2.3 coil problems

[majbull]

Hi i am the proud owner of a 94 ranger for about 2 years now and i am having a little trouble with my coils and my tack , some times the coil ( the front one ) does not have spark on # 3 and # 2 plug wire but engine still runs . My tack also reads at half or less sometimes don`t no if the two are related .I ran a code check with a obdII code reader and got a (spout) spark output out of range not sure what to do about that ? . my compression is about 100 lbs per cylinder and the front main seal is leaking don`t know if oil on the crank sensor is causing this if any body has some info on this problem i would rely be happy to here from you . majbull sault ste marie canada

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

ignition module

 

[the pirate]

Are the plugs n wires in good shape?

 

[majbull]

the plugs have been replaced and the wires are in good shape the engine has 280 000 k on it and i tried switching the coils no differance in spark.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

ignition module, very common problem

 

[majbull]

is there anyway to test it

 

[Bryan22]

ya take it to the local parts house, they can usually test them for free.

 

[Draxomulus]

Did you ever figure this out?

I have a 95 with the same problem, only on both coils. Nothing from #2 or #3 on them. I got the truck dirt cheap, but I don't know where to start. I did swap coils and took one from another Ranger but it still does the same thing. So I was wondering if you ever fixed your issue and what the fix ended up being?

 

[Bryan22]

95 doesn't have an ICM, rather ignition is controlled by the PCM. you can test the coil packs with a multimeter to rule them out.

 

[Draxomulus]

No ICM?

Tested the coils and they tested good. If it doesn't have an ICM, what's mounted on the driver's side of the engine with two plugs, one on top and one on bottom?

 

[Bryan22]

a 95 shouldn't have one... take a picture.

 

[scotts90ranger]

canadian model might... they always had things for longer than we did

 

[Draxomulus]

No picture yet...

I haven't had time to take a picture, but I'll do it this afternoon. NAPA, Advance, and AutoZone all have a listing for an ICM for around the $150 mark. Gray plug on top, black plug on bottom. Not Canadian. I'm thinking I might hit the junkyard on Saturday and see what I can get for much less than $150.

 

[rrbrian222]

If he still has one of these on a 1995,

he must have an early model year 1995 truck (probably built in late 94) that still had EEC-IV (just my guess anyway). My 95 was built in 08/95 and has EEC-V with the ignition module functionality built into the PCM, as Bryan22 pointed out.

It would be good if us 1995 owners could nail down exactly when Ford made the switch to EEC-V as it seems these model variations come up frequently enough in these forums.

Edit: Draxomulus, check the 10th digit of your VIN to double check the model year. An "S" is 1995, "R" is 1994. If it's indeed a 1995, look on your door sticker and lets us know when (month/year) your truck was built. Thanks.

 

[Bryan22]

that diagram should pretty much nail down whether you have one or not. If you do, just get it tested. no reason to spend $150 when a test is free. Just make sure it gets tested 5+ times back to back to make sure it's getting hot. Sometimes they pass at first but if you keep testing them they'll fail when they get hot. Good luck and keep us informed.