I could use some advice. My Ranger normally runs great -- a 98 4.0 OHV with 175,000 miles.

In July I replaced my fuel pump and fuel filter after my stock pump died. Everything was fine for a few weeks, but every now and then the motor would crank but not start. It would do this at completely random times. Got a new battery because it was time for a new one anyway. That did not help the issue at all. The issue started to get more and more frequent until one day last month, it refused to start at all and left me stranded at work. Towed it home. I did a spark test and got no spark.

So I changed the spark plugs, wires, and coil pack. (it was time to change the plugs anyway) . Right after doing that, it started-----ONE TIME. The next day it was back to not starting. Tried to start it every day for 2 weeks after that, and it would not start, even though the battery was charged.

Then I got a new fuel pump relay. It fired up IMMEDIATELY after changing that relay, and I drove the truck for a week. Everything was fine. It started strong every time I started it. Thought I found the problem.

Then 2 days ago it wouldn't start again and left me stranded. WTF??

But then yesterday it started in the early afternoon. Then I come back at 5pm and it would not start.

Today it started again in the early afternoon, though it was a sputtering start and it almost didn't want to. But it did. When driving around town it shows no signs of sputtering, it runs and revs like normal.

No codes are being thrown. I don't want to drive it anymore for fear of getting stranded somewhere again.

The only things I can think of are:
1) My 4 month old aftermarket (Carter) fuel pump is crapping out on me.
2) I need a new camshaft position sensor

Anyone else have this problem and solved it?

I also have a 98 ranger 4.0 177,000 miles. Mine did that to last year for a couple months. And really all I can remember replacing. Is the plugs, wires, and I did replace the coil pack. Hope fully this helps.

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1998 Ranger XLT Stepside
4.0 4x4
3" PA bodylift, 32/11.50/R15 bfg km2
westin stepbars
uws lowpro black toolbox
alot more mods to come

I don't see how that even remotely helps, since he already mentioned that he replaced all of that and it didn't solve the issue.

Please try again.

Have you checked the fuel pressure at all? Most part stores will let you borrow one. Lets try the cheap and easy things first. That test will eliminate fuel delivery problems.

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2005 2.3L XL 5SOD 3.73 K&N
KYB Shocks Husky Toolbox
Alpine / Rockford Fosgate Sound

"Ask me about my AC Vent fix!"

I can't understand why parts are being blindly thrown at it.

What I would do the very next time it acted up would be to determine if it's lacking spark or fuel, doing this will eliminate one or the other and get you moving forward to the next step. Did you know that in the 90's a supertanker load of "so-so" relays found their way into Rangers, these relays run the PCM and the fuel pump among other things, the connections in them go to pot and the result in random and intermittent no-starts? Really. Most people swap a suspect relay out with a proven good one to diagnose this.

Bad CPS would throw a code (DTC), PCM needs info from this sensor to determine which of the two top dead centers (TDC) is the one for the powerstroke and not the TDC for intake, without this information the PCM guesses, it has a 50/50 chance of being right, if wrong it guesses again and the engine will start. Note the words "will start". The crank postn sensor finds "a" TDC, cam postn sensor determines the correct TDC to use. Don't waste more money guessing what part is bad, use diagnostics then buy parts, it's faster and cheaper in the long run.

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2004 Ranger FX4 Level II, 5R55E, Sonic Blue Pearl

Proudly JAP/RICE free since March 2000

http://youtu.be/G-tCIRJH9p0

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2000 XLT 4x4 EXT. CAB 4.0/Auto Trans/3.73 gears/
31x10.50 BFG Rugged Terrains on MB Motoring Wheels/Pioneer Head Unit/JBL 12"/Camo Interior/'03 black and grey 60/40 seats/ green LED's Under Dash/T-Bar Crank/Windows-20% on the front, 5% on the back/Mustang Dome Light/06 Tails/

I didn't waste any money. Read my post again. My old fuel pump died. I didn't blindly throw a new pump at it, I replaced the one that died. Then my truck was due for a spark plug change anyway at the same time that this problem got worse, so I did plugs. The coil pack I threw at it was my original (working) coil pack (Ive been running a Screamin Demon for the last few years) And throwing an 8 dollar relay at it is hardly a bad decision either, especially when that causes the truck to work perfectly for a week and a half after that. I don't believe for a second that I've gone about this the wrong way.

