultaneously.
I would suspect the wiring (especially the coil multiplug, the connectors can splay apart very easily) to be at fault or (unlikely) the ECU driver for cylinders 1+4 or a bad ECU earth (they often have more than one for separate circuits)
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Apr 2007
Posts
3,095
Location
Kent
Finally, an update.

Took it to the Ford Dealer where she bought it and they have diagnosed it as needing a new coil pack and PCM, for circa £1200 incl. VAT.

My sister is now considering her options, as we can get rid of it for ~£2000 and get her an upgrade in the process as the Ka is base model, no central locking, no A/C and 3door. She's commitment free from rent/mortgage so seems like a good opportunity to upgrade now. But we shall see.

The dealer have been a nightmare to deal with despite the amount of information I've given them about the car, the history and when the codes set. They took it out two days in a row and couldn't re-produce the fault. I re-confirmed at length in writing (and with freeze frame data) in an email to the service advisor and they still couldn't re-produce the fault, specifically stating the speed and length of journey required to set the codes. I had noted the mileage of the car when I dropped it off, and when I got back in it after it being at the dealer for 2 days they had put 18 miles on it. So my words had clearly fell on deaf ears. I drove it out onto the dual carriageway, and within 15 miles I had it producing the fault again and codes set.

I dropped it off again the following morning and I then had to chase again later that day for the diagnosis.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
Posts
23,304
That seems a lot for coil packs on a KA. Or anything on a KA really. Aren't they made out of whatever Fiat has left over? :p

You can find a whole replacement 1.25L engine for under 200 quid.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
30 Apr 2007
Posts
3,095
Location
Kent
That seems a lot for coil packs on a KA. Or anything on a KA really.

Yep, but the coil has taken the PCM with it and requires replacement as well.

With the cost of repair compared to the value left in the vehicle doesn't seem the smartest of moves to me.
 
Associate
Joined
5 Aug 2019
Posts
3
Hi, did you get a result with this issue? currently trying to work it out. have 5 KA's only 1 with issue. changed spark plugs, leads, coil pack. Now suspecting ECU but they are coded so unable to swap from another one.
 
Associate
Joined
5 Aug 2019
Posts
3
Multiple misfire

Phonic wheel relearn

Dash warning lights (Auto start-stop, EOBD injection system failure, Generic failure) later versions also have Tyre pressure low & Hill assist unavailable I believe.

Hi all update from my previous posts.

Daughter purchased a 2011 Ford KA June 2019. (Fiat based) In car history cambelt changer 2016 at a Ford main dealer. Soon after purchase the car would start to have a major misfire if on motorway / duel carriage way when cruising at about 2750 / 3000 rpm, 60 / 65mph. Pull off road switch car off and back on it runs fine until the cruise down the major road but it is random when the next episode will be. I suspect the car was sold with known fault or was a town car as very little miles since cambelt changed.

I changed spark plugs and swapped coil pack and leads off another same year car I own but it still happened. Local garage code read P0300 (multiple misfire) P0302 cylinder 2 misfire detected and P0303 cylinder 3 misfire detected. Pointing to plugs, leads or coil pack, but they have already been changed.
Spending ages on various forums I found quite a number of people reporting the same/similar issues but the threads all went cold without conclusion. Hence my update.

Phonic wheel relearn.

I found a comment about phonic wheel relearn. Reading through and learning about it, crank and cam sensor may be slightly out of timing / synchronisation (not a tooth out just the difference from one belt to another). Various possible ways to correct rev engine to 4000, 5000 or 6000 rpm 3 times letting it idle between revs. Some reports said it has to be plugged into a computer (Ford IDS software) and revved to do the relearn. So without the software I thought nothing to loose picked the middle one 5000 rpm and it seems to have worked.

If you are having issues and don’t want to DIY I would suggest an independent Ford specialist but speak to them about phonic when relearn and ensure that they are aware of it / understand it.

So many people have shelled out loads of cash on parts injectors, coil packs, spark plugs, HT leads ECU’s etc and still not had a result


Thanks to Gary (Ford owners club)
Peter (Haynes Publishings)
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
Posts
23,304
Sounds far less hassle just to get rid of it. These cars just do not seem to last. My sister had one which only made it to 60k miles before the engine was done and it was scrap :p
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Nov 2005
Posts
24,553
Location
Guernsey
Sounds far less hassle just to get rid of it. These cars just do not seem to last. My sister had one which only made it to 60k miles before the engine was done and it was scrap :p
I agree

They seem to be nothing but trouble..

My mother has 2012 one and last year I had to pay for
new clutch & for the Gearbox to be rebuilt as some the bearings where gone (I paid £1100 at ford dealer for this)
Replacement Thermostat housing around £80 (Fitted myself)
and it still needs 2 new front struts due to the tops have completely rusted away (Ford dealer quoted me over £500 for this)
New Battery (About £100)
and the car only has about 28,000miles on the clock :(
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
5 Aug 2019
Posts
3
I guess all makes and models of car have there issues but since maintaining the 5 in our family this is the only major issue I have had. Parts are cheap and available so if you can DIY discs, pads, shoes, filters and oil they are inexpensive to run.
 
Associate
Joined
29 Aug 2020
Posts
1
Hi Crayford Cortina
My daughter is having the exact same miss fire problem on a 2013 Ford KA but this ONLY started after a timing belt kit and water pump were put into it at the 50,000 mile service.
Running around town its fine but as soon as she goes on a journey and hits 70 mph bingo (she gets all the warning lights etc) switch ignition off and back on again and it runs like a dream with no loss of power etc.

Just going to try your phonic wheel relearn theory.

How long do i keep it at 5000 rpm and how long do i let it idle for in between the 3 sets of revs ??

Thanks
Andy
 
Back
Top Bottom