2001 Ford Ranger Engine running rough

FSUFLYBOY

MEMBER
2001 FORD RANGER
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
87,000 MILES

Last week my engine started to sputter at idle when in gear, and would seem to "miss" while driving, then I got a check engine light flashing. The light would stop flashing and stay on solid while stopped and in neutral, but would start flashing again while driving. I took in to a shop and they said the codes say #3 and #4 cylinder missing. They replaced plugs, wires, fuel filter, pvc valve ( they said all looked original and needed to be replaced), cleaned throttle body and fuel system. My wife picked it up and they told her it would take some highway driving to get the junk out of the system, then should run fine. I drove it and it still idles rough when in gear, gets no pickup on initial start and will not exceed 60 without going into overdrive and staying there. No check engine light though. I tried revving the engine, but it bogs down after about 2500rpm. The truck also started to hesitate while driving on the highway. What should I ask the shop when I take it back to fix it right? What do you think the problem could be? Fuel pump? Transmission?

2 Replies

FSUFLYBOY

MEMBER
2 POSTS

I took it into Ford Dealership and it ended up being a bad ignition coil. Replaced with new and works better than new.

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Sunday, April 27th, 2008 AT 8:59 PM

CHILD PROOF FORD RANGER

MEMBER
1 POST

I had the missing but kept driving and my catalytic converter started stinking and the missing got worse. I removed my fuel filter and blew through it to see if there was any clearance and there was. Next I opened the hood at night and saw a virtual light show displayed along my spark plug wires. I thought I was standing beneath a a bare tree in the wind during a full moon staring at a ouija board. I then pulled the eletric distributerless coil pack and tokk out my multimeter and gave it an ohms test. 6 coils had no response and the other two read more than 5 ohms (i don't have a digital meter). So I assume I am running on at most two cyliinders because the cost of materials is at this point worth more than the manufacturing profit. I will replace the coils before I drive it again, and, withstanding emergency i'll be on the road to my semi-coloned-charmed sort of life.

P.S. Don't buy this truck!