I am new here so this may be something covered previously. I have a 1999 Ranger XLT 3.0 75,000 Miles. The check engine light goes off and on throughout the week whenever it feels like it. I have had the truck checked with a code scanner with the light on and off and it is not producing any codes. Also the truck does run rougher when the light is on and there is a slight ping. When the light goes off the ping goes away.If any one else has ever had this problem Please HELP Thanks.

 

How long since your last tune-up? If the plugs/wires are oringinal you may want to consider changing them. While doing that you could also change your air filter and clean your MAF as well as your throttle body. These are just cheap easy maintenance tips that may cure the problem. It would be a good time to do the fuel filter as well.
If it is running rough or idling rough....it very well may be an intermittant problem with the IAC or EGR flow.

 

Welcome to FTE!!!

That should be setting a code, who checked the codes?

 

Just curious.. what color is the truck and where are you located?

 

I can only wonder what that has to do with anything captain lol.

Yeah somethings up, if that light comes on a code is popped and stored, they don't just dissapear randomly. Get Autozone to pull them for you and give them to you.

 

Well i had a cursed ranger 3.0 with about 70,000 when i let it go.. just wondering if it came along to haunt someone else. lol

 

I have just replaced the plugs about two months ago and the air filter also.
It has been checked through a mechanic friend I have with a MAC Tools Scanner I think is the brand. I think it is time for some new wires though.

 

Would be a small world if he ended up with your "cursed" Ranger.

 

Yeah, i guess i just saw ranger and cursed and automatically thought about mine!

 

Haha, well let's hope that yours has found a home where it can't do any more damage!

 

Since he's a mechanic ask him to look through pinpoint test QA to determine why your getting a CEL without setting a code.

 

Check to see if they (the plug wires) are arcing out anywhere. Best to do this at night or somewhere dark. I had a 93 F-150 that did this but it wasn't internmittent. It did it all the time. One plug wire was was arcing on a valve cover. Moved the wire and all was good again. Drove me nuts trying to find the problem.

 

Welcome to th FTE forum Kfyr23.

Did these problems begin AFTER you replaced the plugs, or was it present BEFORE the plug replacement????

If it came about AFTERWARDS, some more questions come to mind, like the brand of replacement plug you used, it's heat range, did you butter the plugs insulator & boot, with a good dielectric grease, did you reroute any of the plug wires, or notice any damage to them or their covering boots, did you perhaps damage the plugs insulators, or wires, during replacement ????

If the problem was present BEFORE the plug relacement, has ALL of the vehicles previous scheduled maintenance been done, such that it's now up to date????

The 3.0L is known to be a "pinger", so as has been suggested, things like a clean fuel filter, air filter, MAF, the right heat range & type of plug, will all play a role in making it perform right.

Several on here have had good luck wih Motorcraft's new "fine wire" plugs, in a colder heat range, to be a good choice of plug, for their 3.0L pinger.

I have a 99 4.0L thats even persnickety about the brand of gas I put in it!!!!

So as has been suggested, get the computer scanned by your favorite autoparts store, Advance Auto & AutoZone in my area will do it at no charge, if your having problems, regardless of whether the CEL is on or not, so call around & see what the policy is in your area.

If you had a CEL, there likely is a code or codes, stored in the computer.

So, get the codes pulled & post ALL of them here, as has been suggested!!!!

Giving us some feedback on where you are on scheduled maint. will be helpful too.

 

could be just a bad dummy light or an o2 sensor.