My 2002 Ford Ranger, 3.0L V-6, is giving me a Check Engine light. I had it checked and cleared at the local parts store. Their analyzer says "intermittent miss on cylinder number 4." Strange to me. I certainly don't feel it. Runs very smooth. I'd been on a 1,400 mile drive and was forced to refill with 10% ethanol gas since I was too far from any non-ethanol station. Probably not related, but the Check Engine light came on shortly after the refill. I've run through a tank of decent gas and had the error cleared but the Check Engine light came back on in a few miles of driving. The spark plugs, ignition wires (Motorcraft), coil pack (Motorcraft), and cam synchronizer (Motorcraft) are not that old or that many miles - maybe 10,000 at the most. I haven't pulled a plug yet (new snow) but am wondering where to look.
I had that or similar happen to my 2004 sport trac 4.0 it turned out to be a loose plug wire on the spark plug , was a simple problem but the check engine light kept coming on , and had everything else checked nothing was wrong , 7500 miles no light, simple squeez of wire boot , worth a look /MERRY CHRISTMAS
Could be a dirty/failing injector, or even the electrical connection to it. Or, as pointed out above, ignition.
Swap #4's wire to #5 plug and coil, and vice-versa. Drive it, and if the light doesn't come back on, John's correct, problem solved. If it does, scan it, and if the errant cylinder is now 5, you have a bad wire. Remove it and carefully inspect it, make sure the plug boot and wire are not cracked, burned or corroded. if it comes back on but is still #4, put the wires back correctly, but swap #4 and #5 plugs, go clear the codes and drive. If the light stays off, it was a loose plug. If the light comes back on, scan it, and if the misfire moved to #5, bingo. Are you now seeing the diagnosis pattern here? Swapping next-door parts allows you to see if the misfire migrates, and if it does, which component had moved it. Once you get through the plug, wire and injector, if the misfire is still at #4, it's logical to assume the problem is engine mechanical related.
I have an 05 Ranger 3.0/5spd that is getting hard to start feels a little rough at idle 110,000 No CEL Someone suggested to me that the coil pack was getting ready to give up. I have not really looked into it too much as this is pretty much just a backup vehicle. (less than 3000m in two years) I might take it to town once a month just to make sure it still runs..
And the cam synchronizer is a pattern-failure item. Is there a squeaking sound as the engine is running? That would be a failing synchronizer, so make sure, if you decide to replace it, that you get the Motorcraft one, as it has the design changes that give better lubrication.
I removed the number 4 cylinder spark plug which looked perfect. I checked the ignition wire to be sure it fit snug on the plug and it did. Now, days later, the Check Engine light turned off and has stayed off. 'Course I suppose the danged bulb could have burned out! Sheez. As I wrote earlier, if this engine has a miss, I've never noticed it. Oh for the Ranchero! Just a great, dumb 460 with no computer!
Ok, finally fixed this problem. At the suggestion of my nieces husband, a truck mechanic, I gave this Ranger a can of BG-44K fuel injector cleaner. Expensive stuff but IT WORKED! Finally, no more check engine warnings after several tanks of gas. I had tried Seafoam before to no avail. This BG-44K really works.
Yup, dirty/failing injector. Don't be surprised if the problem returns. I don't know why there are not stone filters in front of every injector. Even high grade metal piping releases debris over time.
Oh, but injectors do have a 'stone screen,' built into the top of the injector inlet. And for the record, BGs 44K is specifically formulated to dissolve the crud that degrading gasoline leaves in the inside of the rail and injectors; Seafoam is simply a 'top engine' cleaner, to remove carbon, but it doesn't do all that good against varnish if you put it in fuel, depending on dilution, whereas 44K is a high-concentration cleaner requiring a near-full or full tank for it to work to its fullest advantage.
If we didn't have a good one at work, I'd buy a scan tool. You can get a decent one for $40, and if you spend $100, a really good one. I think they all will clear a code. The info they give is invaluable.
My friend Steven just scored an Amazon deal of the day for a $45 handheld with data stream for $25, to include a specifically-made carrying case. Sorry, guys, it was only for three hours or so.
Totally worth it. I'd have one if we didn't have them at work. We've got OE specific kits that dealers use, which is very handy.
I miss my former boss' NGS tester; it made Ford diagnosis a lot easier than using an MT-2500 with the latest updates.
A little late to the party but yes, definitely. It's already pinpointed three things on my Durango that may have been shotgun repaired otherwise. Clark, you never said what your p-code was...
I agree, a scan tool is great. Just be aware that they're not all equal. I bought an OBD-II tool a few years ago. It worked great on my Chevy, but it was useless on my friend's Ford. Apparently, Ford uses the CANBus protocol, which my scan tool didn't recognize. This was ~10 years ago, and things may have changed since then, so treat this as nothing more than a heads-up. Joseph
Even the el cheapo 19.95 ones will usually at least point you in the right direction. I have one along with a full-function one, and it covers multiple (including CAN) bus architectures. So maybe no recording / graphing/ freeze frame functions but some help.
