Intermittent loss of power

[inov8tn]

Hi All -

Just checking in to see if there's an easy "they all do it after 180,000 mi" fix.

Battery is strong. Starter motor turns it over w/ authority.

Won't start or restart.

Drove to work this AM and 7 mi into the drive it quit. I enrolled 2 line workers to help me push it into a parking lot. When they turned to go it started and I drove the remaining 8 mi to work w/o incident.

Drove home late this afternoon and it quit at my driveway. I cleaned the 'furry' battery terminals and it started. I drove to the house, cleaned off my tools and changed clothes and it started right up.

Drove the 15 mi to work. Stopped and picked up business cards and drove a mile to the Chamber of Commerce meeting w/o incident. Came out 2 hr later and it wouldn't start. President offered me a lift after he locked up. 5 min later it started. I drove home w/o incident.

Vehicle has 180,000 mi. It seems to be in very good condition. Battery is strong. Plugs, Plug Wires, and Air Filter have 4000 mi.

I can do the through diagnostic but I hope there might be a "all-4 cyl-with MT-Dual Ignition-and-180,000mi-do-this" solution that the "experienced-with-this-truck" would know all about.

Thanks in advance!

Bill

 

[almostclueless]

Youre not very clear......


It quit while driving?
When you tried to restart it did the starter run at normal speed?

 

[86ford]

we need to know more if you want a prayer of getting a reliable awnser. what year, motor, etc. same as above. we need more clear info on were it died. sounds like a ground or hot wire issue but cant really say.

86

 

[inov8tn]

Sorry I wasn't clear.

Ranger is '94 2L 2WD MT Dual Ignition w/ 180,000 mi.

Yes, the problem has occurred while driving and when it refuses to start. Over the summer I thought this was an occasional hot start /vapor lock problem because it resolved itself after 30-60 minutes but today was another story. It quit w/o warning while running twice and wouldn't start once. The battery is strong and turns the engine over with authority. Pretty weird... or is there a common problem that lots of high mileage Rangers experience?

 

[thegoat4]

Sounds a lot like the experience of the guy that had a bad fuel shutoff switch.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/InertiaSwitch.html

 

[inov8tn]

Sure sounds like it

I'll get into the FPIS over the weekend. Thanks!

It quit twice tonight on the way home from work.


The first time I wiggled lots of wires on the top layer in the engine compartment and it restarted.

The second time I wiggled just the wires coming from the battery and it restarted.

I'll be spending some time with the electrical diagram tonight.

Stay tuned.

 

[snake]

You must determine if you are losing fuel or spark next time it quits. If you are losing fuel, try replacing the fuel pump relay.

 

[inov8tn]

I am looking at the wiring diagrams on http://www.alldatadiy.com They have different wiring diagrams depending on whether the engine has multiport or sequential fuel injection.

How do I determine which one I have?

Thanks!

 

[snake]

Not sure. I almost never recommend swapping parts at random without a full investigation as to what parts are bad, but in this case of random run/quit, I would try a FP relay anyway- the part is $10 and a common problem. Would act just as you say it is acting. If there is a similar relay in the box, just trade them and save the $10 to see if it straightens out.

 

[Dave R]

How do I determine which one I have?

Most likely you have multiport but '94 was a funny year. Your computer should be under the hood tucked into the firewall next to the brake booster. If it has 60 pins then it's multiport, if it has 104 then it's sequential. Also, you can look to see if you have a cam position sensor, if you have one then it's sequential.

 

[inov8tn]

Thanks Snake & Thanks Dave R.

Good options.

It ran OK today (lucky for me as it was raining all day )

I'll check the FP relay and count the pins on the computer - small moves but moves toward goodness none the less.

 

[inov8tn]

Thought I had it isolated to the FP relay (jumped inertial relay and the FP relay 30-87, heard the pump) and it started. Tried it a couple of more times and it wouldn't start.

Now I'm thinking that it might be the ignition switch or some place in the electrical system that controls low amp control power to the relays. Didn't think to check spark or 12 v coming out of the ignition switch.

Will try more tomorrow.

 

[snake]

Yup- when it dies next time it would save you a lot of time to determine if it is lacking gas OR spark. It needs both to run and you are losing one of them. Once you are CERTAIN then troubleshooting should be more simplified.

A quick test (next time it dies) is to shoot a little gas into the engine and try to start it- if it cranks and runs the gas out you know there is a fuel delivery problem.

 

[inov8tn]

It was lacking *both* Gas & Spark!

I *think* the saga has ended. The ignition switch is OK. Lacking pretty much anything else to do I jumped *both* the PCM & FP relays and it started OK. I replaced them and it seems fine ... for the time being. I think both were intermittent - so of course swapping them and jumping them one at a time just dug me in deeper until I realized that the PCM aka "EEC" relay (as labeled in the 'Engine Compartment Fuse / Relay Box' *controls* the FP relay. Whata PITA! Thanks *everyone* for your encouragement and advice.

 

[snake]

let us know if it fixed it- has it made a week with no problems?