My 4cyl Ranger had a very similar issue and it was the EMERGENCY fuel cut off switch. The dealer told me ($700 later in 1998} that it was a very common problem. I replaced it and it worked lovely. It wasn’t so much it wasn’t giving fuel (ugh, how to explain), but telling the computer to stop after a short time. You “can” reset them a few times, but eventually it will need replacing. I dunno... tossing pennies at dollars I guess!
douglas armes Yeah-mine was too. But we replaced that as a last resort and TADAAAAA-It ran. Hit 250k mi in 2002 with no further challenges. I’m aware it doesn’t make proper sense-but it did solve the similar issue we had. At this point-it may be worth resetting for giggles!
@@douglasarmes8750 the enertia switch has more then 2 leads on it if the ECU signal wires are having issues then the enertia switch is a definet possible cause seen it happen on a cupple fords with various engine types
The engine runs normally as long as you feed starting fluid into the intake. That means that it is NOT a crank position sensor. It is NOT a coil problem. It is NOT a problem with plugs or plug wires. But it *IS* a fuel problem. As soon as you bypass the normal fuel delivery system with the starting fluid, it runs. You watched the injectors squirt sequentially. What you *didn't* do is verify that they were squirting at the proper times. Imagine what would happen if you connected the trigger wires to the incorrect injectors so they fired out of sequence. An occasional cylinder might fire because of fuel residue left in the combustion chamber. Hmmm... does that sound familiar? Maybe the wiring is mis-connected. Or maybe there's a problem with the ECU sending the signals to the wrong injectors. But your problem almost certainly centers around those injectors.
100% Agree. What his fuel injector test doesn't take into account is the ignition switch change from start to run position. By spraying starting fluid he is bypassing whatever tells the injectors to squirt when the ignition switch is in the run position.
I would have to disagree, unless it's a direct injection engine the injectors can fire whenever and it would still run! Hell on the old Bosch systems they sprayed fuel continuously and those ran perfect! My guess is that the injectors aren't spraying enough fuel, you can't really tell that just by looking at them while cranking the engine. Running lean will cause that weird dieseling it was doing as well.
Yep, had this on a Peugeot estate - the key fob was damaged, it lost the pairing with the immobiliser, so would only run on easy start. Fixed the key for, re-paired it, started first attempt
I had a ranger with the exact same issues i got it to run choked off with starting fluid and saw the extremely low back pressure on the exhaust... It ended up being a clogged cat
@@TheFracturedRooster no it did not flow nicely and I barely had it running in that state. It took two people with a circus of playing with the throttle and spraying starting fluid down the throat while I was inside and outside the vehicle looking for other symptoms. And I have no idea why starting fluid worked. Even though I checked for fuel pressure and injector spray just like he does in the video I think that the starting fluid is a lot more volatile and it made the combustion process a lot easier.
Many people are hovering around the right troubleshooting. If you look at the wiring diagrams the fuel / ignition side has other unique routes to a secondary relay or fuse (not the regular blade kind). somebody mention how the inertia switch has 2 wires/ circuits. The one that goes to the fuse box that wouldn't make sense that's the one that disables it. If you look at the diagram you'll see how it Loops through a couple of components.
I had a 2000 Ranger that was doing exactly what this one is doing. We checked everything and I ended up taking it to a shop that found the crank position sensor clip was loose. As soon as he pushed it back on the truck fired up and I never had the issue again. This was the first thing that came to mind when I saw your first video on this truck.
@Young Modz On mine, it was at the bottom of the engine behind the Crank pulley, I believe. It's been 10+ years, but I believe there is a gear like piece behind the crank pulley, and the crank position sensor reads its rotation to tell the computer the position of the crank. What year Ranger or year, make, model are you working with?
Check for remains of a aftermarket alarm. Also it seems like it runs with the key in the start position. Could be a bad ignition switch. If you can kill power to the starter after it starts (pull fuse or small wire on the starter) see if it will continue to run with the key held in the start position.
Run with key in 'start' position but not in 'run' position problem has been around forever... used to be bad ignition switch or ballast resister... but now prolly no power to fuel pump in 'run'...
Check the cam timing. I had a buddy get an older 2.3 Ranger for dirt cheap because it didn't run. He went through the thing and found the timing belt had slipped 1 tooth. It had good compression, spark, and fuel, but the timing was just a little off. Good luck, love the videos!
if it was a BMW... it might just be a faulty cigarette lighter that keeps the engine from starting. everyone knows that you need perfectly functional cigarette lighters in order to use a motor vehicle safely.
Check timing belt, the cover is missing. Previous owner said it had been changed. If tension is not applied in the right place, the belt WILL jump a tooth when the tensioner is released!!
I bought an 87 Ranger for $400 that was sitting out in a cow pasture for about 4 years with a broken side rear window. I slapped the jumper cables on it, and it fired up the first crank. I drove it for a couple of years and sold it for a profit.
Had a Volvo once that wouldn't do anything but try. Kinda the similar symptoms but they can start and run it on alternative fuel so that's out of the question.
apachelives The starting fluid is MUCH more combustible than pump gas and requires less oxygen therefore less flow is required. My money is on clogged exhaust
Hey man! First of all, I like your channel. You keep it real. Keep it up. My 98 Dakota (2.5L - 4 cyl. - 5 speed) started doing an intermittent stall when driving at random times. The last experience I had was it not starting. Same as your Ranger. Start, run for about a second and die. Replaced many of those electronics: TPS, ICM etc. Scanners would not clearly identify the problem. We turned to ECU. I have another truck, same year, drivetrain, everything (even the same color). I swapped the ECU (luckily no flashing needed). Runs just fine again, no problems. The bad ECU in my spare truck now has the exact same symptom. Starts for a second and dies. Looks like even a top shelf scanner could not detect and ECU that causes shutdown. I know you'll figure it out, or at least we enjoy watching you figure it out. Hope this helps! - DA
1: It runs when you spray starting fluid in intake. This means to me that crank and cam sensors are ok, as well as ignition timing. 2: Put gauge on fuel rail. Does pressure stay up to spec while cranking AND when it fires? And rail pressure should only very slowly bleed down, or injectors are leaking 3: You may have to scope injector pulses. If they are staying on too long and spraying too much fuel, could be fouling out plugs.
Hey JR, I'm a 4 cylinder Ranger owner myself. They are known to have crappy connectors that corrode easily, so go through them with electrical cleaner and dielectric grease. My truck would sometimes accellerate by itself, or die when coming to a stop and having trouble starting back up. Ended up being corroded terminals at the TPS sensor. Otherwise, make sure your timing belt and marks are where they should be, and that the tensionner is doing its job. Good luck!!!
after 40 plus years turning wrenches the next thing i would is check the security system. Starting and dying is a feature of some systems. lock the truck with the key and unlock it. then start....or disconnect the system relay.
I watch a few channels that specialize in electrical, and I've gotta say it's a bit of a false equivalent to say the ecu is seeing a signal so it's good... the ecu might be seeing enough of a signal to start the vehicle but not maintaining a clean signal. You can ask Jafro who's completely gone through entire wiring harnesses on his DSM cars... sometimes you gotta hook up a multimeter and shake down/check every wire. Not saying there is a wiring issue... but it's getting to that "phantom issue" level where electrical is becoming the first choice.
