Overheating solved... plus mileage

[Just_Randy]

For years I've been dealing with overheating at rpms higher than 2500-3000. Just simply driving on the interstate at 70 would gradually cause it to get hotter and hotter until I was forced to drive slow enough for the rpms to be less than 2500. Then it would cool and I could speed up again, repeating the process. I poured over forum posts off and on for 4 years to no avail. I flushed my cooling system with the "old" cascade and various other things. I put in a 180 thermostat. Seems like I tried everything and thought about it from every angle. I had double platnum plugs, new wires, cam position sensor was replaced. My vacuum is steady, all electrical readings steady and where they should be. I was about to just scrap the fan and install an electrical one, figuring that should surely solve the problem.

Then one day I changed the fuel filter while addressing the cracked gas tank filler tube issue. Apparently no one thought that the filter could be plugged to the point of leaning out the mix at higher rpms and somehow the computer didn't throw a fit for 4 years due to lean O2 sensor readings. Not only did that fix the problem, but now I have more power LOL.

Another thing to take away from this.... you guys thinking the 3.0 gets better mileage at rpms above 2500 can't be right. For a while I was in that camp because the vacuum readings are higher. But knowing my truck was starving for gas at those rpms makes me believe simply shifting into a taller gear is going to use less gas (since my truck ran cooler with a plugged filter at the same speed in a taller gear versus a lower gear). Now that my filter is free n clear, I can use more gas than I need to by revving 4th gear instead of shifting into 5th. Unless my truck is an anomaly, it pays to keep the rpms below 2500. Not to the point of rattling valves, but you know what I mean.

Just thought I'd post to help some poor sap like me out

 

[McCormack]

A lean condition shouldn't have been enough to cause your truck to overheat... worn water pump vanes are a common problem on the 3.0, and I suspect that your either water pump needs to be replaced, or else something else is amiss in your cooling system.

 

[Explorin94]

A lean condition will absolutely cause and overheating problem. Fuel also helps in the cooling of engine. That is why the engine runs cooler at idle than at cruising speed.

 

[Just_Randy]

A lean condition shouldn't have been enough to cause your truck to overheat... worn water pump vanes are a common problem on the 3.0, and I suspect that your either water pump needs to be replaced, or else something else is amiss in your cooling system.

I just got back from a 1200 mile trip up and down I-75 thru the mtns pulling a trailer and it ran cool as a cucumber. The only thing that changed was the fuel filter and gas tank filler neck. Oh, I did put a new 12,000 lb winch on too, but I doubt that had anything to do with cooling LOL. If anything, its blocking the radiator quite a bit.

I haven't been on this forum posting anything in years and all the time I was driving I was thinking I should tell my story so others will know. Nobody thinks of a fuel filter causing overheating at high rpms, but it makes sense. So does the vanes on the water pump, which I've read before, but for some reason I had it in my head that wasn't the problem. Its been 4yrs... I can't remember everything I did to it. The summer of 2011 I was pretty determined to find the problem and was running cascade thru it. I remember I spent the entire day fooling around and probably discovered it had plenty of pressure and shouldn't be the vanes. Anyway it was definitely the filter.

Here's what came out of the filter:

I was going to pan it and see if there is any gold in there LOL

My filler neck. You know autozone wanted $185 for that?!? Its a rubber hose for crying out loud! I found one on ebay for $30 shipped.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Thanks for posting.

Richard

 

[Napabandit]

I bought one of those filler necks 2 years ago and it rotted out in a year, but I live in Cali and have to use the special California blend. It might have something to do with it. At $30 a pop, it's not a huge deal, but sliding the bed off every 2 years before smog tests gets old.

 

[McCormack]

I won't discount Just_Randy's real life experience, but I've worked on cars and trucks for decades, and I've had personal vehicles with fuel filters that were plugged up so bad that eventually they wouldn't even run after awhile, and I have never, ever come across a situation where a lean condition overtaxed a properly functioning cooling system on any of the vehicles that I've driven or worked on.

Sure a lean condition will raise combustion chamber temperatures to some extant, but common sense would tell you that a lean condition that's hot enough to effect a cooling system will melt or seize a piston in very short order, so I'm very dubious that a plugged fuel filter was the sole cause of the poster's overheating problem.

