Alright, I'm calling in for the professionals advice on this one.

I changed my spark plugs and wires last weekend .. (2001 Ford Ranger 3.0) Everything went fine (Except that #5 Plug!)

This did NOT fix the missing problem that I originally changed my wires and spark plugs to fix. But this is not the issue. Last weekend, one week after changing my wires and plugs my engine light came on and I noticed that the truck seemed to be running a bit rougher than it was before.

I reset the computer and the light went off. It came back on 1-2 days later.

My question is, how do I know if it is faulty wires? My wires are covered against defect but.. I cant very well jerk off all the wires and take them back for a new set as I will never get them back in the right places.

I know this is not a SERIOUS problem because the engine light went off when I reset the computer. But other than putting it on a machine and paying $100.00 bucks how do I know if it is the wires that's causing the engine light to come on?

Please Help!

Did you check what the CEL code was?

I took it to Advance and had them put it on the machine to see what came up, He said it was a bad Egr valve.

I'll have to research this term because it is totally new to me.

BUT the man said it had nothing to do with sparkplugs or wires or a squeaky belt, which I am right now in the process of changing my belt tensioner assembly. It obvious that the belt has been recently changed (I've only owned the truck for about 4 months) Because the stamp from the company is still visible on the smooth side of the belt and there are no missing ribs or damage that I can tell.

(I think they make everything on this truck hard to get to... so far for me at least and I have fairly small hands.)

Anyway.. Bad Egr valve was what came up. I'll have to worry about that next, right now I'm trying to get the fan shroud out and next.. the fan in order to get to the belt tensioner. Damn thing is VERY hard to get to.

EGR is an emissions item, recirculates exhaust for cleaner burning, or something along those lines.

Belt tensioner is easy to get to with a socket wrench from underneath, no need to take the shroud off.

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Sold:2004 XLT 4x2 Ext. Cab. 3.0 Mods: 3" spindle, AAL, shackle, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, billet grille, clear corners, flow 40 dumped, line-x, CB/PA, traction bars, lil sound system, auto up down windows
Sold:2005 XLT 4x4 Ext. Cab. 4.0 Mods: ProComp lights w/ HID swap on tabs, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, CB/PA, black out heads/corners, lil sound system, cranked t-bars, flow 40 dumped, line-x, shell, bed rug, 06+ tails, metal tail gate handle since plastic one shattered, OHC, Mustang Dome.

Thank you for the super quick replies!

From underneath you say? Hmmm... I'll try that!

Thank you!

Well on the 4.0 engine, the tensioner is on the passenger side near the bottom, my buddy who is 5'7", could reach it while I slipped the belt off the alternator pulley. There is a slot right in the middle where your socket wrench will fit into without a socket on it. Just set the socket wrench to loosen to take the tension off.

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Sold:2004 XLT 4x2 Ext. Cab. 3.0 Mods: 3" spindle, AAL, shackle, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, billet grille, clear corners, flow 40 dumped, line-x, CB/PA, traction bars, lil sound system, auto up down windows
Sold:2005 XLT 4x4 Ext. Cab. 4.0 Mods: ProComp lights w/ HID swap on tabs, 32x11.5 on 15x8s, CB/PA, black out heads/corners, lil sound system, cranked t-bars, flow 40 dumped, line-x, shell, bed rug, 06+ tails, metal tail gate handle since plastic one shattered, OHC, Mustang Dome.

it could be a injector going bad

I put fuel inector cleaner in today matter of fact. Thanks for that answer.

I was hoping maybe it was something simple.. but so far nothing on this truck is the simple top layer.. you have to dig down deep to get to the root of the problem.

I'm scared that the Erg valve is just a peice of what's going on with the engine light problem. *Sigh..* Maybe I got in over my head....

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Only a woman would be told "You need a new Thingamabob, That will be $900.00 please."
WHAT!!!?
I'll do my own work from now on thank you.

if its teh EGR valve that's pretty easy to replace but i have friend who ended up replacing everything from the MAF, Cat converter, EGR valve, and 02 sensors cause of that light.

That is quite comforting to hear!

I read it's on the exhast. I guess It wouldnt hurt to replace an o2 sensor or two? while I'm already down there.

I knew this truck had a few problems. It was a terminex truck before I bought it. I guess they knew that it was going to be quite costly to fix all the problems and so they bought new trucks.

There were three to choose from, but I chose my "Derrick" because he seemed to have a personality about him. Not to mention one of the other's was a Chevy.. and the other had fairly high miles.

