Hello All

I have had my '00 Ranger Supercab 3.0L automatic for 3 yrs. now. I have had an pinging/knocking sound coming from the drivers side the whole time. I recently replace the MAF (it went bad and immobilized the truck, had to be towed to private garage and get it done...because it was $200 then a Ford garage) and this greatly lessoned the problem. I still have the problem when accelerating up an incline @ around 45 miles an hour (roughly 3000 RPM's). I have seen this discussed through out secetions of this forum and wanted to know if everyone had arrived at a general solution???

Thanks in advance

P.S.
Other then the spark knocking I think the Ranger is a great vehicle...a bias opinion from a man from a Ford loving family

 

Hi Ranger, welcome to Ford truck Enthusiasts!

I usually encourage people to do a search in this forum and also the Ranger Forum using the keyword "ping" but it seems like you have already done that. As you can probably tell from what you have read, there has really been no "cure all" solution found to the 3.0L pinging problem. However, here are some general points that everyone seems to agree on:

(1) Keep your motor well tuned ...plugs, wires and good 02 sensors are important, as is keeping your MAF clean.

(2) Keep your EGR system well tuned ....if you are not getting a "check engine" light, then this is usually functioning fine;

(3) Keep your Cooling System clean and full of fresh coolant. Proper cooling of the engine helps keep combustion chamber temperatures down which directly affects pinging;

(4) Try and keep the upper cylinder area free of carbon...one way to help accomplish this is to run some good fuel system cleaner through the motor every now and then.

(5) Use a good, name brand gasoline.

 

Have you tried a lower temp t-stat. Mine is a 93 vulcan, and had really bad probs with it, but after plugs/wires/tuneup it still had some problems. I replaced the thermostat with a 180* version and it helped calm it down a lot. Keeps the air charge a bit cooler.

 

Hey,

I have a 01' Ranger 3.0 EDGE with a 5spd. I love the truck very much and it's performed well, but with only about 30k miles on it it began the spark-knocking. Drove me nuts. Here I traded off a 91 Ranger with over 100k on it that did the exact same thing...UGH! Anyways, after doing all the tune-up stuff, it still did it. Furthermore, I noticed that alot of tauruses and vans with the 3.0 doing the same thing. I asked several mechanics about it and got the runaround, then just decided to try one of their's advice. He said to use a higher grade gas. I figured, what the heck....and went instantly and filled up with 93 octane. Fixed the problem right away and haven't had any problems since. Just up your gas grade and see if that doesn't do it.

Sam78

 

Oh BTW...it has almost 50k on it now, and not a knock to date!And I know the owners' manuals say not to use anything other than 87 oct. but I really think these engines were built for the higher grade gas. I get almost 28mpg and have a 3.73 rearend. So that says something!! other than that, it's all stock. I also have more low-end torque and towing power. HUGE difference!

Hope this helps!

Sam78

 

I've got a 99 3.0 4WD auto. Purchased it 2 years
ago with 17k on it and no pinging at that time.
During the last 6 months between 30k and 36 k
miles...the pinging began and was progressively
getting worse. After reading the various threads
on the Ranger 3.0 boards, I attempted to see
if I could solve the problem. Going to a higher
octane helped...but I thought I should be able
to go back to 87 octane with no pinging like
it was when I got it.

Started by checking the EGR. Pulled it and made
sure it was working and holding vacuum. It
checked OK. Then cleaned the MAF which
made no difference. Went to a cooler spark
plug...still no difference. Threw in a new air
filter and fuel filter. Still no difference.

Next, i order a DPFE from NAPA and tried that...
still no difference. I continued looking on the net
and I came across Ranger Bill's idea of putting
in a variable resisitance in air intake temperature
senor circuit. On a hunch, I thought that maybe
the value of the thermistor in the sensor had
changed over the past 6 months...so I ordered
an air intake temperature sensor from NAPA
and installed it. I disconnected the battery...
unhooked the sensor...twisted it out and put
the new one in. I reconnected the battery ( it
had been disconnected for about 15 minutes)
and started it up and let it come up to operating
temperature. Low and behold...pinging was
gone. I ran it for about 2 weeks through 2
tanks of gas (87 octane) with no rattle at all.
I wanted to know for sure...so i installed the
old sensor...and pinging came right back. I then
put the new sensor back in and pinging was
gone.

At no time did I ever get a check engine light.
In retrospect...I wish I had tried the air intake
temperature sensor first because the DPFE
cost around 70 dollars while the temperature
sensor cost about 19 dollars with tax.

If you're at your witts end with the annoying
pinging and you've tried all the other fixes
...it may be worth the 19 bucks to try a new
air intake temperature sensor.

Geo.

 

I have a 99 Ranger 2wd, 5 spd manual. It has 75k miles on it, and it did ping a lot whenever I accelerated. I switched to midgrade fuel and it took care of the problem completely, no pinging at all.

Just my .02

Jim

 

I have a 1993 Ranger 3.0L Supercab 2WD with 255,000 Km. Bought the truck used with 60,000 Km. I too had a ping , especially when going up a hill. I was using regular grade gas at that time. I switched to high test gas and never had a problem since.

 

I've got a '91 Ranger with the 3.0, 241,000 miles, and I had the same problem years ago. I started using 93 Octane and it fixed the problem right away. When the gas prices went sky high, I dropped down to 89 to see how it would do. Driving back and forth to work and running around it's fine. If you put a load on it, it'll ping some going up a hill, but I hardly ever load it down, so I just continue to use the 89. I still get around 20-21 mpg.

 

I dont get it. A vehicle is designed to run on 87 octane gas. The vehicle does so for years with no problems and without pinging. It suddenly begins to ping under almost all driving conditions. Many of you guys switch to a higher grade gas and actually believe that you fixed something.

 

Sometimes a problem is such that, if you cannot eradicate its cause, then you must control its effect.

Higher octane gasoline is specifically made to be more resistant to pinging: Connection B/T Octane Rating & Spark Knock

 

Good point Rockledge. I may try Vortmax's air temperature sensor. Can't adj the distributor timing because hold down bolt is rusted stuck.

 

FYI Ford put out a TSB for this particular problem.

 

I have 58k on my 98 3L ranger. Had the ping. I used 89 or higher gas and it did help, but should run on 87 fine. Tried the replacing the DPFE. No change. Replaced the air temp intake sensor, no change. Replaced the coil pack. Bingo! Ran a tank of 87 through, no pings. Put in a half tank of 85, pings a little but not as much as 87 did before the coil pack change. I'll run out the rest of the 85 then go back to 87. Thanks to all the people on here, what a great message board.

-bob

 

In my 2000 3.0 auto.-

87 octane = enough ping to be annoying.

93 octane = zero ping.

89 octane = almost zero ping. This is what I use all the time. I know the owner's manual says to use 87 octane. Maybe that works most places but here in hot & humid Florida I've never owned a vehicle that ran good on the lower octane gas.