**Ford ranger 88 problem**

[T-man]

does anyone know anything about these little trucks? Mine is haveing trouble running. its a 4 cil., fuel injec, dont know what liter engine it is.

well this is what has been going on, when I start it it will run for about a minute. then it just dies, it doesnt matter if I'm going 20 down the street or idleing then it wont start up after that for about 2-3 min. then do everything again.

I called up some shops and they had me do some trouble shooting,

start it, let it run till it dies and then pull off a wire of a plug and then try to start it again to check for spark, I did that and there was still spark. they said that it must be on the fuel side.

so now I'm wondering (what on the fuel side ) could there be something that is turning off the fuel pump ? is the pump faulty?

 

[mike75925]

do you normally hear the fuel pump come on? if so, do you still hear it? disconnect the the fuel line from the injection manifold, turn the key on and see if fuel pumps. could be a clogged filter, bad pump, bad fuel line etc.

 

[fowler]

is there a faulty temp sensor shutting the pump down
as in when the engine overheats it shuts off

or could what ever adjusts the fuel air mix in an injection system be messing up when the engine gets hot then getting the mixture wrong

just thow a few ideas out there

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Probably a fuel pump, put a pressure gauge on it to be sure.

 

[T-man]

mike ... yes the fuel pump does kick on when I go to start it but I cant tell if it stays on, if something was cloged it wouldn't start at all would it? it does run it just doesnt keep running.

kenny .. I was thinking that it might be the fuel pump, but just in case what controls the pump.

 

[devino246]

if something was cloged it wouldn't start at all would it?

When the truck sits, the crap in the filter can move away from the elements in the filter and allow fuel to get through. When you start your truck and run it for a bit, it sucks all the crap back onto the elements and stops the flow. My dads Tarus had the same problem a few years back. Strangely enough the ford mechanic couldnt figure it out but a 13 year old could

 

[fowler]

well do sir

 

[T-man]

ok sounds like a plan. so I disconect the line and try that.

 

[devino246]

Have you ever changed the fuel filter?

 

[T-man]

devino .. no I havent

 

[T-man]

I'm looking in a Haynes and and trying to find this stuff.

 

[devino246]

If you cant find the filter, its under the driver side, below seating area, near fuel tank, mounted on frame rail in fuel line

 

[EagleTalons]

I'd change the filter first. Cheapest and easiest.

 

[mike75925]

normally the pump only runs until the pressure is achieved, then it will shut off. of course this only applies to those that don't have a regulator and or return line. when you remove the filter, attach a piece of hose to the fuel line and have the line going into a gas can. turn the key to the run position for a few seconds then turn it off. wait until all of the fuel has left the fuel line and remove the gas can. look into it and see if there is any trash. if no trash, get a clear bucket and pour the fuel off into it. let sit for 30-hour and look for water sitting at the bottom. good luck!

 

[T-man]

thanks guys for the input ... mike ya that is the set-up I have it has a fuel pressure regulater and return line.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

When the truck sits, the crap in the filter can move away from the elements in the filter and allow fuel to get through. When you start your truck and run it for a bit, it sucks all the crap back onto the elements and stops the flow. My dads Tarus had the same problem a few years back. Strangely enough the ford mechanic couldnt figure it out but a 13 year old could

As screwy as it sounds, YES! My buddy had a similar problem a few years back with his '88 Bronco II, 2.9liter. After driving awhile, the engine would just die. By the time he pulled over, the engine was good to go. Plagued him for months. Eventually, he'd feel the engine starting to die, shut it off, wait a couple of seconds, switch the ignition back on, and dump the clutch, restarting it, all at highway speed. One big hint was, it did it more frequently with less fuel in the tank. After much thought, I told him my theory- There was a s**tload of gunk in the bottom of his fuel tank. It would pack up against the pickup screen at the pump, starving the engine. It only took a second with the fuel pump off (engine off) for the crap to fall back off the screen, thus supplying the engine with fuel again. His mechanic told me I was F**CKING CRAZY, that doesn't happen. Eventually, at my friend's insistence, the mechanic dropped the tank, wanna guess what he found? You got it. Tank was rusting from the inside out, BIG wad of rust in the bottom. Replaced the tank, never stalled again for as long as he continued to own the truck, about a year. Incidentally, I believe the tank was so rusty inside from his habit of never having very much fuel in the tank.

For you? Maybe, but start with the basics, like the fuel filter. Dropping the tank is a pain in the @ss...

 

[T-man]

aaa shooot now that I think about it ...I did let it sit all winter long with like 1/16 full tank ... it was allmost empty.

 

[t0x1k]

Check the fuel pump relay. I bet it's that. I had a similar problem on my 94 ranger. Truck would just die and it took a couple minutes for it to restart, or really as soon as the relay cooled off. Replace it with a newer one from a 97+ ranger.

Just touch the relay, if it's hot when it stalled, it's the relay.

 

[Blazkowiez]

I would say you need THIS BOOK instead of that haynes.

You will be happy with the diagrams and explanations. Also, look at the used prices man, condition doesn't matter if you can read the dang thing, you're going to get grease on the book anyway.

 

[firekiller52]

sorry to bring up an old thread, but iv had 3 of these trucks, check that your throttle body and idle air control valve is clean, those are your 2 major issues with that problem, it really sucks