Now, off to the tensioner thread!

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Only a woman would be told "You need a new Thingamabob, That will be $900.00 please."
WHAT!!!?
I'll do my own work from now on thank you.

well my buddy isn't really mechanically inclined so he brought a mechanic's estimate of like 2000 to replace all of that, and i told him i'd replace em for free... so we ended up doing plugs, wires too. Came out to be about 500 in parts i think for all that. His was a 4 banger with 8 plugs, and i had to take the effing intake off to get to 4 of the plugs. It was ridiculous, but thats why go with at least a 3.0

Let us know how all that replacement goes!

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

Wow you sure saved him a bundle! Aint it crazy how a 4 cylinder has 8 plugs yet a 6 cylinder only has 6?

You had to take the whole intake off? Wow... I took the front wheels off and splash guards. MUCH easier. But I'm sure the 4 cylinder was set up quite differently. They should really make things a little easier to get to.

They WANTED me to have to take off the fan shroud, possibly fan too to get to that belt tensioner. But I found a way around it.

I'm happy with my 3.0 plenty of power not too terrible on gas.

Engine light has not came back on yet and it's been two days since I had them test it. I assume he reset it for me, since I told him I already did that once myself. (Still running with the tank of fuel injector cleaner though I'm sure that has nothing to do with the engine light.) I love being able to go somewhere and know what I'm talking about. You get much better service, and less chance of getting screwed over.

Anyway. I'll have to get another paycheck before I get into that. Wires, Plugs weekend before last, belt tensioner assembly last weekend.. I think i'll just go camping this weekend and take it easy

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Only a woman would be told "You need a new Thingamabob, That will be $900.00 please."
WHAT!!!?
I'll do my own work from now on thank you.

Yeah, we went in and they said its got 8 plugs, and i was like "WTF?" Cause that's the first time i've ever even heard of that hahaha but they ran the intake right over the plugs on the driver side, and i couldn't fit the socket through the gaps so 2 1/2 hrs later in the cold(middle of February!) we had it all done but i pulled 3 brands of plugs out

Yeah, you shouldn't have to take that shroud off... i mean it might make it easier to work with it off, but on my truck there's only 2 bolts holding that tensioner on so i'd figure something else out!

What kind of mileage do you get out of 3.0L? is it a manual or auto?

haha, i think i spent like 250 in parts in one day... i had an electrical problem that took me forever to figure out!

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44

Oh I got it worked out. There was only one bolt holding it in, but it was receessed so very hard to get out because there was no room to work with. Either my tool was too long, or too short. But I finally got the right combo with a adapter changing 3/8 to 1/4 and using my 8mm socket. The new one was MUCH easier to put on. I had it on there in 5 minutes.

Well I was getting about 170 miles to the tank, but it went down to 130 before I changed the plugs and I havent used a whole tank again since I refilled it to put in some fuel injector cleaner. So I'm hoping it will be back up to 170 ish now.

Course I drove a saturn before this.. I didnt have to fill that car up but every two weeks. I got about 30 mile to the gallon in that thing, so anything will seem like it's drinking gas next to that.

And it's an auto if it would have been my choice I would have gotten a 5 speed. But I bought it used.

$250 in one day? Whoa. Luckily I have not had to do that much work to mine yet. I did spend that much on my last car in one day. radiator, thermostat, water pump. I wouldnt let another mechanic touch my car if he paid me!

I swear they intentionally break stuff so you have to come back in a month, maybe two.

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Only a woman would be told "You need a new Thingamabob, That will be $900.00 please."
WHAT!!!?
I'll do my own work from now on thank you.

You're only getting 170 ish out of a tank? Oh, have ya lifted it at all, or bigger tires cause that sounds really low... in my opinion. Or do you drive a lot of city miles? Is your truck a regular or ext cab? that'll change the tank size too.

My truck i'm getting about 18 mpg on a regular basis with a lift and bigger tires, with an auto too. Maybe i'm just spoiled though...

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93 ranger ext. cab 4.0L auto 6" SJ/custom lift--37" super swamper truxs M/T tires--lock rite locker w/ 4.56 gears up front--warn hubs--exploder 8.8 w/ disc brakes 4.56 gears and detriot locker--one-piece driveline--bushwacker cut-out flares--Bilstein 5150 shocks--2 10" xcite subs w/ 1600W Crunch amp-- tinted windows

waiting for: dual steering stabilizer, put on 3" body lift(in my room), dual shock setup, electric fan, possible SAS with a waggy D44