2002 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0 V6 - How Much Engine Vibration Is Considered Normal?

[oneslip17]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on this forum. If this is not posted in the right area, I apologize. Anyway, here is the issue:

I purchased a 2002 Ford Ranger 3.0L V6 from a family member a while back. Ever since I purchased the truck, it drives just fine in all capacity. But when I am idling at a stop light, I get a noticeable, inconsistent engine vibration. It feels as if the engine is misfiring. No check engine light appeared. I replaced the spark plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, ignition coil and a fuel injector cleaning. At the end of all that service, the vibration had calmed down a bit, but still definitely noticeable. It's hard to decipher whether the vibration has always been this bad since purchasing the vehicle or if I am just noticing it more. So I took it to a shop and they could not find anything wrong with the engine. No misfire, no vacuum leaks. Nothing. I then took it to a second shop and they told me the same thing. One of the mechanics said that rough idling is just a part of this make/model of vehicle and is considered normal. But when sitting in the truck while idling, my gut feeling tells me that there is something wrong with the truck and this is not normal, but I am not the professional. Am I being paranoid?

This ultimately leads me to my question to you all: how much engine vibration on these trucks is considered "normal".

Thank you for your time.

- Joe

 

[Ranger850]

Is the ac running when this happens? It could be the compressor activating? Is it rythmic, or in a pattern, every minute, or every 30 seconds?.
Have you looked at the motor at idle? Is it vibrating the while time. I had a 3.0 and it idled smooth as silk. The only vibrating was at start up that is common at all engine starts. Check the timing? If 2 shops said nothing is wrong, and everything is running good, I would not stress it

 

[oneslip17]

Thank you so much for your response. The vibration happens regardless if the AC is on or not. The vibration happens after about 30 seconds of starting the engine. There is the normal vibration from the engine, which stays pretty consistent in terms of frequency. But on top of that, there seems to be an intermittent, sort of spastic like vibration that is fairly inconsistent, which is what is freaking me out.

 

[55trucker]

Is the situation more noticeable in either park or neutral but when in gear (load on the powertrain) it is less noticeable?

 

[oneslip17]

Is the situation more noticeable in either park or neutral but when in gear (load on the powertrain) it is less noticeable?

Good question. I don't recall. I will check it out when I get home later this evening. Thank you for your response.

 

[55trucker]

Mine has been this way from the time I drove it off the dealer's lot back in '98. After repeated trips back to the dealer shortly after purchasing the truck to have the techies diagnose why there is this mild burble at idle (more noticeable in park or neutral) finding absolutely nothing wrong, the question was put to the technical service dept. at the Ford troubleshooting compound nearby in Oakville & the answer we got back from Ford was that the stoic fuel mixture at idle is not 14.7/1, it is closer to 15.0/1 so the engine runs as lean as possible, meets the emission standard & without damaging the valves, hence the slight burble. Even attempts to reflash the PCM to try & richen up the mixture was fruitless.

My tailpipe is so clean even after all these years you can wipe your finger in the end & get literally nothing on your finger at all.