i have a 01 2.3 5spd xl,116k no problems ever and finally something is happening.when the motor is cold,ill start let it idle for 10-30 seconds then take off.when i get up to say 1200-1900rpms it will spit and sputter like its starving and eventually clear itself out when i get up to say 30mph or so.but it only does it when its cold,like sitting overnight or all day at work.i dont have any change in mpg(still 24-26) the check engine isnt on(if it works).i would say at around 100k i did plugs, wires,fuel filter.and what throws me off is it doesnt do it all the time.i would say 75% of the time at a cold start.thanks for your questions and comments.

 

i cant believe no one has any suggestions.thanks anyway

 

Bad fuel possibly, but have you ever considered it could be a clutch concern as well since you have a high mileage 5 speed? If there is no MIL or loss of mileage or anything and it's intermittent maybe it's in the drivetrain. Otherwise possibly a mass air flow sensor could be at fault but with nothing to go by I can't tell you for sure.

 

its not fuel,cause i fill up 2x a week at various places.but a drivetrain issue would make sense.i have no light coming on,pretty much just playing the waiting game.still getting excellent mpg.i would hate to start replacing things doing trial and error.thanks for your info though.drivetrain wouldnt surprise me,ive done my fair share of goofing off w/ the danger ranger.

 

possible ect(engine coolant temperature sensor) or egr evr(egr vacuum regulator)...? ill get specs at school tomorrow to help with your diag. it could also be your maf sensor has a glitch ot your tps sensor has a glitch, but without a labscope with a high sampling rate you are kind of throwing darts in the dark, but like i sed i'll grab some specs tomorrow that you can use with a basic digital multi meter.

 

that would be great,thanks.

 

I could see a MAF or TPS issue which is a shot in the dark without a lab scope I agree. I don't think a glitch in the ECT or EVR would be significant enough however to cause any kind of driveability concerns unless it failed completely.

 

i replaced the coil pack today and this problem went away.fyi for others with this problem.

 

oh yeah and im up too 122k,so the only problems ever were a battery,left lower ball joint and the coil pack.yay for rangers!