I have a 1994 Ranger XLT with the 2.3l engine. Its 2wd and manual with just over 150k. I am about to enter my third winter driving this truck and I am dreading it. I'll throw my list of gripes at you and we'll see if anyone here can help me.

I'll not complain about the utter worthlessness of this truck in the snow, or its non-existent off-roading capability, just give you a few of the major issues I am having.

The biggest issue at the moment is the fuel efficiency. I went from a '92 Accord 5spd to this Ranger and I had a significantly higher fuel efficiency. I drove the Honda like a maniac, racing anyone who looked at me, and still had better mileage. When I start it up, before it warms up, there is a noticable odor of gas to the exhaust. Could it be running too rich a mixture and how do I check this? If it is, what do I replace?

This problem has been growing worse over the last year or so and its at the point now where I cant be getting better than 10-15mpg. I should also note that I replaced the air box with a custom intake tube. (by custom I mean I bought a few pieces and couplings at Autozone and monkeyed with it until I made it work.) I have heard that intake tubes can mess up the O2 sensor over time, but nothing is throwing up any error codes.

I live in way out in the sticks and there is a particularly long, windy hill right prior to my house. About halfway up this hill, almost as if on cue, my truck starts losing power. I usually have to downshift to avoid stalling and by the time I hit my driveway its back to normal. It never does this on other similar hills, just this one spot. Odd.

The other major gripe I have is that from time to time my battery light will come on. Sometimes its strong and steady, sometimes it flashes a seemingly random pattern that has no relation to speed or engine RPM's. I have two sets of fog lights and a subwoofer I installed myself and initially I suspected my own shoddy work to be the cause, but after **completely** disconnecting the wiring of each of my modifications seperately and still experiencing the battery light I ruled them out. I replaced the alternator after its sudden death this spring and the problem started almost immediately. I have noticed it when the engine was hot/cold, while driving fast/slow, in all manner of weather, traffic conditions, terrain, etc. I have tried everything and I cannot find a pattern, and according to autozone everything is perfectly functional. I'm at a loss here and I hope to sort this out before I get stranded this winter.

Thanks for reading this wall of text. Any info/ideas will be greatly appreciated!

 

What a list! Let's start with a few questions. Where are you in terms of maintenance on your engine? I'm referring to things such as replacing spark plugs and wires? When was the last time you checked the MAF and IAC for cleanliness? What can you tell us about the engine's coolant temp? These are all things that can affect engine performance and fuel economy.

How clean are your battery connections? Your electrical problems may be related to a poor ground somewhere.

These are things you can check for starters. Let us know what you find.

 

I like michigan66's list of things & I'd add, check the O2 sensors switching speed, as they get slow or lazy with age & about 100K miles is usually change time.

Check fuel pressure & pressure leak down time.

If the engine peformance, or mpg problem began after any of the work you've done, or after you messed with the air intake, then look closely at the things directly affected by, or down stream from your work, like the MAF & IAT sensors, especially if your using an oiled foam or cotton gauze type air filter, as they are known to dirty up & uncalibrate the MAF sensor & that'll mess with fuel trim.

Do a fuel pressure & leakdown test.

If you have access to a scantool, get a reading on fuel trim & post the numbers. Also get PID's on other sensors like O2 switching speed, engine temp, MAF output, ect.

On the alternator warning light question, when you say AZ says everything is ok, do you mean they have checked & load tested the electrical system with everything in place, in the vehicle, using their portable electrical system tester????

If not, then have them do the no cost, in vehicle electrical system check up.

If thats been done, then maybe suspect the serp belt, or it's tensioner. The tensioners spring rate gets weak wih age.

Look at the tensioner's molded in range marks to see if the belt tension is within range.

If that looks ok, then look at the belts physical condition & for things like P/S, engine oil, or coolant on the belt that might be causing it to slip when the altenator is under load.

On the poor traction in snow, come by some good snow, or all season tires & throw a couple 80-100 lb bags of sand & a shovel in the bed over the rear axle & keep the gas tank full when snow is forcast, or present.

The winter treads & extra weight on the rear wheels from the full gas tank & sand bags will make a difference on those slick, snowy days.

If you do get stuck the shovel & sand just may be the trick to get you out!!!!

More thoughts for consideration.

 

You lost me at " Honda like a maniac"

 

Hey Pawpaw, I was hoping you would reply I always like the detail and completeness that you give in your replies.

TsarNicholas, I forgot to welcome you to FTE. As you can see, its a great place to get lots of good help and suggestion about how to go about solving problems.

Good luck

 

Thanks for the replies! I'll try to keep my responses organized.

