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  #16  
Old 07-06-2018, 06:23 AM
tomw0 tomw0 is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,086
Default Re: Mysterious fuel issue

Voltage drop... I'd check the battery terminals. Could be loose enough to limit available current to run things.
I had a similar problem. Thought it was water in the gas. Was intermittent misfire, making the truck 'chug' until I 'babied' it through its tantrum. Was old bad plug wires. Checked the old ones on the shelf in the basement, found 4 that were decent. Installed. Success.
Meanwhile, I had R&R's the injectors, the plugs, the TFI, and more searching for a solution. Set the timing incorrectly even, and it ran even worse. Finally checked the resistance of the plug wires. Some were infinite. Open, no conductivity. Spark would have had to jump several gaps to get to the spark plug. The symptom was so intermittent(must have a good TFI & coil???) it made no sense.
Check.
The battery cable thing can make stuff start to quit, such as the radio will shut off, the wipers start to slow down, the lights get dimmer, and finally the engine won't run. Well, it may run terribly, and have little power. Grabbed the terminals(not corroded, I maintain them) and I could move them. Oops. Wrenched tight, while waiting for spouse to come help. She arrived with jumper cables, but I didn't need them.
CHeck.

tom
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  #17  
Old 07-06-2018, 08:20 AM
RoberticusMaximus RoberticusMaximus is offline
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Default Re: Mysterious fuel issue

i found corrosion under the crimp on my battery cable a while ago. it actually started faster after i replaced them lol!
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  #18  
Old 07-06-2018, 11:43 AM
neverending ranger neverending ranger is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 18
Default Re: Mysterious fuel issue

I'll try that. I just replaced the negative terminal but I didn't mess w my positive.
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96 ranger 2.3 SOHC 4 cylinder Never ending issues
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  #19  
Old 07-07-2018, 09:38 AM
neverending ranger neverending ranger is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2014
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Default Re: Mysterious fuel issue

At the recommendation of my dad's mechanic, I rigged my fuel pressure gauge coming out of my hood so it was readable while driving. The fuel pressure remained normal as the truck was doing its nosedive routine. The position of the pedal was the dictating factor in pressure fluctuation. That means it's not the fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel lines, fuel pressure regulator, inertia switch, or any of the electrical circuitry to these things. I think it must be injectors, plugs and/or wires, or a failing coil pack. I had a cracked plug once and it blew the wire off it. It ran worse than it is, but similar. I think something is shorting out or disconnecting temporarily.
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96 ranger 2.3 SOHC 4 cylinder Never ending issues
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  #20  
Old 07-13-2018, 10:10 AM
neverending ranger neverending ranger is offline
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Default Re: Mysterious fuel issue

Update

Found the problem. I wasnt getting any check engine codes even though at this point the truck would barely run. I decided to check my check engine light. When I turned the key on, it did not illuminate. I pulled the driver's side dash and removed the instrument cluster. There was no bulb in the cel slot at all(prettty suspicious🤔.) Being as that I never had half of my cluster illuminated at night anyway, I bought some bulbs and replaced them. Guess what? Got some codes! Finally some clues. Got a 218, and a 222, which are either bad coils or open/defective ignition control module. Swapped the coils from my dead 96, no change. Was running out of weekend so I bit the bullet and bought a Duralast ICM from Autozone. Put it in, truck runs better than it ever has. A spark tester on each wire may have shown this problem, but before you go throwing a fuel pump on a ranger that appears to have a bad one, check fuel pressure during operation and make sure your CEL is operational. Thanks to everyone that commented.
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96 ranger 2.3 SOHC 4 cylinder Never ending issues
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