2000 Ranger starting issues...

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So after church I borrowed one of the older kids, had him rotate my tires and get the fuel filter changed. Also put a healthy dose of fuel injector cleaner in the tank. Seems to be starting fine now, we'll see how it does tomorrow. I cleared the codes and it still kicked the bank 1 & 2 running lean back at me. Which is the same thing that dad's 99 Ranger does, runs fine but throws those codes.


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[cbxer55]

I drove mine for near a year knowing the fuel pressure was low. It was slightly below the required minimum of 54 psi. It ran fine, but constantly threw the lean codes. Lack of fuel pressure is a good contributor to the lean codes, just as a vacuum leak is. If you have no known vacuum leaks, I still say your fuel pump is pushing up daisies and hasn't got the memo yet.

Mine was running around 48 to 52 psi for a considerable period of time. Then one day, it shit the bed completely. Fix it now, or get caught flat-footed later.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yea, I'll have to check fuel pressure. Was looking at fuel pressure testers, was trying to decide if it would be worth getting a deluxe kit or just a basic one and if any brands are better than others. My Ranger, dad's Ranger and my F-150 all could stand to be checked.


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[cbxer55]

Yea, I'll have to check fuel pressure. Was looking at fuel pressure testers, was trying to decide if it would be worth getting a deluxe kit or just a basic one and if any brands are better than others. My Ranger, dad's Ranger and my F-150 all could stand to be checked.


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I went with a basic one, works fine for me. Just a dial gauge with a pressure bleed off button and a hose that runs from the button to a bottle or some other container to catch the runoff.

Mine, I just run the hose down to the ground unless I'm going to bleed off a lot of fuel for some reason. For instance, the fuel I use is a goldish hue. One day, while bleeding some fuel, it came out a brackish brown color. Don't know why or how that happened. But it didn't look anything like the fuel I had put in it a day or so before. It was pinging as well. Made me think maybe some diesel got put in the wrong underground tank. Fortunately, I had only put a quarter tank in, as I always attempt to keep my fuel tanks full or very near it. I added some unleaded racing fuel (110 octane) to the tank to take care of the pinging and ran that tank nearly empty very gingerly.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well, even though it didn't give me a bit of trouble yesterday after replacing the fuel filter (went out to dinner with the extended family, tried hot starting twice when I got there and both were easy. Then went to my uncles place, then home and hot started at home, all fine)... apparently despite all of that, that's yesterday and today is different. Didn't want to start today. This is really getting irritating. I'll take a shot at checking the fuel pressure, but I'm not fully convinced that it's the problem


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[lil_Blue_Ford]

Here's another tidbit, I unplugged the new IAC while at idle and the RPMs drop almost to a stall


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[RonD]

Here's another tidbit, I unplugged the new IAC while at idle and the RPMs drop almost to a stall


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That should happen, it means no vacuum leaks

Warm engine, IAC Valve power unplugged = 500RPMs or stalled engine, either is good.

IAC Valve couldn't work to set minimum idle, 625rpm manual trans, unless idle was lower without IAC Valve open

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

That should happen, it means no vacuum leaks



Warm engine, IAC Valve power unplugged = 500RPMs or stalled engine, either is good.



IAC Valve couldn't work to set minimum idle, 625rpm manual trans, unless idle was lower without IAC Valve open

Well, that's good news that it's working right and no vacuum leaks. Engine was warm, didn't hook up the scanner to see what the actual RPMs were.

So I guess that leaves me with a possible bad sensor or dying fuel pump....

Any recommendations on a good fuel pump? Should I just get a pump or the whole sender assembly if the pump proves bad when I can test it?


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[Diesel Mechanic]

Your regulator is in the tank on the return from your fuel filter. Everything after the fuel filter outlet will be the same pressure re engine sees. I would tie into it under the hood and run a mechanical gauge into the cab. If nothing else it will rule one more item off the list. This truck should run 75 psi all the time.


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[Doofy]

Glad you finally got that "Automatic" lil_Blue and that you are healing well. Hope you solve the starting issue. Cheers!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Glad you finally got that "Automatic" lil_Blue and that you are healing well. Hope you solve the starting issue. Cheers!

Yea, I'd still like to get my 88 on the road at some point, but this will work for now. It's not my preferred color, but it's growing on me (forest green). Recovery is coming along, still going to take time, but I'm glad to be out of the 7-9 pain scale range. I'm able to get around ok now and I can do some things, but getting down on the ground and working on stuff is still a big problem. It will get better though


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[cbxer55]

I'm going to make a suggestion. Go to your local parts store and buy two cans of Berryman's B12 injector cleaner. In my experience it's the only one that works. I've tried Seafoam and Lucas with no results.

I'm told that what's happening with mine is the injectors have a glaze on the end facing the engine. When cold that glaze is hard and the fuel has to beat a hole in it before it will start. Sometimes it starts on 3, 4 or 5 cylinders. As it warms up, the others kick in one at a time and it runs fine. As long as I keep a supply of B12 in the fuel, the problem goes away. Sometimes, as in this past weekend, it was starting fine, then I topped off the tank and didn't put any in, and the problem resurfaced immediately.

Wednesday it wouldn't start. Fueled it up and put two cans in, it ran fine until Saturday when I refilled it and didn't put any in. Put more in yesterday and it's fine.

One day soon, when I can ride my motorcycle every day for a week or so, I'm going to remove the upper intake, remove the injectors and have them professionally cleaned. Until then, I bought a case of Berryman's from a gas station I am friendly with the owner. Costed $32.00 for 12 cans.

I'll report back when, or if, I have any news.

I've been using the stuff for years, sometimes two cans. Never caused a single problem with the fuel system. My sister told me she used regular with ethanol the entire 4 years she drove it, and had no problems. Perhaps the ethanol kept the problem at bay. In my experience, the truck pings badly on any fuel below 89 octane, so I don't use it. She probably didn't drive it as aggressively as I do though, so maybe it worked for her. Doesn't work for me. The Berryman's does.

Just try it and see what happens. It might work. If it does, you likely have the same problem with the injectors as I do.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I've been looking at fuel pressure testers, I don't want to get some junk that will die after the first use, but it seems like the reviews for a lot of them say just that. Not really sure what to do yet.


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[Doofy]

Tons of fuel pressure testers on Amazon. Amazon is usually the first place I look because of the usually great assortment of brands and quality. Where I live, we have 1 NAPA. That's it. They may or may not have what I need. I enjoy making comparisons before purchase.

 

[cbxer55]

I got mine from one of the local stores. Auto Zone, O'Reilly's or NAPA. Don't recall which. Wasn't expensive. Had it for 3 or 4 years now, not a problem. It's temporarily permanently installed on my truck for the time being. Have it tie-wrapped to prevent it from moving around and getting damaged. It's nice to know the fuel pressure at a glance. Think I'm going to get one for in the cab, so I don't have to wonder any more.