2000 Ranger THREE POINT OH (3.0!) firing order

[MikeShepard505]

So let’s try this in absolutely one go. Please do not give me firing orders on any other year 3.0 because every single one of them is different ??‍ And yes anything past 2000 is even more complicated because Haynes and chilton both f*cked up the coil pack angle. It is a flex fuel 3.0 so it might be different than the “U” 3.0 that’s only gas. My coil pack is not side ways from left to right but long ways too to bottom. So you can say it’s vertical if your looking at it from the front of the vehicle. I’ll post a pic as well of what I mean. I was 1000% sure I had it hooked up the first time around because I took photos and drew diagrams before I pulled all the wires off the coil pack and off the plugs.

 

[MikeShepard505]

And just for reference, this is the diagram every middle aged dude on the internet has given for a 3.0 v6 and ITS NOT CORRECT. I pulled wires 5 different times and did this exact diagram everytime and it’s not it. I’ve way over analyzed and done this diagram so I’m positive it is not correct. Before I looked at this diagram and first drew out the coil pack and cylinders before I pulled everything I noticed 5 and 6 were switched on the coil pack from this diagram. Like I said, not sure if the flex fuel and regular gas 3.0’s have a different wiring

 

[97RangerXLT]

Not sure of your 3.0, but your diagram is the correct diagram for my 97 4.0. Take a gander at the tech library, there might be some better info there.

As far as I know, the 3.0 did not change much from the early 90's through the flex fuel years (1999 +) the only thing different is the fuel system and intake manifold and maybe some "improvements" to the rest of the engine, but firing order should be the same. I would say that someone could take a picture of their setup and post it up. other than that, check the junkyards for any 3.0 that is still wired up and take notes.

AJ

 

[RonD]

I think the confusion comes because its a Waste Spark system

There are only 3 coils in the coil pack, not 6
The spark plugs are fired in PAIRS
The pairs are
[3 4]
[2 6]
[1 5]

This is why it looks the way it does, the PAIRS come from the way a V6 engine is balanced

The spark plug wires can just as easily be
4 3
2 6
5 1
This would work just fine, because 3 and 4 are still firing together at the same time, as are 2 and 6, and 1 and 5

As long as the PAIR are on the correct coil their order doesn't matter

Now that its all cleared up, lol, 2 and 6 wires will ALWAYS be on the center coil, in the pack

So there really is only 2 ways it can be wired
3 4
2 6
1 5

OR

1 5
2 6
3 4

Thats it, try it one way if that doesn't work then reverse 1 5 and 3 4
All done

This applies to the 3.0l and 4.0l they are the same in the matched pairs because they are balanced the same way

 

[MikeShepard505]

I think the confusion comes because its a Waste Spark system

There are only 3 coils in the coil pack, not 6
The spark plugs are fired in PAIRS
The pairs are
[3 4]
[2 6]
[1 5]

This is why it looks the way it does, the PAIRS come from the way a V6 engine is balanced

The spark plug wires can just as easily be
4 3
2 6
5 1
This would work just fine, because 3 and 4 are still firing together at the same time, as are 2 and 6, and 1 and 5

As long as the PAIR are on the correct coil their order doesn't matter

Now that its all cleared up, lol, 2 and 6 wires will ALWAYS be on the center coil, in the pack

So there really is only 2 ways it can be wired
3 4
2 6
1 5

OR

1 5
2 6
3 4

Thats it, try it one way if that doesn't work then reverse 1 5 and 3 4
All done

This applies to the 3.0l and 4.0l they are the same in the matched pairs because they are balanced the same way

Wow. Thank you for this, definitely the best Info I’ve gotten for the Rangers v6’s. This would probably explain how I was able to wire differently another 3.0 without using the exact diagram a couple months back. Tomorrow I’ll give an update on what i did, i called it a night.

 

[MikeShepard505]

I think the confusion comes because its a Waste Spark system

There are only 3 coils in the coil pack, not 6
The spark plugs are fired in PAIRS
The pairs are
[3 4]
[2 6]
[1 5]

This is why it looks the way it does, the PAIRS come from the way a V6 engine is balanced

The spark plug wires can just as easily be
4 3
2 6
5 1
This would work just fine, because 3 and 4 are still firing together at the same time, as are 2 and 6, and 1 and 5

As long as the PAIR are on the correct coil their order doesn't matter

Now that its all cleared up, lol, 2 and 6 wires will ALWAYS be on the center coil, in the pack

So there really is only 2 ways it can be wired
3 4
2 6
1 5

OR

1 5
2 6
3 4

Thats it, try it one way if that doesn't work then reverse 1 5 and 3 4
All done

This applies to the 3.0l and 4.0l they are the same in the matched pairs because they are balanced the same way

Okay so all I did in the end was switch 4 and 5. At first switched wires 1 and 3 on the coil pack and it started up but was misfiring. Then I switched 4 and 5 on the coil pack and it was still misfiring, so I switched 1 and 3 back again and it started right up and it idles perfect and runs great. It’s basically exactly how I first wired up but 4 and 5 switched on the coil pack, again thanks for the input. It took all of 5 mins to fix ????

 

[RonD]

Good work

Thanks for the update and FIX