Sometimes we get lucky
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 1
From: Dexter, MI
Sometimes we get lucky
Hi All,
My truck: 1991 Ranger, standard cab, long bed, 2.3 l., 5 sp.
I bought this truck about 2 1/2 years ago with 58K miles on it. As winter approached, I discovered that I had an idle problem. The engine would often stay on a high idle speed (1100 - 1300 rpm) for as long as I drove it and until I turned the engine off. Sometimes, it would idle down to 600 - 700 rpm on the restart; sometimes it wouldn't. Even when it would drop to normal idle speed and then I would drive 30 to 40 miles at expressway speeds, it would be back to idling at 1100 - 1200 rpm when I came off the expressway. All the while there was no "check engine" light on. This sure seemed odd.
I took the truck to the Ford dealer. According to all their diagnostic checks, they could not find anything wrong - all that for a $80 diagnostic fee. I had several mechanics check it out. One said the ECT was bad. We replaced it. Same problem. Another mechanic kept the truck for several days, leaving is sit outside overnight and checking it in the morning. Aha - the IAC was dirty. Cleaned it up. Same problem. The IAC was bad. Replaced it. Same problem. I wrote about the problem on FTE. Not much luck there either. I gave up on it for a while.
I kept reading all the stuff others of you have asked about and I kept wondering. What can it be? The truck was due for 75 K mile service. How about cleaning the MAF and injectors. The dealer said they could not find the problem, but after the work was done, lo and behold, the problem is solved. The MAF was real dirty.
I guess I don't understand enough about how the fuel system, the emissions system and the electronic controls to figure it out. Problem solved. As I said - Sometimes we get lucky.
My truck: 1991 Ranger, standard cab, long bed, 2.3 l., 5 sp.
I bought this truck about 2 1/2 years ago with 58K miles on it. As winter approached, I discovered that I had an idle problem. The engine would often stay on a high idle speed (1100 - 1300 rpm) for as long as I drove it and until I turned the engine off. Sometimes, it would idle down to 600 - 700 rpm on the restart; sometimes it wouldn't. Even when it would drop to normal idle speed and then I would drive 30 to 40 miles at expressway speeds, it would be back to idling at 1100 - 1200 rpm when I came off the expressway. All the while there was no "check engine" light on. This sure seemed odd.
I took the truck to the Ford dealer. According to all their diagnostic checks, they could not find anything wrong - all that for a $80 diagnostic fee. I had several mechanics check it out. One said the ECT was bad. We replaced it. Same problem. Another mechanic kept the truck for several days, leaving is sit outside overnight and checking it in the morning. Aha - the IAC was dirty. Cleaned it up. Same problem. The IAC was bad. Replaced it. Same problem. I wrote about the problem on FTE. Not much luck there either. I gave up on it for a while.
I kept reading all the stuff others of you have asked about and I kept wondering. What can it be? The truck was due for 75 K mile service. How about cleaning the MAF and injectors. The dealer said they could not find the problem, but after the work was done, lo and behold, the problem is solved. The MAF was real dirty.
I guess I don't understand enough about how the fuel system, the emissions system and the electronic controls to figure it out. Problem solved. As I said - Sometimes we get lucky.
Some posts can be painfull to read.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Mid-Mitten
Yaay... a cheap fix! Thanks for the symptom description.
I'm curious - does it have a K&N-type oiled air filter installed? I've heard of some folks reporting oil from the filter fouling up the MAF downstream.
I'm curious - does it have a K&N-type oiled air filter installed? I've heard of some folks reporting oil from the filter fouling up the MAF downstream.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 1
From: Dexter, MI
Sometimes we get lucky
No, moat, I don't have a K & N filter, just the stock one. I wasn't sure if the problem was caused by the intake air not being preheated. And I've heard the stories about oil problems with that filter.
The fix wasn't cheap. Not being sure of what I would be doing, I had the dealer do it. As you know, work done by a Ford dealer isn't cheap.
The fix wasn't cheap. Not being sure of what I would be doing, I had the dealer do it. As you know, work done by a Ford dealer isn't cheap.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
From: Mid-Mitten
There's a great "sticky" of tech information, at the top of the Ranger forum main page - if you ever decide to tackle cleaning the MAF yourself in the future, here's a link from the "sticky" -
MAF cleaning
I just ask - because in over 220k mi., I've never "had" to clean my MAF - it seems to stay very clean (although I did clean it a time or two, while chasing down another problem - it didn't really need it, though) - running a stock paper filter. Seems a little unusual, that your MAF was so dirty in 75k mi. - is all. Lots of dirt roads, maybe?
In all reality though... it probably came off of the assembly line that way!!
MAF cleaning
I just ask - because in over 220k mi., I've never "had" to clean my MAF - it seems to stay very clean (although I did clean it a time or two, while chasing down another problem - it didn't really need it, though) - running a stock paper filter. Seems a little unusual, that your MAF was so dirty in 75k mi. - is all. Lots of dirt roads, maybe?
In all reality though... it probably came off of the assembly line that way!!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
buddss
1997 - 2006 Expedition & Navigator
28
Sep 21, 2015 08:37 AM
