Engine loses power

1994 FORD RANGER
200,000 MILES • 4 CYL • 2WD • MANUAL
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MR TOGUE
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my 1994 ford ranger is a great truck i am very satisfied with it how ever recently its been acting a little strange while driving . my rpms is usually around 2k in 5th gear while driving around 65mph. all of a sudden its like hlaf the engine shuts off. my rpms drop to 1k and the engine feels like its stuttering.some times it comes out of it within a few mins other times it takes over a hour there is no warning that its going to happen and no warning that it will come out of it. my truck has high mileage but its been a very dependable truck, i checked the spark plug wires and spark plugs there doesnt appear to be any thing wrong, i have the engine that has 8 spark plugs but is a 4 cylinder engine. i am assuming it might be the power packs (no distributor) but i cant seem to get the idea out of my head that it might be one of the fuel enjectors ( i am not fuel enjected smart so this is a guess) as for the power packs i always thought they were either good or they were bad... there was no inbetween issues i really think driving the truck when its misbehaving is hurting my engine but its my only vehicle and i have to drive it seeing i dont know when it will happen or what causes it i cant decide what i should do.. any suggestions on what might be happening?
Feb 11, 2010 at 10:54 PM
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2CARPRO JACK
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Has it ever caused the check engine light to come on?If so have the computer scanned to see what codes are in it, this may point us in the right direction for the fix.You may be losing one of the coil packs or one side of the coil pack which can cause loss of power.The coils are more likely to be heat sensitive when they fail than most other parts. At 200k you should be on your second set of plugs and wires at minumum. Have you replaced the fuel filter recently ?
Feb 12, 2010 at 7:55 AM
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MR TOGUE
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yes the engine light does come on but when the the engine comes out of its misbehaving the light goes out. i am on my second set of plugs and as for the plug pack ( power pack ) being heat sensitve i am not sure because some times this behavor is right after i start the car to some times hours after the truck has been running ( i drive aprox 4 hours to my friends house 1 to 2 times a month). does fuel enjectors control more then one cylinder or is it a one to one ratio ( one enjector to one cylinder) if some thing was in the gas line system, could it be blocking the flow and in effect cutting the gass flow to half my engine?
Feb 12, 2010 at 10:57 AM
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2CARPRO JACK
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Yes there is an injector for each cylinder, if it was fuel related it may just bog theentire engine down,not just half of it.That is why I suggested the coil pack, those are wired internally in pairs (2,3 - 1,4) so if half of it goes away it can affect 2 cylinders
Feb 12, 2010 at 5:04 PM
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MR TOGUE
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i am thinking u are right . what u say about the coil pack sounds totally logical, half my engine doesnt seem to be running when this happens.. ( thus the drop in the rpms by exactly 1/2 of what it was ) i think i am going to have to put it in the shop so it can be hooked to the computer to figure out which side is going bad. boy i have to admit i miss the good old days when we normal every day people with normal tools could tinker with our cars...

so guys thanks for your help . guess over time is gonna have to be in the works to pay the garage bill...
Feb 12, 2010 at 7:31 PM
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2CARPRO JACK
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Yeah, they are definitly more complicated than they used to be.Sometimes they are hard to fix even with the right tools
Feb 12, 2010 at 8:39 PM
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TLMATTESON
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idles good but has no power to go over 5 miles per hour
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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RASMATAZ
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Check the exhaust for restriction,MAF and TPS sensors-also check the fuel pressure
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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STAYLOST
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I have a 1994 Ford Ranger with a manual transmission. For a few weeks the car was making a little clanking noise. One morning a loud noise came from under the hood and the car lost power. The engine became terribly loud, sounding like a lawn mower. When driving it home, the top speed was about 5 mph. When inspecting under the hood, everything looked normal, but I can smell gasoline. Any idea of what the problem could be? It's an old car and I don't want to waste a tow to a shop if it's a huge repair. Thanks so much in advance.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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WRENCHTECH
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You should have thought about the tow a little earlier. You continued to drive it after the initial noise and that could have done the motor in. You need to get it to a professional tech WITHOUT RUNNING IT, asap.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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FREEMBA
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Check the spark plugs one of them may have blown out of its hole. This would kill you power and make a horrible racket.
let me know if that's it. If not we can check further.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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STAYLOST
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YES! You were right. I grabbed around the engine and it was just lying there. Am I able to screw it back in myself, or should I purchase a new one?
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Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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WRENCHTECH
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Good catch Freemba
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:03 AM (Merged)
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BYASFOX39
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Yesterday my Ranger started having tranny issues. It goes into gear and will move--but barely. Could this be a vacuum problem?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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You could check if there is a vacuum modulator on the side of the trans, but in 94, I don't think they used them.

As far as the issue, is the trans fluid full and clean (not burnt)? Also, has the check engine light come on?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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D457338
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The truck would have low power and would just kick in and accelerate hard.. usually kicked in@around 45mph. i cleaned the MAF and the problem stopped. a few weeks later i took the truck on a road trip and the problem started again but became much worse to the point that the truck totally lost power, as in no acceleration as if my foot was off the pedal. it idles decently, not erratic. MAF crap out?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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KHLOW2008
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Hi d457338,

Thank you for the donation.

Symptom do indicate apossible fault with the MAF and its circuit. A faulty O2 sensor can cause the problem as well.

Is the Check Engine Light indicating and did you try to retrieve for trouble codes?

