help

[pwrranger88]

I have an 1987 ranger with the 2.3 automatic, when I start it up it idles fine when I put it into drive it spits and sputters then stalls....…To get it to take off I have to put it in neutral and rev it up a bit then put it in drive. After the truck warms up and I stop at a light it idles rough and doesn't like to take off. Has any one had this problem and if so what did you do to fix it.

 

[Mark_88]

Oh, yeah...this is a carburated engine, correct?

When was the last time it ran properly and what have you done to try to correct it, if anything? Does it have a one or two barrel carb, and when was the last time you did a tune-up?

I had a similar problem but it was the distributor timing was off...(too far advanced or retarded) and the vacuum advance was plugged into a lower port on the intake...adjusting the distributor a few degrees might help in that case, and moving the vac advance to the top of the intake manifold might also help overall performance...

It could actually be a number of things though...

 

[pwrranger88]

its fuel injected i'm gonna try giving it a tune up today and see if that helps

 

[Mark_88]

OK, sorry...didn't read the post properly and saw the year listed on the left as 84...anyways...I'd skip the tuneup unless you haven't done one in a while and already have the parts...if it idles and runs it's usually a sensor like the MAF (on the firewall near the top on the passenger side)...

Does it sometimes die on the highway for no apparent reason and have erratic idle like it revs really high just before it dies? That would be the MAF sensor, but you can try pulling codes to see if there is anything obvious...and if you're not familiar with pulling codes check the tech section...

 

[shadetree]

This truck does not have a MAF sensor.

Things I would look at:

Idle air control valve (IAC) for proper operation.
EGR valve stuck open.
Clogged catalytic converter.
Vacuum leaks. You might start here first.
Clogged fuel filter.
Plugs and wires.
Just some of the things that will cause your problem.shady

 

[Mark_88]

Ooops...you're right again Shady...I meant MAP...it would be on the firewall if present...