89 ford ranger 2.3 cutting out bad.

[1bad87five0ranger]

I have an 89 ford ranger 2.3. It was an automatic when i got it but i converted it to a 5 speed. It runs like crap and gets 16mpg. When you take off it spits and sputters and backfires until you give it full throttle then it pulls good. It idles around 500 rpm and dies when you stop. i bought the truck to get some gas mileage but have yet to find out what thats like. I changed the fuel filter and checked for vacuum leaks. The temp guage never gets up to temp it always stays near cold. Can someone help me out. thanks for any help

 

[Mark_88]

Probably the MAP sensor...but could also be timing or injectors...

Did you try pulling the codes to see if you're getting anything? I forget what the MAP sensor was (you might not have one, but worth checking because that's what my Tempo was doing...and I've only been wrong about a dozen times on that)...

 

[scotts90ranger]

I would pull the trouble codes, there's a breakdown of doing it on the tech library with a title of like "EEC IV Diagnostics", use the analog volt meter method just forget about the volt meter, jump the two wires and sit in the drivers seat, turn the key on and count flashes, running a test with the engine running would probably help too.

I'm thinking MAP sensor too (it has one, just above the blower housing under the hood on the firewall), but pull the codes first.

 

[Hagan]

^Thanks!

I have had a sputter in the morning ever since I've bought the truck. Its very annoying. And just today I took it out on the first trip with the SAS and 35's and It would barely do 65 on the speedometer. I'm going to pull the codes.

The temp gauge not reaching normal temp isn't good. Does the gauge move at all or is it always stuck at the bottom?

Edit:

Pulled my codes and got a 31 and 67. 67 is because I left it in gear (forgot) but 31 is the egr position sensor. I have been looking at replacing it but decided I should look at it first. The sensor was unplugged! I guess I'll see what happens when I plug it back in.

 

[scotts90ranger]

just saw the temp gauge thing, don't worry about that if the heat blows hot, mine's been going to the line just past the C for 12 years with 4 radiators, 3 thermostats, two gauge clusters and 2 engines (two different gauge senders too), if it stands up straight, then worry

Hagan, the EGR shouldn't make it slow, but have you checked the speedo to see how far off it is? Mine is 20% fast (like it shows 60 when I'm going 50) with 5.13's and 35's but I changed transfer cases when I swapped in these axles so the speedo gear in the T case is wrong... haven't had the energy to disassemble two T cases to fix it...

 

[scotts90ranger]

also, startup fueling should be ran off tables referencing the barometric pressure and coolant temperature, barometric pressure is read from the MAP sensor at key up just before you start cranking, and coolant temp from the coolant temp sensor. If all that checks out, then there could be a dirty injector or something that it corrects for after it gets into closed loop.

 

[Hagan]

just saw the temp gauge thing, don't worry about that if the heat blows hot, mine's been going to the line just past the C for 12 years with 4 radiators, 3 thermostats, two gauge clusters and 2 engines (two different gauge senders too), if it stands up straight, then worry

Hagan, the EGR shouldn't make it slow, but have you checked the speedo to see how far off it is? Mine is 20% fast (like it shows 60 when I'm going 50) with 5.13's and 35's but I changed transfer cases when I swapped in these axles so the speedo gear in the T case is wrong... haven't had the energy to disassemble two T cases to fix it...

also, startup fueling should be ran off tables referencing the barometric pressure and coolant temperature, barometric pressure is read from the MAP sensor at key up just before you start cranking, and coolant temp from the coolant temp sensor. If all that checks out, then there could be a dirty injector or something that it corrects for after it gets into closed loop.

Weird, my temp gauge works just fine! lol

Anyway, the egr didn't do anything. I gps'd my speed and the speedo read 65mph and I'm actually doing 55mph.

I knew it would be slow...but this is terrible. I don't think I can even go on I-5. And the only way I hit 55mph is on flat ground and I'm basically flooring it.

Where should I even start? I've checked the fuel pressure and compression and both checked out fine. Replaced the lower fuel filter and the truck stopped cutting out (It cut out under throttle when I bought it) but have not replaced the upper one yet. I replaced the distributor cap/rotor, spark plugs, and wires.

Maybe I just need to work on my turbo engine...

 

[scotts90ranger]

I cruise at 65mph in 5th gear at 0-5"HG vacuum with the turbo engine, takes a lot of power to move the thing... but that's only 2/3 of the potential of my engine, stab it in 5th and soon the speedo is pointing straight down (maybe 85mph, like I said my speedo is way off)

 

[1bad87five0ranger]

ok i have figured out the problem... the 5 speed computer i installed when i swapped transmission was out of a truck that had egr valve and my truck does not. I don't have the old computer anymore so i need to know which one i need to run.