Out of ideas

This is my first post on here but I've used this forum for awhile now and it has been a great help. Sorry for the novel! Let me give you some background on my problem. I bought this truck for next to nothing in January it's a 95 Mazda b2300, 2.3l, manual, 345000 miles. It was running ok when I bought it in January and then a couple days after it blew a head gasket! I had a guy I know replace some things because I didn't have the time so he replaced the gasket, new radiator, new plugs and wires, new timing belt, and some other small replacements. Turns out he didn't know what he was doing and the timing was WAY off. I got it home and fixed the timing myself and bled the coolant system and replaced the temp sensor cuz my temp always ran real low in the cold weather. I still couldn't get the temp to rise sufficiently to use the heater so I put a lil cardboard over the radiator and that helped. We had a warmer day here and I forgot to take the cardboard out I turned on the AC and the temp shot up and one of my coolant lines busted. I replaced the line and filled the system back up and I had a huge leak running out the bottom of the harmonic balancer. I towed it home and replaced the water pump gasket and that helped some but I've still got a slow leak somewhere. I have since replaced the water pump and put new gasket and still a leak. When the vehicle heats up after a few minutes the top coolant hose feels like it's full of air even tho I'm bleeding the system, my temp never goes up beyond a quarter the way up the gauge. Is this normal? That's problem 1 that I believe might have something to do with my bigger problem. After my truck heated up the second time and blew the line I checked the compression because it didn't have any power in 5th gear, the CE light was blinking on acceleration and turns out #2 cylinder was really low. I drove it around for awhile cuz no money and time to fix it and it progressively got worse to the point where it would die after about an hour of driving. I took the head off and replaced the exhaust valve and that brought my compression back up. I got it timed and it ran ok for a couple days but then started bogging down and dying again so I thought maybe I needed to replace the fuel pump so I did and now it's back to bogging down after a few minutes driving, the check engine light blinks when it's bogging down and I haven't had a chance to run codes yet. Ok I know that's a lot but that's my story!! Any help would be appreciated


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Welcome to TRS

Yes the 1995 2.3l can show lower temp on gauge but should still have HOT heater core, temp sender was in the back middle of block drivers side.
they did move it to a heater hose in the mid-90s just not sure on 1995, and that location showed truer temp, which should be just below 1/2 on gauge.
Ford temp gauge has about 205-210degF as 1/2, engine coolant should run at about 195degF after warm up

Stock thermostat should be a 195degF NOT 180degF
There is also a 205degF thermostat for colder climates
Thermostat is the first thing you change if temp is running low

After cold start feel upper rad hose, should be stone cold of course
Set heat to HOT, turn fan OFF
Let engine idle for 4 or 5 minutes
Feel heater hoses, they should be warming up pretty good and both be the same temp, if one is much cooler than the other then heater core is partially blocked
Feel upper rad hose, should still be Stone cold, if upper rad hose is heating up then thermostat is stuck open, so engine will never warm up.
Upper rad hose gets hot instantly WHEN thermostat starts to open at 195degF, never a slow warmup, that's a bad thermostat.
Radiators are for EXTRA heat, so on a very cold day it may never be used, never warm up, that is as it should be, if the heater use and outside air temp with cooling fan keep the engine coolant under 195degF, then thermostat may never open


Flashing CEL(check engine light) is a misfire, and you lose power when there is a misfire.
So you have a similar problem again.


When you originally bought it my guess is the seller had added "head gasket sealer" to the coolant, and it must stay in the coolant or head gasket will start to leak again.
Seller most likely drained "head gasket" coolant and replaced it with "fresh coolant" for selling, did it have fresh coolant?
And this is why the head gasket leaked after a few days, it was blown long before you bought it, but had a "band-aid" on it

A cylinder needs 3 things to fire
1. Compression, above 100psi, 2.3l should be above 160psi
2. Spark, at the right time
3. Fuel, with the right mix with air

Compression is always the first thing to test because it is either GOOD or not good, it can't be intermittent like spark or fuel can be.

1995 Rangers got the newer EEC-V computer with built-in Spark control, so outside of the coils failing there isn't alot that can go wrong with spark.
You can use an old time clamp on timing light to check if spark plug wires are firing with engine idling, should see a nice steady flashing, no missed flashes.
Just a Heads Up, 2.3l with dual spark plugs and coils only uses the exhaust side spark plugs when starting engine, so while cranking the engine you would only have spark on exhaust side plug wires
Intake side starts working above 400RPMs

Bogging is almost always fuel related, well air/fuel MIX related.
Computer uses 4 things after engine is warmed up to calculate fuel mix
1. RPMs, the computer KNOWS it is running a 2.3 LITER engine, so knows how much air should be coming in at any given RPM

2. MAF/Air Temp sensors, MAF is mass air flow sensor, it fine tunes the computers air numbers, i.e. if you are driving at sea level air is "thicker" than if driving at 4,000ft, MAF helps computer compensate for that
Air temp, "hot air rises", that means warmer air is Lighter than Colder air, so less fuel is added to warmer air.