I was already planning on doing a fuel test this week and I had already done a spark test which failed which is why i'm thinking the cam sensor may be the problem. But i'm not going to make any decision on the cam sensor until I know the results of the fuel test. Nothing wrong with that either.

^^^ No, replacing a failed fuel pump when proven bad is normal, tossing a few bucks at a relay rather than swapping it out with one that's know to be good, well, ok and each to their own. Spark plugs and wires don't cause no starts and coils are easy to test rather than swap. Makes no sense to do a "fuel test" when you found out that it failed a "spark test", WTF, but ok. Some would say nothing wrong with that either, ok, I guess they enjoy the rate of progression in solving a problem, lol.

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2004 Ranger FX4 Level II, 5R55E, Sonic Blue Pearl

Proudly JAP/RICE free since March 2000

Listen, I'm not an idiot. I took it into a shop to have a diagnostic done 2 weeks ago. That's when they replaced my fuel pump relay because they discovered that it was bad, and they start with the smallest fix first. The engine started as soon as the smallest fix (new relay) was employed, and the truck worked perfectly for over a week after that. Then randomly it decides to quit starting again. They didn't get around to doing the full diagnostic because the relay had appeared to fix the problem. Now I have to do the rest of the diagnostic, so take it easy on me.. I haven't gone about this the wrong way like you suggest. And yes it makes perfect sense to do a fuel test now.

OMFG.....Listen, come over here and sit on my otoman as I drink coffee and let me help you and try my best to straighten you out and move past foolishness, LOL!.....nobody ever called anyone an idiot (yet and that is a gracious statement), but I do wish you luck with your fuel test in light of the no spark condition that is causing your Ranger to not start, LOL. Please keep us up to date on results, this is a good one!!!!

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2004 Ranger FX4 Level II, 5R55E, Sonic Blue Pearl

Proudly JAP/RICE free since March 2000

I mostly agree with cowboy....i am going by the assumption that when it does not start you have no spark at any of the cyls. Zilch, dead, no spark.....if that is the case you want to replace the ECU relay. You don't need to bring it to a shop. It takes 5 minutes. The layout is in the OM. While replacing it look for corrosion etc. Also replace the ecu fuse and look for corrosion......lastly check for codes periodically. report back.

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Ford Ranger, 1998, Reg Cab, 2WD, 5 speed, 4 cylinder, 140k

Got it. Thanks for not being snide 8 year-old about it like the guy above you.

It wasn't even me who brought up the fuel test, it was my mechanic who has already had my truck in the shop once and didn't get around doing any kind of test the last time because we got the truck working with the simple change of the fuel pump relay. How the fuck are you supposed to work on a no spark condition when the truck fires up for over a week after changing the fuel pump relay first? Bill doesn't get it. He just wants to pick a fight instead of understanding how I arrived in this situation. The course of action for a failed spark test hasn't even gotten a chance to happen yet but it will and the fuel test won't happen unless it passes the spark test first and still won't start.

Bill, your attitude in your last few posts is garbage so please do not reply to this thread anymore as you have nothing valuable left to offer.

Johnny, I understand every word of your posts quite well; not sure why you're so bent and espewing hate umbrage and the like but regardless you may rest assured nobody wants to fight with you, they only want to help you despite your bitterness. Moving forward and for now......I do wish you luck with your fuel test in light of the no spark condition that is causing your Ranger to not start, LOL. Please keep us up to date on results, this is a good one!!!! I'd really like to hear a favorable outcome to this, should that be possible.

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2004 Ranger FX4 Level II, 5R55E, Sonic Blue Pearl

Proudly JAP/RICE free since March 2000

Try getting a noid light and testing the injectors to make sure you're getting a signal to them.

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Blue 1998 Ford Ranger XLT stepside, single cab, 2.5L.
If you like LOLZ, click HERE for the best thread FRF has ever seen!
#BringbackHOI

What about that inertia switch thing under the glove box?