Immediately after the thing starts, try holding the ignition switch back toward start just enough that you’re holding tension, but not engaging the starter. If you can catch it just right and get it to run, it’s a bad ignition switch. Saw this in a late 80s Thunderbird that had my entire shop stumped until one guy accidentally figured it out. We could run the car around as long as you didn’t let go of the key. Changed the switch and it cured it.
I had a 94 Jeep Cherokee with the same problem, would not start. So a buddy of mine ran a wire from crank sensor straight to the battery. Fired right up. Turns out the ECU was bad and not sending 5volts to the crank sensor. I drove it around for a month till the ECU completely failed. Ended up replacing the ECU and its still driving today. Thought this might help you. Maybe not. worth a shot. Love the vids, watch all the time. Keep it up.
I had a similar issue on my 98 boxster first thoughts was also bad fuel and crank sensor. Troubleshoot everything and when I removed intake to do starter fluid it started... turns out it started because there was no air running over the MAF sensor. So it wouldn't start due to a failed MAF. I also ran through the whole fuel system because it sat for a while too. Spent way to much time looking in the wrong direction
Just because you can communicate with the ECM and pull codes does not mean it's good or "checks out". Since the engine can run on starting fluid, the issue has to be with the fuel. You could be losing injector pulse after initial startup. I would guess that the system uses a common power and individual grounds for each injector controlled by the ECM. A scope with an amp clamp around that common power should tell you what you need to know. You'll need to buy a wiring diagram and some real diagnostic tools, or send it out to a shop with both.
i would like to see a video with a intake cleaner can spraying into the throttle body to see if the engine run good with a can spraying but all the video that i saw was start 1 sec and stall the other stuff that i didnt see is to jump the on position on the ignition key switch because sometime the start position is good on the switch but the on position doesnt keep the contact need some wiring schema reading on there maybe
Same truck. Seemed to run like a champ for a while on the spray. Seems to be fuel starved... I know everything seems to be clean but, like you pointed out... it ran fine on the starter fluid.
@@vincentbigras1515At 12:39 of the first vid it runs for more than a second, about 5 seconds from one spray, and longer than any other time in either vid...
I had a 1989 2.3 efi with the double spark system with 5 speed trans. I went thru this too. I dropped it off at a shop and 650$ later it ended up being the wire harness over by the intake side. They had the noid lights on the injectors too and they went thru hell tracing wires in the harness. He showed me what it was and it was just one dinky wire that was broken somehow. Take a look at the 2 separate wire harness by the intake manifold against the firewall on driver side you will see 2 plugs and 2 seperate harness on that side. Unplug both and clean the connections and inspect for broken wires or corrosion and do some continuity testing. These 2 plugs have like 15 wires each. Also i have seen the computers go bad on these trucks many times. I know a few older mechanics that are close to 60 years old and they said that the OBD1 ford vehicles always suffered from wiring problems, pretty frequently too. also just because the fuel pump is running means nothing. You need to call ford and ask them what is the factory spec on fuel PSI and see what this new pump the guy put in the truck is putting out for PSI. I have seen even 5-10 psi difference cause problems.
check the reference voltage circuit for your sensors......some run at 5 V...….ensure the circuit is not being pulled low due to component or wiring issue.
Try unplugging the map sensor. I’ve seen them get fouled/fail and do this. If its bad when you unplug it the pcm should revert to a backup table that will let it run, assuming its a bad sensor giving the pcm a false reading.
I’m one of the first to comment so maybe I’ll be lucky enough for him to see this. 😂 Hey man just wanted to say I absolutely love your videos, the style of content is absolutely perfect and it balances education with entertainment spectacularly. The audio quality is fantastic and your buddies always crack me up. Keep going cause I check everyday for a new video.
I found this channel sometime last year. What I really like is that he does the work himself. He's up there with the likes of Ivan of Pine Hollow and Eric of South Main Auto.. also shout out to ScannerDanner, he's an EXPERT. Also Matt of Schrodinger's Box!! I admit I do like watching Scotty's videos. More just to hear his thoughts when people ask questions about issues they're having. But when I'm having my own issues, I head straight to ScannerDanner.
My dad had a similar issue with an old Toyota. He changed everything on the fuel and ignition side, and had a new ECU lined up only to find the ground wire to the ECU was bodged up and was causing an intermittent open. As soon as the starter shut off the ECU would freak out and kill the fuel pressure. Haltec also just did a vid on ground wires, so it might be something to look into.
@@rnthiphop On Fords, if the crank or cam sensor isn't reading correctly, do Fords kill the spark or the fuel? OHHH just thought about it, what about the inertia sensor going bad.... hmmm I think I'll need pop corn for this saga lol.
@@losthomas7589 the inspection place failed my truck for low washer fluid light being on on the dash... turns out rain-x is a conspiracy by the replacement washer fluid sensor industry to make us all buy new sensors.
Oh man! I was really hoping to find out what the problem was on the ranger! LOL Thanks for sharing hope we get better info next time! Take care and God bless you all!
I would replace the MAF. I saw the same thing happen at the auto hobby shop on base. The guy did a bunch of work on his 2.3l Ranger (plugs, wires, air filter, oil and filter), when he got done it wouldn’t run. Just like yours, it would run for a few seconds then die. The MAF wasn’t plugged in, we plugged it in and he drove it home. Ford could de-fuel when it doesn’t sense airflow. That would explain it running on brake clean (good spark, timing, compression), but no fuel.
The ignition switch is supplying power in the crank position only. More than likely it's cutting ignition power when you release the key back to the run position. The injectors may stop firing when you release the key back to run. I seriously doubt it's the TPS but that voltage is super easy to check with a multimeter and a couple small safety pins. Look for a smooth upward sweep of the voltage when you're SLOWLY opening the throttle. If there are any points where the voltage drops in the sweep, then the sensor is bad. I'd also check all grounds on the truck because the ECU uses grounds to switch circuits on and off. There are a lot of grounds on this truck. Rangers are all I've ever owned. 13 of them so far.
Swap coil or spark plugs wires on intake and exhaust sides, this happened on my Nissan with similar set up. The truck would start for a brief moment than cut out.
I picked up a 2002 3.0 for cheap from the last of one of the repair shops passing the problem child around the town... The problem was fuse # 2 blown to ground. The shops had checked all the usual suspects, like the O.D. Cruse control wire over the column or the bed saddle rubbing wires to the brake lights. Or motor for the blower. And the thought was dead to ground somewhere in the wiring harnesses and for the price o paid I was willing to take that on if nessassary... At the end of the day, I traced the problem to the last thing you would ever think it to be... It was the inertia switch in the air bag module... The module is designed to ground out if triggered... Although the air bag never deployed, the switch did...
hey rangers are something I know some about, wires! in every ranger 80 percent of problems are wires, I don't know why its 6 volt but the best place to check is under the drivers side of the truck theres a little box with wire conectrors in it if theres any water in there get it out and totally cleaned out, also put a better ground to the fuse box run a heavy gague wire from under the seat mount bolt to the fusebox grind the paint off and bolt it down tight! also follow every wire I had to totally take the dash and instrument panel out and found more un grounded wires there I did all these things to a ford ranger and drove it to Colorado from southcarolina and back it ran perfect,. also fullf take out the heater core it it burns out and it will it will also short out the timeing, but it will run those lil trucks are just full of shorts when they get older and things start to loosen up.! hope it helpfull
They're local to him, they've collabed before... I second his idea. Plus I feel like it's wiring or ecu, Wizard's no joke a pro at figuring wiring out.
