Ford Ranger / B-Series :: 1997 - Won't Start Intermittently?
Nov 13, 2012
1997 2.3 Ranger w/ 160,000 mi. Every few months it won't start, sometimes after just having been running fine. Symptoms:
-the dash lights will be dim or off completely
-the chime will be softer than normal
-the headlights will not work, or be dim
-the starter will sometimes briefly click, sometimes crank once, sometimes do nothing
-the emergency flashers will sometimes click much faster than normal
-if during one of these "episodes" it does start, the battery light will sometimes flutter on and off, and the meter will flutter a little higher than normal. The next time I stop it, it typically will have the same problem.
-it will typically start if i get it jumped
My battery, starter, plugs and wires are all fairly new. On occasion, when it is having this problem, and I am trying like crazy to start it, if when I turn the headlights on and they are no longer dim, it starts right up and runs fine.
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I have a 2000 Ranger 4.0L with intermittent no start. Have spark, fuel pressure is 55psi, temp sensors are reading correctly. When there is a no start condition I can pop the scharder valve, relieve the pressure on the fuel rail and it will start.
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I have 2000 Ranger 4.0L 4wd, 5sp ...
Just in the last month or so as out temps have been dropping off I've been having troubles getting her started. It happens both when the engine is cold, ie first start of the day, and after starting when warm. It did it a couple times last spring, but then all summer and fall I didn't have any problems (warm outside air temps) but, now its happening again. I'd say any time the Outside air temp is 40F or less, I am worried it won't start. IF i get her to start, everything else is just fine and she runs like a top. Here are the symptoms and what I've done so far.
When I crank I will get a couple cylinders to fire for a second or two then it falters out behaving like fuel starvation. Then I crank again right away and nothing fires... just cranking over and over. If i wait a minute and crank again same symptoms or it will fire right up. Baffling!
I thought Idle Air Control valve and sticking fuel pump relay, so I threw new parts on, but no fix.
About 75% of the time if I turn the key on, hear the fuel pump running, turn key off and on, hear the pump again x3 and then attempt the start it is successful.
Unfortunately, I don't have a code reader, or fuel pressure test equipment. The check engine light is NOT ever on. DO I HAVE A FALTERING FUEL PUMP??? I've heard thats tough to change out.
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i have a 96 ranger with a 2.3l engine sometimes it will start right up and sometimes it has to crank 4 or 5 times to start i just gave it a tuneup and changed the oil and filter. should i run sea foam through the oil system,it sat for about seven years and i need to convert the idiot gauge to a real gauge.
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My son's 97 2WD Ranger with 2.3L, 5 speed, no a/c, basic XLT standard cab.
I was using his truck because my 93 Ranger was getting a new starter on it. I drove to work with no problems, then after work, it started just fine and drove a few hundred feet to a stop sign where it promptly died. I was able to start it again with some effort and drove to the next stop sign maybe a quarter mile away. Truck died again, but this time it would not start. Towed it home about seven miles and its in the driveway now. The previous owner had new Motorcraft platinum plugs and wires installed, new fuel filter, fuel injectors cleaned, all about 11,000 miles ago. My son has had it for about 6,000 of those miles.
It felt like it ran out of gas, but the gauge showed about 1/4 tank, and I put about 3 gallons more from a gas can into the tank with no change in being able to start it.
Here's what I've checked so far according to my Haynes manual:
Turned key and listened for fuel pump and it seems to go on just fine.
Checked fuses and they are fine.
Swapped around relays in distribution box with no change
Checked resistance at coil pack and it was about 1.7.
Checked resistance at one injector and it was about 1.7.
Checked inertia switch and it did not need a re-set.
I don't have the ability to check fuel pressure.
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I have a 97 ranger with 3.0 it runs great but once you drive it and shut it off and go to restart it it will turn over but not start it used to start once I let pressure off the fuel rail, but now is a little harder to start when it does this but it looks as thou coolant comes out of the reservoir when this happens I think it might be coolant sensor or thermostat problem causing the timing to advance until it cools but then again why was it starting when I released pressure from the fuel rail and also I don't believe my check engine light works...
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My friend's 1997 4 cyl ranger died and won't start. Cranks fine with no codes on OBD2. Was running fine before it died.
