what would make my 90 ranger run fine somtimes and 5 mi. down the road it starts spitting and sputtering, then a few miles later it will run fine? it's got me bummfuzzeld. any help at all would be great!

thanks!

 

Fuel or spark.
Fuel: filter filled with crud over the miles, pump on the way out or the pump relay taking a break. The rollover switch may also need to be reseated.
Spark: the coil(s) may be dying, the wires may be arcing, probably the plugs are OK.

Pull engine codes from the computer. Do you have CEL lit?
tom

 

Sometimes. It will come on for a while then go off. I was thinking maybe it was one of the coil packs. But I think I wiil try a fuel filter first, as the coil packs are pretty expensive.
Thanks!
Tony

 

try an oxigen sensor thats what was wrong with my 91 ford ranger

 

If you are getting a CEL, you should pay attention to it before throwing parts. In the long run (maybe short, too) it will be cheaper to fix what it *Knows* is broke.
my2cents
tom

 

Dump some heat or something similar in the gas tank. Sounds like water in the fuel to me. A new fuel filter is never a bad idea. If you feel uncomfortable changing the filter yourself, the dealership will do it for about $30.00. These are the only cheap fixes I can think of, but it's a place to start.

 

Couple other things to check: Air cleaner element is clean and the case is closed and snapped shut, MAF sensor is clean and throttle body is clean.

There is Air Intake Cleaner available at most auto parts stores that should be used on the throttle body to remove the build up and also works well on cleaning the small wire on the MAF.

Also good idea to "feel" the exhaust coming from the tailpipe for a "miss". You should be able to detect the steady "rhythm" of each cylinder firing.

Simple things with absolutely minimal cost.

Russ

 

there could be a short somewhere, my uncles blazer would run cut-out then run again.

 

Maybe the TFI module (~$60). If you take it to AutoZone they can test it, pretty common problem on those engines. The module is easy to overheat b/c Ford put it on the dizzy, later models remotely-located it to the fender.

Check the plugs/wires/fuel first though, much less expensive

 

Found the problem guys! First I tried a fuel filter, but to no avail, so i decided to try changing plugs and wires "BINGO". On two plugs the tips were cracked in two places! It runs like a champ! Thanks for all the advice and suggestions! Thanks again guy's!

Tony