It's been a long time since I worked on a car, but I'd start by cleaning the carburetor, then check the distributor - could be the points or the rotor.
@@Mrflash222006 they havent proved it all they have proved was that the pump works fine amd the gas is probably old hense the reason why it wont burn properly
Nicholas Mackey watch the last vid they dropped the fuel, the rail is clean the injector’s are flowing and the FPR has been changed, if you watch it fire the engine spins backwards for a brief moment that shows excessive back pressure
It would still start and run at idle with a clogged cat or otherwise restricted exhaust system. Had a similar issue with another Ranger same engine, never figured it out, sent it to the crusher, not worth the headache. These trucks are a dime a dozen they're all over the place.
I had a similar problem on a Alero. It was also throwing a a/c code. Unplugged the compressor and it fired right up. The ECU wouldn't let run because of the a/c fault. It's worth a try.
The plot thickens!! In my (definitely non professional) opinion, it IS a fuel issue, but a fuel issue caused by the computer. In other words, you clearly checked that all the fuel components are physically okay, but when you spray starting fluid it runs! The fuel is cutting out right after it starts. My money is on some kind of anti theft or emergency fuel cut out or something like that. Looking forward to seeing what's next!
@WatchJRGo haven't heard you say anything about checking the camshaft sensor. Had a 2000 Jeep that the camshaft sensor went bad & it did the same thing as your Ranger would start then die.
This runs the Mazda 2.3. Those are very different engines. The 1986 didn't use a distributor less coil pack, it also didn't run 8 plugs in it. So the conversion will cost a bit more.
@@slayerjohn447 I believe up until 1998 the 2.3's can be converted to run a carburetor. I think that's the year they did away with the distributor hole. The autolite 2100 definitely yields more power over the old EFI but also seems to use more fuel.
@@slayerjohn447 also, there's a video here on RUclips where a feller converted an 8 plug head to run a carb, I think if you punch in "Ford efi delete" you'll find it.
Check all your body grounds, had the same thing happen with a 96 F250 and found a heavily corroded (IE non existent) nobody ground. Replaced the connector and it ran great.
G. S. Yes it would, because when you start a hot engine it uses less fuel, Had a 5.0 do it to me randomly truck would just crank, foot to the floor it started, helped some random guy out on the trail with his Jeep, same story it wouldn’t restart, would just spuder I told him hold it wide open and if it starts your coolant sensor is bed, that was it it started than, turns out the 4.0 was just a cluster duck of different parts from different years so nothing worked as it should
I had a Ford Escort the exact same problem. 3 mechanics couldn't fix it. Took it to an old school mechanic that was retired and worked from his house. His specialty...Ford escorts and ford Rangers. If i did get the escort running i had to floor it to keep it running and no power at high rpm. Turned out the the timing was out of sync. Take the timing belt off and make sure it is synced before putting chain back on .
It's an ignition problem, all Ford trucks from the 90's use the wacky PIP signal in the distributor to drive the ICM and PCM. A brief rundown on how it works is the PIP signal drives the ICM directly until the engine starts then the main PCM takes over spark advance/timing. Since it starts and dies you need to bypass the computer by removing the SPOUT connector and see if it will continue running on base timing alone. If that's the case then the problem is either the PIP sensor or the PCM.
being a Ford man, owning a 90's ranger was one of my big regrets. I read the comments and yeah, ICM did weird things, after market security system was fun, vacuum line deterioration plugging problems... These trucks were great when they were new, but after a 100,00 kms - they suck. IT TAKES A TON OF SPARK unless you rebuild and have perfect compression. Scrapping it was a huge relief.
Its a fuel / air related issue. When you sprayed through the intake it ran and kept running when spraying fuel. This eliminates timing. You need to check all areas for vacuum leaks. Like the idle air control valve, egr valve, etc. Clearly your injectors are spraying fuel but is it rich enough for it to fire and keep it running? No. You had injectors firing correctly ( which you stated )and you were spraying another fuel supply in. It took ALOT of fuel for it to run and keep running. Take your hand and "choke" off the throttle body. I guarantee it will fire and stay running. If it does, then its because you have a lean condition do to a major external or internal vacuum leak or a bad reference value like an engine coolant temp sensor. Coolant temp sense value will mess up every other reference it needs to fire. It cant tell the ecu if the engine is cold or not and the iac wont adjust. The crank sensor just tells the injectors when to fire. Please listen to this comment. As for tps testing. It is just your typical 5 volt reference. Should be .7 to 1.2 close and 4.2 to 4.4v open. I rewatched the first video. If the engine is dieseling check the throttle body screw and make sure it hasnt been adjusted. That screw is actually called an "anti diesel screw" lol. Make sure the throttle body is not too far open from someone messing with the screw.
I can only think of 2 things 1: if you have a bad ballast resistor on the ignition the car will start and stop as soon as it starts. 2: also it could be the ICM/heatsink assembly on the radiator support. hope this helps.
I've been screaming at my computer the last two videos. You have a plugged catalytic converter. Just unhook the exhaust ahead of the cat, I about guarantee it will run fine.
@@harborcbs it takes less air to run on starter fluid so it will run just a tick longer before plugging up. A friend of mine got burnt on this a year or so ago on a Ford Exploder. First shop threw the parts cannon at it, timing chain, ignition parts, ecu, etc., and told the customer the engine was bad. My friend got it, swapped the engine and it still wouldn't run, we went through everything, just like these videos, nothing, it would start, run, die and wouldn't run again for a few hours. He unhooked the exhaust and it fired right up and ran great.
It’s weird that it’ll start then shut uff. Starting fluid works. My best guess would be a bad ground. Maybe do a voltage drop on the ecu or the ignition modules. They are all attached to the engine. If you a crap ground or even a fuseable link that is only partial burned out. Sure it’ll ohm out but once you put a load on it then those few strands aren’t gonna do anything. Just a thought.
Years ago an elderly lady friend of mine had a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee. When the battery was disconnected, and reconnected the alarm would come on. It did not beep like crazy when it happened, but the headlights kept blinking. When you would start the engine with the alarm on in it acted the same way as this Ranger does. Fires, and dies. Since there was no working remotes to shut off the alarm the only way it could be done is putting the key in the drivers door lock, and turning.
I know it is a long shot, but I had a car that wouldn't fire (or would stop running) if the ECU couldn't see an oil pressure reading. I also had an intermittent issue with crank position sensor where the torque of the engine twisting in the bay would cause a bad wire to briefly disconnect and kill the ignition. Might be worth a continuity test of those sort of cables to see if moving them disrupts the signal? Good luck!