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997 2.3 TruckSo this has been an issue for a long time, actually one of the issues I had when I got the truck 3 years ago. After it rains or is extremely humid, my truck does not want to start. Sometimes it will after cranking and cranking and cranking for a while (stopping to cool the starter of course) and other times it won't start.
This time around, it won't start. I cranked it for a little bit and had my dad check for spark while cranking. No spark at all. What should I start looking at? Coils, crank sensor and wires are all newer. As mentioned before, EEC has been replaced. Could it just be bad luck and I got a crap crank sensor? All fuses and grounds are good.
No codes, either except for the occasional misfire code that I get for some reason after pushing in the clutch to decelerate from a higher RPM. It'll fall and start to misfire, but clear up when taking back off.
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Ok I have 94 B2300 and about every 3rd or 4th start the ECU relay will not come on / energize which the the fuel pump relay doesn't come on either to prime the fuel system... so no start! It's very intermittent and sometimes the only way I can get the truck started is by pulling out the ECU relay and plugging it back in even sometimes that doesn't work too. Is it a bad relay or bad base the relay plugs into or is the ECU/computer going bad or is there wiring messed up in my ignition switch? Is there a known problem like this with these trucks?
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I have a 96 ford ranger 4cyl 5 spd. I've only had it for a month or so, but I've noticed on cold mornings my odometer won't work. The trip or the total mileage. I can hear the odometer cable clicking. Once the cab gets warmed up it'll start working. It's only happened twice, at about 50 degrees or lower, so I can only imagine what'll happen once winter kicks in. Where to go from here? I was thinking maybe it needs to be re-lubed or something...
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I figured something out on my ranger that has been bugging me for a while it was a third cly misfire so I changed the plugs and it went away for a while.the po told me he had just changed the plug wires so i didn't mess with those and it was an intermittent misfire so i changed the brain box because it was 15.00 at pull and save and it had been all updated boy did it run smooth for a while then the misfire came back. So I decided to check the 3rd cylinder plug wires and found out the one that is hard to change on the drivers side was badly rusted so i borrowed one off my windstar it was a little longer but boy does it run smoother and it doesn't die all the time and chug chug all the time now i just need to change the battery. i have already changed the clutch and the tranny twice i took one out of an 88 and it fit just fine by the way the engine is a 2.3 8 plug engine with over 230,000miles on it my next project is a timing belt and a heater core won't that be fun and yes i smell the antifreeze inside and don't like the stop leak like the last person put in.
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I just bought this truck last week. It has 55k on it, so I'm guessing it sat a lot. It seems to run great, but today on my drive to work it started having an intermittent bogging down when accelerating. It didn't seem to matter if I was accelerating soft or harder, or what rpm I'm at. It also did it when it was cold pulling off of my street and it did it once or twice after 15-20 minutes of driving. It just feels like I let off the gas for a moment, I can watch the tach drop about 500 rpm and then just as quick it picks right back up and is fine for a bit. I don't have any check engine light.
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1997 Ranger extended cab, 222k mi., 4 cyl, standard transmission. Shifting got worse until it finally died and the mechanic replaced the clutch "kit" and slave cylinder.
It still fights back going into 1st, 2nd, and reverse. But it is intermittent. If I put it in neutral, depress the clutch, and start the vehicle, then, after a few seconds wait, when I try to go into 1st (or reverse), it fights me back, forcing me to pause and apply about twice the pressure I should need to go into gear. When I go forward in 1st, and am ready to shift to 2nd, it fights back so that I have to pause just a bit and apply more pressure than I should for it to go into 2nd gear. 3rd, 4th, and overdrive are FINE. Also, the clutch seems to disengage about halfway down, where I was expecting it to disengage after only 10 -20% depression.
The mechanic doesn't see the problem (or won't admit it). Is there an adjustment to make the clutch disengage with only 10-20% depression instead of the 50%? Is that something I should be worrying about?
Is there some other problem? Like maybe the synchromesh mechanism in the transmission itself not bringing the transmission rotor to engine speed soon enough (wear on the synchromesh)?
When it was new, it went into ALL gears with ease, no fighting back, and it starrted doing this after about 150k miles. Now, at 222k mi., even with a new clutch, plate, throughout bearing, and slave cylinder, it still seems partially stuck going into 1st, 2nd, and reverse.
