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Comments
But, a few years ago, in an effort to maximize my summer A/C output (thinking I would close it in the summer and open it in the fall), I cut one of the heater lines and installed a manual cutoff valve.
With this valve closed, stopping the flow through the heater core, the temp gauge started doing very strange things. Previously, the gauge would start out 'cold' and slowly move up to about 1/4 or 1/3 gauge (about the O in NORMAL). With the new valve in place, and closed, when started cold the gauge would move up to about 3/4 gauge, then drop to the almost far left. It would cycle like this a few times. If it was cooler outside temp, and driven slowly, it would continue to cycle. If you took it and ran at highway speed (55+), the gauge would go to the normal 1/4 gauage and stabilize.
This freaked me out so much I opened up the valve. The temp gauge then stopped this nonsense and returned to operation as before.
Based on this, if someone has a cycling temp gauge on a Ranger 4L, I would first guess you might have a plugged heater core, which would be the same as when I placed the valve in the line and closed it.
Ford's design of the cooling system for this motor appears to require circulation throught the heater core to maintain a stable warm-up. Exactly what is happening, I don't know.
4L of this age also have the lower intake bolts loosen up. This usually causes pinging (air coming around the gasket and leaning out the fuel mixture) and/or oil usage. I've never heard of water leaking into pistons, but it might happen.
Tighten the lower intake bolts up. This is almost a 'normal' maintenance item on this motor of this age (mid 90's). It takes like a 8mm or 9mm 1/4 socket and extension and flex drive. You can get to all of them. There is a certain 'sequence' but I just moved around and side to side on mine.
Mine went from using almost no oil in 4,000 miles to suddenly setting the 'check oil' light, and being 1 1/2 quarts low. Tightening these bolts stopped the oil usage.
Open the hood, directly over the headlights are two 7/32" screws. Remove and then lift the small plastic piece. You will see two levers, one on each side of the headlight. The outboard faces fwd, inboard faces rearward. Pull up on these as far as they will go. They will be stiff, they WILL NOT come all the way out. This will release the headlight unit. Wiggle it free (as far as the wires on the headlight and parking/turn signals will permit. This will provide access to the side marker light bulb. BE CAREFUL putting it back, you can break the aiming screws.
While you are there. You will see a brown and a black wire going to the side marker bulb. If you cut the black wire, and splice the bulb end of the wire to a tap off the green with white stripe wire going to the parking/turn signal bulb, it will cause the side marker light to blink with the trun signal when the lights are OFF, and blink opposite the turn signal when the lights are ON.
NO GUARANTEES TO THIS PROCEEDURE. PROCEEDE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
01goldranger
First, the shifter knob just popped off one day, and I can't find anywhere how to reattach it. Any ideas?
Second, when I pulled up on the tailgate latch about a week ago there was a "pop". I figure the cable snapped inside the tailgate, but how can I get it down to attempt repairs? Also, I can't find anywhere how to go about repairing this minor problem.
Third, I hear squealing from the front tires and there's black soot on the rims. I just lubbed all the points, and it's continuing so I figure the bearings need repacking and I'll need to inspect the spindle. Does this sound like a good diagnosis? What can I use as cleaner for the bearings? How will I know if they need to be replaced versus repacking? What should I look for on the spindle to decide whether or not to replace it, too? Any help would be much appreciated.
As for the black soot on the rims that could just be brake dust from the disc brakes and not the front bearings. The squealing is probably because you have so much dust built up that its causing the pads to rub on the rotor and squeal. Try blow out the dust and then use some wheel cleaner or Simple Green Cleaner to clean the rims. Hope these suggetions will work for you
Thanks,
kcram - Pickups Host
If the diaphram in this valve ruptures, transmission fluid is pulled through the vacuum line and 'burned' in the motor. If a lot is being burned, you should see white smoke out the exhaust.
I would think an inspection by a 'transmission shop' should find this. Unless they wanted to do a total rebuild, when all you need is a valve......
It's not the battery and the connections and cables are all good. I ran through the diagnostic path given in the Harris book, and it comes up 'replace starter relay' (the one mounted to the fender near the fusebox).
