I posted this in another section and only received two responses so I thought I would try here to see if I get any responses.

I have a 2002 Ranger with a 4.0 engine. It has about 66,000 miles on it. Every once in a while, after driving it a short distance (2 to 10 miles), it will not start. If I leave it sit till it cools then it will start. It has stranded me about four times so far. I have checked it for codes and there are none. It will crank but not fire. Every time it happens I am away from my tools so I have not been able to check anything. It acts like it has spark but not getting fuel. The battery is Four years old. When it will not start it will turn over rapidly as it does normally. The battery is fluid level is where it should be. Just to eliminate the possibility I will clean the battery terminals and have it load tested.

I am afraid to drive it.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Don

 

Mine did same thing, it was the starter.

 

Will it crank over but not fire, or not do anything?

 

THIS.







We need a little more info. Could be a low CCA (at present time) battery where it's floated back up to having proper CCA's to sufficiently start the engine after sitting idle.....get a battery load test done as well as an alternator test. Could be a starter that's gotten really hot...when it sits and cools off, it'll crank/turn/start. Test starter.

First and foremost, we need more info. Secondly, get a battery load test.

 

Cole,

It will crank but not fire. Every time it happens I am away from my tools so I have not been able to check anything. It acts like it has spark but not getting fuel. By the time I get it home it is fine.

Thanks for your response.

Don

 

Shane

It will crank but not fire. Every time it happens I am away from my tools so I have not been able to check anything. It acts like it has spark but not getting fuel. By the time I get it home it is fine. The battery is Four years old. When it will not start it will turn over rapidly as it does normally. The battery is fluid level is where it should be. Just to eliminate the possibility I will clean the battery terminals and have it load tested.

Thanks for your response.

Don

 

Any thoughts on this?

Don

 

I've had this happen to my 02 4.0l once or twice. I've never found the cause.

 

Same here and was starter

 

Hello all!

I have a 1988 4WD 2.9L and seem to have the same issues every now and then.
I drove from the Springs to Denver, about 60 miles, and pulled into a King Soopers. After I get back in the vehicle, it turns over and starts but idles erratically and usually stall within a minute. Then the vehicle crank just fine but no fire.
So I hop out and give the gas tank a few raps with my fist and decide that the fuel is sufficiently low, jog over to the pump and come back with a gallon. But no luck.

I pushed the vehicle to a parking spot and went to work. About two hours later I come back to see what I'll need for a new fuel sending unit and fuel pump. Hop in the seat and the vehicle starts right up.
I pull into the gas station and find that it's only half a tank down on gas.
The truck has a new-ish batter and I did the plugs/wire about 20k miles ago, and new coolant temperature sensor.
Fuel pressure has shown to be around 35 psi (running) on the schrader valve but that was a while back.
No codes/ engine light.

Thoughts?

 

You should probably start your own thread, its FREE

1988 has TWO fuel pumps, one in the tank and one in the frame rail under drivers seat area

Fuel pumps, like most electric motors, are hard to get started, they usually won't stop running once started, just hard to get them to spin in the first place
So fuel pump failures are usually crank but no starts to begin with, no warning other than that

1988 also can have a TFI spark module issue, they can quit working when they get too hot
While driving and engine running the TFI module on distributor has air flow around it
When you stop all air flow stops, and top of engine bay, where TFI is located, gets VERY HOT, called "heat soak", and TFI module can quit working until it cools down a bit

Your symptom describes either issue
When you have a crank but no start, you could spray some fuel into the engine, 50/50 test, if it starts then spark is working and fuel is the issue, if it still doesn't start then it's a spark issue

Or with a crank but no start, pour some water on TFI module to cool it down, then try to start

 

Holy smokes! Hit that nail on the head.
The only other time this happened was last summer. I parked the truck for a burger and came out to the same issue.

I've seen on a couple other threads the 50/50 test. I'll keep some starter fluid and a water bottle handy for if/when it happens again.

Thank you!

 

Glad I read this. What kills these, heat alone or heat & age?
Surprising remedy. Just hit the TFI's plastic body?
A spray bottle or a stream from, say, a repurposed dishwashing detergent bottle?
...cold water?

 

Heat and time, they last for years but not Decades, lol

Yes, just cool it off if you think its acting up, you don't want wires to short out, so just cool off the module

On the 3.0l's Ford move the TFI module to the rad support and mounted it on a heat sink, in that location they did last for decades