@Michigan66:
The plugs and wires are older, maybe 5 or so years old. They are in good condition, my dad and I checked them out this spring when my alternator bit the dust. By good condition I mean they all threw a spark, didn't appear to be shorting out or acting funny when we hosed them down, and the gap in the plugs were all pretty accurate.

I replaced the filter on the intake tube in April and I sprayed the MAF out with carb cleaner. It looked a little dirty, but after spraying it off it looked clean.

The temp gauge for the coolant stays in the same spot after warming up, about 1/3 the way across the gauge. The battery terminals are spotless, I replaced the terminal ends this spring because they weren't staying tight. As for a poor ground, thats possible, or likely, given how much I have added to the truck, but the problem persists with *all* of the lights and other electrical mods completely disconnected.

@pawpaw:
I'll print out your list and take my truck to someone who has the means to test those things. The Zone did attach the portable tester, and the battery light was lit during the test, but they claimed it produced no errors. They wont hook my truck up to a computer because they claim they cannot work with vehicles older than 1995.

As for the belt and tensioner, both are new and in good shape. They were replaced when I replaced my alternator. The old tensioner was fused in place, and the belt had cracks so I figured I might as well replace it all at once.

And to your winter advice, my typical winter gear consists of 300-400lbs of sand/old rock salt thats melted into one giant chunk. I do actually keep my snow shovel, a tow rope, and a bag of cat litter in there as well. The weight helps, and I had studded snow tires for the last half of last winter. The roads around here are all steep and windy, and I can usually get around town well enough, but its the last couple miles before home and my driveway that really get me. The driveway is a quarter mile long and mostly uphill. A light truck, 2wd, and a stick shift make for trouble getting up there.

@ g_k50: I was young and foolish. What can I say?

Thanks for the replies, I'll get moving on these tests asap and let you know.

 

Maf sensors require a special type of cleaning solution, you most likely damaged the sensor when you cleaned it using carb cleaner. If you used an oiled air filter chances are that the maf is covered in dirty oily residue. Most cheap aftermarket air filters will dirty up the maf, throttle body, and intake runners in a hurry.

I am willing to bet that your "custom intake tube" is sucking hot air from the engine bay as opposed to the cooler air from behind the grille that the factory setup provides. This in turn will hurt engine performance and fuel economy.

If the o2 sensor has not been changed in several years I would recommend changing it as they are known for causing intermittant power loss and poor economy.

Keep in mind your ranger is a 4 cyl 2wd with a very light rear end. If you want offroad capabilities get something with 4wd and for the snow either do as pawpaw suggested or learn to live with it as most people do.

As far as the fuel mileage goes 10-15 mpg is pretty low but remember it is a truck with not so good aerodynamics. No matter what you do it isnt going to get the mileage of a small car. What it will do is haul more stuff and likely burn less oil than the honduh.

 

The 4banger is capable of 29 mpg, so something is likely wrong with it's fuel trim, if you think your only getting 10-15 mpg.

I noticed you said you replaced the battery cable end clamps, those type repairs are only for emergency at best & are fraught with electrcal high resistance & voltage drop problems, so I'd seiously consider replacing them with a good quality, heavy wire gauge set of cables, of at least OEM quality.

 

Thanks again for the replies! There are a few new developments and I have more answers.

@johncfox:
Just to clarify further, I used the phrase 'custom intake tube' because its no particular brand, just a bunch of pieces I clamped together. The filter is K&N, not the Zone brand, if that makes any difference. The way I have it set up the filter actually sits in the bottom of the old airbox. Unlike most young guys who get into redneck modding I did notice that the airbox already has the plumbing for cold air, I was just trying to lower resistance. I'd wager that the air with the factory box is a little colder, as its sealed, but this is a much wider tube and its drawing from a partially cold source.

I'll look into the o2 sensor. Where is it located? As for learning to live with it, I have been driving this truck for some time. I'm an American though, why live with something only partially functional when its within my means to try and improve it?

@pawpaw:
Do you mean I should replace the entire battery cable? The old connectors wouldn't hold tight and these replacements are of the variety where you strip the battery cable, slide it into one side of the connector, clamp it in, then attach to the battery. I think I mentioned this, but the battery gauge in the dash, on a rare occasion, will jump, but I figured that was just the belt slipping briefly. It doesn't happen often, maybe once a month tops. I was considering buying a higher output alternator, or maybe a second battery. The main motivation for that is the fact that I have a 1000w power inverter I use to run small tools. It will do fine with a drill or jigsaw, but if I try to use anything that requires a little more juice it trips the internal breaker unless someone is keeping the truck idling high. Someone mentioned installing a fast idle switch, but thats more than I want to get into. I just like being able to use tools or equipment whenever/wherever I want to. I may have mentioned that I have a farm, and it really helps out with quick fencing repairs or odd jobs.

