New Used Ranger, needs work, need HELP!!!!

laser411 · 03-02-2011, 08:15 PM

Ok here's the situation guys, Just purchased a 1999 ford ranger 3.0l V6 Automatic 2wd. The danger ranger starts but runs very roughly, Battery was jumped after towing and moves sluggishly under own power. Engine lights has not been tripped yet and I am scared to run it long enough to get one. A little bit of white smoke is coming out at idle, increasing if given throttle. Feels sorta like its not firing on a cylinder or 2, No odd sounds or clanking noted. Looking for ideas on what it could be. engine has 174k miles.

P.S., spent 500$ on it. truck has very few scratches or paint flaws, very little rust, bed is in decent condition and it has a tool box, what do you guys think? good deal?

I appreciate any Ideas on what it could be

Cheers all

cush · 03-02-2011, 11:52 PM

sounds like a misfire but you might check all your sensors and everything too. white smoke would be water either evaporating because its cold or you have a coolant leak, leaking into the cylinder. look for water in the oil and that kind of stuff. but for $500, worse thing that would happen is you blow it up and rebuild it or drop something new in it. i'd say good deal. especially if you get it running or stuff a v8 in it

laser411 · 03-03-2011, 09:27 AM

Well, cant afford to drop a v8 or anything in it really, it definitely feels like its missfiring, its got a lot of vibration too but im thinking thats from the missing. The white smoke definitely has a problem associated with it. so which sensors should I check out first? right now ive got spark plugs, head gasket, pcv valve and an Idle air control valve all coming in the mail along with a compression tester, fuel pressure tester, vacuum gauge. there's no water in the oil or oil in the radiator as far as i can tell but with a bad head gasket does that always happen? looking for just about any possibilities as im attacking the problem from all sides.

thanks for the replies in advance

laser411 · 03-03-2011, 06:41 PM

Come on guys, i really need everyone's help! this is my last ditch effort at making some money, if not im going bankrupt and am gonna lose everything

Jason_J · 03-03-2011, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laser411

Come on guys, i really need everyone's help! this is my last ditch effort at making some money, if not im going bankrupt and am gonna lose everything

Huh? A $500 Ranger is gonna put you into bankruptcy? Have you tried reading the thousands of threads in this forum. Just sayin man, put some effort in on your own behalf.

laser411 · 03-03-2011, 08:51 PM

no, 500$ isnt going to, im unemployed trying to start a landscaping business and need this truck to run in order for it to pan out, I've been looking around but this just feels different then the other problems, i wish I had an engine code but am really scared to blow it up trying to get it. the ideas ive gotten from around the site were: Head gasket, plugs, injectors, wires, coils, computer. I just cant afford to fish in the dark though. What tests should I run to rule things out? I'm just completely lost on where I should really start

Jason_J · 03-03-2011, 08:54 PM

You could start by looking at your oil and coolant, do they look normal? Any plugs fouled? Any plug wires broken or missing.

cush · 03-03-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason_J

You could start by looking at your oil and coolant, do they look normal? Any plugs fouled? Any plug wires broken or missing.

+1
and clean your mass air flow sensor.

Jason_J · 03-03-2011, 09:11 PM

And dont overlook the cam synch issue!

cush · 03-03-2011, 09:43 PM

well at 174k, you figure if it was gonna go, it would go. it should definitely be on your "replace as soon as humanly possible" list, unless you know if and when it has been replaced.

laser411 · 03-03-2011, 10:17 PM

I have school tomorrow, So Saturday will be a tinker day. Will check all your ideas and get back with you, Btw have looked at oil and antifreeze, neither of which has appeared to exchange fluids, when you have a bad head gasket do they always swap fluid or can it just leak into the combustion chamber without swapping?

P.S bought some MAFS cleaner at advanced, is it any good?

pcollins · 03-03-2011, 11:09 PM

next thing to check would be condition of spark plugs. any of them unusually clean?

