O.T. 99 Escort intermittent miss

2.0 engine. 147K This has been going on a little while now. When driving down the road there is either an intermittent miss, or maybe all four miss a round. She thinks it happens under partial or mostly full load. It reminds me of flicking the ignition switch off and back on immediately.
I looked under the hood tonight, and I think it has a distributor. I will check to see if the cap needs cleaning or replacing. I have already checked the plugs and they looked fine. Any ideas on what it might be? I would much rather try to diagnose a constant problem, but the wife insists I fix it before that happens!
Thanks, Roy

I would say you need new plug wires.When there's a miss fire the 02sensor tells the computer its too rich and it leans the fuel mixture hence the stalling.I'd replace the plugs also if they have that many miles on them.Ron

Like Ron said , you can't go by how they look,it's inside of them or deep down around the insulator that goes bad. Also plug wires can be junk also. I had a 2003 PT Cruiser that went through 2 sets in 130,000. They tested good but only because they were so short. Replaced them and completely cured the missing. It was worst when really getting on it. Lot of this stuff lasts forever but some is just plain junk.

It might hurt to run a fuel pressure test
that you can watch the guage while driving
car, see how far the gauge veries under fuel
thottle. Thats also assuming filters have been
replaced.. Also is this a ZX2?? DOHC ?

I had 2 older ones that if it didn't have cracked heads around the valve seats, the left wheel was throwing water on the cap. You would have to remove the cap and wipe off and then it would start.

EGR valve?

Found many mis-fires due to excessive vacuum loss due to carbon sticking in the valve.

Quite unsure of the 99 setup though.

D.

As a rule of thumb, fuel problems come on slower and last longer on the intermittent side.
Ignition problems are more likely at fault. They can come and go in a single revolution where a fuel problem would usually last several revolutions.
Since it is intermittent, and being a '99, it may have recorded the misfire in a code. The PCM records every misfire in its diagnostic data. A good scan tool can get in and see how many misfires have been recorded on each cylinder. Checking the plugs can also offer a clue. If one id differently colored than the others, it would point to a problem with that cylinder.
BTW, yours should have a DIS coil pack and not a distributor.
One thing to keep in mind about scan tools and diagnostic info:
Every fault that the PCM detects is recorded. A high or low signal from a sensor, a random misfire, etc. This info does NOT necessarily set a code until it becomes frequent enough to trigger a code. Faults that fall under that threshold are stored as diagnostic info. In most cases, faults are stored first as diagnostic data, then as pending codes, then finally as trouble codes that light up the "check engine" light.

'99 should have OBD-II diagnostics.

2004 Ranger similar thing, readout intermitant miss on 1 and 4 cylinder, changed plugs and wires still same. I don't know if the Escort is the same but got to looking and the 1 and 4 cylinder on the coil pack are on the same side by the head. Changed coil pack and the miss left. Might check this.

Coil pack or crank sensor, start with new coil pack , wires and plugs as its the easiest. That style of coil pack is known to short inside.

My daughter had an older model Focus that she said was doing the same thing. I could never make it do it when I drove it. She told me it was getting worse so I decided to drive it to work the next morning. About half way it shuddered and just cut off. Figured timing belt had broke, hauled it home, won't broke but had stripped some cogs of the belt. New belt and tensioner and it fired up like a new one. Lasted about 50 miles, blew up idling in the yard.
Seems the older 2.0 has a head/valve seat problem.
What we think happened is the valve seat fell out or broke and knocked a whole in the piston.Wish I still had the pics we took after pulling head.
Google the 2.0, lots of info.
Not saying this is your problem, just what mine was.
Good luck

could be your coil pack.
had that happen in a 4.6. Coil checked good with meter, etc but same symptoms. the escort uses the same coil pack.
4.6 just uses 2 of them.