Since cleaning the MAF did the job once, get it cleaned again and recheck the wire connector to ensure that it is clean and secure.
Check the air hose between the MAF and throttle body for leakages. Look out for signs of cracks on the hose.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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D457338
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The check engine light will come on. i changed out 1 o2 sensor and the fuel filter and re-cleaned the MAF sensor. I made an attempt to pull the codes but couldn't find the connections per Haynes manual. also checked for possible vacuum leaks.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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KHLOW2008
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The DLC is located at right front inner fender panel.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/192750_DLC94RangerFig04_1.jpg

Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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D457338
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In the Haynes manual there are two plugs to check codes. only one can be located (the smaller one) the larger one pictured in the manual is no where.

i just replaced the MAF sensor and it did improve slightly.. still periodically losing power but less frequently. but still a constant drag on the acceleration though.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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KHLOW2008
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Is the CEL still showing after replacement of the MAF?

I am not able to get any additional information on the DLC and no diagrams to show too.

I am having difficulty accessing our database so I will try to get assistance from my fellow colleagues who might be able to get additional info for you.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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GOMER86
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ecessive power loss cant get a nswer
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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BURRLIUS
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have you checked the mass air flow sensor
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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D457338
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i Replaced o2 sensors, MAF sensor, and fuel filter. fuel pressure was tested and is fine. no help. all plugs extremely fouled. Codes were pulled and said something about MAF sensor which we replaced. i found a thread on another forum where someone had unplugged the MAF sensor and it defaults the vehicle to factory settings. now the truck runs hella better but not good, its driveable now sometimes it will idle low and stall out. but full power. im guessing this means there is indeed a problem somewhere in the MAF system? i highly doubt the new MAF sensor is bad, i dont even think the old one was bad. what else could it be? the cables?

thanks.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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KHLOW2008
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Check the MAF and PCM terminals for contaminations and/or looseness.

Ensure there are no vacumn leakages between the MAF and the throttle body.

Check the PCV valve. A bad PCV valve would allow vacum leakages.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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HEUER2330
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I have a 1994 ford Ranger 2.3L. It idles rough and sputters. It has 0 power when I put it in gear and try to go. I have replaces fuel filter and all plugs and wires and cleaned the maf sensor. I got obd1 codes 57,72,41,33,38,and 25 out of it. I need my car to run so I can work PLEASE!
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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That is a lot of codes. They deal with the MAF sensor and EGR. Check both for operation.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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ALEXWITHAC
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The engine has all of it's power when it is in park and the throttle responds fine. But the moment it is put into gear, the engine has a rough idle, stalls out, and has no power. You have to floor it to reach 10mph. The engine does not rev up high either when it is put in gears either. The engine seems to not even try. I'm assuming it has a bad fuel/air ratio but I don't know what it could be. Again, it is perfectly fine when it is in park.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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This could be many things. Have you checked for trouble codes? Have you checked to make sure the catalytic converter isn't plugged? Have you checked fuel pump pressure to make sure it is within the manufacturer's specs? When was the last tune up? Any vacuum leaks? Have you checked ignition timing?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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ALEXWITHAC
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The motor was just replaced. It has had this problem since the swap. It's not a clogged catalytic converter or fuel pump because it didn't have that problem before. I don't understand how any of that would make it run fine in park but not in gear. I cannot get codes from it because I would have to drive to a dealership because it is too old of a car and it isn't drivable. The new motor has 80k miles on it and had a tuneup before it was pulled from the donor vehicle.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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When an engine takes on a load, it makes a big difference. I assume the donor engine ran fine before it was removed. Since it only happens when in gear, have you checked to make sure the main grounds to the engine are clean and tight. Maybe the torque of the engine is causing a loss of ground.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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ALEXWITHAC
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How can I check that?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Check the negative cable between the battery and the engine block. Make sure it is in good condition and where it attaches to the engine, make sure it is tight and clean. If you can, have a helper place the vehicle in gear and watch to see if the engine is moving excessively due to a bad motor mount and causing an issue with the ground.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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ALEXWITHAC
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I checked the negative cable and it is fine. I was finally able to pull the codes from the OBD and I fixed the few codes it gave me and it has not fixed the problem at all. The problem only arose after replacing the motor. I do not know what else it could be
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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DON JACOBS
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no noises. no vibration. no tire wear. no power steering leaks. no steering wheel play. just cruising along and then truck pulls soft or hard to the right and must turn back to left to straighten out.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Have you checked all steering components including the ball joints?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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What codes did you get?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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SWITTY123
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You said you do not have any tire wear, but are the tires you have on now all the same. Because I had the same problem with my ranger and it turned out to be the different tires because of the tread types.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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ALEXWITHAC
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Mass air flow sensor and throttle position sensor but those were both replaced and I'm getting no codes now. If the catalytic converter was clogged, would I get a code for that and would it cause the loss of power under a load? If there isn't a code for that how can I check it without a vacuum gauge or removing it? I've heard I can remove the O2 sensors and that if it runs alright like that it means it's clogged. How effective is that?
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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The right way is by checking back pressure. However, if you can't, removing the sensors will help the engine breath a little better and you should notice a difference. And yes, the converter will cause a power loss if plugged. However, normally it won't run that great in park or neutral. Finally, often times a converter, when plugged, will get so hot it will glow red. Look for that too.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)
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BRYANT TAYLOR
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I was having the same issues and I mean exactly. I changed the fuel filter and nothing. I changed the air filter and it fixed it. No one ever says to change that and air flow especially under a load like putting it in gear is EVERYTHING I repeat E V E R Y T H I N G. Auto experts do not impress me.
Jan 3, 2019 at 10:04 AM (Merged)