Kyle said the timing belt had been replaced in part 1, but my concern is if the order of operations were not done 100% correct it might run but not well. Remember that engine has a crank position sensor not a cam position sensor. If the cam timing is not correct you will have improper valve timing. When running on either (which has a much lower ignition point) I could hear surging, to me it sounds like the exhaust valve is opening early. If there was a time gap between the cam belt and the crank sensor, it might have ran for a time with the exhaust opening early and send more un-burned fuel to the cat than the cat could handle, causing fuel detonation in the cat= cat failure. You might be dealing with exhaust presser that the either can push threw but not the gas. I would remove the cat and reset crank to cam position and belt is tight, and try starting that year did not care if the cat was there to run, it would give an emission code. If need be here is a link the a cat not legal in ca. www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1398351&cc=1137901&jsn=2258&jsn=2258 Good luck. And a link to a vid on timing set up ruclips.net/video/-sXPr-fllXg/видео.html
Do not forget about the IAC. Idle air control valve. If it is clogged or bad, the engine will start for a second, then die. It controls the cold start idle.
If you have an old school strobe timing light, try it to make sure the thing isn't off by a huge amount for some stupid reason. I'd also check the fuel system with a pressure gauge. If you don't have one then now's the time to get one.
It's the ignition cylinder.....I've seen this issue before in other fords. Buy a whole new key and cylinder. It's definitely the key/column problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crank and Cam position sensors are reluctance based, hall effect sensors. Alteration to the wiring in those circuits can increase or decrease set resistance over the wires, and cause bad reading to ECM. Not as big an issue on more robust obd2 setups, but may be pissing off the obd2 network on the ranger.
Possible ignition switch? Try not to turn the ignition all the way off (on) when you let go of the key. Just back off from “start” slightly and see if it still runs
Try the ignition switch under the dash. That's a common problem on 90s mustang's . It will start and die as soon as you release the key. Try disconnecting the starter signal wire from the solenoid and hold key forward while someone jumps the solenoid
If the MAP sensor is bad it WILL NOT RUN. Chased that gremlin for a week on a 92 F250. Just like your Ranger, everything checked out. Had an extra MAP sensor laying around and decided to change that out, and the truck fired and purred like a kitten.
Sounds like lack of fuel, as didn't you run it on starting fluid? Maybe the injectors stop functioning when you stop cranking. Maybe the inertia switch is sending a bad signal the the ECU....
Friend had similar problem with a newer Ranger (OBD2). It would randomly not start. Thought it might of been factory anti-theft system. Turned out it was a bad gauge cluster. ECU needs the cluster, and it had some bad solder joints.
I know this isn't exactly the same because my focus zx3 is obd2 and not obd1, but when I kept having weird issues with it running bad/revving out of control/not starting without sitting for 10-15 minutes I tried replacing the fuel pump at first which I think was part of the problem and that got its life back for a few thousand miles. Once it eventually went back to doing the exact same thing and stopped running pretty much completely, obd didn't throw any out of ordinary codes at first, but after disconnecting all the grounds and battery and trying to clean everything up it began to show a bunch of codes that pertained to parts that I knew had been replaced properly. All I'm trying to say is, the ecu could be going bad without throwing codes. I spent the money on a refurb ecu from flagship one and I've put 25+k miles on the odometer with little issue since then. My ecu was located behind my glove box and my best guess is that moisture from humidity or rain eventually seeped in there somehow and messed up the board. I still have the old one, I should take it apart and find out what happened exactly lol.
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My 4cyl Ranger had a very similar issue and it was the EMERGENCY fuel cut off switch. The dealer told me ($700 later in 1998} that it was a very common problem. I replaced it and it worked lovely. It wasn’t so much it wasn’t giving fuel (ugh, how to explain), but telling the computer to stop after a short time. You “can” reset them a few times, but eventually it will need replacing.
I dunno... tossing pennies at dollars I guess!
he is getting fuel so its not the efcs
douglas armes Yeah-mine was too. But we replaced that as a last resort and TADAAAAA-It ran. Hit 250k mi in 2002 with no further challenges. I’m aware it doesn’t make proper sense-but it did solve the similar issue we had. At this point-it may be worth resetting for giggles!
@@douglasarmes8750 the enertia switch has more then 2 leads on it if the ECU signal wires are having issues then the enertia switch is a definet possible cause seen it happen on a cupple fords with various engine types
That would make sense. The engine ran on the spray just fine.
Agree, inertia switch.
The engine runs normally as long as you feed starting fluid into the intake. That means that it is NOT a crank position sensor. It is NOT a coil problem. It is NOT a problem with plugs or plug wires. But it *IS* a fuel problem. As soon as you bypass the normal fuel delivery system with the starting fluid, it runs.
You watched the injectors squirt sequentially. What you *didn't* do is verify that they were squirting at the proper times. Imagine what would happen if you connected the trigger wires to the incorrect injectors so they fired out of sequence. An occasional cylinder might fire because of fuel residue left in the combustion chamber. Hmmm... does that sound familiar?
Maybe the wiring is mis-connected. Or maybe there's a problem with the ECU sending the signals to the wrong injectors. But your problem almost certainly centers around those injectors.
This actually makes a lot of sense
100% Agree. What his fuel injector test doesn't take into account is the ignition switch change from start to run position. By spraying starting fluid he is bypassing whatever tells the injectors to squirt when the ignition switch is in the run position.
You beat me to it, I can't believe he forgot that it ran well on starting fluid, which really does narrow things down to fuel delivery.
I would have to disagree, unless it's a direct injection engine the injectors can fire whenever and it would still run!
Hell on the old Bosch systems they sprayed fuel continuously and those ran perfect!
My guess is that the injectors aren't spraying enough fuel, you can't really tell that just by looking at them while cranking the engine. Running lean will cause that weird dieseling it was doing as well.
@ Douglas...
You speak the language!!!!
If it doesn't sense airflow... What will happen??? It will shut itself down right?
*did you try turning it off and on again*
Sorry, I had to.
Justin W. But Justin! It’s not Microsoft Windows!!!! 😂
Hello IT?
Or unplug and plug it back in
😅
hey did this ranger have an after market alarm installed.
THIS would actually make the most sense.
Nope
@@anonymic79 Unless the alarm cuts off the fuel pump.
Yep, had this on a Peugeot estate - the key fob was damaged, it lost the pairing with the immobiliser, so would only run on easy start. Fixed the key for, re-paired it, started first attempt
Haha! Ask Hoovie about that one 😂😂
I had a ranger with the exact same issues i got it to run choked off with starting fluid and saw the extremely low back pressure on the exhaust... It ended up being a clogged cat
That makes sense. I had an old-ish LTD that was absolutely gutless. It turned out to be a melted cat.
That's what I was thinking, pull out the upstream o2 sensor and see if it makes any difference
I have actually seen that happen on several 4cyl rangers
Why would it run on starter fluid? And when it ran it flowed exhaust nicely out the tailpipe.
@@TheFracturedRooster no it did not flow nicely and I barely had it running in that state. It took two people with a circus of playing with the throttle and spraying starting fluid down the throat while I was inside and outside the vehicle looking for other symptoms. And I have no idea why starting fluid worked. Even though I checked for fuel pressure and injector spray just like he does in the video I think that the starting fluid is a lot more volatile and it made the combustion process a lot easier.
Many people are hovering around the right troubleshooting. If you look at the wiring diagrams the fuel / ignition side has other unique routes to a secondary relay or fuse (not the regular blade kind). somebody mention how the inertia switch has 2 wires/ circuits. The one that goes to the fuse box that wouldn't make sense that's the one that disables it. If you look at the diagram you'll see how it Loops through a couple of components.
