How To Replace Spark Plugs 11-19 Ford Explorer 3.5

In 2011 Ford Motor company introduced their next gen Explorer, the new explorer was a substantial upgrade over the prior generation, and boasted many new features including the newly redesigned 3.5L Duratec V6. This motor would prove over the next decade how robust and reliable it is.

Spark plugs when they wear can cause a misfire under load and other drivability issues, when a spark plug wears it makes the amount of energy required to jump the gap go up, because electricity is always looking for the path of least resistance as the resistance gets greater through the plug, it will eventually find a pathway down the porcelain and arc out the plug threads / cylinder head. when this happens it leaves behind a phenomenon known as carbon tracking.

When a spark plug wears and carbon tracking occurs often this presents with a misfire under load and often comes with a flashing check engine light under load / acceleration.

This vehicle is a 2011 model year Ford Explorer XLT although all the 3.5 Duratec engines will use this same method for spark plug replacement.