Double post.

 

OK I checked and the timing belt did not slip. Thank god. So right now im gonna try changing the coolant temp sensor to atleast get rid of code 118. The thing I do not understand is that when I perform the KOEO code test its all clear. If the DIS module where bad wouldnt it show here. And if the dual hall effect sensor were bad wouldnt my truck run very bad. They truck runs really bad when its warm but when if i turn my rad fan on and let it cool down again it will run fine until it heats up again. I am hoping that for some reason these codes came from the bad Coolant temp sensor but doubting it. Also this is off topic but I was reading on this website that says
http://rockledge.home.comcast.net/Ra...y/DIS_EDIS.htm
"The spark plugs in the two cylinders are in series electrically, with the circuit being completed through the cylinder block. When a coil fires, high voltage current flows INTO the top of first plug and OUT the top of the second plug, completing a big loop in each case. This means that the firing voltage of one spark plug is negative with respect to ground, while the other is positive with respect to ground. Half the spark plugs actually see a different polarity than the others do."
Is this true of our trucks. I was reading a post on here a while back that our trucks engines were not grounded correctly and they recommended running a ground wire from the batt to the intake manifold. But from this website I am thinking that this ground wire could mess up the voltage reaching the 2nd or ground spark. Am I not seeing something or does it just not matter. Thanks

 

Ok I changed out the ECT sensor and it seemed to do nothing. So now I guess im gonna check out the Dual hall sensor next. I can hopefully check this out tom. Thanks for the help everyone

 

OK today on the freeway the check engine light came on again and this time stayed on for about 20mins. When I got home I pulled the codes and the only one was code 214. So does this mean that the camshaft sensor is bad. THanks for the help

 

If it were mine, I'd try and find a used DIS module from a junkyard and see of that fixes it. Even if it turns out not to be the problem, it's always nice to have a spare DIS module around when troubleshooting ignition probems. It's simple to replace and should be pretty cheap used.

If it's not the DIS module, then it's time to replace the dual hall-effect sensor. That requires a bit more wrenching. You'll want a new sensor for that.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DISTR...QQcmdZViewItem
Ok I just want to make sure this is what I need. I am trying to find more info on what the DIS module is exactly but still not 100% sure. Thanks again ROCKLEDGE

 

This is a good visual:

http://autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/090...rInfoPages.htm

 

Seeing as how this seems to be a problem when the engine is hot, with the engine cold, try heating the DIS module with something like a hair dryer, or heat gun, or heat lamp & see if you can cause the failure to repeat.

Maybe your local autparts store could bench test your DIS module, if so, take along a heat source, for the bench test.

If that doesn't pan out, with the engine cold, try heating the crankshaft dual hall sensor & see if you can cause it to act out.

Just a test thought or two, to try & isolate the problem.

Will be interesting to know what you finally discover the problem to be.

 

Ok so I brought the DIS to autozone today and they said it was all good. So I am guessing its the dual hall sensor that is bad. The only thing that is bothering me is that when I was installing the DIS I only put two bolts in to hold it and when I tried to start it it wasnt grounded well enough and ran really rough and the check engine light came on that popped both the 211 and 214 code. This would make sense since I was getting both of these codes but the only thing is that the truck would die eventually if it lost all ground. Then I tested it and disconnected the camshaft sensor and the only code I got was code 214. So what do you guys think. Do you think its the DIS messing up when it gets hot or the dual hall sensor. Im about to just buy both of them and be done with it. Again thanks for all the help. I will let you know what it ended up being.

 

Well, when you took that puppy to the autoparts store for testing, did you take the wife's hair dryer, or your heat gun along, to heat it up when they tested it?????

Remember you said the vehicle runs ok when things are cold, so if the module was bench tested cold/room temp, it would probably test ok.

If you did take a heat source along & warmed it up during the test & it checked ok, I'd probably give it a pass.

If you didn't heat it up on the bench test, then all you've confirmed is what you already knew, it's ok when cold/room temp, so you still don't know if it's acting out hot.

SO, if you didn't bench test it hot, I'd redo the bench test & this time take a heat source along & warm that puppy up real good & see how the bench test goes.

I know your getting impatient, maybe even frustrated, but stay calm & focused & logically think this through, you can whip this problem.

Don't bother wasting time & money, throwing parts at the problem, until you have a known target, ot it'll likely anger & frustrate you even more imo, does me.

Take the time to do a little more trouble shooting, get a positive result & fix the problem with a wise expendature of your gold.

Just a couple more questions & thoughts for pondering.

 

Alright so I found a motorcraft DIS sensor on ebay cheap enough and when I installed it the problem was still there. The only code I get is code 214: which is the cylinder identification failure. So now im guessing it must be the camshaft sensor. The only thing I dont get is why the sensor would go bad when it gets warm. Also the truck drove the same when the camshaft sensor was unplugged. What else could this be. Thanks again for all the help

 

I'm not following you. If the camshaft sensor is unplugged, then that means the crankshaft sensor is also unplugged (since both sensors are really only a single component with a single wire harness connector). Without a PIP signal, the truck won't run at all. So you must have unplugged something other than the camshaft position sensor.

 

isnt it right next to the ignition sensor? It sure looked like it. Where exactly is the camshaft position sensor located then? What sensor is that one that I am disconnecting then. Now im confused. I thought for sure that it was the camshaft position sensor.

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us...rInfoPages.htm

On here this looks exactly like the sensor for a 94 2.3l california edition ranger. It has 3 wires on the connector. Is there any way for the engine to keep running b/c I am almost positive that this was the sensor.

 

OK, I just dug deep into the wiring diagrams and it looks like there is indeed a seperate camshaft postion sensor on the 1994 California 2.3L. So it does not have the dual-hall effect sensor I spoke about earlier. This important fact is not mentioned anywhere in the '94 Ford Manual except in the schematics, so I didn't know about it. Sorry 'bout that.

At this point, I suppose replacing the camshaft position sensor is the logical next step, since that's the code you are still getting.

 

Thats my luck to get a screwball year different from every other one. So im gonna try the camshaft position sensor first. Then if that doesnt work its time for a bonfire (I wish) . No but if it doesnt work I think im gonna cut my losses and sell the truck to get a newer ranger like a 99-01 4liter so I can actually keep up with traffic. Thanks again for all the help from every one especially Rockledge