For the love of god...please help!

[Canuck4x4]

...My 2003 ford ranger 4.0 has 67,000 miles on it. It works awesome Except in blowing snow! It bucks and misses/backfires like nuts. At first I thought the tranny was going. I had it checked out and it's ok. Then I realized it's only acting up in blowing snow. In park I can rev it with no problems in the blowing snow. It's only when driving through the snow that it acts up.
...I changed the coil pack, plugs and wires, fuel filter and air filter. It's still doing it. The only mod I did when I first got the truck before the snow season started was the air box silencer delete. Is this missing tube the cause of the problems?? Can someone please help me solve this problem.

 

[Andy D]

Mebbe apples and oranges. Old BMWs run like crap if the connector for O2 sensor gets wet . YMMV

 

[Canuck4x4]

Mebbe apples and oranges. Old BMWs run like crap if the connector for O2 sensor gets wet . YMMV

...I can drive it in the rain and nothing happens. I put the intake tube back in the airbox...and it's still acting up. No check engine light or anything flickering on the dash.someone here must know what it Is? I like the truck...but this is driving me nuts. As mentioned the truck runs awesome until it starts snowing out.

 

[97RangerXLT]

when it bucks, are you in 4wd?

might be something simple as one of the wheels slipping/ grabbing.

AJ

 

[Canuck4x4]

...I may have found the problem. I was on a Honda accord forum and several guys have had the exact problem I am experiencing. Violent jerking/ misfire. Some of these guys spent thousands on parts/ labor and it came down to the air filter. Every single owner was running a aftermarket air filter and not the oem unit.
...once one guy figured it out.he passed the info on to the other forum members and they switched back to oem with success. Apparently light snow was getting by the filter to the maf..and then causing misfires. This would not happen in rain...just blowing snow. I swapped out the dirty oem filter awhile back with a Fram unit. I'm putting a new oem filter in tomorrow and am crossing my fingers.

 

[Canuck4x4]

when it bucks, are you in 4wd?

might be something simple as one of the wheels slipping/ grabbing.

AJ

Does it in 2wd and 4wd. I'm hoping it's the aftermarket air filter that's in there as mentioned above.

 

[Captain Ledd]

I've never been a fan of those.

There are only 2 ways to get more air into an engine through a filter.

1) More filter media
2) Bigger holes in the media

If it doesn't look like there is substantially more filter material, you have bigger holes in it. Honestly it makes little difference on a stock engine, you'll only see noticeable results when you start modifying the engine to take in substantially more air.

 

[Canuck4x4]

I've never been a fan of those.

There are only 2 ways to get more air into an engine through a filter.

1) More filter media
2) Bigger holes in the media

If it doesn't look like there is substantially more filter material, you have bigger holes in it. Honestly it makes little difference on a stock engine, you'll only see noticeable results when you start modifying the engine to take in substantially more air.

...The storm is over and I can guarantee that the truck will work awesome going into work. Honestly, the only reason I bought the Fram was because I thought it would be cheaper than oem. It all makes sense now. Everything in in fact pointing to the air filter...lol. learn something new everyday as they say.

 

[Canuck4x4]

...set out for my 30 minuit drive to work this morning. The first 20 minuits was great. No blowing snow. Then the wind picked up and snow was blowing around the headlight.....then misfire. I can't wait to throw a ford filter in it today!!

 

[pjtoledo]

what is the part number of that filter? is it dry or oiled?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Doesn't the stock filter setup pull air from between the inner and outer filters? I can't think there would be much snow in that void...

 

[Mark_88]

I rerouted the air intake on my 2.3 so that it was pulling air from below the grill line...to do that I drilled a hole in the bottom of the box and affixed a down spout since there was nothing there to interfere with a a 3" tube...

However, If replacing the filter with the OEM gets you clear, it is probably less hassle and better overall for the engine...

 

[Canuck4x4]

...Problem solved. It was in fact the Fram filter after all! I asked the ford service rep if he had ever heard of such a problem. He said not really in any rangers that he could recall...but it has been a complaint in other ford models driving in blowing snow with filters other than oem.
...I dropped the new motocraft filter in and drove through some blowing snow on the way home from work...and nothing happened! Not one misfire. Unfreakin believable! $200 spent on a coil pack, plugs and wires...cursing, almost pulling the hair out of my head from frustration...all because of a $15 air filter!

 

[Canuck4x4]

what is the part number of that filter? is it dry or oiled?

...fram...dry

 

[Canuck4x4]

...Im curious if I ran a cold air or short ram airtake if it would misfire again in blowing snow??