Anyhow, I don't expect major results, I just had a little extra cash for the first time in a long, long time, and I figured it was best put to use keeping my vehicle running.

 

Yup I mean replace the entire battery cable set.
Those clamp on battery cable connectors are fraught with problems.

Don't know what the efficiency is on your power inverter, but if your running it close to it's max KW power output rating, then it's likely putting a hefty DC load on your electrical system, that it wasn't designed for!!!!

 

Hi TN. are you making any progress?

In rereading your comments and replies from various people, Several other items come to mind. I'm not sure about the '94's, but my '91 has an intake air preheater that is ahead of the air box. It is themostatically controlled to warm the intake air until the engine warms up. If that's not working for you or if your truck has a different way of heating intake air, this is a system you should check out. If the intake air remains cold, the computer tells the injectors to squirt extra fuel (its kind of like keeping the choke on) and results in a rich mixture and lousy gas mileage. Also, there is a sensor some where between the air box and the intake manifold that checks the intake air temp. If it thinks the air is cold, that will trigger more fuel being injected into the engine. Two things to check.

Spark plug wires. You say they are 5 years old, look good and throw a good spark. Have you checked them for resistance? As the wires age, their resistance tends to increase, reducing the strength of the spark in the cylinder. Also, what brand are the wires you have. The Ford engines in the Rangers seem partial to Motorcraft wires and plugs. If you have a different brand you may not be getting as strong a spark as you need for good fuel combustion even though they may "look" good.

Winter traction. How is the tread on your tires? Have you had traction problems on wet pavement with the truck? If the tread is getting worn down, not necessarily to the warning bars, you are not going to have good snow traction in the winter. Some tire compounds seem to be more slippery, especially in snow, than others. Take a look and the ratings Tire Rack gives for snow traction for the tires they test and you'll see what I mean. The tires I had on my truck when I first got it 4 years ago would easily slip on wet pavement. They were replaced before the first snow. And all of that was with a less powerful 4 cyl. than you have and a 3:45 axle. I shudder to think how "loose" my truck would be with the 4.0 engine and a 4.10 axle.

Just some additional thoughts as you go about your troubleshooting.

 

I didn't forget about you guys, its just been a crazy few weeks. Since my last update I have done a little experimenting. My truck seems partial to the gas from Krogers grocery store. It absolutely hates Marathon, and BP seems to be somewhere in the middle. Since I last posted I have filled up at all three of the above gas stations twice (with a couple random $5 or $10 stops in between) and each time I had the same results.

I don't know if my mind is playing tricks on me or if there is something to this, but the Krogers gas seems to last an extra round trip to work and back, and I made it a point to drive the same roads and with the same style (by style I mean very passive, keeping at the speed limit, gradually accelerating, etc).

In other news, my entire exhaust fell off. I was cruising down the interstate on my way to work, doing about 55 when it dropped. I expected it was my own work that failed (two years ago I replaced the rusted out muffler with a cheap cherry bomb from autozone) but it was where the pipe attaches to the downstream side of the cat. Thankfully the rubber hangers kept it from flying out from under the truck and causing an accident. It was pouring rain and about 40 degrees, which seems to be the case any time I have to perform emergency roadside repairs.

Today was payday and I have a new cherry bomb sitting in my garage along side a brand spanking new 02 sensor. Tomorrow I'll install them, but I wanted to run a couple things past the experts first.

First, I plan on cutting off whats left of the catalytic converter. From what I could see its blacker than coal and has a bit of rattling to it. I can't afford a new one right now, so I figured I'd try just getting rid of it. Assuming I can get away with that my next question is: Where should I run the exhaust? I really don't want to have to buy a bunch of little pieces from the Zone and run it all the way back, and I don't know how much a muffler shop would charge, but its probably more than I have. I was thinking of running a short piece of pipe off the end of the headers to the cherry bomb, then putting a 90 degree elbow and running it out to just behind where the cab of the truck ends. Does that sound like a good or bad idea?

The next question is: Would it be worth the time and money to give the new piping a coat of that high temp paint? Winters here are hell on the undercarriage, and I thought that might help it last a little longer.

The last bit of news is that I have my studded snow tires on. When I had them mounted one of them wouldn't hold air (and caused the second roadside repair) and three different shops said it was unable to be fixed, so I had to buy a new one. Nothing major, just an annoyance. Anyhow, thanks for being patient with me. I look forward to hearing the replies.

 

You say your truck "likes" Kroger gas. The "major" brands often have a better detergent package the the off brands such as Kroger's gas. In my area I am often able to buy Marathon gas for the same price or less than the "minor" brands.

