1988 Ranger 2wd 2.0L Carb'd

If I splash through any water, small puddles, light rain, etc, my truck dies and won't start back up. Starter turns the motor just fine, lights all work, etc. But my truck won't fire up.

A guy I once talked to said it was my coil packs on the fender getting wet. How would I go about finding the problem?

Should I pop the hood, and start sprayin' stuff with the water hose until it stops running?

And once I find the problem, what would be the best solution? Sealing it up with marine silicon sealant or somethin?



I heard this was a common problem on 1st gen 4bangers.

Thanks for the help ahead of time.

 

Should I pop the hood, and start sprayin' stuff with the water hose until it stops running?



That's a good start. Might pinpoint your problem pretty quick.

FWIW, I sue a Windex spray bottle, rather than the hose, for more precise control.


I'd replace the bad coil or wires. Gobbing a bunch of silicone on the coil is gonna bring heat issues.

 

Ok. I'll try that when I get it home this afternoon. I still gotta get a ride from my aunt's house to my house, then grab my other truck to go trailer it home.

 

This used to be a constant headache with cars with distributor caps.
Remove the cap and wipe out the inside with a dry towel.
Also check the cap for any cracks.
You could go so far as to spray the inside of the cap with WD-40 to displace any water.

 

isn't there some kinda spray stuff called "Distributor sealant" or somethin' like that? Looks like a can of spray paint. Hopefully the distributor cap is the problem. If all else fails, I'll throw a plastic bag over it, and zip tie to down really good.

 

What tunes do you guys have? I'm thinking 87 torque, mileage, and 91 perf? Suggestions.

 

Hank Jr ,Molly Hatchet,Still looking for a vintage Twisted Sister.

 

Thread hijack attempt, gone so wrong, lol.

Nice job, Kenny G.









(Sorry, I HAD to)

 

Yeah, poorly sealing dist cap is probably the cuprit or even plug wires. If it has an aftermarket cap, replace it with a stock one--they usually fit better. Not sure if there is a stock seal for the base of the cap, but if so install a new one of those too. A good idea to change yer plug wires while you're at it if they're old.

I had an old mini and it would do the very same thing--turned out to be the wires arcing when they got wet. If you lifted the hood at night when they were wet you could see the blue sparks going everywhere. After replacing the cap and wires the engine ran lots better too.