I need some help.

[rockr09]

I have a 1994 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4. It has the 4.0 OHV V6 engine and a 5-speed manual transmission with about 178000 miles on it.

I've been having a bad problem for the past 1.5 years or so. One day I was driving along and my truck just went dead. It wasn't overheating according to the gauges and it had plenty of gas. I just sat there for while and eventually it cranked back up so I continued on home. The next day it wouldn't crank at all. We figured it was the gas pump so we replaced that and all was good.

About two months later it started doing the same thing, so we replaced the gas pump again, and all was good. About a year later, it happened again, we replaced the gas pump again, and we replaced the MAF.

About two months later it started happening again, except it wouldn't go dead. I would crank and it would be fine for about 5 minutes, but then the check engine light would come on and it would start revving around 200 or 300 and was missing pretty badly. I replaced the gas pump again and drove it home. We were suspicious that it wasn't just the gas pump but didn't know anything else to do. My dad went and got the OEM gas pump, new spark plugs and spark plug wires, and we replaced all that. It was running just fine and going good again.

And since yesterday, about 2 months later, I'm having trouble with it again. Yesterday it started showing symptoms because it would cut power for split seconds (the check engine light would also come on for a second) and I pushed the clutch in to stop and it revved up to nearly 5000 on it's own (I had my foot off the gas pedal). It eventually stopped and I drove on to my house.

As soon as I cranked it up today, the check engine light came on, and it was revving around 800 and missing. Then the check engine went off, and the engine will rev up to about 3000 for a few seconds, the check engine light will come back on and it'll go back to revving around 800 and missing.

So... I'm pretty sure it's not just the gas pump. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Sorry for the really long post btw. Thanks for any advice.

 

[GDRBO]

When the check engine light comes on it is a sign that you should check for "codes" from the computer. Have someone (auto parts store, dealer or independant mechanic) hook up the code reader and download the codes. That will give you a good idea what is needing done.

 

[nitrofan1]

Part stores don't offer code reading on OBD I systems unless you get lucky and they have a ford reader in store they will use.

You have kept replacing fuel pumps but have you had a the fuel pressure read? It may be the brand of pump but I doubt it. Either you have a wiring issue going to the fuel pump assy or I'm laying odds it's a PCM that's giving you the problems.

If you know someone that has a 93 or 94 with the same set up as yours see if they will let you use their PCM when the problems are happening. If it clears up you know you have a bad PCM and will need a replacement.

 

[rockr09]

It can't be the brand of pump because we have tried about 4 or 5 different ones, including the OEM one.

I just waited a little bit and the problem seemed to go away, but last night it came back. My truck wouldn't even crank. So I tried cranking it today and it did crank, but the engine light was on and it was revving around 800 again. So I tried putting in the other pump just see if it would help, and it cranked and the engine light wasn't on. But it's doing that thing where it cuts power for a split second and the engine light flashes, but then revs up to 3-4000 rpm.

So I guess I'm off to the parts store to try and get a scanner.

Thanks for the help so far guys. I'll probably be back lol.

 

[gribly]

You don't need a scanner. Use a paperclip to read the codes or a jumper wire - read in the tech library how to do it. It's easy.

 

[straycat]

This has been going on for 1 1/2 years???

Why did you not take it somewhere to have it looked at, Bro? ..Hope you get it together and have no more issues....

 

[MrRangerSir]

Does "no crank" mean the starter will not turn over the engine when the key is turned to crank? If so, faulty ignition switch may be to blame.

 

[rockr09]

I meant it would turn over but never fire up. But it's running fine right now for some reason.

I went and got that scanner, it was only $30. So now I just got to wait until the check engine comes back on I guess.

And as to why we haven't taken it anywhere, I'm not really sure. My dad just doesn't want to and he has trust issues with those places. He was a mechanic his whole life too, as well as my brother.

It's like my truck has moods, and sometimes it just doesn't want to work.

