SideStepRanger
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2020
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 1
- Location
- San Diego, CA
- Vehicle Year
- 1999
- Make / Model
- Ford Ranger
- Transmission
- Automatic
99 Ranger with the 3.0 takes 3 - 4 key turns to start the truck after it's been sitting over night. On about the 4th try it will sputter and then I give it gas and it starts. It also stalls if I put it in gear too soon after it gets started. After it starts it drives good, and restarts with no problem once it's warmed up. I'm thinking it's either clogged injectors or a bad fuel pump.
Now here's the fun backstory.
Gas is getting very expensive, but E85 is over a dollar cheaper per gallon. Having a flexfuel I decided to give some E85 a try since I can save about $20 per fuel up and here's what happened:
- CEL came on after first fuel up, but everything else still seemed fine.
- Replaced the fuel filter to fix the CEL
- After fuel filter replacement the CEL went off and stayed off, but the truck had no power at all and could barely make it up hills. The hard to start issue also started.
- I replaced the fuel filter again with a different brand, and the power returned back to normal but still hard to start with a cold engine.
- I replaced the IAC valve but that didn't change anything.
Could it be clogged injectors or a bad fuel pump?
Now here's the fun backstory.
Gas is getting very expensive, but E85 is over a dollar cheaper per gallon. Having a flexfuel I decided to give some E85 a try since I can save about $20 per fuel up and here's what happened:
- CEL came on after first fuel up, but everything else still seemed fine.
- Replaced the fuel filter to fix the CEL
- After fuel filter replacement the CEL went off and stayed off, but the truck had no power at all and could barely make it up hills. The hard to start issue also started.
- I replaced the fuel filter again with a different brand, and the power returned back to normal but still hard to start with a cold engine.
- I replaced the IAC valve but that didn't change anything.
Could it be clogged injectors or a bad fuel pump?
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