 

[Rearanger]

I won't discount Just_Randy's real life experience, but I've worked on cars and trucks for decades, and I've had personal vehicles with fuel filters that were plugged up so bad that eventually they wouldn't even run after awhile, and I have never, ever come across a situation where a lean condition overtaxed a properly functioning cooling system on any of the vehicles that I've driven or worked on.

Sure a lean condition will raise combustion chamber temperatures to some extant, but common sense would tell you that a lean condition that's hot enough to effect a cooling system will melt or seize a piston in very short order, so I'm very dubious that a plugged fuel filter was the sole cause of the poster's overheating problem.

^^ I agree. As well any lean burn that severe should set off a CEL and make the engine run terrible as lean burn is harder to ignite. Broken filler neck should have also set off an emissions CEL.

 

[Just_Randy]

I bought one of those filler necks 2 years ago and it rotted out in a year, but I live in Cali and have to use the special California blend. It might have something to do with it. At $30 a pop, it's not a huge deal, but sliding the bed off every 2 years before smog tests gets old.

You're kiddin!

I won't discount Just_Randy's real life experience, but I've worked on cars and trucks for decades, and I've had personal vehicles with fuel filters that were plugged up so bad that eventually they wouldn't even run after awhile, and I have never, ever come across a situation where a lean condition overtaxed a properly functioning cooling system on any of the vehicles that I've driven or worked on.

Sure a lean condition will raise combustion chamber temperatures to some extant, but common sense would tell you that a lean condition that's hot enough to effect a cooling system will melt or seize a piston in very short order, so I'm very dubious that a plugged fuel filter was the sole cause of the poster's overheating problem.

I'm open to other explanations.

A long time ago I had a Toyota Tercel with filter plugged so bad it wouldn't run at times (took me forever to get to the bottom of that too). It didn't run hot either. There are a few differences: The Tercel had a 1.4L engine with a radiator very close in size to the Ranger 3.0L. It might have been a bit smaller, but certainly not HALF the size (since the engine is half the size). The Tercel also didn't have an AC radiator in front of the engine radiator. Another difference is the filter on the Tercel was a little thing. Probably 1/5 of the size of the Ranger's. So, a giant Ranger filter probably plugged slowly, but could never plug completely like the smaller Tercel filter could. Add to that a radiator that's really too small in my opinion (but what do I know).

I've also seen a raptor 660 ATV (single piston with 2 carbs) make the pipes glow cherry red like neon signs with just an improper float adjustment. Yet the engine ran otherwise strong with no discernable problem (other than red hot pipes). Piston didn't melt either. If it wasn't for my buddy waving his arms madly and screaming at me, I would have never known there was an issue. That's always been a head-scratcher to me. If it was THAT lean to make the pipes glow so bright and so quickly, how did it run SO well? Doesn't make sense, but it happened. I guess in the motocross world its pretty common to run lean and not know it until pipes glow or a piston melts. That's why we're taught to err on the rich side when jetting carbs.

Bottomline is I bet if the Ranger had a bigger radiator and smaller fuel filter, I could have driven until the engine wouldn't run anymore and never had it get hot... Just like your experience would predict. Not being disrespectful, but just saying probably, maybe, the odds are you haven't been working exclusively on Rangers with 3.0s for decades. Probably lots of other vehicles thrown in the mix. The Ranger is anything but well-engineered and is probably different in many respects from the vehicles with plugged filters you're recalling. Which is probably why no one ever suggested I check my filter to address my cooling issue. And that's exactly why I'm here posting this.... because it is odd and doesn't happen to most vehicles. If it was a common problem and easy to figure out, I would be arguing about politics instead of this lol

This is a good read:

http://www.fordrangerforum.com/elec...l-dtcs-diagnostic-techniques-p0171-p0174.html

"Insufficient Fueling:

With this condition, the engine may actually run lean of stoichiometry (14.7:1 air/fuel ratio) if the PCM is not able to compensate enough to correct for the condition. This condition can be caused by a fuel delivery system concern that restricts or limits the amount of fuel being delivered to the engine. This condition will normally be most apparent when the engine is under a heavy load and at high rpm, when a higher volume of fuel is required. If freeze frame data indicates that the fault occurred under a heavy load and at higher rpm, a check of the fuel delivery system (checking fuel pressure with engine under a load) might be the best starting point.

