How many ignition coils are in a Ford F150?
In most Ford F-150s, the ignition system uses one coil per cylinder, so the number of coils matches the engine’s cylinder count. That typically means 6 coils on six-cylinder EcoBoosts or other 6-cylinder options, and 8 coils on the 8-cylinder 5.0L V8; diesel variants use glow plugs instead of ignition coils. The exact count depends on the engine installed in the truck.
What engine options mean for coil counts
The coil count scales with the engine’s cylinder count. Below are the common configurations found in recent F-150s and how they map to ignition coils. Note that hybrid variants still follow the gasoline engine’s cylinder count for coil installation.
Gasoline engines (coil-on-plug systems)
In gasoline F-150s with coil-on-plug ignition, the number of ignition coils equals the number of cylinders. The common configurations include:
- 2.7L EcoBoost V6 — 6 ignition coils
- 3.5L EcoBoost V6 — 6 ignition coils
- 5.0L V8 — 8 ignition coils
- 3.3L Ti-VCT V6 — 6 ignition coils (where installed in applicable model years)
These numbers reflect the typical coil-on-plug design used in Ford's modern F-150s. If your truck uses a different engine, count the cylinders to estimate coils.
Diesel engines
Ford's diesel F-150s use glow plugs rather than ignition coils for starting and combustion. Therefore, they do not have ignition coils in the same sense. The combustion system relies on compression ignition and glow plugs, not spark-based ignition.
Notes and caveats
The exact setup can vary by model year, trim, and engine option, especially in earlier generations. If you need the precise coil count for a specific VIN or build, check the owner's manual or Ford's official specifications for that engine variant, or inspect the ignition coil layout on the engine bay.
Bottom line
For modern Ford F-150 gasoline engines, expect one ignition coil per cylinder. That translates to six coils for six-cylinder options and eight coils for the eight-cylinder 5.0L V8. Diesel variants do not use ignition coils; they use glow plugs instead. Always verify for your exact model year and engine option.
Summary
In short, the Ford F-150's ignition coil count depends on the engine: 6 coils for 6-cylinder EcoBoost/6-cylinder variants, 8 coils for the 8-cylinder 5.0L V8, and no ignition coils for diesels (glow plugs are used). For precise counting, identify the engine option in your vehicle.
