Randy960
Well-Known Member
My truck is a 98 ranger 4.0 5spd 4x4 supercab (does not have PATS). For a few months now my truck has been stalling under a few circumstances. It started only doing it when I had a passenger and made a sharp right turn, but has gotten worse. With just me in it, it will stall if I hit a hard bump or make a sharp right, and with a passenger(heavier the passenger, the worse it is) it will stall if I turn at all, hit a bump, or even accelerate hard.
It doesn't sputter the way a poorly running engine would, it just cuts out. If my foot is on the clutch, it will die out completely. If it's in gear and rolling, it just engine brakes and then restarts itself (self bump start style) The tach will drop to zero, so it seems that the computer thinks the engine has stopped turning.
The first thing I tried was bypassing the inertia shut-off switch. I replaced the crank position sensor. I ran grounds from the battery to the block, alternator, firewall, and frame, and ran 5 new grounds from the body to the frame. I have let it run while I jiggled every connector and wiring harness I can reach, tapped on sensors and relays, jumped up and down on the passenger door frame, even pulled the computer out of it's slot and shook it, and I can't replicate it with it sitting still. I can't find anything shorted or loose.
My next theory is the "Electronic Crash Sensor" that's in the passenger footwell by the door frame, but I'm not sure if it only controls the airbags, or if it could be telling the computer to kill the engine.
Anyone have any ideas? This is much more annoying now that I'm no longer single.
It doesn't sputter the way a poorly running engine would, it just cuts out. If my foot is on the clutch, it will die out completely. If it's in gear and rolling, it just engine brakes and then restarts itself (self bump start style) The tach will drop to zero, so it seems that the computer thinks the engine has stopped turning.
The first thing I tried was bypassing the inertia shut-off switch. I replaced the crank position sensor. I ran grounds from the battery to the block, alternator, firewall, and frame, and ran 5 new grounds from the body to the frame. I have let it run while I jiggled every connector and wiring harness I can reach, tapped on sensors and relays, jumped up and down on the passenger door frame, even pulled the computer out of it's slot and shook it, and I can't replicate it with it sitting still. I can't find anything shorted or loose.
My next theory is the "Electronic Crash Sensor" that's in the passenger footwell by the door frame, but I'm not sure if it only controls the airbags, or if it could be telling the computer to kill the engine.
Anyone have any ideas? This is much more annoying now that I'm no longer single.