2000 Ranger XLT 4x4 4.0 with only 86,400 miles.

Started with a small miss at idle once or twice this morning, but I chalked it up to "one of those things". Drove 40 miles no problem. Started it again around noon and it has a very very bad and rough idle, but no loss of power otherwise. Exhaust smelled fine, no smoke.

So I went for all the classics first.
New coil, wires, plugs (old plugs were not burned or wet or anything)
New air filter
New fuel filter

No change. Very very bad and rough idle and starting to miss at higher rpms.

Went the route of vaccum leaks. Found the vaccum hose from the throttle body to the Vapor Canister Vent Solenoid was rotten. - Replaced the hose. Cleaned throttle body and MAF.

Interesting result. Now it idles just as rough like it is missing, but there is clear oderless water comming out of the exhaust and it smells like fuel where it did not before I replaced the vaccum hose.

I really need more help. Also I have looked high and low and cannot find and EGR valve in that engine bay. Does the VCV replace that or am I missing the EGR? Any other thoughts on what is going on? I rely on this truck every day and need it back in action soon.

 

Maybe a compression test is in order. Liquid out the exhaust could be a cracked piston or a vacuum issue. Haynes manual says the EGR valve is located near the right rear corner of the intake manifold, near the firewall.

 

I am trying to get pictures on here because I swear I cannot find an egr on this motor. Only the evap canister purge valve and solenoid ( which runs off vacuum and looks like an egr solenoid.

 

Welcome to the forum


2000 Ranger 4.0l might not have EGR valve, depends on where is was sold originally, an emissions requirement.

Water normally drips out of any gasoline engines tail pipe, one of the by-products of burning gas(H) with air(O) is H2O, this is why exhaust systems rust from the inside out.
The dripping is cause by the water vapor condensing in cooler tail pipe area in cooler weather, and humidity level in local area

The fuel smell is most likely because of the misfires, unburned fuel goes into the exhaust manifold.
But this can mean spark is the issue not fuel

The coil pack spark plug wire hook up is tricky on passenger side of coil
3 4
2 6
1 5
Front

The 4 6 5 side still gets me sometimes
So double and then triple check the spark plug wires at BOTH ends
I KNOW they are right, for sure without a doubt...........until I find out I goofed....again, lol.

4.0l eats spark plugs that are not Motorcraft or Autolite
Not sure why but it is true
Also big gap is needed on the 4.0l, 0.054", smaller will cause misfires

Couple of tests you can do
Pull off 4 wire connector from coil pack
Crank engine a couple of times
Pull out each spark plug and make sure it is wet with fuel
This can help you ID a failing fuel injector, dry spark plug


Computer has a Clear Flooded Engine Routine
If you turn on the key and press gas pedal to the floor and hold it down, the computer will enter this Routine and will shut off fuel injectors but spark will stay on.
You can use this to test if a fuel injector is leaking
Turn on key and hold gas pedal down to the floor
Try to start engine
It should not start or even fire, just crank
As soon as you release gas pedal, even while cranking, injectors will startup again.

If engine starts right up your throttle cable might be stretched so gas pedal to the floor won't start Clear Flooded engine routine
Google: Ranger throttle cable mod

If engine randomly fires then you do have a leaky injector
Repeat first test, unhook coil
But this time crank engine over with gas pedal to the floor, then pull out spark plugs
Wet spark plug has the leaky injector