My 2003 Ranger 2.3L When I purchased it in 2005 I never noticed this tapping noise until in 2007 when Tennessee forced 10% Ethanol added to fuel. That is when the noise started.

Any Ideas on what this could be. I have since moved to Texas and found a station that sells Ethanol Free gas, but that does not remove the noise. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks...

 

Welcome to FTE.
When, from where & under what condition does the tapping noise begin during the drive cycle??? How many miles were on it in 07 when you say you noticed it & how many miles on it now??? Edit: Do you have a CEL lit???

 

I really don't remember when it started. Tell the truth it might have been there when I bought it, just not that noticeable. The noise is coming from somewhere around the top of the engine towards the back. I heard it in older cars and it sounded like lifters knocking. I would say around 40,000 in 2007, now about 142,000. As soon as it is started the sound starts, gets a little quitter after warm up but not much. If there was a way to post a video with sound, maybe that would help.

 

Ok, good feedback. Have you been & are you now using the Ford specified service grade & viscosity engine oil & filter, or products that say in writing that they meet Fords specs???? Do you have any deposits under the cam cover, or viewable through the oil fill, or any deposits, like varnish showing on the dipstick????

 

As far as the engine oil, since I purchased the truck I used Castrol® GTX® at every oil change. When I reached about 75,000 miles I switched to Castrol® GTX® High Mileage™. Both of which claim: Meets Ford WSS-M2C930-A and Meets Ford WSS-M2C945-A. The last three oil changes I started having it done at Valvoline Express Care using MaxLife® High Mileage it shows to meet Ford WSS-M2C945-A standards.

As to your question: "Do you have any deposits under the cam cover", I don't know I've never checked.

"Viewable through the oil fill, or any deposits, like varnish showing on the dipstick?" No. none that I have seen.

When I noticed the pinging, I just thought it was because it was a 4 cylinder. It was pointed out to me at a Ford Service Center in Tennessee. The mechanic said it was not normal and would be rather costly to find out more as to the cause.

 

OK, what viscosity engine oil are you using???? have you been doing extended oil changes???? What oil filter are you using???? Some are known to cause engine noise.
Where are you on All past & present due scheduled maintenance replacement items????
At 145K miles, a number of scheduled maintenance replacement items are Way past due, like O2 sensors, PCV valve, cam belt, plugs & wires & our engines "waste spark" ignition systems are kinda persnickety about the plugs & wires we use, as our ignition system works them Twice as hard as the old distributor ignition system, so they need to be designed to take that double work load & Motorcraft finewire iridium enhanced center electrode, with platinum pad sidewire design plugs, & plug wires are recommended, as they are designed to take that double work load.


If you can use your stethoscope, or fashion one from a piece of tubing, broom handle, long screwdriver, ect, one end to the noise area, the other end to your ear, to try & narrow down some more the location of where the noise is coming from, the forum may be able to make a more educated guess of where best to look next, for the noise culprit.

 

"OK, what viscosity engine oil are you using????"
5/20 was the specified as oil type. That is what I use.

"Have you been doing extended oil changes????"
In the beginning I was running a little over on oil changes. Between 6,000 and 7,500 miles.

"What oil filter are you using????"
I believe I was buying 'Fram Tough Guard', It's been a while since I did it myself. Not sure what Valvoline Express Care uses.


"Where are you on All past & present due scheduled maintenance replacement items????Where are you on All past & present due scheduled maintenance replacement items????"
None, I was not one to get work done due to high costs at Ford. I've never had a "Tune Up" done. Same plugs and wires that came from the factory. (With the complex engines today, my moto, I Don't mess with it) I have a local mechanic I have talked to him about doing a tune up, plugs, wires ... PCV valve looks to be too hard for me to tackle, probably a costly job giving the location and amount of items that have to be removed jut to get to it.

The only problem I have had was P0171 code. Lean Bank 1. I removed one of the O2 sensors, cleaned it and put it back in. I was told at the parts store that item rarely goes bad. I ended up changing the fuel filter and that fixed the issue temporarily. I did find a cracked vacuum line that I replaced. That also fixed the issue temporarily. I used Throttle Body Cleaner, quite a bit of black deposits/gum on it. I also removed and cleaned the MAF sensor with special MAF cleaner. I regularly change the Air Filter using a as a Fram replacement.

 

I just purchased one of these from ScanTool.net. I also purchased Torque Pro for Android. Hoping I could narrow down some causes if the Code comes back. Not sure if that info will help or not? just an FYI... I've been looking into ScanXL and their Ford extended add-on. Haven't made up my mind on making the purchase yet.

 

What did you just purchase from ScanTool.net, a ELM327????
OK, so it sounds like a number of scheduled maintenance items are Way past due for replacement, to bring the vehicle up to date.
Look on your Valvolene receipt to determine what weight oil & what filter (maybe) was last put in. Seeing as how you say the noise has recently gotten louder/worse, especially if it occurred after the Valvolene shop service, then the oil filter & oil weight belong on your suspect list.
Depending on how the Valvolene shop is managed, who knows what weight oil was installed. Some use 10W-30 in everything & call it a day & use the lowest cost jobber oil filter they can find, both of which can cause untoward engine noise, especially on a cold start.
I'd maybe consider getting the specified Motorcraft oil filter on there & see if it makes a difference & if so, if it doesn't completely quiet down, maybe consider draining whats in there now & buying a known 5W-20, like a 5qt jug from Walmart & installing it yourself, or having a trusted shop do it & see how it goes. If you do it in this sequence, remove the Motorcraft oil filter to drain it, refill with new 5W-20 & re-install.
With the mileage you have on the vehicle, plugs, wires, O2 sensors, PCV valve & cam belt & belt tensioner are Way over due for replacement. If you do the cam belt, with the mileage on this puppy, also replace the cam belt tensioner & water pump while your in there.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know how your trouble shoot goes.

 

My purchase from ScanTool: It is an OBDLink MX Bluetooth ScanTool.net LLC - OBDLink MX Bluetooth Scan Tool - OBD-II Adapter | ScanTool.net - ScanTool.net

Valvoline Express Care receipt shows Valoline MaxLife 5/20. It doesn't show what oil filter was used, just that it was done.

I have always done the oil changes myself until health reasons stopped me from doing it. And yes, I was buying everything at WalMart.

As to the "PCV valve & cam belt & belt tensioner" That looks to be very costly, am I correct?

When weather warms up I plan on trying to locate the noise with a make-shift stethoscope. Thanks for the idea's.

 

You have an ELM Bluetooth type scantool, that with the right software can access most controllers on the Ranger, so that's good.
The 5w20 Maxlife is good quality oil so its fine to use. I'd get under that puppy & see what oil filter in on there & if its not the specified Motorcraft, think I'd seriously consider giving one a try, especially if the noise came about after the last oil change, as some other oil filter brands are known to cause start up engine noise.
The 4banger thermostat is expensive, don't know about the water pump, as you'd want to do that while your in there replacing the timing belt & its the labor if you have someone else do it that's expensive.
Keep us posted on your trouble shoot.

 

Your 03 with Duratech 2.3 has a knock sensor. Would add that to the list of suspects.