I just don't want to start replacing things until I can get a correct diagnosis as to what is causing the problem.
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Sometimes the LR brake skids MUCH too easily under just moderate braking. Other times it works normally. It's unpredictable. I may drive it for weeks with no trouble and then have a few days in a row when the problem comes back.
It usually happens when the truck has been sitting for a while (several hours or days). sometimes it goes away after driving for 10-15 mins, other times it sticks around a few days then stops.
I had Les Schwab inspect the brakes several months ago and they could find nothing wrong. It's been happening for a year or more.
It's a '99 Ranger, 2 wheel drive with ABS.
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I am normally on the super duty side but I have a 2002 ranger 3.0 auto EX cab if that matters with this issue. My cruse control will only come on rarely but when i does it works fine. Most of the time when I hit the ON button the indicator only blinks like a "relay" of some sort is not latching up. Don't know if this is an all solid state system or if there are electro mechanical relays involved as well. When it does work and I hit the brakes it will drop out completely rather than just disconnect from the controller and need to hit the ON button again, usually with no results.
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My 99 Ranger charges intermittently. Sometimes it is just fine, sometimes the voltmeter drops and the light comes on. Might go a mile, might go all day without an issue. Alternator was replaced 2 weeks ago. Where to look? I haven't ruled out the possibility of a bad "new" alternator, but I haven't been able to get it to act up when I actually have time to start diagnosing it. Is there a relay somewhere that could be causing this?
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2000 ranger 2.5 245000 miles. code po171 and idle problem has come back. Replace ICV, EGR, MAF, PVC, check fuel pres, air cleaner, plugs, wires, O2, check for vac leaks, Intermittently coasting at 20mph out of gear (stick shift) engine revs to 2500 rpm and holds until i brake to a stop then it idles down. So I disconnect the ICV and it runs perfect. (its a new ICV) something is telling the ICV to open up. a month ago it did the same thing when i replaced the EGR the idle problem cleared up so I thought that was it.
There is a relationship between the truck speed and the engine speed but how does the engine speed know the truck is moving when its out of gear. It work perfect for a month all of a sudden it starts this problem again. I am thinking of taking it to the ford dealer for a diagnostic test but I don't know how specific they can get on whats wrong I don't what to them to just say "oh you have a vac leak" . . . I know a 171 could be vac leak but the problem is so dramatic and off again on again it seems more like a part problem then a vac hose is either leaking or not.
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Just bought this truck and no check engine light was on, went to get it smogged so I could register it and it had the following fault codes: P1443, P0401, P1131, and P1132. The truck seems to run great in my opinion and even gets really good gas mileage. There is a whistle intermittently from the intake manifold area though that is at times pretty loud.
Smog tech told me these trucks are "notorious" for the check engine light going bad and that usually the entire instrument cluster has to be replaced in order to fix it. I'm a very experienced motorcycle /small engine tech but do not have much experience with car/truck engines and especially not with emissions control systems.
Again it is a 1996 Ford Ranger 4.0 V6, 4 wheel drive STX with 185,000 miles on it. Where to start or what might be the source(s) of these error codes?
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1985 2.3L... New fuel pump And fuel pump relay, problem was happening before new parts. the wires at inertia switch continue to get hot switch has been removed. The heat continues to under the hood where there is some so rt of connecting link and heat stops.what the is this link for, it doesn't look like A fusible link?? Saw a similar post here about a fuel pump shutting down and wires getting hot. Same problem.
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So with 172,000 miles my truck has started a new trick. When I turn on the turn signals theyll flash or interrupt normally for a few times then stop. After I turn the signal lever off and back on again they start to flash again only to stop after several times. This happens to both the left and right hand sides. The emergency flashers seem to work alright. Is this a function of the indicator flasher SF631? If so, were exactly is it located?
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Husband has 2002 Ford Ranger, 140K miles, meticulously maintained. Suddenly would not start on a Friday, fine on Saturday, not start on Sunday, started on Monday. Took to mechanic, all week everything started just dandy. They drove and hooked up to computer, nothing; cannot diagnose until actual problem occurs when they have vehicle Not ready to trade in.
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