95 Ranger 2.3 Will Not Start Belowe 20 Dregrees

[francerichard]

I have this 95 ranger with a 2.3 4 cyl. that will not start below 20 degrees f.
All the sensors have been replaced along with the fuel pump and filter.
The ecs was replaced along with a new housing also. What has me stumped is you can take a cheap electric hair dryer and blow warm air on the ecs for about 30 seconds and it will fire right up. If you don't use the hair dryer it will crank for ever and not start. Any temp. above 20 and it will start right up every time. I have checked everything and replaced the coils, and everything else you can think of and no change. Could the computer need re-flashed or maybe be bad it self? That is the only thing I haven't changed.
Thanks in advanced.

 

[alwayshear]

Check the individual pins on the connector. Make sure that they are all relatively at the same length and that none are damaged. Electrical problems really bum me out! Good luck.

 

[auto117584]

I have this 95 ranger with a 2.3 4 cyl. that will not start below 20 degrees f.

I've got the '95, too. When you say it won't start below 20, do you mean like first thing in the morning? What about when it's below 20 outside, but you've driven the truck and are re-starting. Does it start? Or is just when the whole engine is below 20, as in completely cold?

The intake air temp sensor wouldn't disallow starting at any temperature. The computer wouldn't veto a start action at any temperature, either.

Have you cleaned your injectors lately? Does the intake manifold get cleaned?

Replacing the Electronic Crash Sensor should have fixed the problem. The hair dryer got the truck going with both the old and the new ECS modules? THAT is weird. Sounds like a cold ECS won't allow you to start. Yeah, check your pins and stuff for build up of crud, etc.

sorry i have all questions and no answers.

 

[francerichard]

Above 20 degrees the truck will start and run fine. 20 degrees and below forget it. If I take the hair dryer and blow warm air on the coolant sensor and count to 40, it will start right up and run fine all day unless it cools completley then I have to use the hair dryer again. The only thing that has not been replaced is the computer. I do not know what to look for now. This problem has been occurring for the last few years. The truck runs fine all year long that is until it gets to 20 or below.

 

[modelageek]

Above 20 degrees the truck will start and run fine. 20 degrees and below forget it. If I take the hair dryer and blow warm air on the coolant sensor and count to 40, it will start right up and run fine all day unless it cools completley then I have to use the hair dryer again. The only thing that has not been replaced is the computer. I do not know what to look for now. This problem has been occurring for the last few years. The truck runs fine all year long that is until it gets to 20 or below.

you should go back and answer "alwayshear" and ""auto11" questions.........I read the thread and thought of the same questions they had but you did not answer them.............

 

[francerichard]

Over the last 2 years, everything has been cleaned or replaced.The computer has been pulled and checked, the pins have been cleaned with contact cleaner and checked, the coils and all sensors have been replaced, the fuel pump and filter was replaced 4 months ago. Everything has been checked and or replaced. In the morning after sitting over night it will not start. I use the hair dryer on the coolant sensor and count to 40 and it will start right up. As long as it doesn't cool completley down, it will start right up. If it cools down completley, then its getting the power converter and hair dryer out again. Like I said, above 20 degrees or so, it will start right up and run great.

 

[modelageek]

Over the last 2 years, everything has been cleaned or replaced.The computer has been pulled and checked, the pins have been cleaned with contact cleaner and checked, the coils and all sensCELors have been replaced, the fuel pump and filter was replaced 4 months ago. Everything has been checked and or replaced. In the morning after sitting over night it will not start. I use the hair dryer on the coolant sensor and count to 40 and it will start right up. As long as it doesn't cool completley down, it will start right up. If it cools down completley, then its getting the power converter and hair dryer out again. Like I said, above 20 degrees or so, it will start right up and run great.

so it did this before you replaced the ECT senosr. You use to use the hair dryer on the old ect sensor and the truck would start..........then you bought a new ect sensor and you still had to use the hair dryer on the sensor to get it to start...........have you tried disconnecting the ect sensor when it was 20 or below to see if it would start?..........do you have any codes? Does your
CEL light come on when you first turn the key to "on/run"?

 

[modelageek]

I don't think this is your issue but I am just curious if you have disconnected the battery to reboot the ecu since you changed all these sensors?

 

[francerichard]

Yes I had to do this before everything was changed, and after. I have not tried to start it with the sensor unplugged, I will try this and see what happens.
No there are no codes and the cel does come on when i turn the key on.

