I have an '86 2.9 V6 ranger. The other day when I was driving to work all of a sudden it started to sputter and miss really bad. I pulled over stepped on the clutch and it stalled. It started right back up, went about 5 miles did the same thing, went to shift down to a lower gear once I pushed in the clutch it stalled, but again started right back up. After that it ran fine and I got to work, the maintenance people said it sounded like I had water in the gas and they gave me a bottle of dry gas to put in it. That night I got about 2 miles and it started acting up, again started right back up and ran for about another 2 miles. Let's say it took 30 minutes to get down the road when it takes 5-10, also I filled up the tank again and put another bottle of dry gas in it which it didn't help. So finally I got it back to work and had somebody pick me up. Yesterday when I got to work I asked the maintenance guys to see if they could think of anything, they said possibly be the coil getting to hot and cutting out. So after work I started it up and took it for a ride. It ran with no problems. So I took it home and had no problems. The funny thing is now I filled up the tank the night before and work was 5 miles away from the gas station, now I have a half a tank left I am curious on where all my gas went? Could have been that much water in the tank? Could I have sucked alot of water from the gas station's tank (on the last fill up not this one)? Something seems odd. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

If you only went 5 miles either you have a leaking tank, bad fuel gauge sendor or someone borrowed some from your tank, can't see how you could burn that much without having a cloud of black smoke behind you.

 

I's suspect a fuel leak. The engine can be sputtering due to insufficient fuel. Look for breaks/ cuts in the fuel line. I'd suspect you are leaking somewhere.

BTW, how long since you changed your fuel filter?

 

Perhaps a leak on the high pressure side of the gas line, only leaking when running.
Dave

 

I will check to see if I am leaking fuel. I don't think I am because I didn't see any fuel or smelled any when I had it running parked in the parking lot. I was wondering if a fuel sensor could be bad and it was getting too much gas because one time when I was driving it backfired and alot of white smoke came out of the exhaust also a couple of times when I had to pull over I thought it was smoke coming from the hood but heat gauge and everything was ok it might have been exhaust, could have it been getting too much gas and the engine couldn't handle it maybe? Just a suggestion.

 

white smoke=water (coolant)
black smoke=too much gas