Normally my truck runs great without any problems which is fantastic having 252,500 miles on it but I've got a situation here.

My 02 with 3ltr engine died during two of the last three times I went to the local car wash (the kind that pulls your vehicle through on a rail while in neutral). It happened at the same spot both times - when the blowers are drying the vehicle. We had to push the truck out of the way both times since it would not start for a couple minutes, which was fun since they had to stop the entire wash so the cars behind wouldn't hit me.

After cranking it for a while it would start and run like nothing happened but the check engine light would come on. I reset the C.E. light and all is well but I am curious as to why would this happen at the same spot (when blow drying) both times. I don't have a code reader to get any codes, yet, but am curious. Any ideas what could be causing this?

 

99% chance, your distributer cap got wet inside, buy a new one, i recommend MSD, see if you can get new clips with it, and change those, should fix the problem completely

 

there is NO DISTRIBUTOR CAP ON A 2002 ranger!!!...

jesus...

 

first stop going to the car washes lol..

next instead of resetting it get the code read at a parts store some still do it free

 

 

LOL @ Zach

Ya it sounds like their is a short in your engines electrical system and when water gets on it, it shorts it out. First thing I would is check for exposed wires in the engine bay and then move on to the iginition coil and spark plug wires. With having 252k miles on it, I'm sure it's going to be pretty dirty in there.

 

make sure your timing is set maybe advance it a little by turning your coil pack. lol

 

Check the codes...not sure why you would reset the CEL without reading the code

could be that the cowl panel is leaking and getting water onto the PCM but you need to get it scanned first!!!

 

Hope breeds eternal. A lot of people believe if the light goes off, the problem goes away too. Customers believe my code reader is magical, I've also had customers in the past too that complained a mechanic I sent them to, tried to steal their soul and put it in a filing cabinet.

Having worked at a store that faced an Auto Bell car wash for awhile, at least once a week I would see them pushing a vehicle out of the wash tunnel. It is not uncommon, water being forced about at 60 MPH, will find itself in all kinds of weird locations.

 

sorry i don't have every year of every component change on a ranger, memorized... i do have other things i spend my mind doing...

my son...

 

oh cmon...everyone knows the 3.0 started using a coil pack in 1995!!

 

go to an advance auto parts if you got one around you. they will check the light for you as long as the light is on. if its not it wont check stored codes.

 

What's a distributor cap? Lol.

 

At last check, they were still using the Actron code readers they were issued many years ago. Those Actron code readers DO check pending/memory codes, it is the very next option down on the list on the tool. I ran several stores for them for four years, it is sheer laziness that prompts them to say "We can't do that," just like most of them will say they can't check domestic OBD-I because it involves changing the connector.

The standard issue readers that O'Reilly Auto Parts gets, are AutoXray units and they automatically display pending/memory codes with current codes.

 

It used to be an ignition part.
Now days it's the hat on the guy behind the parts counter.

 

Im glad your hear to clear everything thing up

 

Sounds like to much water under the hood! Some spray could have been sucked up through the snorkel or the coil packs were soaked from a under body sprayer? I'm not sure were the coil packs are on you engine so it might be a good idea to cover them or skip the under carriage wash from the wash selection.

Good Luck...

 

Thanks for the replies, well, a majority of them anyway! I talked to a mek-a-nik friend of mine and he's going to tag along on the next trip to the wash with his diagnostic tools. Regarding under the hood it is amazingly clean since the PO was kind of **** about maintenance = he relied on it for his business. Once we figure it out I'll post the problem/solution.

If it don't die we will resort to plan B which is to get the power washer out and start soaking the thing in a methodical manner to locate the problem area. Then fix it.....

 

I have had this same problem on my truck when going to through a car wash. Does your truck stumble at that spot.....as in the rpm's drop and it starts stalling? Mine get's water in the air filter causing it to die....I put a shield on the cone filter and I was good to go....

 

Well I can't let that one just sneak by.......LMAO.

Just imagine if the poor guy went to an auto parts store asking for an MSG dist cap for an 02 Ranger........Oh man!!

Sharing wrong information doesn't help anyone.

 

Our distributor caps are 100% MSG free.

 

lol at rolldogg, insult fail