Hey All. I've got a '96 with the Vulcan 3.0L OHV (5-speed). Roughly every month or so, I'll go to start it and it will start fine but then immediately settles into a sputtering idle where the tach bounces from 100-500 rpm. Then, not responding to any throttle to pop it up out of the sputter, it usually stalls. However, unlike the other threads I've read, this happens immediately after startup, not after 5 or 10 minutes of running or at a certain throttle level or speed. I'll try to start it a second time, and it will usually repeat the sputter for 5 seconds or so but then the revs pop up and it eventually settles back to a normal idle, as if it were a cold start. Finally, after the thing's finally running, it smells like unburnt gas from the exhaust. Any suggestions? Is this clogged injectors? A vacuum hose or throttle body problem? Open to any suggestions.

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Charlie

2005 XLT 4.0 4x4 5-speed
sold: 1996 XLT 3.0 2x4 5-speed

Bump

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White '99 Ranger 4x4, 3.0, 5 spd. Torsion bar lift, 32x11.50 BFG All Terrains on Ion Alloy 15x8 rims, Custom Magnaflow turnout exhaust, K&N drop-in air filter, Cobra Super 19 mini CB, Sony Audio system and custom white dash trim, Air horns, throttle cable mod, airbox mod, manual hubs mod, 200k miles & PAID FOR
Rangers > Jeeps!

Clean the IAC valve. It's probably sticking. Also try cleaning your throttle body if it's never been done before.

Might be the fuel pump if it isn't the IAC or throttle body.

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93 Ranger XL 3.0 V6
-Tint, wheels, K&N filter, Flowmaster super 44.
04 Mustang GT Vert.
-Tons of mods, supercharged 392/393

And don't forget that fuel filter!

All the suggestions here are Spot on with what I would look at in the same situation.

Also check that the electrical connector on the IAC is good. I was having hard starts too. On mine I found I could change the idle RPM by pressing down or to the side on the IAC connector. Popped it off and found corrosion on the prongs. Cleaned it up and that behavior stopped. So far my hard starts havent returned. Worth a look since it takes all of a minute!

As for the unburnt gas smell, assuming your IAC is the culprit, thats likely because the engine was starving for air so you were running rich while it was stumbling. If the smell goes away after a minute or so, then it should be nothing to worry about.

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1994 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0
200k+ miles
Want to make it whole again!