3. TPS(throttle position sensor), computer needs some way to know what the driver wants to do, i.e. speed up or slow down, so TPS tells computer drivers foot position on the gas pedal, these don't often wear out but they can, they can be tested with a Volt or OHM meter.

4. O2 sensor, these are not used when engine is cold, they only work when they are above 600degf, so exhaust system must get hot first, usually 4 to 5 minutes.
O2 sensor reads OXYGEN level in the exhaust, not fuel, if there is too much oxygen computer opens fuel injectors longer(adds more fuel), if too little oxygen then computer closes injectors sooner(less fuel added)
O2 sensors use a chemical reaction like a Battery does, so they do wear out just like a battery does, expected life is 100k miles, but if there are engine problems the chemicals or O2 sensor itself can be damaged.

If engine runs better cold, and you don't know the age of the O2 sensor, the one closest to engine, then you may want to change it on spec, no real way to test these.

ECT(engine coolant temp) sensor, not related to Temp SENDER for temp gauge.
ECT sensor is only used by the computer, this sets Choke Mode so cold engine can run, all gasoline engines need to be "Choked" when cold or they will struggle to run until they warm up.
If coolant temp is under 160degF then computer sets Choke, i.e. Rich fuel mix, high idle, advanced spark timing, as ECT/coolant warms up computer leans out fuel mix and lowers idle.
These rarely fail but are often replaced, lol, they are cheap so no harm done.

Ok thx for the great reply! I know my friend that I bought it from said he never had any issues with a coolant leak and never added any stop leak. When I drained the oil and coolant after the head gasket blew I didn't notice any stop leak in there but my friend also had the truck for about a year and been bought it off of someone else so maybe the owner before him had some problems with it that never got expressed! I'm gonna check compression today and test some sensors where I can. I'll have to get codes ran tomorrow or the next day but I'll post whatever I find. I did fail to mention before that the cat has an exhaust leak and my thoughts were maybe the cat is blocked causing my bogging down condition but I'll run through everything else first to be sure.


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$20 vacuum gauge can tell you ALOT about a gasoline engines condition including exhaust blockages.
No matter what "they" add to the outside of a gas engine it is still a self powered air pump at its core, testing a pumps pressure is still the best way to test any pump, in this case "suction pressure"

Good read here on tests to do with vacuum gauge: http://www.gregsengine.com/using-a-vacuum-gauge.html

Ok, sorry for the delayed response, I had an emergency appendectomy a couple days after my last post so I've been taking it easy. I went ahead and had the codes read and one was p0302 for the cylinder #2 misfire. The other was p1443 and I found that the evap purge canister was not even plugged in so I plugged it in and reset the codes. After driving I still had a misfire and no power in 3rd-5th gears, I can't even get enough speed to do more than 50mph. I ran a dry compression test and also a wet one after the dry and here are the results: #1 dry 80/wet 100, #2 dry 90/wet 125, #3 dry 80/wet 110, #4 dry 120/wet 150. Definitely low but no lower than when I had checked it months ago and the vehicle was running ok. All cylinder were pretty slow to build up pressure, maybe 3-4 compression strokes to build that pressure. I didn't check the sensors you had suggested on your last post RonD except o2 sensor just by driving it. The vehicle doesn't run any different hot or cold. After compression test I got my vacuum gauge and followed as best I could from the article that you linked to. My readings are 12" vacuum at idle, opening and closing the throttle quickly results in the needle dropping to 0" and jumping up to about 17". I slowly revved to around 3,000rpm and the needle moves from 12" at idle to 17-19" at 3000rpm. According to the website that you sent me to these readings indicate worn piston rings or incorrect valve timing. So if I did the test correctly then that rules out the blocked cat converter?? I'm almost certain that my ignition timing is correct so that would have to mean that my valve timing is correct to??. I have never found out what the correct timing is supposed to be on this model because it is set by the computer once you get the marks lined up correctly. Does anyone know what it is supposed to be when you check it with a timing light? I hope this helps some, Thank you again for yall's help!

Hope you are having a good recovery

Rings are shot or valve timing is off.

2.3l compression should be 160PSI + , 9.4:1 compression ratio in 1995

Vacuum is dependent on compression and should be 18"-21" at idle, 12" is very very low

Timing belt has slipped most likely, or tensioner has failed

Engine can run with low compression, would be hard to start and have no power at all.
Misfires would be common

Thanks! I'm recovering well just sore! Ok I will check the timing when I get a chance. Can I use a timing light to see if the timing is correct before going through the whole procedure? I know I can't change the timing without lining up the marks and that the computer sets the timing but what should the timing read with a light if it is set correctly? Mine currently reads 10 degrees btdc.

