Completely Stumped!!! Help Please!

[88WTM]

*UPDATE* Completely Stumped!!! Help Please!

UPDATE TO HEADACHE

Ok...so a week and a half (give or take) since the last time my ranger stalled and all was well, until today! I'm coming home from work (1.75 mile trip one way), truck is running fine, I'm cruising in 3rd gear turning maybe 3000rpm and I'm headed up an overpass. I start getting close to 45mph (think my speedo is off though, tires are now 235/75/15) and I go to shift into 4th like I always do at the same time during this little journey. As soon as I do my truck starts bucking horribly and the tach is going ape sh&$...up and down up and down! I immediately shift back into 3rd and it did fine...on or off gas. Shift back to 4th...same weird problem. So I coast down the over pass and then it dies and this time doesn't start back up immediately. I stop on side of road, beat on the inertia switch and still no joy. I sit for a minute and it starts back up, but still is pissed at the attempt of 4th gear!!! WTH??
So, I drive it to house, park it, let it idle, and start tapping on stuff. Tapped on coil, plug wires, distributor, ignition module, inertia switch, throttle body, and it just sits there and idles smooth...revs fine, temp is fine, no indications of anything off the wall! I am at a loss here folks! Am I missing something so easy that I now look like an idiot and I'm too blind to figure it out? My BMW has never even stumped me like this I can't even speak German!!

So again, I ask for HELP!?
Oh and thanks for all the previous help also!
Rob


After some searching here, I have found some similar problems, but none that really match my issue. There is usually something different that doesn't jive with what I have going on.....so!

Short and sweet; 1988 2.3 Ranger with 5 speed and 91k on it. Dies completely out of know where with no regards to conditions of the road, temp of the truck, outside temp, rain or not, level of fuel, RPM, or any other combonation and it happens very very randomly and at the worst possible time (inside lane of a busy road!). The truck runs fine, idles smooth, pulls ok for 80 whopping horse power or whatever, but will just die. I never know when it will happen and can't make it happen....it just does! While driving down a perfectly smooth road in 70 degree weather it will just croak! Coast to the side of the road and after a couple of attempts it will start back up. Until it does though it just turns over....won't fire.

What I've done; since ownership....all minor tune up crap i.e plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, air filter, oil, blah blah. After advice from a friend who said he had the same issue I changed the ignition control module on my distributor...or TFI...or whatever. The deal with two crews that attaches on the bottom side of distributor. After putting on new one it actually improved how it ran. The truck did fine for a day....no stall, ran fine, all thumbs up here and then whammo...cruising down the road getting ready to turn into parking lot at work and it dies!!!!! URGH!!! I coasted about 15 yards, turned the key, and it started right back up and as of now it hasn't happened again. That was 2 days ago.

Any ideas!?

Thanks in advance for any and all help/advice!
Rob

 

[Mark_88]

Two things: Inertia switch may be wonky or your in tank fuel pump is going south...

Both things affected my Tempo...and the symptoms were exactly the same...only thing I noticed was it happened most often in the summer...in fact, it never happened in the cold weather with the fuel pump, but it did happen with the inertia switch.

If/when it happens again, reset the inertia switch and try it...if it starts right up, try by-passing the inertia switch...if it happens after that, its probably your in tank fuel pump...

 

[88WTM]

Awesome...thanks for the input Mark_88!
Since I am new to Rangers...do you have any idea where the inertia switch is located? Does it have a different name that I will have to reference?
The reason I ask is when I changed the ignition module I was calling it a TFI, which is what my repair book said. I called asking for what at the parts store and they looked at me like I was stupid!!
Thanks again,
Rob

 

[Mark_88]

No problem, hope it helps...

The inertia switch may also be called the fuel shutoff (it will kill the fuel pump if you get hit and/or upended) and is located, in most cases, under the dash just right of the transmission hump. You may have to pull back the carpet to get to it, but you should see two wires running into it...and a button to press to reset it...

 

[shadetree]

Finding intermittents of this kind can be very frustrating.

There is also a pickup coil inside the distributor that occasionally goes bad.

Connectors become corroded and lose connection intermittently.

You can isolate whether this is a fuel problem or electrical by carrying a can of starting fluid. When the truck stops, spray the fluid and if it starts you know its a fuel problem. If not, electrical.

Fuel could be pump, inertia switch, loss of signal to injectors either by computer, or wiring, or bad connectors. Loss of ignition pulses will also kill the pump.

For electrical connections, shake the wiring and see if you can cause the problem. You can also heat vairous components with a hair drier, and cool with coolant spray from an electronics store.shady

 

[88WTM]

No problem, hope it helps...