Examples: low fuel pressure (fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel leaks, restricted fuel supply lines), fuel injector concerns, etc."

I always knew it was running lean, but I never suspected the filter (or low fuel pressure) because I ASSUMED if it passed enough gas to run, then it should run the same at all rpms.

^^ I agree. As well any lean burn that severe should set off a CEL and make the engine run terrible as lean burn is harder to ignite. Broken filler neck should have also set off an emissions CEL.

CEL was set. P1443 was the only code and its been the only code for 4yrs. No other codes. Running terrible? You have to keep in mind that most of the time I had the proper mix. It was just when it needed more gas than the filter would pass is when it went lean. And that only happened at fairly high rpms and a fairly high load. 70mph on the interstate would do it after 10-20 miles. 2nd gear on the way to the corner store wasn't enough load or time.

Only time I noticed it not running quite right is when the engine was cold. It would stumble and hesitate trying to get over, say, 2500 rpm. Once I finally revved thru 2500, I was good to go. It doesn't do that since the filter change. It revs strong all the way up at all temps at all times.

 

[Snoranger]

Just_Randy....
You know what I learned from this thread?
No, It wasnt that a clogged fuel filter could cause an engine to run lean... I already know that.
I learned that you dont believe in routine maintenance. You had a fuel problem for 4 years and never changed the fuel filter?

 

[Just_Randy]

Just_Randy....
You know what I learned from this thread?
No, It wasnt that a clogged fuel filter could cause an engine to run lean... I already know that.
I learned that you dont believe in routine maintenance. You had a fuel problem for 4 years and never changed the fuel filter?

Well, I'm winning the battle against anal-retentiveness

I had the filter sitting on the shelf for over a year if that counts for anything lol. And I had it in mind to buy a filter for a long time before, but just never could remember while at the store. It was on my "might get around to it someday but have more important things to-do" list. I just never associated fuel filter with cooling problems or running lean. Really though... who changes fuel filters routinely except a couple gear heads online here? Most people wait for a problem, which usually never happens. I fit in that category. Its another reason I put this thread here because I know most people don't change their fuel filters and if someone has overheating problems...

Routine maintenance? Changing the oil is one thing. The oil filter is in an obvious location, the drain plug is always on the bottom, its easy and if you don't do it, you need a new engine! However, where the flip is the fuel filter on each vehicle? How do I depressurize the system? Doesn't matter because gas is still going everywhere and all over me. Have complicated fittings to figure out how to dismantle and will probably skin a couple knuckles and say a few cuss words before its over. And if I put this chore off too long the worst that can happen is I might have to do it when I wasn't planning to. The engine won't blow up or anything like that. So, most people just don't do it.

 

[bobbywalter]

I won't discount Just_Randy's real life experience, but I've worked on cars and trucks for decades, and I've had personal vehicles with fuel filters that were plugged up so bad that eventually they wouldn't even run after awhile, and I have never, ever come across a situation where a lean condition overtaxed a properly functioning cooling system on any of the vehicles that I've driven or worked on.

Sure a lean condition will raise combustion chamber temperatures to some extant, but common sense would tell you that a lean condition that's hot enough to effect a cooling system will melt or seize a piston in very short order, so I'm very dubious that a plugged fuel filter was the sole cause of the poster's overheating problem.

i am with ya

You're kiddin!



I'm open to other explanations.

A long time ago I had a Toyota Tercel with filter plugged so bad it wouldn't run at times (took me forever to get to the bottom of that too). It didn't run hot either. There are a few differences: The Tercel had a 1.4L engine with a radiator very close in size to the Ranger 3.0L. It might have been a bit smaller, but certainly not HALF the size (since the engine is half the size). The Tercel also didn't have an AC radiator in front of the engine radiator. Another difference is the filter on the Tercel was a little thing. Probably 1/5 of the size of the Ranger's. So, a giant Ranger filter probably plugged slowly, but could never plug completely like the smaller Tercel filter could. Add to that a radiator that's really too small in my opinion (but what do I know).

