1994 Ranger 2.3 Idle issues

[ChillyWilly94]

Im not sure if this is the right section in the forum but my ranger is been having some idle problems after a hard acceleration the car wont idle it will just die an have to be restarted again . plus a new thing has come up when i slam the passenger door the engine does a weird restart thing and idles up and then down again kinda like when you first start car up... i have replaced everything you can imagine . just been stumped with this one . i will include a video that is on my youtube channel i have two up so far . i will appreciate any help i can get .


https://youtu.be/U4Si-NCisrs

 

[POS Racing]

On my '95 it was 2 things the passageway in the intake for the IAC was restricted with crud.

I also had issues with the IAC wires had to redo the connector since sometimes it would work and other times it wouldn't. Your door slam phenomenon makes me think it could be an electrical issue.

 

[tomw]

Duh. Quit slamming the passenger door. Close it gently. Ha.

I would check the relay mounted on top of the computer hidden behind the passenger kick panel(right side wall, need to remove threshold and panel for access.)

The relay provides power to the computer, and if the computer stops getting power, the injectors also lose power along with the ignition(maybe). Your relay may be loose, or on its way out. Check the connector and mounts first before replacing.
The poor idle after running fast may be due to heat. Does it seem the engine is HOT after these runs? Could you be having vapor lock due to higher under hood temperature?
Sometimes the fuel supply can be a bit short after some good hard runs, and you just need to let it idle, cool down, and replenish the fresh, cool fuel from the tank for the injectors to use. You are sort-of taking the engine out of more 'normal' conditions, as when you pull off from a freeway run of some miles into a station, fuel up, and then go to re-start. The engine may not want to start right off due to heat, fuel vaporizing in the rail, a slight leak from an injector making the mix in the intake a bit too rich to light off, or a sticky IAC that doesn't provide air for the engine to run on, or not quite enough, the computer thinking the engine is all warmed up, so it should be able to idle @ 750, so no extra from the IAC starting a hot engine. Use the pedal to open the throttle, and it'll likely start right up. I have seen, irregularly, puffs of black smoke on a hot engine start.

tom

 

[ChillyWilly94]

thanks guys for the replys . so i found out the slamming door issue happens with both doors and managed to trace it to the E.E.C relay when you tap it , it does the restart thing still dont get why it would get that far down the line from the door

 

[Mark_88]

If anything is loose (wires, connectors, even plugs) it will likely not function the way it should and any vibration can disrupt the operation.

Wait till you are happily cruising down the road and hit a small bump...not a car swallowing pothole, but like a small dip in the road, and suddenly you loose all power and it's night so you can't even see where you are going...so you gently ease off to the side of the road...

This actually happened a few times over the years and it reminded me to check over everything and tighten up the grounds, relays, and check the connections of everything electrical.

You get used to it after a while and in no time something will happen and you will say "Oh, I need to do such and such..." and you will have it fixed in less time than it takes now just to figure out what is wrong.

 

[ChillyWilly94]

thanks mark believe it or not this actually happened to me a couple of times driving to work so embarrassing -__-

 

[ChillyWilly94]

ok so i pulled the plugs from the intake side out of curiosity and this is what i got
From top to bottom these are #2-#4 i know i missed plug one i forgot to take a pic but it looks exactly like Plug #3

 

[ChillyWilly94]

also i realized i had the plug wires on cylinders 2-3 backwards so i corrected that and know the egine just stumbles and misses like crazy

 

[tomw]

The intake plugs fire only when the emissions system calls for it. The engine starts and runs on the exhaust manifold side plugs.
If your engine runs poorly with 2-3 swapped, un-swap them. There are errors in some manuals for the plug-coil connections. I cannot cite them. Check on the web for a correct diagram, or a factory manual.
If you have a 'waste spark' system, 2 & 3 fire at the same time, so a swap should not make a difference.
tom

 

[ChillyWilly94]

Thanks Tom ,
Also I checked for spark on each plug and I have spark and the ICM is sending the right signals to each coil pack , at startup it runs smooth but when it gets down to normal idle I sounds like a dead cylinder and I don't know what could be causing that it's probably in the ignition system but where

 

[tomw]

Plugs 2 & 4 look as if they'd never been fired. Brand new porcelain. Why is that?

If you have a timing light with a clamp-on sensor, try clamping on to the plug wires with the engine at idle and watch for missing 'fires'. Alternatively, you can pull one plug wire at a time to see if it affects idle. The wire(s) that does not change idle speed is the one that is not firing.
Have you checked for intake leaks? Is the PCV connected and clean enough to allow flow? Air cleaner element? And any other standard 'things' you'd do in a tune-up?
tom

 

[ChillyWilly94]

yeah i suspected #1 & #4 were not firing i unplugged both at the same time even with the rear coil unplugged and the idle did not change now if i remove plugs 2&3 the idle does change . but what confused me was that i checked each sparkplug for spark and surely enough every single one sparked aswell maybe my ICM is going out ?
On a positive note i cleaned out the egr valve and my pinging under load was resolved thankfully some kind of progress. but still at idle i swear some cylinder is not firing . the pcv hole on the throttle body has a plug that i put because i was having trouble finding the right pcv valve and the carbon canister hole aswell is plugged because i havent goten a hose for the moment .