 

[francerichard]

I almost forgot, the battery and cables have just been replaced. The battery was 4 years old but checked good but i replaced it anyway, and the ground cable was corroded bad several inches past the terminal so I replaced both cables.

 

[modelageek]

Yes I had to do this before everything was changed, and after. I have not tried to start it with the sensor unplugged, I will try this and see what happens.
No there are no codes and the cel does come on when i turn the key on.

unplug the sensor and let us know what happens........I went to http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=28 and looked up what the resistance should be on the ECT........I don't know what years this pertains to, however it said that when warmed(200 degrees) up the resistance for the sensor should be about 2k ohms and when sitting dead cold in 20 degree weather it should be about 70k ohms........if you have a multimeter test the sensor for us.....

*do you know the Brand/part number of the ect sensor you installed.......it might be on the receipt if you have it?

 

[auto117584]

If I take the hair dryer and blow warm air on the coolant sensor and count to 40, it will start right up and run fine all day unless it cools completley then I have to use the hair dryer again.

In your first post you said you needed to put the heat on the ECS, Electronic Crash Sensor, for 30 seconds. In your second post you said you have to put the heat on the ECT sensor, or engine coolant temperature sensor, for 40 seconds.

If you want us to help, you need to be precise and answer all our questions.

Is it 30 seconds or 40? Is it the ECS or the ECT sensor? The ECS is the air bag deployment control, and I believe it will shut the engine off in the event of a crash. Somebody correct me if this is wrong. Since you said "coolant sensor" in your second post, and since the ECS is probably not easily accessible, you're probably talking about the engine coolant temperature sensor, or ect sensor. But is it 30 seconds or 40?

Other questions that might bear on this problem:
1. How many miles on the engine? Have you checked cylinder compression? That affects combustion. Low compression conditions could be a factor.
2. Have you ever cleaned the injectors or the inside of the intake manifold? They do get crudded up over time, and it's possible that cold conditions interfere with their function. The engine coolant temp sensor will tell the computer to change how much gas to send for a proper air/fuel mix. Crud on the injectors might limit gas flow. Cold starts require more fuel and less oxygen. Remember the old manual chokes? They cut off air for the initial start, and then they had to be quickly opened to allow air. Same thing today, except the computer works the choke effect.
3. Heating your ect sensor tells the engine it is warmer, and the computer is sending a fuel/air mix that is rich enough at a warm temp to start your engine in cold conditions. So your mix is too rich at warm, and possibly way too rich at cold. Do you smell gas when it cranks cold and doesn't start? How is your gas mileage, or miles per gallon?

We're just trying to get info so we can figure this out. The more info we have, the better our chances to solve the problem. Cars are logical if nothing else.

So your job is to answer each question by everyone, or we can't help you.

 

[francerichard]

I have no idea what an electric crash sensor is, I meant the coolant sensor.
Its not 40 seconds it count to 40 with the hair dryer. I did disconnect the coolant sensor this morning and it made no difference. After i used the hair dryer this morning and started it, it puffed a little black smoke but cleared up right away and the engine ran very smooth from the moment it started. The injectors have been cleaned but not the manifold. I have not checked the compression. The engine has 73000 miles on it so I wouldn't think compression should be a problem. If the outside temperature is 25 degrees and the truck has set overnight, it will fire right up and run great. It only happens when the outside temperature is at 20 degrees or less. I put a scanner on it yesterday and the outside temp was 18 degrees, the engine coolant sensor showed 18 degrees and the inlet air temp showed 19 degrees. I used the hair dryer on the coolant sensor for the count of 40 and the scanner showed the coolant temp to still be 18 degrees but the engine started up and ran fine, but only after I used the hair dryer.

 

[francerichard]

As far as the fuel millage it gets 18 to 20 miles per gallon in town, always has.
Have never smelt gas when it starts. Like I said, it puffed a little black smoke when i started it yesterday. If it has done this before, I have never noticed it. As far as the brand or part number of the coolant sensor, I'm not sure. It is a ford item, I replaced the hole unit,"water outlet and sensor".

 

[auto117584]

I did disconnect the coolant sensor this morning and it made no difference. After i used the hair dryer this morning and started it, it puffed a little black smoke but cleared up right away and the engine ran very smooth from the moment it started.

You disconnected the coolant sensor, the truck wouldn't start, so you put heat on the disconnected sensor like always, and the truck started? Or did you reconnect the sensor before heating it? This is an important detail.