2.3L ('83-'97) ENGINE DIES WHEN COMING TO A STOP

[hawkvtx]

Hello everyone, Wayne from Alabama here. I have a 95 Ranger, 4 cyl manual. I've had this truck for about 20 years and it's probably got half a million miles on it. I really dont know because the odometer stopped working at 200000 and that was at least 15 years ago. Recently I've developed an issue that I need some advise on. The truck had been hard starting for the last couple of days and I thought it was the battery cables. The bat is fine but the connectors on the cables arent OEM, They actually came off a Freightliner so they never really fit the terminals properly but they always worked, Anyway replaced the ends with proper automotive connecters yesterday and now it starts great, just wont stay started. When I engage the clutch to make a stop or turn, the engine idles down then shuts off. Regular shifting isn't a problem but when I push that clutch pedal all the way down it dies. I know there is a switch in the clutch that's connected to the ignition and I think that switch is going bad. Am I way off here? Is it something else? Has anyone else had this problem?
Looking forward to your replies.

 

[RustyShackleford94]

Does it die as if you turned the key or does it just putter out? If its puttering out i would check fuel pressure. Maybe a bad pressure regulator or something since its starting hard. Also If the neutral saftey switch were bad, you wouldnt be able to start it at all.

 

[RonD]

Fuel injected engines use an IAC(idle air control) Valve instead of an idle screw like a carb engine would use

IAC valve is used/controlled by the engine computer to set idle levels when engine is cold and when its warm
For cold start, idle should be 1,100rpms or so, then slowly drop to about 750-800 on a 4cyl manual trans once its warmed up

Does yours do that?

If not try cleaning the IAC Valve first, if that doesn't work then you may need to replace it, you can only use Motorcraft or Hitachi brands for this

 

[hawkvtx]

It idles down quickly then dies, no sputtering.

 

[RonD]

So on COLD Start, engine is cold, the idle is not high?

 

[hawkvtx]

So on COLD Start, engine is cold, the idle is not high?

it seems to idle normally at cold start.
Yesterday evening on my drive home from work it went dead at every stop. On the drive to work this morning it ran fine, no problems. So ya know WTF?

 

[ABSOLOOT LOONASEA]

it seems to idle normally at cold start.
Yesterday evening on my drive home from work it went dead at every stop. On the drive to work this morning it ran fine, no problems. So ya know WTF?

I had the same problem on my '90 w/2.9, everything was fine when it was cold but after it got hot it would die every time I had to stop. Went a few days like that, having to keep pressure on the gas pedal to keep it running, that got old real quick. I put a new IAC valve on it and it immediately fixed the problem, ran fine for several more years 'til I parked it. That's where I'd start, the IAC. Hope this helps. Loonasea