I have just bought a 94 ranger with the 2.3l 4 banger. Im a retired military service member living in Germany. I keep getting a check engine light if the truck runs at idel after 20 sec. If I start it up and run at a fast idel no check engine light comes on. I hooked up my little obdII tester and it shows an error of 224. I have replaced all plugs and plug wires. Also I replaced the coil packs. I still get the error and check engine light.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for the next step? I don´t have a autozone here to test coil packs or icm.
Is their other tests I can do at my house ? I´m not at an option of running down to the local parts store for things. I need to order everything for the USA.
Thanks and hope someone can help.

 

A couple of questions, is this a Euro, or USA Ranger shipped over there????

This is a 94, so is likely a OBD-1 diagnostics system, with the under hood DLC, right???
As I understand it, All 94 Rangers were OBD-1, some 95 Rangers were OBD-2 & some were OBD-1 & all 96 & later Rangers were OBD-2 diagnostics.

If so, I show the OBD-1 P0224 code as Open SPOUT circuit. SPOUT = SPark OUTput, so if its OBD-1, look to a under hood, loose fitting, corroded, or missing SPOUT connector & let us know what you find.

 

Is a 94 US Ranger, bought it for a soldier. Was first sold in Florida.
Sorry and it is an OBD-1. My OBD-1 connector is located behind the power distribuatiob box on the drivers side. the error code was during the KOEO test.

I think I found the SPOUT connector ( on drivers side near the OBD-1 conector). A little gray plug in the engine harness. with a green and a gray-red striped wire. I have disconnected it and re-connected it nothing happens. Is their some kind of voltage reading I can get off the two wires. Or is this not the SPOUT?



test point




eng. compartment




is this the SPOUT

 

94 2.3L I have has a dual coilpack, 2 spark plugs per cylinder.
Stock engine, no mods

 

Ok, good feedback & good idea to post pictures. The first two are of the under hood OBD-1 diagnostic connector for a scan tool, or code reader.

Yes the third photo is I believe of the SPOUT connector.
If the SPOUT circuit is open, it should affect timing, so what does idle timing look like with your inductive timing light????

We can check for the SPOUT signal with a LED, or high impedance multi-meter, so we don't overload a solid state in the circuit.

Are you having any other drive ability problems, like wimpy power at throttle up, spark knock, difficult to start, ect???

 

Thanks PawPaw. I will try to check the timing later today or tomorrow. Also I will hook up a led between the two wires on the SPOUT and see if it lights up.

I´m headed to a car show with my 64 ranchero deluxe today.

The truck starts fine and it isn´t sluggest to the throttle. No knocking. if I hold the gas pedal down to get a higher idle ( say 1500 rpm) the check enging light won´t come on until it idles for a little bit.

I don´t have a wiring diagram for the truck to make sure the wire colors are correct on the SPOUT. Internet said something about pink wires but mine are green abd a gray with red strip.

 

Have a look here for wiring info. Search Wiring Diagrams Let us know how your trouble shoot goes.

 

Found the SPOUT..gray connector with two pink wires.


Then I checked the timing. With the SPOUT connected I get a reading of 20 deg... If I disconect the SPOUT it goes to 11 deg. The timimg doesnt change if I check the timing before the check engine comes on or not. For it takes 20 sec after the engine is running for the check engine light to come on. But does´not come on if you bring the rpms up to 1500 or so right after you start it, but when you come back down to idle 10 sec later it comes on.

 

again the code I get from tester is 224

224

internet says this..???????????

 

OK, Now the SPOUT connector wire color looks correct.

The timing advance, rpm & time for the CEL to come on info & about the CEL going out if rpm is above 1500, is more good input. I'm still not able to get my mind right to understand why it would act that way & what all its trying to tell us, as I was expecting timing Not to change, (when the CEL is on & the computer thinks the SPOUT circuit is open) & you remove the SPOUT connector. With the CEL on, I was expecting the timing to Not change.

I suppose if you were performing the timing test right after a days First cold start, before the system went into open loop operation, I suppose the computer could be by programming be in control of a set value of timing advance.

Timing is moving as it should, when you remove the SPOUT connector, so at least we know that part of the circuit is ok, or it wouldn't change at all with the SPOUT plug removed.
So, it seems the problem the computer is detecting is elsewhere in the circuit.

With the CEL going Out at 1500 rpm, the computer is telling us that it no longer detects the SPOUT circuit is open, so I guess now its time to put the crank sensor, its electrical connector & contacts, mounting bolt tightness/sensor position, wiring run, & the crankshaft cogs being damaged or dirty, on the suspect list for inspection.
Make sure the crankshaft sensor is mounted tight, it's electrical connector internal contacts are undamaged & without corrosion & the wires to it are undamaged, as well as the crank shaft timing cogs being undamaged or dirty.

After the CEL comes on at idle, you might try a wiggle/thump test of the SPOUT, crank sensor & ICM module wiring & electrical connectors, to see if any make the CEL go off, then inspect that part of the circuit wiring more closely & let us know what you find.

 

PawPaw:
once the CEL comes on it wont go off until you shut it off and restart, Then is will stay off for 20 sec or so after a restart and come back on if truck is returned to an idle. But if you restart and bring the rpms up the CEL will not come on until it returns to idle for 20 sec.

Maybe id explained it better with the CEL now.

OK I try next week to check the crankshaft sensor, wires and connections.
What you meen by the crank shaft timing clogs?
Some of these terms are new to me.
Thanks PawPaw some how we will get to the end of this problemWe are going to beat this thing somehow

 

If you look at the OD of the crank shaft pulley, it should have ribs, or teeth, or vanes at regular intervals that pass close to the crank sensor to cause its output to pulse, via electro magnetic induction of those teeth passing close to the sensor coil. The top dead center location of the piston in its bore is determined by the computer sensing & counting those vane electrical pulses & when it gets to the spot on the pulley where a vane/tooth is missing, it knows that the piston travel is at top dead center in its bore stroke & then figures when to fire the spark plugs. SO, if the crank sensor's output is wimpy, or otherwise corrupt, such that it can't sense what's happening, it'll set a trouble code clue.
Sometimes its a general code clue & doesn't point us to the exact spot to look, or clue us what to look for, so without test equipment, we have to begin to look for simple obvious things we can see & hope to get to nirvana by the process of elimination!!!! lol, but get there by whatever means it takes, we likely will, just hang in there & learn as we go!!!!
It being time driven & rpm sensitive & maybe heat/vibration sensitive, are good clues if we can interpret them correctly & those clues, along with the P0224 trouble code, suggest to me, maybe its a faulty electrical connection in the SPOUT circuit some where & maybe we can aggravate it enough with a thump/wiggle test to have it show & isolate itself.
Did you come by a test LED yet, that could help too.

 

Something simple just popped into my feeble mind that jogs with the 1500 rpm clue. How is the condition of the battery & alternator voltage output at idle?? If they're low, the crank sensor output could be low at idle.

 

I need to order an cheap LED so I can check the SPOUT. Then when I get an LED I will connect it between the two pink wires on the SPOUT and let you know the results.

The battery is new. I havent checked the voltage in alt or battery yet. I will do this tomorrow,

Throttle response seems to be fine and doesn´t appear to be miss-firing.
I noticed a leak in the exhaust today, Would that cause an 224 error to occure in idle?

I´m doing my best to keeping you informed on everything I find.

 

And while I'm thinking about it, Thank You for your Service. We need folks that aren't afraid to stand in the way of the bad guys!!!!