I've also seen a raptor 660 ATV (single piston with 2 carbs) make the pipes glow cherry red like neon signs with just an improper float adjustment. Yet the engine ran otherwise strong with no discernable problem (other than red hot pipes). Piston didn't melt either. If it wasn't for my buddy waving his arms madly and screaming at me, I would have never known there was an issue. That's always been a head-scratcher to me. If it was THAT lean to make the pipes glow so bright and so quickly, how did it run SO well? Doesn't make sense, but it happened. I guess in the motocross world its pretty common to run lean and not know it until pipes glow or a piston melts. That's why we're taught to err on the rich side when jetting carbs.

Bottomline is I bet if the Ranger had a bigger radiator and smaller fuel filter, I could have driven until the engine wouldn't run anymore and never had it get hot... Just like your experience would predict. Not being disrespectful, but just saying probably, maybe, the odds are you haven't been working exclusively on Rangers with 3.0s for decades. Probably lots of other vehicles thrown in the mix. The Ranger is anything but well-engineered and is probably different in many respects from the vehicles with plugged filters you're recalling. Which is probably why no one ever suggested I check my filter to address my cooling issue. And that's exactly why I'm here posting this.... because it is odd and doesn't happen to most vehicles. If it was a common problem and easy to figure out, I would be arguing about politics instead of this lol

This is a good read:

http://www.fordrangerforum.com/elec...l-dtcs-diagnostic-techniques-p0171-p0174.html



I always knew it was running lean, but I never suspected the filter (or low fuel pressure) because I ASSUMED if it passed enough gas to run, then it should run the same at all rpms.



CEL was set. P1443 was the only code and its been the only code for 4yrs. No other codes. Running terrible? You have to keep in mind that most of the time I had the proper mix. It was just when it needed more gas than the filter would pass is when it went lean. And that only happened at fairly high rpms and a fairly high load. 70mph on the interstate would do it after 10-20 miles. 2nd gear on the way to the corner store wasn't enough load or time.

Only time I noticed it not running quite right is when the engine was cold. It would stumble and hesitate trying to get over, say, 2500 rpm. Once I finally revved thru 2500, I was good to go. It doesn't do that since the filter change. It revs strong all the way up at all temps at all times.

Just_Randy....
You know what I learned from this thread?
No, It wasnt that a clogged fuel filter could cause an engine to run lean... I already know that.
I learned that you dont believe in routine maintenance. You had a fuel problem for 4 years and never changed the fuel filter?

yeah.....first thing that came to my mind.....four years no fuel filter

really?



holy shit....


dont recall you asking, but when certain drivabilty issues come up i suggest to do volume testing along with operating with a fp gauge under all load conditions.


when i buy a used car....unless its obviously brand new it gets all new fliters in everthing that has one...and i maintain it from there.

water infested fuel restricts the hp filters and stresses the pump(s) so annual changing is good practice.


i know fuel restriction is given many times for this issue on this forum especially with boost application.

 

[bobbywalter]

i think your new filter will be short lived based on that pic.....and drive till its about out of gas and suggest dropping and cleaning the tank and replacing the in tank sock as well....

 

[Just_Randy]

4yrs? I usually go longer. So what? The guy before me probably got 6yrs! The truck has 200,000 miles and I bet I just put the 3rd filter on it. It won't live to see a 4th. I came here as a service to the community telling my story and Richard is the only guy who thanked me for sharing. Napabandit contributed info I can use about the filler neck. But apparently everyone else just wants to argue, pat theirselves on the back, and/or condemn me for not being diligent over "routine maintenance". I didn't have my password reset and type all this to get a hard time over something that's not even the point of the thread. Great you change your filter each morning before breakfast. You should get a trophy. Next time I feel the need to share, maybe I'll save it. You guys know it all anyway, right? With decades of experience at the helm, what could I possibly add? So why am I wasting my time?

Btw I also have a 95 intrepid I've owned since 98 on which I've never changed the filter... does that mean I'm going to hell? Watch out for the filter police! LOL

 

[joey7478]

broken filler neck

^^ I agree. As well any lean burn that severe should set off a CEL and make the engine run terrible as lean burn is harder to ignite. Broken filler neck should have also set off an emissions CEL.

My 99 ranger with 3.0 has a leaking filler neck and wrong gas cap . The truck is using a lot of gas, could these be the problem? what would the codes be when testing? Thanks!