Man,that was close!!

I got ready for work this morning and I headed out to the Ranger.I jumped in and fired her up.Before I put it in gear to leave,I had a feeling that I had left something on in the house,so I went to check.As I was checking to see if it was the coffee pot,I hear something spitting and sputtering outside.I thought that someone had pulled up.

I ran downstairs and noticed that it was my Ranger making the noise.I jumped in and tried to rev it up,but it wouldn't budge.The tach read 300 RPM.It was a rough,and I mean R.O.U.G.H idle.It shook the truck and no matter how hard you tried to press the gas pedal down,it wouldn't rev up.So,I got mad,to say the least,and jumped into the gas-guzzlin' F-150 and headed for work.

I studied about it all day today.Could it be the O2 sensor,blown head gasket,cracked head,etc. etc. etc.I couldn't pull the codes because the Check Engine light didn't come on.I didn't know what was wrong.I kept it on my mind all day and even as I drove home.When I got there,I went over and fired it up again.Same thing.

Now,call me stupid from here on because this is just down-right insane!!

My gas gauge hasn't worked since I bought my truck.I would always fill up and reset my trip.I had 108.5 miles on a full tank of gas.I thought to myself that it couldn't be out of gas.But,something told me to pour some in it.I got my lawn mower gas can and poured the last gallon in the Ranger.

After I did that,I jumped in the truck and turned the key on,waiting to hear the fuel pump as I always do.It came on just the way that it always did.I started the Ranger and it did the same rough idle thing.I had pretty much lost hope.

As I gave it a hard kick to the floor,simply because I was mad,I didn't move my foot from the gas pedal.That's what I landed on.When I did that,it idled up to 4,000 RPM and sounded as great as it always did!!!

When I realized what I had done,I let off the gas and let it idle.It idled perfectly at 1,000 RPM,just as it had done before this came up.I feel so stupid,but at least I have finally learned to use the K.I.S.S. method.It works 99% of the time.

I'm going tomorrow to get the float for the sending unit to fix my gauge.I can't do this anymore.I thought that an EFI engine would just completely shut down when it was out of fuel though??I dunno...Maybe the pump cut back or something since it knew it had a limited supply.

I'll probably drive the big 'ol F-150 over the weekend until I can get the gauge fixed.I'm going to do it the way that I read in Ken's sticky tech article.I'm gonna take the bed off and do it that way.

I got to thinking after all of this was over.....It's a Ford,why would it not run unless it was out of gas!?!

Wish me luck.

Nightrain

 

You know, my 2.3 ('91) does this every now and then. It mostly does it though when I'm starting it and I jump the gun and stop the ignition too early (before it runs on it's own). Then it takes forever to get it to actually start, then once it does start, it runs really rough (almost like it's misfiring or something), and after I let it go for awhile (giving it an occational full throttle kick) she purs like a kitten. Strange. I dont know why it does it, maybe it gets flooded?

Anyways, glad you got 'er fixed. Good luck this weekend.

Stan

 

I'd almost say the TPS is sticking. Or the IAC is really messing up. But it does sound odd. Sounds like something that would happen with a carb. Sorry I can't be much more help.

 

Mine does the same thing that your's does.It'll run really rough right when I crank it,but then after it runs for a few minutes,she runs like a brand new truck.Funny ain't it??

If you're talking about Traxxis's problem,it sounds like you're on the right track.But,I'm not going to worry with mine.If she runs as good as she does after she warms up for a few minutes,I see no harm .

I'm gonna have to wait until next weekend to fix my fuel gauge .My local Ford dealer didn't have the float in stock and they had to order it.I should be in good shape for next weekend though.I drove it to town and filled it up just in case that ever happens again lol.

Nightrain