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

[laser411]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[cush]

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]

And dont overlook the cam synch issue!

 

[cush]

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]

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]

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

 

[Rearanger]

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.

Well if you're poor then throwing parts at it with no testing is not the way to go, you'd be better off spending $25 on a Haynes manual. First order of business would be compression test.

Come on guys,

Don't expect instant magic solutions when you've given us NO information except it won't start and done no testing. If that's what you want then see a palm reader. Have you even tested to see if you have a good spark at the plugs? That's free.

i wish I had an engine code but am really scared to blow it up trying to get it.

Why would getting a code blow up the engine? Panic is not a solution.

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

There are lots of possibilities and throwing out "could be's" or throwing parts at it is not diagnosis. Always check for spark first that helps to narrow down where to look. Compression, especially on an unknown engine is really basic stuff. Don't expect free when you've only spent $500. You'll have to budget $$ for delayed or neglected maintenance by the previous owner(s).

 

[cush]

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?

it can leak without cross fluid contamination. you can run it with it leaking but spark plugs dude. you need to check them and rearanger makes some good points

 

[backroad101]

Does it smell like there is fuel in the coolant (check the over flow container)


Rather than throwing parts at it and crossing your fingures, might be a good idea to take it somewhere, have it diagnoised then fix it yourself. Ford charges a $124iish diagnosis fee, so maybe someone like an engine rebuild would charge a little less.

When I had a bad head gasket, i did the cheap stuff first (t-stat, sensors, etc). Then I had it diagnoised professionally as the head gasket. I thought about doing it myself. Glad I didn't. Engine rebuilder found other issue I would have missed that would have resurface.

You want to fix it right before you start your business and have a pretty reliable truck. You dont want to start your business then have the truck break down again and have unhappy customers