First id like to say Hello im new here and could use your help. Thanks to anyone with help in advance..

Im having a problem with my 1996 ranger its a 2 wd, 5 spd, 2.3L motor. Sometimes its having a hard time starting but with a couple cranks it fires right up . When i start the truck the rpm's go up to 4000 , then drop to 3000 , and finaly drop to 2000 at some point it will drop to 1100. Then if i start driving the truck and stop the revs go back up to about 2000 rpm, and only sometimes would drop to 1100 and if i give a bit gas it would go back to 2000 rpm again..

I replaced the Throttle posittion sensor (TPS) and the sensor beside it but same thing.. No improvments .. The spark plugs are good on it the air filter is clean .. The truck has 228 xxx km..

And Something new happend last 2 days i was driving on the highway for about 40 min and the truck started loosing power no matter how much gas you gave it it would still lose power so downshift just to get the rpms up its still loosing power get off at next exit let it cool off a bit and its alot better. I noticed there is no heat shield on the headers .

So today forgeting about the problem that happen to me the day beforei start driving the truck it seems to be normal (other then it reving to about 2000 rpms at idel and sometimes droping to 1100.) Im on the highway and lose of power once again its studdering just slowing down more and more. So i let it cool off a bit and keep driving it with it studderingbut pulling a bit.. And it would not go up any small hills. So i just got it towed home and im stuck here ..

Im thinking the Catelated converter ispluged but the previouse owner said he had replaced it 1.5 years ago.. Oh and i just baugh the truck..

Any help would be great thanks in advance

 

Look at the converters anyway. Carbon in the heads of a high mileage engine can plug them up fast, and would make it behave how you described.

 

Have you checked fuel pressure. And you may have a issue with your air bypass valve. it can cause the idle to go up and down. Is the check engine light on.

 

Cobra79 i changed the air bypass valve and its still doing the same thing. My idels dont go up and down just usualy stay at 2000 rpm or drop rarely to 1100 its not a constant up and down reving.

I just fired up the truck with no problem but there is a huge missfire, the plugs are fairly new in it.. Im thinking the dizzy went on it or the cap and rotor or the wires..
Whats with ford having 8 spark plugs?

 

The 8 wires is a newer deal to help get as complete fuel burn as possible. Antifreeze can foul out stuff - if it splashed on the wires it could be arcing (which is usually invisible except in bad cases and sometimes at night). Are your exhaust manifolds stock? Are they cast iron or steel? If you do have headers do you have an O2 sensor? (used to eliminate converter burn-out). Do you have any oil pushing out from pcv/breather area or oil cap more than normal?

 

ahh
Nah i dont think coolent splashed on the wires. The exhaust manifold is stock it looks to be cast iron. And no oil pushing out the pcv/ breather or oil cap..

 

Take off the battery cables - clean them and replace them. This serves two purposes - eliminating an electrical problem and resetting your computer. Next - does it lose power slowly? That could be an alternator wire loose or a jumped brush inside it. Check battery power and watch voltage if you have a guage- is it OK? Either you have an electrical problem or I'd peek at the converter to be safe - of course you could try and start it (assuming it's not electrical) and see (before it warms up) if there's enough exhaust pressure to blow your hand off the pipe. Once it's warmed try the same thing except with a flat board or something. If there's enough exhaust pressure to blow stuff off the pipe when held firmly it's not the converter or maybe you'll find the problem.

 

well i took the battery cables off clean them. Just happen to check the spark plugs and they were fryed and i mean fryed.. Replaced the spark plugs, truck didnt realy want to start so i cut out a small part of the exhaust before the converter truck started after couple tries. Buti had to keep the revs up a bit just so it doesnt stall out.. but once i kept the revs at 1500rpm it would rumble like a harly but engine ran good..

 

Dude, Your converter is junk, I wish I coulda caught you earlier b4 you cut the exhaust to find this out. Might want to run a resistance check on your fuel injectorts. It sounds like they may be staying open to long and dumping raw fuel to converter. That condition will ruin a converter pretty quickly. Oh yeah for future reference you shoulda just took out the O2 sensor b4 converter to run that test. Good luck. BTW the oter sensor you replaced was it the Idle air Control valve? You might also have to remove the Mass air flow sensor by removing the2 tamper proof torx bolts and clean the wires with windex and a Q-tip.

 

I agree with the bad converter but have you checked your fuel pressure you could have a bad pressure regulator.