2001 ranger 2.3, 5 speed very sluggish

[lightning]

Hello i hope someone can help me out, i just bought a 2001 ranger xlt 2.3 with a 5 speed, it is very sluggish on take off and feels like something is holding it back, i've cleaned the mafs but i just don't know what to look for or where to start, it feels kinda like the timing is off but thats not adjustable, it's real bad when you hit a hill, if your on the interstate at 65 or 70 and hit a hill you have to put it to the floor and still will drop 5 or 10 mph depending on how long the hill is and it takes a good while to even get to speed, it does have 167000 miles on it hopefully it's not just worn out, any help woulb be greatly appreciated

[Texas001]

One area you might investigate is the fuel injectors. A lot of gas today can cause build up on the fuel injectors and decrease performance. Try putting some injector cleaner in your gas tank. I have found in the past that using such additives as Chevron's Techron or BG 44K or others can do wonders. It works best if you are going to drive a long distance, like 300 miles at one time. A long distance drive is almost as good as having the injectors cleaned by your mechanic (almost but not quite). Maybe whoever owned the truck before you used low quality gas or these deposits just built up over time.

I am not saying this is your problem but it is just something to consider. You may have seen something like this before:

YouTube

This video shows how deposits cause undesirable results. Notice only one of the injectors is spraying the gas properly.

If the injectors are not producing the vaporized spray your gas mileage and performance will suffer. In any case a dose of one of these additives will not hurt anything and cost you very little to rule out dirty injector problems. Do some research on some of these "cleaners" and make your own decision.

[lightning]

ok thank you i'll try that and now i'm having more issues, my air bag light blinks then stays on and my speedo quiet working, (if i had hair i think i'd pull it out)

[Texas001]

Okay now you are into the electronic systems. I have to say I can't tell you anything about any of that stuff. But here is a question and answer that I found that may help. But take it with a grain of salt.

Question:
Can the air bag light that stays lit on a 2002 ford ranger be fixed without a mechanic?


Answer:

If the airbag is not blown...you might want to see a dealer about resetting the light for you so that they can check the airbag at the same time and see if it is still operable. If you don't care about the airbag, pull the light bulb out from behind the "air bag warning light"...never again Or it could be a mistake made by the computer and you can try resetting the computer. Pull the negative and positive terminal(positive first) off of the battery...pump your brakes 3-4 times. Let the car sit 10-15 min., then connect the negative terminal and then the positive terminal, tighten and enjoy.

Then there is the speedo that quit working. Here is a web page that explains how the Ford speedos work. Some are mechanical and other electronic. I think yours is electronic. But check out this page.


http://www.therangerstation.com/tech...peedometer.htm

There are quite a few guys on this forum that probably have a better answer and or have had the problem themselves and found a way to fix them. Good luck. (as for the hair, me too!)

[lightning]

ok thanks for the help i got the airbag light and the speedo working just a blown fuse at #26 (my interior light was shortin out causing it to blow) but still haven't gotten the sluggish fellin to stop, i really hope its not much but i did use some cleaner for the injectors but no help

[blbranger]

might wanna check the fuel filter or pump

[ranger2002]

Did you try leaving the mfs disconnected and accelering it?

[lightning]

i haven't tried leavin the mafs dis con. what would it do if i did