I have 97 ranger 2.3. after driving a bit when I go to restart it just cranks and cranks. After setting for a while it will start. Sometimes it acts like its flooded and will try and start and slowly recovers to running. I replaced the IAC and cleaned the sensor in the snorkel. Also idles high when driving but when I stop it slowly idles down. The problem with the starting just happened in the past week. While running it rune fine. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

1997 was the last year of the Return Fuel system in Rangers so it has a Fuel Pressure Regulator(FPR) on the engine
You will see TWO fuel lines coming from Drivers side of engine bay over to the Fuel Rail on lower intake manifold
Fuel lines usually have a Braided wire covering
One of the lines runs to the FPR
FPR will also have a Vacuum Hose attached, remove this vacuum hose and check it for gasoline

If FPR leaks extra fuel will be sucked into the engine thru that vacuum hose, so MPG will go down
When engine is shut off any remaining fuel pressure will push more fuel out that vacuum hose and into the intake, flooding the engine, if you try to restart it soon after shutting it down it won't start, if you wait the extra fuel will evaporate so it would restart then.

All fuel injection computers have a "Clear Flooded Engine" routine you can use, for this and other things
Turn on the key
Press gas pedal down to the floor all the way and HOLD IT DOWN
Now turn key to START
Engine should NOT start, it should not Fire at all

If key is on, and engine is at 0 RPMs, then pressing gas pedal down to the floor(Throttle sensor at Wide Open) will tell the computer to TURN OFF fuel injectors, but Spark will stay on
So it would dry out/clear a flooded engine
As soon as you release gas pedal, OR.........if engine fires and RPMs go above 400 computer will turn on injectors again

If engine starts then there was gasoline in the engine and there shouldn't be, so check the FPR Vacuum line for sure


If you have a manual transmission the idle should be high until speedometer drops below about 5MPH, that is normal, its an emissions thing, idle also stays high between shifts while moving

 

Hello, didn't see any gas in the vacuum line. I did unplug it and tried the pedal to the floor and it acted like it was flooded, but after trying several times it did start. Guess I need to replace the FPR