Ford Techs please.

**sho305** · 10-27-2006, 04:22 PM

Be careful of that fuel regulator. I had an older one with the 2.9, so maybe new ones are different, but the regulator vacuum line was hooked in with the brake booster. It went bad and filled the booster with gas and flooded the motor out in the near cylinders. Once I figured out why it hardly ran I found out it had trashed the booster too and that was a pain to change out.

Yeah, the free read is nice but I noticed that after a little while of doing that Autozone's policy changed and they started to push possible parts really hard. Most of the time an O2 sensor will trigger the light after it is warmed up in part throttle driving.

**Instigator** · 10-27-2006, 05:17 PM

I unpluged the battery @ work.
Light went out and put about 100 mls on it since and it's still out.
We'll see.

**SteveO** · 10-27-2006, 06:55 PM

I kept a 7/16 wrench in the glove box for 6 mo to disconnect the battery and turn off that check engine light.

**sho305** · 10-27-2006, 07:29 PM

You can change the plugs, looking at them might help tell you what it is doing. Most of the time if the intake leaks underneath the oil makes a lot of carbon....if it just shows light color it is lean...if they are all the same maybe a sensor.

**Rickracer** · 10-27-2006, 10:09 PM

They don't go bad, they get dirty. If it's one of the ones that's held in by two screws, take them out, (don't lose the O-ring), spray off the two resistors (little wires with a lump in the middle), blow them dry, re-install. If one of the wires looks dirty before cleaning, it's practically a guarantee the idle will improve, and the MIL will stay off.

**Instigator** · 10-28-2006, 04:08 AM

Originally Posted by Rickracer

They don't go bad, they get dirty. If it's one of the ones that's held in by two screws, take them out, (don't lose the O-ring), spray off the two resistors (little wires with a lump in the middle), blow them dry, re-install. If one of the wires looks dirty before cleaning, it's practically a guarantee the idle will improve, and the MIL will stay off.

Thanx Rick! It does idle rough every once in a while.

Sho, planning on doing plugs anyhow. 100K and I'm sure orig. plugs

Steve, used to do that in my Burb

**bigbore** · 10-28-2006, 09:38 AM

i'm with rickracer,either the mass air or the injectors,or it's possible there's a gasket leak,i'd lean twards th mass air itself or,injectors (dirty or not pulsing properly)getting to that point with miles.

**Rickracer** · 10-28-2006, 10:34 AM

....with a mechanics stethoscope, (or a piece of vacuum hose held to you ear), but with the plastic intakes, sometimes turns and transitions inside the manifold make a tearing sound sorta like a vacuum leak. Carb cleaner with the extended nozzle in it is a good tool for finding vacuum leaks on EFI vehicles. Wouldn't hurt to check for that too, but definitely look at the MAF first.

**sho305** · 10-28-2006, 10:42 AM

I did the mass air sensors on two cars this summer. Those you just took out and sprayed the wire with contact cleaner. One was really black and that car ran better without a doubt. The other one was a little gray and it didn't make much difference. The dirty one had 60K miles and the cleaner one 80K. Both have good air boxes and filters are sealed in good.

100K? Yeah those plugs are done, even the triple platinum the fords like. Make sure you put the right plugs back in, I only use the same motocraft in fords now after having problems with 4.6s. Bosch platinum plugs actually blew apart in a 4.6 F150 when they were not shorting down the plug.

**Rickracer** · 10-28-2006, 10:51 AM

...I use Autolite Double Platinums, and only Bosch wires, Motorcraft plugs are made by Autolite anyway.

**Instigator** · 10-28-2006, 11:05 AM

98K on it from a used car lot so who knows about maint. or lack there of. They, of course knew nothing

Have done oil change and trans fluid/filter.
Checked air filter (and cleaned) and it was O.K.
Plugs and wires next.

Here's a strange one too (if it's bad don't tell me), the intake whistles at idle.
I mean bad! It stops at anything above idle. Also stops if you pull off intake hose going to filter??

**Rickracer** · 10-28-2006, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Instigator

Here's a strange one too (if it's bad don't tell me), the intake whistles at idle.

It's not bad, mostly just annoying, there may be a TSB on it. Shoot me the info on it to rick@rickracers.com and I'll check for ya on Monday.

**77SLEEKCRAFT** · 10-30-2006, 06:12 PM

How did you make out fixing the ranger ? I work at a ford dealer in northern Illinois and we see alot of upper intake manifold "0" ring seals that shrink due to colder ambient temps. Causing vacuum leaks resulting in a lean condition.

**Instigator** · 11-03-2006, 04:16 PM

Changed plugs today.
OEM gap spec is .054"

Plugs removed ranged from .075" to .085"!! A testiment to the power of Fords igniiton.

MAS sensor is mounted w/2 "tamper proof" torx screws. Tamper proof, not Gator proof though

Looked fine but cleaned anyhow.

Several hundred miles since un-hooking battery and still no light

Idle and low speed is now much improved and hope to see increse in mileage as well.