Thank you for continuing to try this frustrating old truck
I had a 2000 Ranger that was doing exactly what this one is doing. We checked everything and I ended up taking it to a shop that found the crank position sensor clip was loose. As soon as he pushed it back on the truck fired up and I never had the issue again. This was the first thing that came to mind when I saw your first video on this truck.
Do you know where the crank position sensor clip is at. I'm having this exact problem .
@Young Modz On mine, it was at the bottom of the engine behind the Crank pulley, I believe. It's been 10+ years, but I believe there is a gear like piece behind the crank pulley, and the crank position sensor reads its rotation to tell the computer the position of the crank. What year Ranger or year, make, model are you working with?
@Ray Bell my ranger is a 94 xt. Exactly like the one in the video except its in green lol
There's no way that Ford could beat you JR, I look forward to you guys getting that thing running.
Check for remains of a aftermarket alarm. Also it seems like it runs with the key in the start position. Could be a bad ignition switch. If you can kill power to the starter after it starts (pull fuse or small wire on the starter) see if it will continue to run with the key held in the start position.
The only thing left to check is the brake fluid and tire air pressure. Oh, did you put summer air in the tires by mistake maybe?
Damb southern air... always forget about it. Blinker fluid too.
Run with key in 'start' position but not in 'run' position problem has been around forever... used to be bad ignition switch or ballast resister... but now prolly no power to fuel pump in 'run'...
I love this episode. Great discussion and coverage.
Check the cam timing. I had a buddy get an older 2.3 Ranger for dirt cheap because it didn't run. He went through the thing and found the timing belt had slipped 1 tooth. It had good compression, spark, and fuel, but the timing was just a little off.
Good luck, love the videos!
check the cigarette lighter position sensor, it's always that dang CLPS...
😂😂😂 this thing has 4 cigarette lighters, might be troubleshooting for hours!
Back when every car came with em
if it was a BMW... it might just be a faulty cigarette lighter that keeps the engine from starting. everyone knows that you need perfectly functional cigarette lighters in order to use a motor vehicle safely.
Check timing belt, the cover is missing. Previous owner said it had been changed.
If tension is not applied in the right place, the belt WILL jump a tooth when the tensioner is released!!
I was just thinking this
A tooth or two off, she won’t run. Great minds think alike, they should check timing marks
@@kevinmcclure7551shit happend to me this summer lmfao !
YOU can eliminate the exhaust being plugged by pulling an o2 ( upstream) or pull the cat connector, my ALLDATA says fuel pressure is between 35-40.
I bought an 87 Ranger for $400 that was sitting out in a cow pasture for about 4 years with a broken side rear window. I slapped the jumper cables on it, and it fired up the first crank. I drove it for a couple of years and sold it for a profit.
Ha ha ha! Shut up!😂😂😂
Collapsed catalytic converter? Had a Grand Am back in the day that had something similar.
Had a Volvo once that wouldn't do anything but try. Kinda the similar symptoms but they can start and run it on alternative fuel so that's out of the question.
I was thinking, disconnect the exhaust manifold and give it a try.
This is the problem! Clogged exhaust! Unhook from the cat forward and let her run! Cost $0 to test
Runs on starting fluid as mentioned so doubt it but its a free test so definitely do this.
apachelives
The starting fluid is MUCH more combustible than pump gas and requires less oxygen therefore less flow is required. My money is on clogged exhaust
Hey man! First of all, I like your channel. You keep it real. Keep it up. My 98 Dakota (2.5L - 4 cyl. - 5 speed) started doing an intermittent stall when driving at random times. The last experience I had was it not starting. Same as your Ranger. Start, run for about a second and die. Replaced many of those electronics: TPS, ICM etc. Scanners would not clearly identify the problem. We turned to ECU. I have another truck, same year, drivetrain, everything (even the same color). I swapped the ECU (luckily no flashing needed). Runs just fine again, no problems. The bad ECU in my spare truck now has the exact same symptom. Starts for a second and dies. Looks like even a top shelf scanner could not detect and ECU that causes shutdown. I know you'll figure it out, or at least we enjoy watching you figure it out. Hope this helps! - DA
1: It runs when you spray starting fluid in intake. This means to me that crank and cam sensors are ok, as well as ignition timing. 2: Put gauge on fuel rail. Does pressure stay up to spec while cranking AND when it fires? And rail pressure should only very slowly bleed down, or injectors are leaking 3: You may have to scope injector pulses. If they are staying on too long and spraying too much fuel, could be fouling out plugs.
Hey JR, I'm a 4 cylinder Ranger owner myself. They are known to have crappy connectors that corrode easily, so go through them with electrical cleaner and dielectric grease. My truck would sometimes accellerate by itself, or die when coming to a stop and having trouble starting back up. Ended up being corroded terminals at the TPS sensor. Otherwise, make sure your timing belt and marks are where they should be, and that the tensionner is doing its job. Good luck!!!
after 40 plus years turning wrenches the next thing i would is check the security system. Starting and dying is a feature of some systems. lock the truck with the key and unlock it. then start....or disconnect the system relay.
I watch a few channels that specialize in electrical, and I've gotta say it's a bit of a false equivalent to say the ecu is seeing a signal so it's good... the ecu might be seeing enough of a signal to start the vehicle but not maintaining a clean signal. You can ask Jafro who's completely gone through entire wiring harnesses on his DSM cars... sometimes you gotta hook up a multimeter and shake down/check every wire. Not saying there is a wiring issue... but it's getting to that "phantom issue" level where electrical is becoming the first choice.
I have seen fords do that with a bad ignition switch on the secondary side
Andrew Allen you would have to test to find out but I’m sure he will keep filling the ranger full of China parts until it stays running
@@Andyandcars I would first test the ignition module as they do this on fords.then the ignition switch
Andrew Allen yes testing is the only way to find the true problem without causing more problems than when you started
Immediately after the thing starts, try holding the ignition switch back toward start just enough that you’re holding tension, but not engaging the starter. If you can catch it just right and get it to run, it’s a bad ignition switch. Saw this in a late 80s Thunderbird that had my entire shop stumped until one guy accidentally figured it out. We could run the car around as long as you didn’t let go of the key. Changed the switch and it cured it.
Ask Scotty Kilmer, and he'll say it's a money pit get rid of it.
He actually said Ford Rangers are good trucks.
I had a 94 Jeep Cherokee with the same problem, would not start. So a buddy of mine ran a wire from crank sensor straight to the battery. Fired right up. Turns out the ECU was bad and not sending 5volts to the crank sensor. I drove it around for a month till the ECU completely failed. Ended up replacing the ECU and its still driving today. Thought this might help you. Maybe not. worth a shot. Love the vids, watch all the time. Keep it up.
Does it have a idle air control valve? I had a 99 grand marquis that would do exactly what the ranger is doing so i cleaned the IAC and that fixed it
I had a similar issue on my 98 boxster first thoughts was also bad fuel and crank sensor. Troubleshoot everything and when I removed intake to do starter fluid it started... turns out it started because there was no air running over the MAF sensor. So it wouldn't start due to a failed MAF. I also ran through the whole fuel system because it sat for a while too. Spent way to much time looking in the wrong direction
take a minute...save an hour..check the ground....check the power!
Yeah, check the ground strap to the engine.
