Engine stalls like out of gas...

[hawncase]

I bought this 87 ranger with an efi 2.9 ltr engine. Now it seems to run out of gas even though I'm pretty sure there is gas in the tank. A couple of times the truck would not start after sitting for a long while and yesterday it stalled while going down the street.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Big Jim M]

Sounds like a fuel filter.. Usually they fail at high speed and keep going at low speed. Just a matter of amount of flow left in them.
Big JIm

[hawncase]

Ha...I just bought the thing and the guy had just changed the filter so I thought he was probably trying to solve this problem that way.

It's funny. She runs like a top, but twice has refused to start until it sat for 20 or 30 minutes (and not hot either. Had been sitting all night and wouldn't start.) And once just stopped running on my boy as he was driving down the road downhill. After a few minutes, it started and hasn't had the problem since. Hard to figure.

I was thinking maybe some kind of intermittent electric fuel pump problem since I know the fuel filter is new.

Like I said, other than this problem, she runs great. I was thinking this may be a common problem for my lone ranger. I'll report back if I ever figure it out.
Thanks.

[IMenriched]

Do you hear the fuel pump prime every time one turn the key over to "ON"?? {not all the way to start}

If not....check the relay for the Fuel pump....and connections

[dwsykes]

Had a ranger that would do that and it turned out to be the fuel pump, but the sound of the pump in the tank got weaker and intermittent. It was an 87' Ranger also.

[hawncase]

Thanks for the advice...went out to start the ranger today and wouldn't go. Sounds like it wants to fire but won't. Pretty sure it's gas.

I did listen for the elec. pump. Can hear it prime with the key in on postion. Maybe it's got power but the pump does not produce enough pressure or something.

I'll keep working on it. I'd change the fuel pump if I was a little more sure that's what it is. Hate going to the trouble for nothing.

Thanks.

[Oleredranger]

If its an 87 with the 2.9L, make sure you hear BOTH pumps. My 87 2.9L has one tank, two pumps. The one in the tank supplies low pressure high volume to the FRAME RAIL pump which supplies high pressure to the fuel rail. Before I changed my in-tank pump, when I would turn off the ign, I would hear a swooosh sound from the tank. I found out if I started the engine, then had someone turn off the ign while I was near the tank, I could hear the swooosh. Changed the pump, no more noise. If you have a no start, you can listen to the pumps to see if they are going. If your not sure, spray some choke spray into the intake just pass the throttle plate. If it starts then stalls, its definitely fuel. If it still won't start, check for spark at the plugs. You could have a coil, module or pick-up coil problem. Also, if your losing voltage at the coil or module from the ign switch, that would definitely cause a no start. Should have battery voltage at the ign coil and ign module. You can have up to .5Volts less then battery at the ign coil or module and it still should start. When you have voltage drops of 1 volt or more, you have to diagnose the ign circuit.

[IMenriched]

Originally Posted by Oleredranger

If its an 87 with the 2.9L, make sure you hear BOTH pumps. My 87 2.9L has one tank, two pumps. The one in the tank supplies low pressure high volume to the FRAME RAIL pump which supplies high pressure to the fuel rail. Before I changed my in-tank pump, when I would turn off the ign, I would hear a swooosh sound from the tank. I found out if I started the engine, then had someone turn off the ign while I was near the tank, I could hear the swooosh. Changed the pump, no more noise. If you have a no start, you can listen to the pumps to see if they are going. If your not sure, spray some choke spray into the intake just pass the throttle plate. If it starts then stalls, its definitely fuel. If it still won't start, check for spark at the plugs. You could have a coil, module or pick-up coil problem. Also, if your losing voltage at the coil or module from the ign switch, that would definitely cause a no start. Should have battery voltage at the ign coil and ign module. You can have up to .5Volts less then battery at the ign coil or module and it still should start. When you have voltage drops of 1 volt or more, you have to diagnose the ign circuit.

Agreed^^

considering that you recently acquired this and prior history isn't known...changing the fuel filler again wouldn't be bad choice, the former owner maybe got some real cruddy gas....junk in the tank or whatever...the newer filter would now hopefully catch this....and quickly re-clog. cheap thing to do to and to rule out

[hawncase]

Ha...here I am months later...sold the little ranger but came across this thread. Final addition to this thread is that Oleredranger nailed it! I was hearing the pump in the tank prime, but not the inline one bolted to the frame rail about under the driver.

I had taken it out and was going to get a new one (which would have been stupid because before I did, I found out about the fuel pump relay fuse over by the battery.) For ten bucks, I took a chance that that was the reason the inline pump wasn't getting power at key on. Changed it out and bam, power to the pump. All went well...for a while...then the same thing started happening again.

Got under her and fiddled with the wires and turned out the connection was poor. Maybe that's all it was the whole time, I don't know. But after that, all was well. Sold it and hope she is all good.

Thanks for the help, Ranger dogs!