2.3L ('02-'11) 07 Ranger 2.3 Intermittent stall - electrical?

[Conner Smith]

Hello fellow ranger friends,

I’ve searched every where and cannot seem to find anyone that has experienced the same problem.

I have an 07 Ranger 2.3 liter and 5 speed with 307000 miles. It’s been running excellent since I’ve had it. In the last year, I’ve replaced the fuel pump and filter, ac compressor, clutch slave cylinder and pressure plate, fuel cutoff tilt switch, battery, and I’m sure a few other things I’m forgetting.

Here’s my problem. Intermittently, when I try to start the truck, it starts, hesitates as though it’s missing on a cylinder, and then dies. When it does this, the blower motor inside doesn’t work. Sometimes this problem occurs happens while it’s already running and I’m driving. Here’s what it feels like when it happens while I’m driving:

The truck loses power, and the blower cuts out. When I come to a stop, it dies. When I try to start it up again, it starts, does the thing where it “misses” and then dies. I can get it to start again by fiddling with the climate controls, alternating between fan on, fan off, ac, and varied fan speeds.

This problem seems to correspond to the blower cutting out, which is why I think it must be electrical. What are your thoughts?

Ive already cleaned the MAF sensor, and the IAC valve. I tested the IAC by disconnecting the connector, and it died, which I understand means that it is doing its job.

Every time I do something that I think will solve the problem, it seems to run fine for a little while and then it comes back again. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Conner Smith]

I’ve learned a new bit of info: somehow what’s happening is that the fuel pump is drawing power through the blower motor resistor. When I unplug the resistor, the truck dies.

 

[jcwhidby]

I had a somewhat similar problem with my 97 Ranger. I traced it back to a ground issue. Broken ground wire to the dash and corrosion on the battery to ground cable connection. Might be worth a try.

 

[Conner Smith]

I had a somewhat similar problem with my 97 Ranger. I traced it back to a ground issue. Broken ground wire to the dash and corrosion on the battery to ground cable connection. Might be worth a try.

Thanks for the reply. I think you are right. I think I’m going to check all the connections under the truck that had to be disconnected when I dropped the transmission. Thanks!

 

[SenorNoob]

Transmission was removed? Check to see if the flat ground strap to the cab was on a bellhousing bolt. Would've been easy to miss it if so.

 

[Conner Smith]

Transmission was removed? Check to see if the flat ground strap to the cab was on a bellhousing bolt. Would've been easy to miss it if so.

I looker for any loose ground straps but didn’t see any. I didn’t see any that were not bolted in the correct location either

 

[Conner Smith]

I think I’ve solved the problem. I don’t understand exactly how this caused interference, but the blower resistor connector’s contacts were slightly rusty/corroded. After scraping them a little bit, that straightened out the problem. I will report back if the problem re occurs, but this seems like it fixed it. Thanks!

 

[corerftech]

That sounds like:

A ground is missing, for the fuel pump.
A ground loop bypassing the missing strap is formed by a stack of metal/metal connections (chassis, cab, wiring, etc) offering the fuel pump a ground via the blower circuit.

If the blower needs to be connected in order for the fuel pump to operate, I am certain Ford did not create this by plan. A runaway Toyota Prius situation and many millions of lawsuit would have been executed.

Nobody! I mean nobody puts a critical operation circuit (fuel pump) with a return via an accessory path and especially with the need for the accessory connection plug to be firmly mated or switching to be of low impedance.

That’s like saying my truck runs great as long as the wipers are at full speed. So I drive with them on all the time. Blades are cheap, I keep a set in the glove box!

No insult intended by any means, this is bad juju that is seriously unsafe.

That’s how you die at 75 on the interstate, when the blower fails.

You may have a functional truck right now but it’s dysfunctional and unsafe.

That’s not Ford ranger wisdom, that’s 35 years of electrical engineering speaking.

Anybody with a EVTM on the year truck who can validate the fuel pump ground return path?

Unless I am completely misunderstanding your post regarding the blower motor circuit remedy “fixed” the fuel pump…….

I would cease driving the truck until it runs with blower circuit removed.

 

[corerftech]

I re-read your very first post.
The blower issue struck a chord with me.

I had walked out after much work on my Frankentruck (fixing bubbas crap) and at 17 degrees F my windshield was frozen. I figured no issue, early AM, I’ll start the truck and let it warm with blower on, have a cup of coffee and come out to a thawed truck.

When I started The truck, it ran like crap. Really bad….. turned it off, again restarting still ran like crap. I had to drive 250 miles in it one way and figured that was over with.

I started flipping switches to see what all worked as if I recall, there were some odd things happening. Wiper issues, interior lights, weird crap. Things that were “low” voltage sensitive acted crazy, flickering, etc.

I did manipulate the heater controls. A couple of minutes later I restarted and voila, the ignition operated correct and truck ran smooth.

Being in electronics and electrical for 4 decades, the cold was key in my case. I am thankful it happened as I had no intentions of chasing ALL the ground wires in the truck back to their connection point- if I had not I’d likely have been stranded many times over.

Made the drive but after the trip-using the EVTM, I found that the chassis strap for my cab was loose/poor. And a 10ga short chassis path was removed by Bubba (prior owner).

I decided to use the EVTM and locate every ground connection (bolt/wire lug and or friction flex strap) and remove corrosion, rust on steel, degrease, chem clean each and then re-torque as needed.

The truck ran smoother than it had prior once that was done and some indicator lights that were previously dimmer than expected, now at full intensity. It was bumper to bumper remedy.

It took a bit for me to contemplate the interaction between the blower and the balance of the ground system——- my fuel pump was never affected but the blower DID show very clearly by its defect, what ground was missing and which were damaged.

Bottom line- you have lost a ground.
My ground was due to metal contraction on a crappy oxidized surface at low temps (blower). Yours is something else.

The fuel pump is powered by a relay driven by the ECU. The 12v side is hard to interrupt unless you messed with pump wire connector, relay, ECU. The ground- easy to disturb.
Hope that helps.
BTW: the blower in my case not working and the engine running poorly missing terribly were consistent with the fact that the blower and ignition only share a GROUND, not pos 12v path.

All fingers pointed at a ground rail that was common to both systems.

Bubba had removed a frame ground at my passenger wheel well, from the battery. A convoluted metal to metal chain of high impedance was creating the alternative ground path prior to repairs. This is why your fuel pump works—— now—- after blower manipulated.

Amazing how a loose, corroded, damaged ground can cause so many issues that migrate around the vehicle.

 

[Conner Smith]

You guys are right. The problem did go away (coincidentally) when playing with the blower. But two weeks later or so, it came back. After some more troubleshooting, I have found the source of the problem. It was a bad ground. It was a bad ground connection in the main connector under the steering wheel that connects the fuse box to the dash wire harness. I could make the problem occur simply by wiggling the ground wire that goes into that large connector. I took apart the connector, sanded the connections, cleaned them with contact cleaner, and re-connected it. So far so good!

 

[corerftech]

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

I would have concerns about the balance of the ground points. One faulted means others are suspect.

Excellent work. Glad it’s alive and you could make it manifest on demand. That is confidence inspiring.

 

[corerftech]

reread your last post and finally caught……. It was a connector, not a body ground.
probably a fluke or remnants of a prior owner fussing with something.