I know I don't post much but this is Very Very stressful and frustrating. First of all let me tell you what I have. I have a 2002 ford ranger edge, 4.0 5 speed manual transmission.I had a new clutch kit and slave cylinder put in at 115k miles. Replaced the plugs with motorcraft coppers at 94k miles and put motorcraft platinums in at 125k miles. No oversized tires nothing special done to the truck to mess with the drive train.

About 6 months ago my truck started to have a slight jerk / lunge at random times. I have since replaced the coil pack thinking it might have been that. It almost feels like a dead miss in the ENTIRE motor, for a mili-second, then everything is fine. The more I drive the worse it gets. Some days it hardly ever happens. It more often happens when it is very cold outside, wether it is warmed up or still cold. It lunges/jerks while driving at a constant speed or slightly accelarating or decelerating. It has gotten so bad that it will about slam me into the steering wheel.

There's another problem. About the same time I had my #17 fuse blow, no cig lighter and no obd2 scanner along with no check engine light. I replaced the fuse, to have it blow again about 2 months later. 6 weeks ago it blew again. I have been working extremely crazy schedules and haven't had time to put a fuse in. 2 weeks ago I tried to put a fuse in to have it blow up my hand. I know I have a short in the dash somewhere... But could that short be causing the miss?

I researched technical service bullitens and found one that talked about jerking/lunging but of course as others have run into this same problem of having to pay to read the complete TSB.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It has begun to worry me to the point I am afraid to drive it. I am really saddened at all the tsbs on the ranger I found online.

Thanks a bunch!!!

 

Yep, mines been doing this for 2 years. It F'n sucks.

 

does it only do it when it snows by any chance?

 

Great...so I guess that's what I get to look forward to.

I have to work this weekend and left my tsb numbers at my friends. I will go by monday and get it, and I am going to my nearby ford dealer. I've been in there so much I've got friends in the parts department, and they hopefully will give me the info I need.

Will update if I get it. If not my best friends dad owns his own shop and I will ask him if no one has any ideas. Hope something comes up, its really frustrating.

 

No it does it when its really cold but does do it when it is warm, its really random. It mostly does it when its cold out... But even today being almost 60 degrees F it did it. Sometimes it does it under a load, like when I lug down the motor. Sometimes its when I've been driving at a constant speed in 3rd 4th and 5th gears... It will either do it with my truck at a steady speed, or when I barely let off the gas or barely touch the gas. It only did it twice today and I only drove about 30 miles round trip

 

Exact same thing. I know what you mean by frustrating.

 

You can try going to google and search "recalls and tsbs" should give you the nhsa or something like that website. Then go to the tsbs and go from there. There is one that states something about jerking lunging... Or states it some other way.

Plus there are others about the rear brakes locking up on wet/snowy conditions stating that you need to replace the brake computer... Mine lock up like that and maybe you have a problem with it too?

I love my fords but I'm not impressed with some of these problems I've read...

 

Yeah, my brakes always do this. Especially after it sits in the garage after driving in the rain. Just did it to me about 20 minutes ago.
Off the top of my head, things that I have tried for the bucking has been: plugs/wires, new TPS, new IAC, cleaned throttle body, cleaned MAF, fuel filter, unhooked EGR, switched back to a paper filter, checked for vacuum leaks, changed trans. fluid/filter, U-joints, and swapped out rearend, because of the torsen recall that they won't take care of on the automatics. That's all I can think of right now.
I've heard of a computer re-tune at the dealership, but haven't decided to pay $100 for something so stupid, only to find out it's not it. Should be another recall item if you ask me.
But yeah, besides all of that, what a great truck.

 

I agree. I love my truck and I've had it for 3 years. I will find that TSB# and post it... hopefully that will help you :) I am sick of it and I know you are too... maybe we can solve alot of people's problems!

 

I'd get a can of maf cleaner and clean the maf an tb. Then reset your computer to relearn the positions again. Check your wires for wear. The fuse tripping could be the cig lighter. The connector inside could be touching. I had that the same problem with my bezel when I switched over.