03-02-2011, 08:15 PM	#1
laser411 New Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Myrtle Beach. SC Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger 3.0l v6 Engine: 3.0 Class: 2WD Used For: Work truck Posts: 15 Rep Power: 0 iTrader: (0)	New Used Ranger, needs work, need HELP!!!! Ok here's the situation guys, Just purchased a 1999 ford ranger 3.0l V6 Automatic 2wd. The danger ranger starts but runs very roughly, Battery was jumped after towing and moves sluggishly under own power. Engine lights has not been tripped yet and I am scared to run it long enough to get one. A little bit of white smoke is coming out at idle, increasing if given throttle. Feels sorta like its not firing on a cylinder or 2, No odd sounds or clanking noted. Looking for ideas on what it could be. engine has 174k miles. P.S., spent 500$ on it. truck has very few scratches or paint flaws, very little rust, bed is in decent condition and it has a tool box, what do you guys think? good deal? I appreciate any Ideas on what it could be Cheers all
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03-02-2011, 11:52 PM	#2
cush Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bakersfield, CA Year: 2001 Make: ford Model: ranger Engine: 3.0 v6 Class: 2wd Used For: daily driver Posts: 109 Rep Power: 7 iTrader: (0)	sounds like a misfire but you might check all your sensors and everything too. white smoke would be water either evaporating because its cold or you have a coolant leak, leaking into the cylinder. look for water in the oil and that kind of stuff. but for $500, worse thing that would happen is you blow it up and rebuild it or drop something new in it. i'd say good deal. especially if you get it running or stuff a v8 in it
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 09:27 AM	#3
laser411 New Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Myrtle Beach. SC Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger 3.0l v6 Engine: 3.0 Class: 2WD Used For: Work truck Posts: 15 Rep Power: 0 iTrader: (0)	Well, cant afford to drop a v8 or anything in it really, it definitely feels like its missfiring, its got a lot of vibration too but im thinking thats from the missing. The white smoke definitely has a problem associated with it. so which sensors should I check out first? right now ive got spark plugs, head gasket, pcv valve and an Idle air control valve all coming in the mail along with a compression tester, fuel pressure tester, vacuum gauge. there's no water in the oil or oil in the radiator as far as i can tell but with a bad head gasket does that always happen? looking for just about any possibilities as im attacking the problem from all sides. thanks for the replies in advance
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 06:41 PM	#4
laser411 New Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Myrtle Beach. SC Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger 3.0l v6 Engine: 3.0 Class: 2WD Used For: Work truck Posts: 15 Rep Power: 0 iTrader: (0)	Come on guys, i really need everyone's help! this is my last ditch effort at making some money, if not im going bankrupt and am gonna lose everything
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 08:51 PM	#6
laser411 New Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Myrtle Beach. SC Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger 3.0l v6 Engine: 3.0 Class: 2WD Used For: Work truck Posts: 15 Rep Power: 0 iTrader: (0)	no, 500$ isnt going to, im unemployed trying to start a landscaping business and need this truck to run in order for it to pan out, I've been looking around but this just feels different then the other problems, i wish I had an engine code but am really scared to blow it up trying to get it. the ideas ive gotten from around the site were: Head gasket, plugs, injectors, wires, coils, computer. I just cant afford to fish in the dark though. What tests should I run to rule things out? I'm just completely lost on where I should really start
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 08:54 PM	#7
Jason_J Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tacoma, WA Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger Engine: 3.0 Class: 4x4 Flareside Used For: Shitz n Giggles Posts: 269 Rep Power: 6 iTrader: (0)	You could start by looking at your oil and coolant, do they look normal? Any plugs fouled? Any plug wires broken or missing.
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 09:11 PM	#9
Jason_J Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tacoma, WA Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger Engine: 3.0 Class: 4x4 Flareside Used For: Shitz n Giggles Posts: 269 Rep Power: 6 iTrader: (0)	And dont overlook the cam synch issue!
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03-03-2011, 09:43 PM	#10
cush Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: bakersfield, CA Year: 2001 Make: ford Model: ranger Engine: 3.0 v6 Class: 2wd Used For: daily driver Posts: 109 Rep Power: 7 iTrader: (0)	well at 174k, you figure if it was gonna go, it would go. it should definitely be on your "replace as soon as humanly possible" list, unless you know if and when it has been replaced.
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 10:17 PM	#11
laser411 New Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Myrtle Beach. SC Year: 1999 Make: Ford Model: Ranger 3.0l v6 Engine: 3.0 Class: 2WD Used For: Work truck Posts: 15 Rep Power: 0 iTrader: (0)	I have school tomorrow, So Saturday will be a tinker day. Will check all your ideas and get back with you, Btw have looked at oil and antifreeze, neither of which has appeared to exchange fluids, when you have a bad head gasket do they always swap fluid or can it just leak into the combustion chamber without swapping? P.S bought some MAFS cleaner at advanced, is it any good?
	Tweet

03-03-2011, 11:09 PM	#12
pcollins Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Middle of Nowhere, NY Year: 2012 Make: GMC Model: Sierra 1500 Engine: 4.8L Class: 4x4 Used For: Around the farm, Daily Driver Posts: 928 Rep Power: 9 iTrader: (0)	next thing to check would be condition of spark plugs. any of them unusually clean? __________________ '12 GMC Sierra \| 4.8L \| Auto \| 4wd
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