I bought a 2004 Ranger Edge 2wd, 3.0 auto with 160k miles last week. Body and interior are superb.
Yesterday the check engine light came on and the diagnosis is P0316 and P0305, misfires in the first 1000 revolutions and cylinder 5 misfires.
There's no warranty but the dealer will cover some costs, nice.

My local mechanic says 2 cylinders are at around 50psi and the others are at 75psi. a refurb ford engine from Ford, with new parts (i dont want these) will be $6200 installed. Then I have a great truck with a new engine that will last until the cows come home (or so it would seem).
The alternatives are to strip the current engine, redo whatever is the issue or go for a used engine and have it installed saving $2k or so, who knows.

Whats the consensus on these engines (and I want the same type of engine)

Thoughts or suggestions (be nice)

 

About 2 years the state of Calif. came up with a used car buyers lemon law. In this case (in Calif.) you would have 5 days to get your money back.

See if your state has something like it

 

I would get a used engine swap from a junkyard. Brother in law did it for his 05' Tacoma 4.0 V6 for like $2500 all in. It came with like a 6 month warranty.

 

I am in CA but the Lemon law applies to cars with warranty which mine hasnt.

 

50psi and 75psi are both way low numbers for a compression check and would suggest seriously weak motor, but you didn't say if you noticed anything bad about the way the engine runs before or after the CE light came on. Does it run fine.. idle smooth and have decent power? If so you may just have a bad ignition module/coil pack, if you just got the thing then try the easy stuff first, plugs, wires, and the coil pack, clear codes and see if operation and power improves. If that does fix it then you also need to go find another mechanic because clearly he is trying to create business where there isn't any.. which is a PC way of saying ... rip you off.

I put a used 3.0L in our 04 Ranger.. cost me about $1500 all in but I did all the work myself. Figure on 2 days labor for a shop that has all the tools. For a vehicle this age I don't see spending 6 grand for a new motor to be money well spent.

 

To be honest it does run fine, Idles great etc but it does seem down on power from what I would expect a 3.0 to produce. But there again I have nothing to compare it to. There is no difference in before or after the CE light came on, its the same.

 

The P0315 may be caused by the P0305 misfire code.

Maybe consider connecting your vacuum gauge & with the engine at operating temp, scroll down here How to Use and Interpret a Vacuum Gauge to view the various test scenarios & tell us which one/s most closely match what you find on your engine.

Seeing as how the remainder of the vehicle looks so good, how does the top end under the valve covers look for deposits/kind/amount?
How does the dipstick look for deposits?

Did the selling Dealer use Oasis to pull up the past service history on this vehicle?

Have you contacted the last owner to inquire about how they maintained the vehicle, or any problems they had?

 

If I were unable to diagnose and repair my own stuff, I would not replace an engine based on one shops diagnosis.........I would get a 2nd and maybe even a 3rd opinion. With that being said......I put a new long block in my '99 with a 3.0........purchased from a reputable auto parts store.......3 year unlimited mileage warranty.........$1800 after they got my core back. Not a bad job on the '99.....not sure about yours. If you are able to do it yourself, the truck would be worth a new engine, If not, probably not worth $6000 unless you plan on keeping it till it is totally dead.......I would have (or do myself) some more trouble shooting before I pulled the trigger on a new engine,

 

Thanks all for the replies. I'm getting a second opinion next week and will check the other items this weekend, time willing.
i drove the truck today and it starts and runs no problem, idles well, just seems low on pickup power IMO. But not undrivable.

 

IN my opinion the 3.0 is not a speed demon or a muscle engine,,,if it runs ok,,,not using excessive amounts of oil and getting fair gas mileage ,,,i would just drive it for a while and see if what happens before running out and buying another motor,,,but that is just one old redneck opinion

 

Agreed........they aren't a real powerhouse and they will last a long time........my brother has one that the motor has to have at LEAST 200,000 on it........probably hasn't had the oil changed in it in at least 100,000........It was still starting......unaided.....in -25 degree temps......not sure if its still in that good of shape or if its just that loose that the cold didn't bother it LOL.......I know if it were mine and I had failed to maintain it like he has......It would have blown into about a million pieces long ago.....LMAO

 

Yup, in no rush to spend money when it seems OK. I'm hoping with all the rain we had in CA something is not working like the plugs or coils.
cheers

 

I would have expected two cylinders with the numbers reported to affect the idle, making it a bit lumpy, rather than a smooth idle.
That said, did the 'mechanic' try a Tbsp of oil into the cylinder, all, to see if sealing the rings with oil brought them back to snuff compared to the others? Doubt it.
I would do the oil test, check the readings and go from there. If the test was botched, you might get the low readings when nothing is actually wrong.
If you do the test, you might find the valves are the cause. Some Vulcans had 'valve seat receeding' problems, and that would mess with the idle, but seem to run OK. You can get your heads re-done for a lot less than $6k. Closer to a couple hundred per head. Check local machine shop rates, or swap for re-man at your parts store, or Rock Auto, and onlines. Heads, a valve grind gasket set, and a day spent sitting on the fenders and you're good to go for another 100k.
Another alternative is a used 3.0. They are all over the place, and a decent one can be gotten for ~$500 ballpark. Again, a day under the hood, with a rental cherry picker and you're back in business for a lot less.
You may come to find what I have discovered years ago:
Learn or pay. If you choose not to learn, you will pay for everything - to be done by someone who has taken the time to learn. If you learn, you can do things on your own, and not be scared when that red light come on in the cluster, or who knows, but you will have confidence, and some 'starting point' of knowledge. Or you can pay every time.
If you are a reader, get a Chiltons or Motors manual from the library and read on engine work. Many things can be done in the home garage or basement without expensive special tools. Even in Kalifornia, where fireplaces have been outlawed in some areas.
tom

 

Also on the subject of the compression test, the engine should be hot when tested. Excessive blow-by can occur on a cold engine, lowering compression readings.

 

I was thinking the same thing....it could be a problem with the heads (as described in TSB 05-26-3).