2.3l really bad power on take off when it's hot outside

[roc129]

My 97 b2300 2.3l 5 spd has no power when it's really hot like 85 degrees. Starting from a red light it is dog slow. Doesn't matter if a/c is on or off.
A friend of mine has a 97 ranger 2.3l 5 spd and it has the same issue. Is this a common problem and is there something I can do to make it better? I did install a K & N cold air intake and helped a little.

 

[Mark_88]

Hmmmm...haven't really heard of that before related to outside temperature but do you happen to have a problem with it after you pull away from the stop sign? Does it bog down if you let your foot off the gas or does it actually come quickly to a stop?

On my original truck I had that problem and it turned out to be the front calipers were sticking due to bad flex lines...after I changed the flex lines it was much improved, but it had nothing to do with cold or hot weather...and when it did happen they would release a bit after driving a ways but as soon as I had to stop again the same thing happened...if I let my foot off the gas and put in the clutch I could feel the truck slowing down...

 

[red_rider]

+1 on checking the brakes, I had to recently jack the truck up and freewheel mine to test the rear brake noise I was getting.

What about your mpg, has it gone up at all over a tank during hot weather? I actually have more the opposite situation, I don't notice a big drop in power but do see about a 3 mpg increase instantly as soon as it gets in the 80s and warmer outside.

 

[Earl43P]

Test your Intake Air Temp sensor.

Since you have OBDII, that sensor can be displayed by many readers; my ScanGageII displays it as a gage selection. It's interesting to note that when idling in hot weather, the IAT can get into the 110+ degree range on an 80 degree day, simply showing that underhood temps really climb when stopped.

My IAT temperature drops dramatically (stock air intake and IAT is built into the MAF) once you get airflow going and typically reads about 2-4 degrees higher than actual ambient temp. My truck is white; I'd expect a dark color truck to get even hotter under the hood.

 

[roc129]

No power when hot

Thanks for the suggestions/ideas. I don't think it's a problem with the brakes.
Today was pretty hot low 80's. Really noticed the lack of power on take off. Punch it to the floor and it's almost like it's starving for air and then it gets moving and picks up. By the time I shift into 2nd it feels normal. You may be on to something with a high IAT. Not sure what can be done to get around that if that is the problem.To make things worse I just went to 15 in wheels this week. Big difference from the stock 14's. Truck sits up almost 2 inches higher now. But now I wish I had steeper gears

 

[zekew64]

Something I would recommend is removing the baffles that are located inside of your intake ducting. I removed mine because of the same problem (no power on uphills and from dead stops). I noticed a power increase right away, due to no restriction for airflow.

On a side note, I'd put an actual sealed CAI box underhood. Most people think that just putting in a K & N CAI filter helps, when in fact it does the opposite. To get the true benefits out of a filter, like the K & N, you have to isolate it from the engine bay tempratures. To do this, you have to build a box to fit it, line it with an insulator like aluminum foil (putting the shiny side towards the engine to reflect heat), and completely seal it. If you do that, you will have a true cold-air intake, which will in turn increase the power of your engine.