Hello gents! Happy 4th of July. So I've been fighting to fix a misfire/lean condition in my newly acquired Ranger. Out of the blue, one morning the truck just starts running rough. It doesn't seem to have become worse but nothing has helped fix it.

I'm getting these three codes -
0316
0171
0301

Two of them say misfire and one says lean condition. I have done the following things to try and remedy the issueand just routine maintenance -
Spark PLugs
Spark Plug Wires
oil change
O2 sensor (upstream)
air filter

Any other ideas or thoughts? I'm thinking maybe coil pack but hoping not.....

 

check FRPS

 

uh need more info...year, motor?

https://www.ranger-forums.com/ranger-forums-office-13/everyone-please-insert-signature-120109/ <==CLICKY

 

Oh crap! Sorry. 2003 Ford Ranger 2.3L XLT. Thanks guys!

 

How many miles on it ?
If over 100k the timing belt may have jumped one tooth.
The truck will still run albeit not very well.

 

i thought the duratec 2.3 used a chain

 

the duratec 2.3 uses a chain.

Coil pack? cam/crank sensor (cant remember which it has)? exhaust leak? bad injector? clogged fuel filter?

 

That's the thing....truck only has 36K on it. I am going to change the fuel filter cause it is cheap.

Guess I'll have to start eliminating one thing at a time and check them.

 

if its a coil pack go to rock auto.com i got two motor craft ones and a air charge sensor for 89 dollas!
pretty sure they have cheaper ones too, and expensive nice ones

 

Not fuel filter, not MAF, but did start checking vacuum lines and stumbled on maybe the intake gasket being shot/worn out/who knows. When I sprayed carb cleaner at cylinder 1 where the intake meets the head i would get an EVER so slight rise in rpm's.

Is this going to be a PITA to fix?

 

Any body have some input on this? I am just going to hate tearing into the top of the engine if it is for nothing....

 

I know this sounds like an "jerry-rigged" way of doing it, but where you think that vacuum leak might be, run your hand over... try to narrow down where it is. Maybe you could seal it with some hi-temp silicone gasket sealant from the outside. If that fixes your problem.. then you can do it the right way, knowing for sure that was the cause of your problem... if not.. you have a little extra gunk there. Just an idea...

 

Wirelessly posted

Intake mani gaskets are simple

 

So this is still an issue with my truck. I replaced the fuel injector the other day and still running funky, sputtering exhaust and such. Gaskets on manifold looked fine. The code hasn't come back on yet but the truck lumbers to the point that it is going to stall out every once in a while.

I'm out of ideas.

 

what cylinder did it say was misfiring? pull that wire from the coil and see if it is firing. sounds like a bad coil.

 

cylinder 1. Already tried a fresh coil pack. no dice. Thanks for the thought! Any other ideas? to check the ring I would need a compression check, correct?

 

Check for compression on all of your cylinders. Does your truck have a lower part to the coil pack? i can't remember if they do or not, but if that goes bad then the coil itself won't work right.
you said its only the first cylinder missing? how did you figure out it was that cylinder?

 

i'm just throwing crap at the wall to see what will stick, but with that few miles i wouldn't think anything mechanical. but what about the crappy ethanol fuel we have now. could the fuel system be clogged from sitting? i know ethanol is cancer to most older fuel systems. just a thought.