Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'd have engine and transmission replaced. Maybe half of electronics also. Just for the heck of it.
Just kidding.
It's Ranger. Those are super reliable. What you have is very likely simple tune up and maintenance issue.
First thing you do is to take car to any parts store and read error codes. Start from there.
While at the store, you spend $14 to buy repair manual.
Then you either repair what codes showed, or maybe take truck to a decent private shop for full diagnostic and then DIY repairs. It's much better spent $70 than tossing parts at it.
I'd also start with flushing system with Seafoam, two tanks in a row, two cans, one can per tankful.
Otherwise, it sounds like an air leak somewhere, as in - vacuum leak. Turn engine on and give short bursts of brake cleaner via straw, aiming at different engine areas with gaskets and throttle body. If it bucks, you have it.
AIr filter. Fuel filter is most likely due. EGR valve needs to be cleaned. Got some mileage.
Yes. I will be embarrassed if it dies at 175,000. We have had several in our family all went past 250,000 and one was sold running at 320,000. The will call me Ranger Killer in our family.
I took it to the parts store for the error read. They said misfire in number 4 cylinder probably spark plug wires. So I replaced the wires (free since they were warrantied). Checked the plugs. They are newish and very clean. Eventually the check engine light went off, but it kept flashing at 60-65, mph and then going off again. Later it came back on and stayed on, so I will get it read again. I have not seen the check engine light flash and then go off before on any car. Does ti mean something special?
I thnk the fuel filter is a good guess. The truck has a problem with the fuel filler tube vent (plugged I think). You have to trickle gas in or the pump auto shut off triggers. If that vent is plugged, it seems possible or likely the fuel filter is plugged too unless it was replaced recently.
Has regular suggested factory maintenance been done?
That is in the back of your owner's manual and in the factory service manual, it will list things which should be replaced at various mileage intervals.
If that has not been done, I would replace filters - oil, air, fuel.
Change oil.
Replace O2 sensor.
Replace distributor cap and rotor if you have that.
Get with the times, dude! The last Ranger to have a dizzy was the 94 model with the "3.slow" under the hood. Why would you just change an O2 sensor? That's OBD1 type parts cannon work going there! Oil change? Wow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
It is not Coil on plug. Spark plugs are 11 months old platinum m and clean. Wires are 2 days old. The prior set was 11 months old.
That truck does have a coil pack. The one with the wires branching from it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
I thnk the fuel filter is a good guess. The truck has a problem with the fuel filler tube vent (plugged I think). You have to trickle gas in or the pump auto shut off triggers. If that vent is plugged, it seems possible or likely the fuel filter is plugged too unless it was replaced recently.
Fuel filter's a bad guess. If it was a fuel filter, you'd be getting lean codes for both banks and all six cylinders would be lean, to boot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
I took it to the parts store for the error read. They said misfire in number 4 cylinder probably spark plug wires. So I replaced the wires (free since they were warrantied). Checked the plugs. They are newish and very clean. Eventually the check engine light went off, but it kept flashing at 60-65, mph and then going off again. Later it came back on and stayed on, so I will get it read again. I have not seen the check engine light flash and then go off before on any car. Does ti mean something special?
You get misfires from three things: Fuel issue, spark, compression. I believe 3.0's were bad for intake manifold gaskets. In any event, if swapping a plug did the job for you, that would have been great. If you're going to DIY it, then mix in a fuel pressure gauge and a compression tester.
That truck does have a coil pack. The one with the wires branching from it.
Yes one coil pack (no s) It is not coil on plug. It has one, not six.
I thought the new readers would read/report compression issues. I ran over my compression gauge years ago and did not replace it. I guess I will probably have to take it to the shop if I do not find anything this weekend that it could be. We have a good indy mechanic, but they are slow (honest mechanics get popular and then really busy).
A transmission issue is not going to cause a misfire. Although the 5R55 transmission in that is not the most reliable transmission out there.
The Vulcan V6 uses a single coil pack with waste ignition system. It still could be a bad coil. If you are getting a misfire on one cylinder, switch the wires on the coil pack for the other cylinder that would fire at the same time. It's not entirely impossible for just one cylinder to have a misfire with the single coil pack.
If you're at 65 and it's misfiring while trying to accelerate, what happens if you manually downshift the transmission 1 or 2 gears and try to accelerate? On every vehicle I've seen with a blown coil, they tend to function perfectly at idle or above 2500-3500RPM under any load. But under 2500/3500 with any load it misfires.
My 01 Vulcan had a plugged up fuel filter on more than one occasion. Never got a CEL from it. But the car did die once on a hill from a plugged up fuel filter.
That is a regular maintenance item and should be replaced every 30k to 60k miles.
Based on the information that sensor provides, the engine computer adjusts rich/lean. Basically the engine will run more efficiently in closed loop if that sensor is in good condition. That translates to better fuel economy as well as a better running engine - thus it pays for itself!
If you want to learn how these work, what they do, and how often they should be replaced, search google.com for O2 sensor.
Also look in your factory service manual and it will say how often the O2 sensor(s) should be replaced.
As for replacing regular maintenance item parts or not, if you don't replace these parts, cars will start to run very poorly, have trouble starting, have difficulty going up hills, the engine will sound erratic. But then do the regular maintenance and it is like having a new car! Quite an amazing transformation.
Billy J speaks words of wisdom. I replaced the O2 sensor in my old GMC 5.7 liter, and it made a noticeable difference. When the 02 sensor goes bad, the engine defaults to the 'too rich' operational mode.
400,000 miles. Runs like new. But I maintain it like it was an airplane.
When the O2 sensor goes bad I have always gotten a code for it, that is normally when I replace it. I do not replace clean air filters just because they have been in use a long time, nor do I replace brake pads that are not worn, rotors that are not grooved or warped, spark plugs that are still in good shape, headlights or turn signals that still work,old tires with plenty of tread left on them. . . I generally do not replace things based on time, miles, stated life or the like. The only thing I can think of I do that with is oil and oil filter. I do not understand why you replace parts like an O2 sensor if it is not bad.
I guess I will play with it a bit and see whether I can eliminate any of the suggested possible causes. If I cannto narrow it down, then I will leave it at the shop for a week and let them play with it.
When the O2 sensor goes bad I have always gotten a code for it, that is normally when I replace it. I do not replace clean air filters just because they have been in use a long time, nor do I replace brake pads that are not worn, rotors that are not grooved or warped, spark plugs that are still in good shape, headlights or turn signals that still work,old tires with plenty of tread left on them. . . I generally do not replace things based on time, miles, stated life or the like. The only thing I can think of I do that with is oil and oil filter. I do not understand why you replace parts like an O2 sensor if it is not bad.
I agree, although there is some wisdom in replacing an O2 sensor as a scheduled maintenance item because it does lose some functionality over time and will cause an engine to run at less than optimal performance before it fails enough to throw a code. In other words, replacing it early might help your fuel mileage a little. But probably not enough to justify the cost of replacement for most models. Although if gas keeps going up my opinion could change......
And all that being said, your O2 sensor isn't causing your current problem.
It's hard to hazard an accurate guess, without actually getting my hands under the hood & dirty.
However, I'm going to suggest that you not overlook the spark plugs. I believe that particular model truck took two different kinds of spark plug - unique to each side, based on how the coil fires them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