The inertia switch may also be called the fuel shutoff (it will kill the fuel pump if you get hit and/or upended) and is located, in most cases, under the dash just right of the transmission hump. You may have to pull back the carpet to get to it, but you should see two wires running into it...and a button to press to reset it...

Thanks again. I did locate the "little black box" and I'll see what happens! As of now it has not died since Sunday...have no idea why, but it hasn't. If it happens again and it stays stalled long enough - which it hasn't yet - I'll try jumping the inertia switch and see what happens. I'm also going to consider changing out my coil - which I haven't yet - and maybe the magnetic pick-up and see what happens. I just hate shotgun trouble shooting to try and find a problem, but what-e-ya do?!?

I'll keep posting here so if maybe someone else has the same problem it will help them out.

Rob

 

[88WTM]

Finding intermittents of this kind can be very frustrating.

There is also a pickup coil inside the distributor that occasionally goes bad.

Connectors become corroded and lose connection intermittently.

You can isolate whether this is a fuel problem or electrical by carrying a can of starting fluid. When the truck stops, spray the fluid and if it starts you know its a fuel problem. If not, electrical.

Fuel could be pump, inertia switch, loss of signal to injectors either by computer, or wiring, or bad connectors. Loss of ignition pulses will also kill the pump.

For electrical connections, shake the wiring and see if you can cause the problem. You can also heat vairous components with a hair drier, and cool with coolant spray from an electronics store.shady

Yes...this problem is HIGHLY frustrating!
The biggest thing is that when it dies it never stays so long enough to trouble shoot! It always starts right back up after a couple of turns of the key. I haven't had the truck during a winter season yet so I have no idea if it would occur then or not. What's worse is that it will be in storage this winter while I'm away at training. As I mentioned in an earlier post I still need to change my coil and probably look into changing the mag pick up also...may need it, may not, but I'm still kind of stumped. Maybe I'll get luck and the inertia switch will be the problem!

Thanks guys,
Rob

 

[dirtsquirt]

I had the same thing even after changing the TFI but only when it got warm out, did the remote TFI mount and have never had the issue again.

 

[88WTM]

I had the same thing even after changing the TFI but only when it got warm out, did the remote TFI mount and have never had the issue again.

Remote TFI? So it doesn't have to be attached to the distributor? Is there a special mod that must be performed or just bolt it up somewhere else? Is there a post I can search for on the forums?

Thanks!

 

[BlackBII]

You just have to get some wire and some spade connectors, then you can bolt it wherever you like. There is an article or two floating around on the internet, google it.

 

[Earl43P]

Shady is right about the "shake" test.
That's a legit Ford published procedure.

I'd start at the ignition switch and work from there. I've seen ignition switches fail from hanging a huge ring of keys from it (wasn't a Ford, but still possible).

More symptoms might help too. Do the dash warning lights come on when it dies? (the ones that come on when you first turn the key to Run, before starting).

 

[feellnfroggy]

I know my mustang died like that outta nowhere but it was because i hada performance chip in the ECU and it was loose and wiggling and shorting things out. I doubt its your problem but might be worth looking at. Check to see if your plug assembly is screwed tightly and properly into the EEC. Maybe its loose.

 

[88WTM]

Thanks for all the input guys!

I replaced the ignition module sunday, it died once on monday, started back up immediately, and hasn't died at all since...puzzling. I've been driving it pretty hard both onroad and off and nothing. I've been waiting for it to happen again so I can check other possibilities, but nothing. Guess I'll just have to wait for it Lol.

If I figure something out definitive I'll make sure to post it for others to check out.

Fingers crossed!
Rob

 

[88WTM]

bump for update

 

[Mark_88]

Well, if the tach if going apepoop, it may actually be your MAP sensor or something in the ignition system (or even a loose ground wire)...

Check the firewall just above the heater box near the hood...there should be a plastic box with a few wires and a vac line going into it...that is the MAP sensor and it can cause some wild errotic (erratic) things to happen...like inconsistent revs, motor chuggling, and stalling...you can get them cheap at the junk yard...try swapping that out ...but, again...do NOT buy a new one...they are usually over $100...

But your problem actually sounds similar to something someone else ran into recently...if not the MAP...

BTW...the inertia switch has a button to reset it...you don't have to tap or otherwise bang on it to get it to start working...just reset it...

But you would be better off to just by-pass it by connecting the two wires together so the circuit is complete...just leave yourself enough wire near the switch to reconnect it if you want to put it back later...