Do 3.0 Rangers have dirty injector problems?

[cbxer55]

For some time now I have been fighting an extremely irratating intermittent starting problem. Sometimes it fires right up, others I can crank and crank until the battery is dead with no firing. Later on it fires right up.

I have replaced all the sensors, plugs, wires, coil pack to no avail. Out of sheer frustration I poured two 15 ounce cans of Berrymans B-12 cleaner into a full tank on Tuesday. Since then the problem has completely dissappeared. It starts up everytime on the first turn of the key, no hesitation whatsoever.

Do Rangers have a problem with the injectors plugging up? What can be done as a permanent fix, as I have no desire to buy 6 new injectors at $80.00 apiece. Take them all out and clean them? I assume you have to remove the intake to get the three on the left side?

Buy stock in Berrymans?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Well i have this trouble every once in awhile and never knew this but if you have trouble, put the petal to the floor and and crank it. let off when it starts. Worked for me. I don't know the problem but i think it may have something to do with water in the fuel. atleast for me cause I can put in a thing of heet and i don't have the problem for awhile.

 

[cbxer55]

I don't know what Heet is, but I do know that Berrymans B-12 is some nasty stuff. It has MEK, Acetone, Methyl Alcohol, and quite a few other choice chemicals in there for good measure. If it does not clean your injectors, it will rot your hoses and seals and leave a puddle under your vehicle.

Well, truthfully, that is what I was told. I've used it before in other vehicles and never experienced a problem.

Take everything you read with a LARGE grain of salt.

 

[LittleBigFoot]

Did you run those cans with the reccomended amount of fuel?

1 can treats 20 gallons of gas.

Running that much through, you might want to check your injector O rings.

Runnin that stuff twice a year even isn't reccomended.

 

[Bob Ayers]

I don't think your intermittent starting problem is dirty injectors. I would suspect the PCM or fuel pump relay.

 

[cbxer55]

Did you even comprehend what I wrote? I said the problem has existed for some time now, about one month. The problem has been completely eliminated by the addition of fuel injection cleaner. In addition there is no CEL light. And a check at Auto Zone shows no latent codes.

I have had this problem on-and-off for about two years now. Every time I have this problem, a tank full of fuel with a heavy dose of cleaner eliminates it.

A Ford mechanic once told me that the injectors have a varnish glaze over the open end that hardens when the vehicle is shut off and the volatiles evaporate from the fuel, leaving that glaze. Then when you start it up, you get the symptoms I have had. He told me that I get the syptoms I do because eventually the fuel pressure beats a hole through the glaze letting it run.

!. Crank for ever with only intermittent spastic attempt to fire.
2. Eventually fires up, but seems to be running on four or five cylinders, yet all the exhaust pipes are hot.
3. After driving a short time, it cleans up and acts completely normal.
4. It gets progressively harder to start the longer it sits after shutting off.
4a. After 30 minutes it starts right up.
4b. After 0ne hour I have to crank it for about one minute.
4c. After two hours I have to crank it about 3 minutes.
4d. After 4 hours it will not start.
5. Heavily dose fuel with cleaner and take for nice drive.
6. Next morning it fires right up, and continues to do so for about three tanks of gas. Around the fourth tank the symptoms slowly start to return. Does not start on first turn of key, and then runs rough for about one minute. The symptoms get progressively worse until more injector cleaner is added.

Sure sounds like something wrong with the injectors to me. I am just wondering if others have had some issues like this. Because on the Ranger Power Sports forum, one of the members, at one time, was offering an injector swap service. You send him your dirty ones, he sends you some clean ones for around $25.00 or so. I do not know if that service is still being offered, guess I will have to look him up again.

 

[Bob Ayers]

My post is based on your original post:

Sometimes it fires right up, others I can crank and crank until the battery is dead with no firing. Later on it fires right up.


Do you think your injectors clean themselves by sitting?


Sounds to me like you are changing your symptoms!

 

[cbxer55]

My post is based on your original post:

Sometimes it fires right up, others I can crank and crank until the battery is dead with no firing. Later on it fires right up.


Do you think your injectors clean themselves by sitting?


Sounds to me like you are changing your symptoms!

If you read the previous post, what I think is happening is that during the attempt to start, when it kills the battery, the fuel pressure is slowly beating its way through the glaze on the end. Then, later when I attempt to start it after charging the battery, it starts up due to the glaze being lessened.

I do not know what else to think at this point. All the important sensors have been replaced, IAT, IAC, DPFE, ECT. New coil pack (since my old one had a # that was supposed to have been replaced by Ford anyways), plugs and wires. And most importantly, during these "events", the Check Engine Light never lights up (yes it lights up when the key is first turned on). And Auto Zone finds no codes showing at all, even latent ones that do not turn on the light.

Oh yes, I have 62 psi fuel pressure key-on, engine-off, and 64 psi running. Manual says 56 to 72 psi in either case.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I don't know the problem but petal to the floor when it does that and i bet you it will start right up.

And Heet is something we use up in AK to remove water from the fuel system.

 

[cbxer55]

Pedal to the floor has not worked at all. I have tried numerous times to no avail.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Well then i am not sure cuz it sounds exactly like my truck in every way shape and form.

 

[triumphrider-1]

What kind of fuel are you running?

 

[cbxer55]

I have pretty much used only Shell V-Power for several years now. Occassionally use Sinclair 93 if it is pinging, which it sometimes does. I've tried other brands when these episodes start, but nothing changes. Never use fuel with ethanol. I wonder though, if I should try it just to see what happens. Ethanol is well known for being somewhat corrosive, and should clean fuel injectors with regular use. All the stations here that sell ethanol laced fuel say it is no more than 10%.

The only thing that works is two 15 ounce cans of fuel injection cleaner. It puts a stop to these episodes immediatelly, every time.

 

[triumphrider-1]

I wasn't expecting you to say those fuel, and also that its pinging on those octane values. Is this a stock truck?

I would give the 10% (only around 8% this time of year) ethanol fuels a try.

 

[lorenambrose]

I had the exact thing happen on an explorer. My bet is the camshaft or crankshaft sensors. The PCM needs good input from them to fire up. Both more than often fail intermittently. I will almost guarantee this will fix it.