- Joined
- Jul 21, 2026
- Messages
- 8
- Points
- 1
- City
- Takoma Park
- State - Country
- MD - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1993
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 4.0L
- Transmission
- Manual
Truck: 1993 Ranger XLT SuperCab, 4.0L OHV Problem: cranks strong and healthy, never fires up. Not even a cough.
TIMELINE THAT MIGHT MATTER: I had the bed off the truck. While it was off I repaired a chafed fuel line and replaced the pump. Bed went back on and the truck ran fine that day — multiple starts and stops, no drama. It sat overnight with the battery disconnected, and it has never started since. So it didn't die while running; it failed a cold start after sitting overnight. The rear harness and pump wiring run along the frame under the bed, so a pinched wire from the bed reinstall crossed my mind — but the pump works fine (pressure below) and it ran a full day after the bed was back on.
WHAT I'VE DONE:
NOT DONE YET (next on my list): noid light on the injectors.
THE PUZZLE: ran fine all day after the fuel work, then next morning — crank, no start, and it hasn't coughed since. Spark on all six, correct fuel pressure that holds, all-new ignition hardware, and starting fluid does nothing. What does the hive mind see that I don't?
TIMELINE THAT MIGHT MATTER: I had the bed off the truck. While it was off I repaired a chafed fuel line and replaced the pump. Bed went back on and the truck ran fine that day — multiple starts and stops, no drama. It sat overnight with the battery disconnected, and it has never started since. So it didn't die while running; it failed a cold start after sitting overnight. The rear harness and pump wiring run along the frame under the bed, so a pinched wire from the bed reinstall crossed my mind — but the pump works fine (pressure below) and it ran a full day after the bed was back on.
WHAT I'VE DONE:
- New crank position sensor. Before replacing it I did the ground-a-plug spark check — spark was erratic, and the old sensor was caked in gunk from an oil leak. Spark got noticeably more regular with the new one.
- New coil pack, all 6 new plugs, new plug wires. Routing double-checked against the waste-spark pairs (1&5, 2&6, 3&4), firing order 1-4-2-5-3-6.
- New fuel pressure regulator — no change. (Vacuum line off the regulator was dry, so the diaphragm wasn't leaking anyway.)
- Timing light on wire 1 while cranking: consistent, steady flashes, no dropouts. The light's tach read ~220 rpm cranking. Couldn't get eyes on the damper for actual degrees — but the rhythm is dead steady.
- Fuel pressure: 35 psi during cranking (spec for this year is 35–40 KOEO), and it HOLDS after shutdown — so no leak-down, which should also rule out a leaking injector.
- Spark tester clipped to the block: all 6 cylinders spark.
- STARTING FLUID: nothing. Sprayed into the throttle body, tried it multiple sessions, including with the fuel pump relay pulled so the injectors couldn't flood on top of it. Zero combustion. This is the part that breaks my brain — fluid bypasses the whole fuel system.
- Plugs have come out wet and gas-fouled repeatedly during this saga; strong gas smell after crank attempts. Fresh oil went in because the old oil smelled of gas from all the flooded cranking.
- WOT clear-flood attempts, many. Early in the saga I got a pop or two — nothing since.
- Battery load-tested OK, fully charged, 10.5V during crank. Inertia switch not tripped. Fuel connections checked and tightened (found some loose injector-harness connections along the way and fixed them).
NOT DONE YET (next on my list): noid light on the injectors.
THE PUZZLE: ran fine all day after the fuel work, then next morning — crank, no start, and it hasn't coughed since. Spark on all six, correct fuel pressure that holds, all-new ignition hardware, and starting fluid does nothing. What does the hive mind see that I don't?