Ran fine on the spray..
Ran perfectly on starter fluid. Its a fuel issue. probably an emergency fuel cut off or the injectors are not firing in the correct order.
Just because you can communicate with the ECM and pull codes does not mean it's good or "checks out". Since the engine can run on starting fluid, the issue has to be with the fuel. You could be losing injector pulse after initial startup. I would guess that the system uses a common power and individual grounds for each injector controlled by the ECM. A scope with an amp clamp around that common power should tell you what you need to know. You'll need to buy a wiring diagram and some real diagnostic tools, or send it out to a shop with both.
Logic suggests it IS the fuel system. am I getting my videos confused, or didn't it start when you sprayed starter fluid in it?
This. Also check the com diode.
* pcm
i would like to see a video with a intake cleaner can spraying into the throttle body to see if the engine run good with a can spraying but all the video that i saw was start 1 sec and stall
the other stuff that i didnt see is to jump the on position on the ignition key switch because sometime the start position is good on the switch but the on position doesnt keep the contact need some wiring schema reading on there maybe
Same truck. Seemed to run like a champ for a while on the spray. Seems to be fuel starved... I know everything seems to be clean but, like you pointed out... it ran fine on the starter fluid.
@@vincentbigras1515At 12:39 of the first vid it runs for more than a second, about 5 seconds from one spray, and longer than any other time in either vid...
Have you tried disconnecting the alternator and charge regulator ?
Frustrated he left us with a cliffhanger video. He should not be allowed to go have fun until his work is done lol
I had a 1989 2.3 efi with the double spark system with 5 speed trans. I went thru this too. I dropped it off at a shop and 650$ later it ended up being the wire harness over by the intake side. They had the noid lights on the injectors too and they went thru hell tracing wires in the harness. He showed me what it was and it was just one dinky wire that was broken somehow. Take a look at the 2 separate wire harness by the intake manifold against the firewall on driver side you will see 2 plugs and 2 seperate harness on that side. Unplug both and clean the connections and inspect for broken wires or corrosion and do some continuity testing. These 2 plugs have like 15 wires each. Also i have seen the computers go bad on these trucks many times. I know a few older mechanics that are close to 60 years old and they said that the OBD1 ford vehicles always suffered from wiring problems, pretty frequently too. also just because the fuel pump is running means nothing. You need to call ford and ask them what is the factory spec on fuel PSI and see what this new pump the guy put in the truck is putting out for PSI. I have seen even 5-10 psi difference cause problems.
check the reference voltage circuit for your sensors......some run at 5 V...….ensure the circuit is not being pulled low due to component or wiring issue.
Try unplugging the map sensor. I’ve seen them get fouled/fail and do this. If its bad when you unplug it the pcm should revert to a backup table that will let it run, assuming its a bad sensor giving the pcm a false reading.
I’m one of the first to comment so maybe I’ll be lucky enough for him to see this. 😂 Hey man just wanted to say I absolutely love your videos, the style of content is absolutely perfect and it balances education with entertainment spectacularly. The audio quality is fantastic and your buddies always crack me up. Keep going cause I check everyday for a new video.
I found this channel sometime last year. What I really like is that he does the work himself. He's up there with the likes of Ivan of Pine Hollow and Eric of South Main Auto.. also shout out to ScannerDanner, he's an EXPERT. Also Matt of Schrodinger's Box!! I admit I do like watching Scotty's videos. More just to hear his thoughts when people ask questions about issues they're having. But when I'm having my own issues, I head straight to ScannerDanner.
My dad had a similar issue with an old Toyota. He changed everything on the fuel and ignition side, and had a new ECU lined up only to find the ground wire to the ECU was bodged up and was causing an intermittent open. As soon as the starter shut off the ECU would freak out and kill the fuel pressure. Haltec also just did a vid on ground wires, so it might be something to look into.
Why not double check the timing???
I guess because it ran well with starter fluid?
@@rnthiphop On Fords, if the crank or cam sensor isn't reading correctly, do Fords kill the spark or the fuel? OHHH just thought about it, what about the inertia sensor going bad.... hmmm I think I'll need pop corn for this saga lol.
You mention timing a dozen times, but were the crank and cam alignment marks checked?
I had the same problem on a 1998 Rolls Canhardly and finally figured it was a bad muffler bearing.
David Pringle.
Or low washer fluid?
low blinker fluid
@@losthomas7589 the inspection place failed my truck for low washer fluid light being on on the dash... turns out rain-x is a conspiracy by the replacement washer fluid sensor industry to make us all buy new sensors.
Oh man! I was really hoping to find out what the problem was on the ranger! LOL Thanks for sharing hope we get better info next time! Take care and God bless you all!
Probably is Crank Position Sensor. If its aftermarket they are sometimes garbage.
Its runs on starting fluid so not crank sensor. If crank sensor was bad it wouldn't fire plugs or injectors.
I would replace the MAF.
I saw the same thing happen at the auto hobby shop on base. The guy did a bunch of work on his 2.3l Ranger (plugs, wires, air filter, oil and filter), when he got done it wouldn’t run. Just like yours, it would run for a few seconds then die. The MAF wasn’t plugged in, we plugged it in and he drove it home. Ford could de-fuel when it doesn’t sense airflow. That would explain it running on brake clean (good spark, timing, compression), but no fuel.
Its the flux capacitor
💯!
The ignition switch is supplying power in the crank position only. More than likely it's cutting ignition power when you release the key back to the run position. The injectors may stop firing when you release the key back to run. I seriously doubt it's the TPS but that voltage is super easy to check with a multimeter and a couple small safety pins. Look for a smooth upward sweep of the voltage when you're SLOWLY opening the throttle. If there are any points where the voltage drops in the sweep, then the sensor is bad. I'd also check all grounds on the truck because the ECU uses grounds to switch circuits on and off. There are a lot of grounds on this truck. Rangers are all I've ever owned. 13 of them so far.
Swap coil or spark plugs wires on intake and exhaust sides, this happened on my Nissan with similar set up. The truck would start for a brief moment than cut out.
I picked up a 2002 3.0 for cheap from the last of one of the repair shops passing the problem child around the town... The problem was fuse # 2 blown to ground. The shops had checked all the usual suspects, like the O.D. Cruse control wire over the column or the bed saddle rubbing wires to the brake lights. Or motor for the blower. And the thought was dead to ground somewhere in the wiring harnesses and for the price o paid I was willing to take that on if nessassary... At the end of the day, I traced the problem to the last thing you would ever think it to be...
It was the inertia switch in the air bag module... The module is designed to ground out if triggered... Although the air bag never deployed, the switch did...
Danger Ranger is always a fitting name for a small Ford truck that you have no idea what will happen next with. 😂
Isn't that what the Goonzquad called the ranger?
The danger is when it decided to never start again
Heath Har yes, but it’s not exclusive to them or original to them. I heard danger ranger 7 years ago, but I’m sure it’s been around longer than that.
hey rangers are something I know some about, wires! in every ranger 80 percent of problems are wires, I don't know why its 6 volt but the best place to check is under the drivers side of the truck theres a little box with wire conectrors in it if theres any water in there get it out and totally cleaned out, also put a better ground to the fuse box run a heavy gague wire from under the seat mount bolt to the fusebox grind the paint off and bolt it down tight! also follow every wire I had to totally take the dash and instrument panel out and found more un grounded wires there I did all these things to a ford ranger and drove it to Colorado from southcarolina and back it ran perfect,. also fullf take out the heater core it it burns out and it will it will also short out the timeing, but it will run those lil trucks are just full of shorts when they get older and things start to loosen up.! hope it helpfull
Time to call the Car Wizard?
