2.3L ('02-'11) 2004 2.3L 4 Cylinder, No start

[JAnderson04]

After work one day about two months ago I got into my truck and it wouldn’t start. I’ve repaired pretty much every part I can think of that could cause the issue but nothing has worked. I was hoping someone on this forum with more knowledge than me could help me figure this out.

My Ranger is a 2004 regular car, 2.3L 4 cylinder

I started with replacing the starter since it made a grinding noise and chipped teeth on the fly wheel when I cranked it over. After replacing the starter the engine cranked way better but still wouldn’t start. I went to check for spark and found that my spark plug wells were filled with oil. So I got as much of it out as I could, and then replaced my valve cover seals and tube seals, coil pack, spark plug wires and my spark plugs. That stopped the oil leak. Replacing the coil pack fixed the starting issue. I drove it for about 4-5 days with no other issues, then all the sudden it wouldn’t start again. So I replaced the coil pack again, and used some starter fluid which started the truck but it slowly died off and wouldn’t stay started. Unless I fluttered the gas enough to keep it steady and then it got me home successfully, but the next day it wouldn’t start again. Then I replaced the fuel filter. And then I noticed the new spark plugs I put in were covered in fuel and oil. Which then I realized that when I originally got the oil out of the spark plug wells, some oil fell onto the pistons so I used Sea foam to get that out the best I could. After that replaced the fuel line and the fuel pump. Then I could start the truck but only if I used starter fluid and butterflied the gas. So as a last ditch effort I replaced the crank shaft position sensor, which didn’t work either. Finally I took it into a shop so that they could use their diagnostic tools that I didn’t have. Their diagnosis went good and said that everything looked fine and no codes were thrown up. They also said they check all the wiring and fuses themselves, but I’m not sure how much I trust that. The next thing I plan on doing is at least changing my oil after all the sea foam and potential fuel got in there, and leaked past the rings. I have also checked the inertia switch. My fuel pressure is good, and I have 155 psi in three pistons with one that has 140psi. I used Bosch double platinum plugs then switched to NGK Iridium’s, it seemed to make no difference.

I thought that someone on this forum has potentially ran into a similar issue or could at least give me some insight that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[franklin2]

When you change the plugs or pull them out and look at them, are they wet with fuel or dry?

 

[JAnderson04]

When you change the plugs or pull them out and look at them, are they wet with fuel or dry?

They are wet with a mix of fuel and oil every time I remove them, and I’ve replaced them twice now.

 

[pjtoledo]

I don't see any reference to the camshaft position sensor. that determines when injectors fire.
oil in the plug wells has very little effect on how the engine runs. my 2.3 had about 370,000 miles when I swapped it, the plugs were well lubricated.
any oil that fell into the cylinders when you pulled the plugs was burned off in the first few seconds of running. that is a non-issue.

where is the oil on the plugs coming from?????
the compression numbers say the rings are still sealing.
is there still oil leaking into the plug wells? soak it up with paper towels, maybe compressed air before the plug it removed. no chemicals are needed.
fuel pressure is fine? that's about 65 psi right?

 

[JAnderson04]

I don't see any reference to the camshaft position sensor. that determines when injectors fire.
oil in the plug wells has very little effect on how the engine runs. my 2.3 had about 370,000 miles when I swapped it, the plugs were well lubricated.
any oil that fell into the cylinders when you pulled the plugs was burned off in the first few seconds of running. that is a non-issue.

where is the oil on the plugs coming from?????
the compression numbers say the rings are still sealing.
is there still oil leaking into the plug wells? soak it up with paper towels, maybe compressed air before the plug it removed. no chemicals are needed.
fuel pressure is fine? that's about 65 psi right?

Yes I forgot to mention in my original message that I replaced the crank shaft position sensor last week but that did not fix the issue.

It doesn’t look like there’s oil coming down into the spark plug wells since they have been clean after every time I crank it over.

I believe the shop I took my truck to performed a fuel pressure test but they were very vague in the invoice which was frustrating. I will copy and paste the invoice below on what they told me. My thought at the moment is that I could have a potential vaccuum leak somewhere or something else to do with the fuel soaking the spark plugs. Another thing to note was the weak battery comment in the invoice but the mechanic removed and switched the battery to a new one so that wasn’t the main concern.

Repair Notes: We found several low‑voltage codes caused by a weak battery. The engine does have good spark, so the next step is to perform a fuel pressure test to confirm the fuel system is working properly.If fuel pressure checks out, a compression test will be needed to evaluate the internal condition of the engine. During the initial inspection for the compression test, the technician used a borescope to look inside the cylinders and found that the spark plugs and cylinders were heavily soaked in fuel. This indicates the engine is receiving too much fuel and may have an underlying mechanical or fuel‑system issue that needs further diagnosis.Compression test results:- Cylinder 1: 155 psi- Cylinder 2: 140 psi- Cylinder 3: 155 psi- Cylinder 4: 150 psi

 

[pjtoledo]

Yes I forgot to mention in my original message that I replaced the crank shaft position sensor last week but that did not fix the issue.

It doesn’t look like there’s oil coming down into the spark plug wells since they have been clean after every time I crank it over.

I believe the shop I took my truck to performed a fuel pressure test but they were very vague in the invoice which was frustrating. I will copy and paste the invoice below on what they told me. My thought at the moment is that I could have a potential vaccuum leak somewhere or something else to do with the fuel soaking the spark plugs. Another thing to note was the weak battery comment in the invoice but the mechanic removed and switched the battery to a new one so that wasn’t the main concern.

Repair Notes: We found several low‑voltage codes caused by a weak battery. The engine does have good spark, so the next step is to perform a fuel pressure test to confirm the fuel system is working properly.If fuel pressure checks out, a compression test will be needed to evaluate the internal condition of the engine. During the initial inspection for the compression test, the technician used a borescope to look inside the cylinders and found that the spark plugs and cylinders were heavily soaked in fuel. This indicates the engine is receiving too much fuel and may have an underlying mechanical or fuel‑system issue that needs further diagnosis.Compression test results:- Cylinder 1: 155 psi- Cylinder 2: 140 psi- Cylinder 3: 155 psi- Cylinder 4: 150 psi

the crankshaft sensor handles ignition timing. the camshaft sensor tells the computer which stroke the engine is on.
if fuel is injected on the wrong stroke it won't ignite.
the cam sensor is in the valve cover, near the rear.

EDIT: there is always power to the injectors but it doesn't do anything until the computer grounds an injector which allows current to flow.
if something else, like a shorted wire, grounds the injector it will turn on and stay on. with all 4 getting wet that is highly unlikely.