There are two 'timings' to check. Ignition timing, as you note, is set/checked by using a timing light and the crankshaft pulley mark/belt cover numbers. Cam timing is the timing of the valves relative to the pistons. If the cam belt was a tooth off in either direction, the valves would open late/early compared to factory. That would lead to poor off-idle performance, and 'good' high rpm performance, or the reverse, good off idle, but lacking in power at the higher rpms. Search the web for articles on that, as I just read one with the last few days. Was a 'cam spec' place. Brain fade.
The ignition timing will follow the cam timing in that the computer uses crank and cam position(cam for cylinder ID) to decide ignition. If belt (cam) is off, ignition would be also, as the computer does not know if the cam belt is off timing or not, working from the reported position. Crank, not so much as you can't put that in wrong, to my knowledge.
Set the crank at indicated TDC, remove #1 plug, inspect for position, check with a screwdriver or rod rocking the crank back & forth. Remove the cap covering the cam timing mark indicator, behind the upper radiator hose, and check for alignment of triangle on the sprocket edge to the mark on the head or pointer. You'd know if the cam timing was off, but not the cam position sensor.
tom

Have a look here: http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86520

As tomw said the valve timing and spark timing are not dependent on eachother
And incorrect spark timing can lower power when driving but CAN NOT lower compression on a manual compression test, so...........................gotta check timing belt

It's acting like it's not timed right when driving but I've gone through the timing procedure for the belt and timing marks so many times since I bought it that I can do it in my sleep! Haha. I'm almost certain it is correct but I will check again and make sure. As I mentioned in my first post I had someone replace the belt when I first bought it and they didn't know what they were doing and the timing was way off so after some study, and cleaning off the pulleys so I could see the correct timing marks, I fixed it. Because of various parts breaking or malfunctioning I've had to redo the timing multiple times. Am I misunderstanding how the timing works? If you set the cam timing the cam and crank sensors send info to the computer which let the ignition know when to fire so if one is off both would be off (meaning cam and ignition timing) or if one is correct both will be correct...right? If that's right then you should be able to look at the timing marks on the crank pulley and it's cover and check timing with a light to see if it is right. I understand that the computer will not know if the belt is off a tooth or not but that's why I'm asking about using a timing light. If the belt was off a tooth or two in either direction then pointing a timing light at the crank pulley and the marks on the cover would give you a reading of too much btdc or too much atdc letting you know you're a tooth off. But there is no baseline, that I can find, where the timing mark should be on a perfectly timed engine such as 10 degrees btdc or 5 degrees btdc. Does that make sense? Or do I have that completely wrong? Either way I will check the timing marks on the pulleys and make sure I'm at tdc on compression stroke and then get back to u.


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Your low compression is an indicator of Cam gear and crank gear being out of time
Timing belt or its gears are not part of spark timing

1995 and up 2.3l/2.5l Crank sensor reads a Tone Wheel on the back of the crank pulley, it has 1 missing "tooth", that gap indicates TDC for #1(and #4) cylinders.
That sets base spark timing
Cam sensor actually reads position of AUX gear(oil pump gear) not the Cam gears position, AUX gear and Cam gear are the same size so if timed correctly then computer "assumes" Cam sensor signal is telling it true valve positions.
Cam sensor is mainly used to time the fuel injectors, so less fuel is lost on the intake and heads walls, computer opens injector just after intake valve opens so most of the fuel is sucked into the cylinder and less remains on walls and back of intake valve.
But computer does use the Cam sensor signal to help with spark advance, but with the larger tone wheel for the Crank sensor this one is still the MAIN timing sensor.
I.E. if Crank sensor and Cam sensor are not in sync then Crank sensor signal is used and Cam sensor is ignored, computer then sets a code for that and turns on CEL(check engine light).

If Cam gear mark and crank gear mark are in time, and your compression is not above 150psi then cam gear is most likely damaged or marked wrong.
Focus on the compression, ignore spark for now, nothing else matters unless there is good compression
Test your gauge on another engine to make sure it is working correctly, if you are sure timing belt is correct.

Do not check on this until your compression reads above 150psi in each cylinder
The tone wheel on the back of the crank pulley is not "keyed", it is a press fit to the pulleys shaft, and I have only read about this happening one time, the tone wheel slipped a bit, CEL did come on indicating Crank and cam signals were out of sync.

Picture of tone wheel on the back of the pulley here: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gEQAAOSw3gJZMy~x/s-l300.jpg
You can see the missing tooth at 1:00

RonD said:

*snip* so less fuel is lost on the intake and heads walls, computer opens injector just after intake valve opens so most of the fuel is sucked into the cylinder and less remains on walls and back of intake valve.*snip*

Click to expand...

Ron, just a nitpicky thing but you have that backward, it is to time the injector pulse so that the fuel is injected just before the valve opens not the other way around. You want the fuel behind the valve before it opens so it has time to vaporize some and to get the stronger vacuum just as the valve opens to get the fuel in the cylinder. The fuel delivery is less predictable while the valve is open so that is avoided... That said, not important for the topic in hand, you are right on on everything else and are most likely correct, these things get mad when the timing belt is off a tooth, mine slipped once and it had no compression, if it was a tooth off in the other direction it would probably have low compression like you are saying and this topic comes up enough that I believe it.

But that makes the explanation confusing

Ok before I check everything the missing tooth on the crank gear is tdc #1? Do I put this in 12 o clock position or the keyway at 12? The picture shows the keyway and missing tooth slightly offset from one another. Mine is the same is there a way to tell if the gear has slipped on the press fitting? I've been assuming the keyway was tdc because of the dot directly above it as in the pic and going off what Haynes manual says etc.


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