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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Cars / July 2005Ford Ranger XL
My 96 Ranger 2.3 litre (Nissan) engine is driving me crazy. It performs great on the highway but terrible in stop and go traffic. I've replaced the timing belt, plugs and wires and a pile of sensors but it runs the same as ever. Engine timing acts like it is off below 1500 rpm and responds poorly to the accelerator pedal at the bottom of the stroke through every gear. Two questions, why do you have a Nissan engine in a Ford? Secondly, Why not take it to a competent technician with the proper analyzer and have it fixed properly rather than changing parts willy nilly? mike hunt > My 96 Ranger 2.3 litre (Nissan) engine is driving me crazy. It performs > great on the highway but terrible in stop and go traffic. I've replaced > the timing belt, plugs and wires and a pile of sensors but it runs the > same as ever. Engine timing acts like it is off below 1500 rpm and > responds poorly to the accelerator pedal at the bottom of the stroke > through every gear. This is not A Ford (dual plug head engine) and I hav'nt changed anything. Ford and Mazda are the same in these years except the Ranger has Ford electronics. As far as having it analysed Iv'e gone to about every competent tech I could find with no luck. The last guy phoned the Ford dealer with questions about the MAF sensor even though he had no codes showing up and the engine check light was out. He got a long moment of silence but no insight and suspected Ford knows about this problem and it is universal with all the standard transmission XL's of that year. He agreed it was a pain to drive and dangerous (stalling in traffic). I guess what I am asking is there anyone else out there with the same problem?? > This is not A Ford (dual plug head engine) and I hav'nt changed anything. > Ford and Mazda are the same in these years except the Ranger has Ford [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I guess what I am asking is there anyone else out there with the same > problem?? Why the correlation of "Dual Plug Engine" and NOT a Ford? The ford 2.3's were DIS/dual plug since 99 or so. just a crazy hunch... try disconnecting the maf connector (WITH key OFF, naturally) and see if it drives better. if it does... then clean the maf. if it doesnt want to run at all, that points to another sensor bad.. or seen as bad by the pcm. a dirty maf wont set any codes. > The ford 2.3's > were DIS/dual plug since EIGHTY NINE or so. Thanks Backyard, That is the useful info Iv'e had so far. The MAF on this thing is placed in the most retarded of places, right inside the air cleaner housing where it picks up oil and gets soaked. This especially, if the the previous owner (a woman) never bothered to notice the pcv valve inoperative. As far as the dual plug set up goes I hear they are used in airplanes for depenability. Two separate(rotating) magnetos supply each set of plugs with real voltage. I doubt any aircraft would dare employ this same type of computerized coil pack system designed by Ford specifically to make money off fools like me and cause nervous breakdowns. The dual plug was to improve emissions. IMO your problem is one of maintenance not design. When one buys any used vehicle they can never know for sure how the it was used or abused, or whether it was serviced properly or not. mike hunt > Thanks Backyard, That is the useful info Iv'e had so far. The MAF on this > thing is placed in the most retarded of places, right inside the air [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > of computerized coil pack system designed by Ford specifically to make > money off fools like me and cause nervous breakdowns. > This is not A Ford (dual plug head engine) and I hav'nt changed anything. > Ford and Mazda are the same in these years except the Ranger has Ford > electronics. I think you are wrong about that. The later Mazda trucks sold in the US are literally just rebadged Rangers with slightly (very slightly) different sheet metal, different grilles and different interior trim. Drive train is all Ford with Ford electronics. They still sell "real" Mazda trucks in other markets. And in some markets, Ford sells rebadged Mazda trucks as Rangers. Now if you want to go back to the late 70's, you got some really strage combinations. We had a Courier that had a cab and chassis built in Japan, a bed built in California, the engine short block was a Brazilian built variation of the 2.3L Pinto engine but had a Japanese carburetor and electronics. The automatic was a Jatco transmission. It was a nightmare at the parts store. Ed Someone is feeding you false information. The Ranger and the Mazda 'B' Series truck were built on the same Ford assembly line in NJ and the ONLY difference is in trim, MSRP and warranty. No one can analyze your vehicle in a NG. Take your truck to a Ford dealership and have one of the technicians run the VIN# and you will get ALL of the TSBs and or recalls that apply to your truck including any not yet complied, if you bought the truck used.. mike hunt > This is not A Ford (dual plug head engine) and I hav'nt changed anything. > Ford and Mazda are the same in these years except the Ranger has Ford [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I guess what I am asking is there anyone else out there with the same > problem?? > Two questions, why do you have a Nissan engine in a Ford? > Secondly, Why not take it to a competent technician with the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >> responds poorly to the accelerator pedal at the bottom of the stroke >> through every gear. I assume he means Mazda instead of Nissan, but he's still wrong, I think. The 96 Ranger is 100% Ford. The engine is a Ford engine. Even the Mazda trucks of that era are 100% Ford except the badging. The only exception, I think, is the 5 speed manual Mazda transmission that's in both Ford and Mazda versions. That's the way I understand it, anyway. CJB You are correct the five speed was a Mazda tranny. mike hunt > > Two questions, why do you have a Nissan engine in a Ford? > > Secondly, Why not take it to a competent technician with the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > CJB could be transmission prblem No sir,not a transmission problem. The engine is a dual head plug type with coil packs and no rotating distibutor. It is Japanese just as Mazda and Ford are affiliated except the japs know how to inject and fire an engine using their own superior electronic systems. My Ford has FoMoCo sensors PCMs etc. etc. That engine is not a Japanese engine, it is an upgraded version of the 2.3 that Ford first used in 1973. The same engine that powered the Mustang SVO and the Thunderbird Turbo Coup, but without the blower. mike hunt > No sir,not a transmission problem. The engine is a dual head plug type with > coil packs and no rotating distibutor. It is Japanese just as Mazda and > Ford are affiliated except the japs know how to inject and fire an engine > using their own superior electronic systems. My Ford has FoMoCo sensors > PCMs etc. etc. |
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