 

[whatelseisleft]

check it now... the comp will store some codes, you don't have to wait for it to happen again... can't hurt...

 

[rockr09]

Well my truck suffered another stroke today while I was driving in town. Was running fine on the highway then turned on the exit and got to the stop sign. As soon as I started to go the engine quit. It would not start back up. So I waited a bit and it started up and I got going to a nearby parking lot. On the way there (maybe a quarter mile from the stop sign) the engine light turned on, it lost almost all power, and was missing badly. I got to the parking lot and walked in the store for about an hour or so. Came back and it started right up. I got on the highway and it happened again. It had maybe 30% power and the check engine light was on, and sounded like a 4 cylinder almost. I had to find a sweet spot on the throttle, too little and it would have no power, and too much and it would have no power. The fastest I could get it going was about 55 mph. All gauges read normal. The truck would actually bounce from the power cutting in and out, kind of like if you were in first gear and floored it and let off really quick over and over. The weird thing is, everything would return to normal every now and then, the engine light would turn off too and all power would be restored, but about a minute later it would lose power again and such.

So I got home and put the tester on it.

The scanner is giving me the code 33 I think. It gives 3 beeps, pause, 3 beeps, long pause, beep, long pause, 3 beeps, pause, 3 beeps. So that means it's giving me the code 33 during the test and from memory right?
According to the tech articles code 33 is "EGR did not open/ respond during test or if memory code, did not open intermittently - EVP EVR PFE."
So I guess I'll check out the EGR valve asap. Can an EGR valve problem even cause this?

Once again thanks for the help. I really want to save this truck since my backup is a 2000 Toyota Camry

 

[Earl43P]

To me, that code is unrelated to your running problem. Here's what I want you to do:
When the problem occurs, shut off the truck as soon as you can (pull over somewhere quiet).
Turn the key to Run, do not crank the starter.
Listen for the fuel pump, it should run for 2 seconds.

Turn the key back to Off and repeat that several times, making sure you hear whether the fuel pump is running for those two seconds or not.

If it is, after 3 or 4 times doing that, crank it over. It should start right up.
If it does, I want you to do two things. Replace the fuel pump relay (it has a green mount base and is probably located underneath the fusebox in the engine bay) and clean ground 103 on the middle of the left front fender. If there is a single ring terminal at that ground point, it most likely isn't a ground problem because other circuits share that ground (like the fuel gage).

Report back whether the pump runs every time and we'll go after spark from there.

An easy way to check for spark is to keep a spare spark plug available, connect it to a plug wire and lay it on something metal so it has a path to ground from the threads. Crank it over and look for blue spark, not weak yellow (or non-existant). Do that on the side of the road whenever the problem happens.

Could be as simple as a bad Ignition Control Module (ICM) or its ground (referenced here: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/TFI_Diagnostic.html although yours is a newer version, no distributor). They tend to heat up and fail.

EGR isn't causing this.

 

[country0001]

So you have changed your fuel pump, Have you changed your fuel filter?

 

[rockr09]

I tried that stuff, changed the relays and such, and it's still missing. We replaced the ICM, MAS, fuel filter, and entire fuel pump assembly a couple of months ago when it was giving us the same problems.

We've tried a lot of stuff, and it all worked temporarily. I just can't wrap my head around why it would run fine for a few minutes, then start messing up. It's consistently doing that.

Another symptom I noticed today: Black smoke is coming out of the exhaust.

 

[john.masce]

Bro get a new truck, save some MONEY.

 

[rockr09]

Alright my dad came down today. We checked the fuel pressure and it was too low, so we went and got another fuel pump. It cranked right up. However it is running rich and very rough around 800 rpm. It's putting out thin black smoke too. Oh and the engine light is on. I can't get the scanner to do anything though. It just has a never ending beep.

So... what could be causing it to run like this? Should I just give up lol?

Thanks for the help.