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OBD code p0303 misfire, need help


dansf100

New Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
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Vehicle Year
1997
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
Hello everyone, new to this forum. I searched a bit but couldn't find anything that addressed my issue directly.
1997 Ranger with 2.3, 2wd, 5 speed manual, everything is stock, no aftermarket pieces.
Bought the truck and had an intermittent misfire code on cyl 2. Finally tore into the engine to find it had cracks in the head. So, new head, new rings, new gaskets etc. Has been running fine for the last few months. The wife and I loaded up the truck pulling a trailer with about 1500 pounds total extra payload from stock for a trip to Sturgis. No more than 2 minutes from the house the check engine light comes on. We made it through the trip with piss poor gas mileage and no power over the mountains. Tested the engine code it threw a couple times on the trip and it came up with p0171 system too lean bank 1. Figured it was an issue because I was towing. Got home, and went to start looking into it, only to find now it's throwing p0303 and p0171.
I'm really praying I don't have a cracked head again, so I'm trying to exhaust all other options.
Just did a compression test, 160, 160, 145, 155 from 1 to 4. I realize the 145 seems a little low, but everyone has always said if it's within 10% of the others, it's not an issue. Anyways, listened to the injectors, all are clicking as they should. Plugs (NGK Platinums) looked good, at least in the exhaust side which is all I pulled for the compression check. Bench tested the O2 sensor before the cat and it tested fine.
As far as the way it's running, it starts and idles fine for a bit, then I get a few minutes up the road, and it idles like crap. Seems to be somewhat intermittent. Runs down the road fine under throttle and cruises down the freeway just fine. The idle thing is killing me. (Can't stand it when my cars don't run right.)
Fuel filter has less than 10k on it, plugs are fresh from the engine rebuild in the spring, maybe 10k on them also. Replaced the wires, pcv, cleaned the throttle body, new air filter, etc at time of the big rebuild.
If anybody has any thoughts please send them my way, I would really appreciate any help from anyone who has experienced this before.
It scares me that it seems to be repeating most of the same things as when the head was cracked. Hoping its not another bad head.
Thanks everyone,

Dan
 

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