They're local to him, they've collabed before... I second his idea. Plus I feel like it's wiring or ecu, Wizard's no joke a pro at figuring wiring out.
Car Wizard hates JR (shhhh its a secret to everybody)
@@jetjazz05 yes... Kansas were 45 miles away is "Local".
It's been a long time since I worked on a car, but I'd start by cleaning the carburetor, then check the distributor - could be the points or the rotor.
Kevin Rollins yes it has in fact been a long time since you’ve worked on a car.🙃
Kevin. Don't think it's the carb or distributor, more likely not giving it enough choke. It's been a while since I worked on a car as well!
I once had a Flintstone car that had similar issues, turned out my feet were tired.
Elephant in the room - as you have air, fuel and spark - exhaust !!!!! The cat or muffler(s) have collapsed or are heavily restricted
Its a fuel problem cause it ran on starting fluid
Nicholas Mackey due to the high octane and oxygen content it need less oxygen to burn than petrol (gas), They have proved it’s not fuel related
@@Mrflash222006 they havent proved it all they have proved was that the pump works fine amd the gas is probably old hense the reason why it wont burn properly
Nicholas Mackey watch the last vid they dropped the fuel, the rail is clean the injector’s are flowing and the FPR has been changed, if you watch it fire the engine spins backwards for a brief moment that shows excessive back pressure
It would still start and run at idle with a clogged cat or otherwise restricted exhaust system. Had a similar issue with another Ranger same engine, never figured it out, sent it to the crusher, not worth the headache. These trucks are a dime a dozen they're all over the place.
I had a similar problem on a Alero. It was also throwing a a/c code. Unplugged the compressor and it fired right up. The ECU wouldn't let run because of the a/c fault. It's worth a try.
Fords have impact switches for fuel pumps down by kick panels on driver or passenger side of vehicle.
I think it’s the impact switch too.
They've addressed that already
Checked good, very first thing I tried 🍻
@@WatchJRGo flux capacitor + 1.21 gigawatts = go back to when ford ran.
Inertia switch
The plot thickens!! In my (definitely non professional) opinion, it IS a fuel issue, but a fuel issue caused by the computer. In other words, you clearly checked that all the fuel components are physically okay, but when you spray starting fluid it runs! The fuel is cutting out right after it starts. My money is on some kind of anti theft or emergency fuel cut out or something like that. Looking forward to seeing what's next!
@WatchJRGo haven't heard you say anything about checking the camshaft sensor. Had a 2000 Jeep that the camshaft sensor went bad & it did the same thing as your Ranger would start then die.
179kevin I don’t think this old engine has a cam sensor, just a crank sensor,
Did you verify the timing? The spark pugs were supposed to be new but wasn't.
My guess is that something in the time chain components or the chain itself is damage.
This is exactly why I converted my 86 2.3 ranger to a carburetor. Cost me like $150.
This runs the Mazda 2.3. Those are very different engines. The 1986 didn't use a distributor less coil pack, it also didn't run 8 plugs in it. So the conversion will cost a bit more.
Slayer John no it doesnt. The Mazda engine started in 2003. These are the 2.3 lima (pinto).
@@slayerjohn447 I believe up until 1998 the 2.3's can be converted to run a carburetor. I think that's the year they did away with the distributor hole.
The autolite 2100 definitely yields more power over the old EFI but also seems to use more fuel.
@@slayerjohn447 also, there's a video here on RUclips where a feller converted an 8 plug head to run a carb, I think if you punch in "Ford efi delete" you'll find it.
@@fomocowboy I didn't say it couldn't be done. I said it would cost more then $150 to make it happen.
Check all your body grounds, had the same thing happen with a 96 F250 and found a heavily corroded (IE non existent) nobody ground. Replaced the connector and it ran great.
Possibly coolant temp sensor. I know when they fail on a gm, the ecm thinks it is -34°, and adjusts the fuel air mixture to match.
Yeah, seems it could be a fuel/air issue - seems lean to me, but I know very little ^_^
Yep, had this problem on a 91 s10 of mine. Same symptoms as this ranger when it happened
Did you guys check timing belt if the timing off then the truck would crank up and die right away.
IAC Valve?
Dad had the v6 version, begged to drive because it was surprisingly ok in the acceleration department. It will give a g35 a run for it's money.
Might check the Cts (coolant temp. Sensor)
G. S. Yes it would, because when you start a hot engine it uses less fuel,
Had a 5.0 do it to me randomly truck would just crank, foot to the floor it started, helped some random guy out on the trail with his Jeep, same story it wouldn’t restart, would just spuder I told him hold it wide open and if it starts your coolant sensor is bed, that was it it started than, turns out the 4.0 was just a cluster duck of different parts from different years so nothing worked as it should
I had a Ford Escort the exact same problem. 3 mechanics couldn't fix it. Took it to an old school mechanic that was retired and worked from his house. His specialty...Ford escorts and ford Rangers. If i did get the escort running i had to floor it to keep it running and no power at high rpm. Turned out the the timing was out of sync. Take the timing belt off and make sure it is synced before putting chain back on .
I had a Ford ranger like 15 years ago do the same I had to clean the mass air sensor it finally started
He said he unplugged the mafs and that didn't fix it.
It's an ignition problem, all Ford trucks from the 90's use the wacky PIP signal in the distributor to drive the ICM and PCM.
A brief rundown on how it works is the PIP signal drives the ICM directly until the engine starts then the main PCM takes over spark advance/timing. Since it starts and dies you need to bypass the computer by removing the SPOUT connector and see if it will continue running on base timing alone. If that's the case then the problem is either the PIP sensor or the PCM.
Ask the Ford Expert. Brian @ FordTechMakuloco.
A lot of people have said clogged cat could be the problem. Easy test, unscrew the up stream o2 sensor. If it runs you found the problem.
ignition control module! my buddies did the same thing but his was a v6
just replace it not expensive trust me!!
Yup exactly what my Jeep was doing and it was a $30 fix lol
he replaced it already 11:00
being a Ford man, owning a 90's ranger was one of my big regrets. I read the comments and yeah, ICM did weird things, after market security system was fun, vacuum line deterioration plugging problems... These trucks were great when they were new, but after a 100,00 kms - they suck. IT TAKES A TON OF SPARK unless you rebuild and have perfect compression. Scrapping it was a huge relief.
heard that after I commented. He might of got a bad one from the store .
