Soft plug at the back of the engine is leaking, what causes this?

Does each cylinder have it's own coil ? (COP ) coil on plug ignition system . Is the PCM - controlling them ? Could have fried driver inside the PCM . How was the spark plug gap ? Worn - this can cause the coil short inside sending 20,000 volts to the PCM driver (transistor)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4r5OcHN5Lg

Check the spark plugs for proper gap check the coil boots for cracks by twisting and bending them if they are soft to just a pin hole will let the + spark get to the- engine ground causing the misfire also when removing the boots and plugs check for ////antifreeze//////oil//////water in the cylinder for the specific spark plug####antifreeze =a leak from the thermostat or intake manifold gasket or thermostat cross over@@@@ no engine specified by you#### oil =valve cover gasket leak #### water = inner fender splash guards are missing letting puddle splashes or high pressure car wash water to enter the engine compartment this is a usual problem in the 4.6-5.4 engines and one other problem if you put to much dielectric grease on the coil boots it has melted and in the liquid form is causing the + to jump to the -

Yes, that is a possibility. I have a 4-liter V-6 in my 1993 Ford and it had two freeze plugs that had rusted and were leaking. It was easy enough to replace them because they were on the side of the block but I learned there are two freeze plugs hidden under the transmission bell housing. It they are leaking, antifreeze would be dripping off the back of the engine.

Freeze plugs should not cause oil leaks as they are a safety device for the water jacket.

most of the time it is a soft plug.soft plugs are a safety plug meant to keep the block of your engine from cracking inthe cold or hot. they can rust or pop out. check by getting under the car and look. check along the sides and the rear.there are some in the rear of the engine between the trans, and the engine. not to hard to replace unless between trans, and engine.

check soft plugs in the back of the engine block (also called freeze plugs) which are there for the purpose of expansion in cases of freezing solid in order to prevent the engine block from cracking under the pressure of freezing. its not a costly repair if you can get to the plug to replace it yourself ? if not get it to a shop pronto because soon the temps outdoors will increase causing overheating of the engine to occur without proper coolant capacity. Good Luck and i hope this helps you.

Ron,
There are 4 different versions of the 3.0 engine used in the 1998 model Taurus. Hard to give exact info without the exact version of the engine. First check for any coolant hose above the leak area. Next, look for "soft plugs" located in the cylinder head near the leak. Usually these are very hard or impossible to see, as they are covered by the exhaust manifold. You might have to remove the exhaust manifold to see them. There are also a number of soft plugs located in the rear of the engine block, and on both sides of the block [iron blocks only]
If you have a leaking soft plug, the best bet is to replace all of them. Why? Because you have neglected changing your antifreeze in a timely manner. Now it's time to pay the price for that negligence. All the soft plugs will be rotted about the same amount. If you only replace one now, you will be replacing more of them in the coming weeks and months. If this is a high mileage or ratty car, it may be wiser just to junk it.
Deferred and neglected maintenance ALWAYS costs more to fix in the long run. The Germans have a saying, "The lazy man, works the hardest of all"

here is how I have done it. drain out coolant from engine. get under car and find the bad soft plug. next you can drill a hole in it and screw a big screw in it, to take it out. but be very carefull not to knock it in engine, for you may not be able to get it out. next when plug is out, clean arond the hole in engine. after cleaning it is best to put gasket sealer or similar all around soft plug. then tap it in the engine block very carefully. make sure its in there as far as old one was. let it sit for a bit, then readd coolant and start car to check for leaks. bevel side of soft plug in engine.

Well it depends where the bottom is. do you mean out of the engine? If so its probably the head gasket or a blow out plug, se if you can see exactly where it is coming from.

either a heater hose or a core plug ask a local mechanic for advice