Looking for help, Please! I have an 88 Ranger 2.9l 5 speed, 4x4. Recently turned off the truck did some business about 15 minutes, came back to the truck and it would not start. I have spark and fuel pressure at the schraider valve but will only start briefly after it has set for a while. Starts up and immediately shuts off. I have checked the wire loom as best as I can and found nothing. I haven't measured the fuel pressure yet, but feel it is a fuel problem. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum


Do the 50/50 test.

Spray gas or starting fluid(ether) into the intake then try to start engine
If it starts up and runs but then dies quickly, spark is good fuel is not
If it doesn't start up then spark is bad
50/50

'88 2.9l will be a TFI ignition system(spark) and at almost 30 years old it may need a new module
Good read here on testing the TFI system: Ford EEC-IV/TFI-IV Electronic Engine Control Troubleshooting

Print the worksheet
Common issue with TFI was a no start after engine was warmed up and shut off, module wouldn't work again until it cooled down

Having spark and having spark at the right time are 2 different things, 50/50 test will tell you where to start looking for the problem.

 

Thanks for the advice, I've tried the spray gas and ether no luck. I'll try and check out the TFI system tomorrow, I printed out the EEC Troubleshooting.

 

If it wouldn't start when adding fuel manually then it is a spark issue

 

Replaced the TFI today and still a no start situation. Maybe I need to drag it out and use it for target practice. I won't have access to a fuel pressure gauge till next week, so we will see what we have then.

 

Is the distributor rotor turning?

If you have a tachometer is it moving when you crank the engine, that signal comes from the coil being Grounded and ungrounded

Does the coil have 12volts when key is on?

 

Well I finally got my 2.9 running, I thought I would share I had 2 separate problems. The O-ring under the fuel pressure regulator had turned into a sponge and wasn't sealing fully on the fuel rail so my fuel pressure was down below what it needed to be. 2nd was my EEC had failed. once both of these problems were corrected the 2.9 is back running currently at 166,000 mile and counting. These are hard enough to trouble shoot with just one problem, but two will drive you crazy and I hate say it but Ford is no help and have been no help creating such thing and unleashing it on the public. I found several direct differences between the Ford Service Manual and the Ford Electrical service Manual that made tracing wires extremely difficult, not knowing which manual had the correct color coding. Thanks to all who made suggestions as to what may be the problem and maybe this will help someone else in the future. The O-ring under the fuel pressure regulator is still available from Ford and at $1.37 each much cheaper than the regulator.

 

Thanks for updating the thread and posting the problems and repairs