 

Here's the link :

Here's some of the info:

Make : FORD Model : RANGER Year : 2002
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Service Bulletin Number : 16626 Date of Bulletin : FEB 01, 2003
NHTSA Item Number : 10002504
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Summary :
HESITATION OR SURGE CONDITION DURING CRUISE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON. *TT


Make : FORD Model : RANGER Year : 2002
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Service Bulletin Number : 16610 Date of Bulletin : FEB 01, 2003
NHTSA Item Number : 10002495
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Summary :
NO START, NO COMMUNICATION WITH POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) USING WDS/NGS OR A MISS/BUCK/JERK WHILE DRIVING. *TT







This is the one about the brakes:


Make : FORD Model : RANGER Year : 2002
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Service Bulletin Number : 041610 Date of Bulletin : SEP 06, 2004
NHTSA Item Number : 10011169
Component : SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Summary :
GRABBING CONDITION FROM REAR DRUM BRAKES. *AR *TT





Here's one that scares me seriously:

Make : FORD Model : RANGER Year : 2002
Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Service Bulletin Number : 02221 Date of Bulletin : NOV 11, 2002
NHTSA Item Number : 10008304
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Summary :
ENGINE-GEAR DRIVEN SYNCHRONIZERS-INCORRECT INSTALLATION-CAMSHAFT POSITION SYNCHRONIZER (CMP) INSTALLATION TOOL CORRECT APPLICATION. *MJ


Yeah so if anyone has any details on the one about the PCM or buck jump while driving let me know :)

 

I bought a new cig lighter but haven't had time to replace. I am at work now and work tomorrow, then Monday and Tuesday nights. I will replace one day this week... hopefully that will help.

 

Hey guys,
I have an 06 FX4 level II and I actually just joined to research the same problem, mine's a five speed and it just started doing it. Like you said, constant speeds and it just bucks all of a sudden!! Have you guys made any more headway??

 

Nope, been drunk for two straight days.

 

thats work

 

This is not right - someone please find the solution.........

Mine only occurs during the winter months, I do not recall it happening during warmer weather. And it is WORSE when it is very moist outside, i.e. snowing , slushy, freezing rain.

I have changed plugs, wires, ign. coil and now am looking at it being 'mechanical' , i.e. u-joints, CV, etc.

On an interesting note....the other day I put sand in the bed to sand my driveway. I left about 100 to 150 lbs in the bed, mainly over the axles. That day we had the very conditions that it would normally exhibit the jerking problem, but it didn't...Hmmmmm. I am on day 2 with no jerking and will leave the sand in for another day because we are getting more snow tomorrow.

I LOVE my truck but am starting to dread winters because of this problem. I am nervous it will break and leave me stranded in the cold.

 

I've had cinder blocks in the back due to all check snow e had in southern middle Tennessee a week or so ago. I have still noticed the problem mo matter what I do, even though it has been much better since the temperature has warmed up. Was going to fix the transmission (change fluid due to gears sticking so bad I have to skip 1st and 3rd.

I went to my local does dealership and they said I had "no such tsb for my truck" as I haveuated above. Think I'm going to break down and pay nhsta.org or whatever and just get the right answer.

Will update once u get that info

 

I've had cinder blocks in the back due to all check snow e had in southern middle Tennessee a week or so ago. I have still noticed the problem mo matter what I do, even though it has been much better since the temperature has warmed up. Was going to fix the transmission (change fluid due to gears sticking so bad I have to skip 1st and 3rd.

I went to my local does dealership and they said I had "no such tsb for my truck" as I haveuated above. Think I'm going to break down and pay nhsta.org or whatever and just get the right answer.

Will update once u get that info

 

Sounds good. Whoever figures this out is going to be a big hero.

 

I have an 05 level 2 stick doing the same thing, I had an 03 2x4 with a 3L and auto do the same thing too.

 

I remember hearing about the dealer retune for the SOHC and their bucking problem. My 98 OHV had the same problem so I tried to fix it through tuning. My speculation was that there was too much egr flow but disabling my egr did nothing. In the end what fixed my problem was a screamin demon coil pack and taylor thundervolt wires. I had installed new motorcraft plug wires before but they are crappy quality and did not connect that well so the problem came back. I also gapped double platinum spark plugs to 0.065" for the screamin demon coil pack. Personally I think that these engines just have weak ignition systems.

The bucking problem I had did get worse with changing weather.

 

Sounds like the coil pack might be my next try. There is no reason why that dealer retune shouldn't be a recall. It's definately last on my list to try.

 

Drove in this morning through the snow and experienced the jerking again. DANG! I was hoping the added weight changed the geometry of whatever was causing the problem. Spoke to a mechanic and he suggested a lean miss. More reading I found the CEL will not come on until it sees more than one in a specific time.

Also, I read bad anti-freeze fluid can become either acidic or base creating a voltage that can cause the PCM trouble. I am thinking of flushing the system because it is cheap and easy.

I have an OBD-II scan tool and on the drive in I did see the O2 B2 voltage jump right after the jerk on several occasion but not all. I also see where all O2 reading (B1 & 2 forward and B2 rear) drop to 0 (zero).

 

ford makes a kit that is like a band aid. it is in the slip joint in the drive shaft going to the rear diff. i had the same problem and i put the kit in. now it doesnt do it anymore.

 

Mind if I ask what you paid for the kit???
Was it an easy install??