Have you actually calculated your gas mileage on the different brands of gas you have used. Fill the tank, note the odometer reading, drive until the tank is only 1/4 full, refill with a different brand, note the odometer reading. Divide the miles driven by the gallons used to get your gas mileage. Do that with each of the brands you listed and let us know the results.

How did the exhaust sound with the old cherry bomb? Was it a soft burble or a loud blat? When you described the condition of the cat converter, I'd guess you had a softer sound. And you may have uncovered the major cause of a lack of performance and lousy gas mileage. I'd expect you will find that your old cat is all plugged up. Taking it off will help the economy issue but not the environmental problem. A better approach would be to replace the cat with a universal one that isn't too expensive.

Let us know what you find.

 

I'll try to calculate the mileage next time I fill up, but my gas gauge floats badly and sometimes gets stuck in a certain place, causing me to think I have more/less gas than I really have. When it does this I just shut off the truck, turn it back on, and it usually jumps to an accurate reading, if I am parked on a level surface. Thats why I based what I said on how many trips to work I get on a full tank. I hear people complain about the gas at Krogers, but I swear the two Marathons near my house have the worst gas. I may be imagining things, but I swear my tools even run better when I use gas from a different shop.

As for the exhaust, prior to the pipe coming off my truck had a deep, even sound that wasn't overly loud (I could hear the engine itself over the sound of the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe). With nothing but the catalytic converter its a deafening roar that makes me sound like some kind of redneck banshee tearing across the countryside. One thing I have noticed is that when I let off the gas after accelerating or when holding a gear down a hill to keep my speed steady I hear what can best be described as as putting or coughing sound.

I climbed under the truck to make sure the cat wasn't aimed at anything important. I had my neighbor press the gas pedal while I watched to make sure it wasn't shooting fire or anything like that, and even with the engine fully warm and him giving it full throttle I could see nothing come out of the cat save trace amounts of smoke. I dont know of thats how it should look, but I remember that when I changed the exhaust on my Honda I could see faint light through the cat when at high RPM's.

I am going to go with cutting out the cat for the time being, but I understand where you are coming from about the enviornmental aspect. I still have to replace my front two tires before it starts snowing (which could really be any day now), my wiper blades are beyond shot, I'm about due for an oil change, and I may still have more troubleshooting to do before this power/economy issue is fixed. I took this into consideration and I bought an 18 inch extension pipe which is the first thing I will attach to the end of the headers so that when I get everything else taken care of I will be able to buy a cheap cat and be able to install it without much hassle.

Somehow I have managed not to get pulled over yet. Since the Ranger isn't exactly a sports car my driving habits have really calmed down in the few years I have had this truck, and I have been driving extra passively since this fuel economy issue started getting out of hand. Now that it sounds like the gates of hell are under my truck I have been practically crawling through town trying to keep the noise down and not draw attention to myself. The cops in the town where I work are notoriously obnoxious, I don't know of a single person who has ever had a warning for anything, they ticket every offense every time...even a burned out plate light.

 

Update:

The new exhaust is on, and with a little help from a new BP gas station its all welded, complete with hangers. To save from buying extra piping I ran the tailpipe out about halfway between the rear wheel and the door on the passenger side.

I changed the O2 sensor and after considering what michigan66 said about the air temp sensor I did a little investigating. The old airbox had an air duct that attached to a metal sleeve around the exhaust header. I gather that this was intended to pull warmer air into the engine (which I don't quite understand) and there was indeed a sensor. I kept the tube intake, but I reattached the piece of duct to the bottom half of the airbox (which I left in the truck as a place to keep tools, bolts, etc when I was working on it) I taped the sensor to the inside of the airbox right where the header duct enters.

After completing this I took it for a drive and it has a noticable increase in low end power. This means I no longer have to floor it in second gear to get up the hills, which should improve my mileage. I put 10 gallons of gas from the Marathon station in yesterday and reset the trip odometer. I'll let you know what my findings are.

Next up: Blower motor resistor (Yay! I will finally have options other than full blast or nothing), a new cigarette lighter (the OEM lighter was removed by the guy who owned it before my grandfather...for some reason), and a thorough cleaning.

*Edit*
Once this power/economy issue is completely ironed out I'll tear apart the electrical system. My battery is old and cheap, so I may as well replace it before winter gets bad, and take care of the cables at the same time. When I have that taken care of I plan on figuring out why the interior light turns itself on and off at will (its currently without bulbs so I didn't end up with a dead battery) and then a few cosmetic enhancements.

Thanks a lot for all of your help. If it werent for you guys I probably would have ended up getting pissed off and taking it to a shop.