So I did, and it started fine for about 5 starts. Then the same symptoms.
So I figure I got a bad relay, poor quality or whatever and replaced it again.
It started twice with the new relay, then nothing. (Clicks the solinoid, but doesn't turn the starter.)
Ideas? Help!
Have also tried all the same ignition changes you list as well as a change of a component called the ignition control module.
Ranger always starts when cold. mechanics have kno clu.
Recently I stubbornly sat with the car and watched the Temp Gauge go down, trying every several minutes to get a start. Ranger did not start until the needle was at bottom of gauge's range. Next time this happened I again stayed with vehicle performing the same test by trying to start every few minutes and again, once fully cool it started with no problem.
Because I can get a start as soon as the Temp Gauge is down I don't think it can be the fuel pump. We would get no start situations at all temperatures if that was the case.
I think the problem is as you suggest, a heat sensitive relay. I just dug into a borrowed manual and there is a sensor called the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor (ETC) mounted up by the engine's thermostat. This unit is connected to car's ignition control module. I'm going after this puppy as my next candidate as the trouble maker. It could be corrosion or gunk on the sensor's interior surface. heat/wear damage to the connecting wires, or just a worn out internal mechanism. (My Ranger does have 164,000 on it).
My guess is that this unit is occasionally "sticking" in the cold position and sending information to the ignition control module that the engine is cold. Usually a cold engine gets a richer mixture of fuel until it warms up. It may be that the fuel mixture is "flooding" the cylinders when injected and/or the timing is off for the heat range and volitility of the mixture....I only conjecture this as one of the first times i ran into this problem, while waiting to be rescued, I took off the ducting from the filter box to the front of the throttle body and held it open w/ a screw driver while I attempted a start. Engine roared into life at Very high revs. Since I felt I could not get to the Screwdriver before I incurred some damage, I shut down. Of course it would not restart until cold.
There may be some other heat sensitive unit that could also be giving feedback to the computer that, in combination with the info this sensor is giving, results in a no start situation; especially as my occurrances have also been primarily in warmer weather.
will advise my results of changing this part.
3L - Most of them ping all the time, even when relatively new, for all their life. Ford doesn't seem to want to re-engineer them to stop this. Only thing that will help is to pull some 'plug' (SPURT ? plug), which basically will retard the timeing and reduce power, which a 3L doesn't have much to spare. Or, use higher octane gasoline. There are some TSB which say to replace the coil packs. Sometimes this helps, other people that have done it say it doesn't help.
4L - See my message about 10 or so messages back. If a 4L pings, tighten the lower intake manifold bolts.
The other gives info to the computer. The one that feeds the computer will have 2 wires, one of them will be yellow with a black strip and will be twisted together (I think).
If the 'computer info' one fails, the problem usually is that it is difficult to start (and if/when it starts, it will run rough) when COLD. Basically, the computer thinks it is trying to start a HOT engine, and it will not increase the fuel delivery time needed for a cold start. After the engine warms up, it runs and restarts ok.
Since you peoples problems were HOT start problems, I didn't want to throw this sensor problem into the discussion, since all the problems I've heard of have been cold start problem. But maybe the sensor will fail in the other direction, and this then causes HOT start problems...
Might be worth replacing this sensor. I'm assuming you aren't getting any 'check engine light' being set. If so, PULL THE CODES first before throwing parts at the problem.
what was it? you mentioned timing belt, but what specifically regarding the timing belt?
My transmission is slipping. What should I check first before resorting to the mechanic? Tranny fluid levels are normal BUT my fluid has not been replace for about 5 years.
Elaine
cyberjoe58
Mark
i have 93 2.3 have the same problem.... seems to be worse in warmer weather.
if have gotten any info wouild really like to know about it.
thank you,
ringa1
will follow your advice to pull codes and test unit voltage output across temperature range. will post results after tests.
had a similar problem years ago with a toyota celica; temp sensor that mechanically regulated vacume advance system "cruded up" and stuck in cold position. you could start but once warmed up car ran VERY badly. then it was easy to test. take unit out and put in pan of hot water. if you couldn't blow air through the Hot bypass inlets when warmed but could still pass air through the cold, you knew you had a defective unit.....