Engine made a popping sound?

JG84

MEMBER
1994 FORD RANGER
200,000 MILES

When I started my truck this morning it started up fine and then it made a popping sound kind of like when you let air out of a bag. Then it began to shake and rough idle and slowly begins losing power. A few hours later I started it up again and it did the exact same thing except the popping sound. Do you know what the problem might be and how much it will cost to fix? Thank you. Jamie

1 Reply

SQM

MECHANIC
6,383 POSTS

Hello,

It sounds like your engine might be backfiring.
An engine will backfire due to having unburnt fuel getting ignited inside the intake manifold. It can also backfire out of the exhaust.
When it backfires inside the intake manifold it can blow out gaskets and even damage the intake.
You can have backfire due to the spark plugs not igniting the fuel properly or the injectors spraying too much fuel that the plugs unable to ignite.
It can also happen due to vacuum leak.

Here is a helpful article on backfire, it also covers the remedies:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-backfires-while-running

Check the spark plugs for wear and set the gap. The gap should be 0.042-0.046 in.

Please let me know of any questions.
Thank you.

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