1996 Ford Ranger Exhaust
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08-22-2010, 04:23 PM
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#2
08-23-2010, 10:13 AM
Ok, for starters, the cats should not be bad unless something that causes you to get crappy mileage and low power takes them out. If you have a scantool, you can do a better diagnosis.
Chances are you have a pending code (make sure you get a scanner that can read pending codes), but even if it doesn't there is a value called Long Term Fuel Trim (LTFT) which is basically a record of how much the computer has to adjust off the factory fuel trim tables. This value is best around 0%, if it goes outside ± 3%, it means that one or more sensors is faulty or an out of tune condition exists that should be corrected.
You situation is quite vague, could you please pass along some of your maintenance history. Cats are not one of the first suspects on your list. The cats are and endgame failure, the result of damage from other failures, some of which mimic the same symptoms.
Not knowing your history, I will start with the basics. Most cases of low power are related to fuel delivery problems, a plugged fuel filter ranks up there pretty high. A fuel pressure gauge can quickly determine whether this is the case. If the pressure is too low, either the filter is plugged, or the pump is not working properly.
A dirty MAF sensor can cause all sorts of drivability issues. Bad gas mileage and low power are among them especially poor throttle response, hesitation, and bucking.
A plugged air filter can cause low power as well, and if you have to add more throttle to compensate, the fuel economy will drop as the truck goes into WOT mode.
Bad plugs or coil packs or wires can result in partial or complete misfires, which will dramatically reduce power, and if ignored, will result in converter damage and could cause them to plug up. But you should notice the effects of this before that happens. Make sure your ignition system is in tip-top shape with factory quality or better ignition components. This means Motorcraft or Autolite double platinum plugs, Motorcraft or Magnacore wires, and Motorcraft coils.
BTW, what kind of gas mileage are you getting?
If the cats were plugged, the efficiency of the cats would probably also be decreased, this would likely result in a CEL P0420 code. If you have no P0420 code, I would put cats as a very low priority on the list until you have ruled everything else out.
Chances are you have a pending code (make sure you get a scanner that can read pending codes), but even if it doesn't there is a value called Long Term Fuel Trim (LTFT) which is basically a record of how much the computer has to adjust off the factory fuel trim tables. This value is best around 0%, if it goes outside ± 3%, it means that one or more sensors is faulty or an out of tune condition exists that should be corrected.
You situation is quite vague, could you please pass along some of your maintenance history. Cats are not one of the first suspects on your list. The cats are and endgame failure, the result of damage from other failures, some of which mimic the same symptoms.
Not knowing your history, I will start with the basics. Most cases of low power are related to fuel delivery problems, a plugged fuel filter ranks up there pretty high. A fuel pressure gauge can quickly determine whether this is the case. If the pressure is too low, either the filter is plugged, or the pump is not working properly.
A dirty MAF sensor can cause all sorts of drivability issues. Bad gas mileage and low power are among them especially poor throttle response, hesitation, and bucking.
A plugged air filter can cause low power as well, and if you have to add more throttle to compensate, the fuel economy will drop as the truck goes into WOT mode.
Bad plugs or coil packs or wires can result in partial or complete misfires, which will dramatically reduce power, and if ignored, will result in converter damage and could cause them to plug up. But you should notice the effects of this before that happens. Make sure your ignition system is in tip-top shape with factory quality or better ignition components. This means Motorcraft or Autolite double platinum plugs, Motorcraft or Magnacore wires, and Motorcraft coils.
BTW, what kind of gas mileage are you getting?
If the cats were plugged, the efficiency of the cats would probably also be decreased, this would likely result in a CEL P0420 code. If you have no P0420 code, I would put cats as a very low priority on the list until you have ruled everything else out.
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