Its a fuel / air related issue. When you sprayed through the intake it ran and kept running when spraying fuel. This eliminates timing. You need to check all areas for vacuum leaks. Like the idle air control valve, egr valve, etc. Clearly your injectors are spraying fuel but is it rich enough for it to fire and keep it running? No. You had injectors firing correctly ( which you stated )and you were spraying another fuel supply in. It took ALOT of fuel for it to run and keep running. Take your hand and "choke" off the throttle body. I guarantee it will fire and stay running. If it does, then its because you have a lean condition do to a major external or internal vacuum leak or a bad reference value like an engine coolant temp sensor. Coolant temp sense value will mess up every other reference it needs to fire. It cant tell the ecu if the engine is cold or not and the iac wont adjust. The crank sensor just tells the injectors when to fire. Please listen to this comment. As for tps testing. It is just your typical 5 volt reference. Should be .7 to 1.2 close and 4.2 to 4.4v open. I rewatched the first video. If the engine is dieseling check the throttle body screw and make sure it hasnt been adjusted. That screw is actually called an "anti diesel screw" lol. Make sure the throttle body is not too far open from someone messing with the screw.
I love these videos...look forward to the mystery solution.
I can only think of 2 things 1: if you have a bad ballast resistor on the ignition the car will start and stop as soon as it starts. 2: also it could be the ICM/heatsink assembly on the radiator support. hope this helps.
I've been screaming at my computer the last two videos. You have a plugged catalytic converter. Just unhook the exhaust ahead of the cat, I about guarantee it will run fine.
That’s worth a shot! I’ll be home tomorrow and we’ll give it a try 🍻
I wondered the same
That makes 3.
If that is the problem why did it run when starter fluid was sprayed in to it?
@@harborcbs it takes less air to run on starter fluid so it will run just a tick longer before plugging up. A friend of mine got burnt on this a year or so ago on a Ford Exploder. First shop threw the parts cannon at it, timing chain, ignition parts, ecu, etc., and told the customer the engine was bad. My friend got it, swapped the engine and it still wouldn't run, we went through everything, just like these videos, nothing, it would start, run, die and wouldn't run again for a few hours. He unhooked the exhaust and it fired right up and ran great.
Just a thought of random stuff, but could the exhaust be plugged?
Its possessed, hire a priest :) Actually I'm in the clogged cat group.
You're gonna need an old Priest and a young Priest. ;)
And a Judas Priest??
It’s weird that it’ll start then shut uff. Starting fluid works. My best guess would be a bad ground. Maybe do a voltage drop on the ecu or the ignition modules. They are all attached to the engine. If you a crap ground or even a fuseable link that is only partial burned out. Sure it’ll ohm out but once you put a load on it then those few strands aren’t gonna do anything. Just a thought.
Add some BFGs on there before you sell it!
Idk if this truck is worthy lol
@@swazi5 lol maybe not but a little fixed up would be satisfying. He has the money why not.
Years ago an elderly lady friend of mine had a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee. When the battery was disconnected, and reconnected the alarm would come on. It did not beep like crazy when it happened, but the headlights kept blinking. When you would start the engine with the alarm on in it acted the same way as this Ranger does. Fires, and dies. Since there was no working remotes to shut off the alarm the only way it could be done is putting the key in the drivers door lock, and turning.
On this episode of watchjrgo I roll on a hoverboard
I know it is a long shot, but I had a car that wouldn't fire (or would stop running) if the ECU couldn't see an oil pressure reading. I also had an intermittent issue with crank position sensor where the torque of the engine twisting in the bay would cause a bad wire to briefly disconnect and kill the ignition. Might be worth a continuity test of those sort of cables to see if moving them disrupts the signal? Good luck!
clogged cat???
Blake Medina
That was going to be my suggestion too.
Kyle said the timing belt had been replaced in part 1, but my concern is if the order of operations were not done 100% correct it might run but not well. Remember that engine has a crank position sensor not a cam position sensor. If the cam timing is not correct you will have improper valve timing. When running on either (which has a much lower ignition point) I could hear surging, to me it sounds like the exhaust valve is opening early. If there was a time gap between the cam belt and the crank sensor, it might have ran for a time with the exhaust opening early and send more un-burned fuel to the cat than the cat could handle, causing fuel detonation in the cat= cat failure. You might be dealing with exhaust presser that the either can push threw but not the gas. I would remove the cat and reset crank to cam position and belt is tight, and try starting that year did not care if the cat was there to run, it would give an emission code. If need be here is a link the a cat not legal in ca. www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1398351&cc=1137901&jsn=2258&jsn=2258 Good luck. And a link to a vid on timing set up ruclips.net/video/-sXPr-fllXg/видео.html
Gotta get used to pushing fords
If not your not gonna get anywhere.
Do not forget about the IAC. Idle air control valve. If it is clogged or bad, the engine will start for a second, then die. It controls the cold start idle.
If you have an old school strobe timing light, try it to make sure the thing isn't off by a huge amount for some stupid reason. I'd also check the fuel system with a pressure gauge. If you don't have one then now's the time to get one.
It's the ignition cylinder.....I've seen this issue before in other fords. Buy a whole new key and cylinder. It's definitely the key/column problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ran on starting fluid. Stick with that. Is either fuel over delivery or clogged or smashed exhaust.
Crank and Cam position sensors are reluctance based, hall effect sensors. Alteration to the wiring in those circuits can increase or decrease set resistance over the wires, and cause bad reading to ECM. Not as big an issue on more robust obd2 setups, but may be pissing off the obd2 network on the ranger.
Possible ignition switch? Try not to turn the ignition all the way off (on) when you let go of the key. Just back off from “start” slightly and see if it still runs
Try the ignition switch under the dash. That's a common problem on 90s mustang's . It will start and die as soon as you release the key. Try disconnecting the starter signal wire from the solenoid and hold key forward while someone jumps the solenoid
If the MAP sensor is bad it WILL NOT RUN. Chased that gremlin for a week on a 92 F250. Just like your Ranger, everything checked out. Had an extra MAP sensor laying around and decided to change that out, and the truck fired and purred like a kitten.
coolant/ air temp sensor stuck hot or cold ?
Sounds like lack of fuel, as didn't you run it on starting fluid? Maybe the injectors stop functioning when you stop cranking. Maybe the inertia switch is sending a bad signal the the ECU....
Friend had similar problem with a newer Ranger (OBD2). It would randomly not start. Thought it might of been factory anti-theft system. Turned out it was a bad gauge cluster. ECU needs the cluster, and it had some bad solder joints.
Is it possible the exhaust is clogged in some fashion? The other thing I though of was maybe a vacuum leak that wont allow the f.p.r. to open?
Maybe Eddie Murphy stuck a banana in it?
@@GatheringSticks either that or maybe the catalytic converter came apart or an animal made a nest in the muffler/tailpipe
I know this isn't exactly the same because my focus zx3 is obd2 and not obd1, but when I kept having weird issues with it running bad/revving out of control/not starting without sitting for 10-15 minutes I tried replacing the fuel pump at first which I think was part of the problem and that got its life back for a few thousand miles. Once it eventually went back to doing the exact same thing and stopped running pretty much completely, obd didn't throw any out of ordinary codes at first, but after disconnecting all the grounds and battery and trying to clean everything up it began to show a bunch of codes that pertained to parts that I knew had been replaced properly. All I'm trying to say is, the ecu could be going bad without throwing codes. I spent the money on a refurb ecu from flagship one and I've put 25+k miles on the odometer with little issue since then. My ecu was located behind my glove box and my best guess is that moisture from humidity or rain eventually seeped in there somehow and messed up the board. I still have the old one, I should take it apart and find out what happened exactly lol.
I feel dumb now seeing all the comments about the cat being plugged, that seems way more likely lol