Posted: 7/8/2012 10:09:10 AM EDT
| I have a '00 Ford Ranger XLT so far it has been an awesome truck. It has 103000 miles on it so far, I bought it in IA at 98000 and drove it back to CO. One thing I've noticed is on flat and somewhat hilly roads it does great but going over the many mountain passes in my area it sort of struggles. It has the big V6 in it with a K&N air filter which needs cleaning. I'm wondering if that seems normal and if there is anything I can do to remedy it. |
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What vehicle did you have before? You might have downgraded on the hp to weight ratio and its showing its ugly face, that happened to me before.
I have two friends with 4.0 rangers around your year and IMO the 4.0 is not really all that powerful even though it is the top engine in that truck. It's new to you anyways so I'd be doing a tune-up for that reason alone. Tune up Fuel filters All fluids etc |
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What vehicle did you have before? You might have downgraded on the hp to weight ratio and its showing its ugly face, that happened to me before. I have two friends with 4.0 rangers around your year and IMO the 4.0 is not really all that powerful even though it is the top engine in that truck. It's new to you anyways so I'd be doing a tune-up for that reason alone. Tune up Fuel filters All fluids etc Lol I had a 2001 Grand Caravan |
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Throw the K&N in the garbage and replace with stock filter. What's wrong with that air filter? I'm an idiot when it comes to cars They are worthless...a stock type air filter will allow more flow with less contamination....that and the oil will coat the hot wire of the Mass Air Flow sensor, resulting in transmission issues plus a loss of performance |
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If not already, use 87 octane gas, not the 89 Octane (10% Ethanol). Ethanol is just a "filler" and doesn't have much power, so it's cheaper at the pump.
I get about 1-3 mpg improvement running Ethanol free gas, so in the end, it's cheaper, especially for in town driving where stop and go is common. |
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The K&N will stop large birds, sticks and leaves and will coat your MAF sensor with oil. Put in a nice Purolator PureOne air filter. Quoted: Quoted: Throw the K&N in the garbage and replace with stock filter. What's wrong with that air filter? I'm an idiot when it comes to cars |
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You need some boost, that will solve your high elevation problems. Get rid of that kn too.
http://www.bansheesupercharger.com/prod01.htm 
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As the others have said, swap out the filter, clean out the oil residue left from it, tune up, change the fuel filter. You would be surprised at how many people sell a car with 100k on it and have NEVER changed the dirty old clogged fuel filter. Out of site out of mind.
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The 4X4 and auto aren't helping the situation, especially if it has oversize tires.
You are in Colorado? Are you at a high altitude, or are the mountains you are having trouble with at high altitudes? I know in the old days you tuned the carb and timing a little differently to accommodate for high altitude. I never paid that much attention since I have always lived in the South East, and never driving my personal vehicles out west. I should be more knowledgeable about the situation, I was a tech at a Ford dealer and a Toyota Dealer for a few years ending about six years ago. |
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Do the basics:
OEM style Air filter (STP, Fram, Purolator, any of those should be fine, but definitely ditch that K&N) Fuel filter New spark plugs (don't buy the Bosch's-any of them, just use Motorcraft, and make sure they are gapped properly) New spark plug wires (I use AutoZone ones, they have a great warranty and seem to be fine for me) New distributor/coil pack (don't know which it uses, sorry––try for Motorcraft if you can) Get the transmission serviced (make sure they change the filter and get new fluid in there). If you get a flush then most likely they won't change the filter) Get the transfer case serviced (new fluid) Have the differentials serviced as well This is all very easy to do stuff. Trust me. Have a friend show you and you'll be surprised how easy a lot of "car stuff" is. |
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Do the basics: OEM style Air filter (STP, Fram, Purolator, any of those should be fine, but definitely ditch that K&N) Fuel filter New spark plugs (don't buy the Bosch's-any of them, just use Motorcraft, and make sure they are gapped properly) New spark plug wires (I use AutoZone ones, they have a great warranty and seem to be fine for me) New distributor/coil pack (don't know which it uses, sorry––try for Motorcraft if you can) Get the transmission serviced (make sure they change the filter and get new fluid in there). If you get a flush then most likely they won't change the filter) Get the transfer case serviced (new fluid) Have the differentials serviced as well This is all very easy to do stuff. Trust me. Have a friend show you and you'll be surprised how easy a lot of "car stuff" is. Any idea about how much all that would run? |
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Do the basics: OEM style Air filter (STP, Fram, Purolator, any of those should be fine, but definitely ditch that K&N) Fuel filter New spark plugs (don't buy the Bosch's-any of them, just use Motorcraft, and make sure they are gapped properly) New spark plug wires (I use AutoZone ones, they have a great warranty and seem to be fine for me) New distributor/coil pack (don't know which it uses, sorry––try for Motorcraft if you can) Get the transmission serviced (make sure they change the filter and get new fluid in there). If you get a flush then most likely they won't change the filter) Get the transfer case serviced (new fluid) Have the differentials serviced as well This is all very easy to do stuff. Trust me. Have a friend show you and you'll be surprised how easy a lot of "car stuff" is. Any idea about how much all that would run? The filters and plugs and all the basic tune up will run you under a 100$ but the trans service and transfer case service will prolly be closer to 200$ unless you do it yourself. Dont buy into gimmicks like K&N always use manufactuer filters when possible. Motocraft filters are very good and you'd be surprised how poorly bad plug or wire/s will cause that gal to run. I have 415K on my 94 so they are solid runners. Service for these trucks is pretty straight forward and 90% of it can be done by you with a lil time and effort. Good luck |
| Is it an SOHC 4.0 or a DOC 4.0? There's about a 50hp difference between the two. I've had both, the SOHC is no slouch, the OHV is rugged. What gearing do you have in that truck? 4.10 or 3.83 would help a lot. Rangers have never really been known for setting speed records. In a stiff headwind, I have trouble keeping mine in overdrive without downshifting. |
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Do the basics: OEM style Air filter (STP, Fram, Purolator, any of those should be fine, but definitely ditch that K&N) Fuel filter New spark plugs (don't buy the Bosch's-any of them, just use Motorcraft, and make sure they are gapped properly) New spark plug wires (I use AutoZone ones, they have a great warranty and seem to be fine for me) New distributor/coil pack (don't know which it uses, sorry––try for Motorcraft if you can) Get the transmission serviced (make sure they change the filter and get new fluid in there). If you get a flush then most likely they won't change the filter) Get the transfer case serviced (new fluid) Have the differentials serviced as well This is all very easy to do stuff. Trust me. Have a friend show you and you'll be surprised how easy a lot of "car stuff" is. Any idea about how much all that would run? Where are you located? PM me for a quote from a local business if you want. ETA: Dont buy autozone. ETA2: Transmission services come in two flavors. One is a flush which changes all the fluid, the other is a filter change which does not. |
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Do the basics: OEM style Air filter (STP, Fram, Purolator, any of those should be fine, but definitely ditch that K&N) $10-$20 no tools required Fuel filter $10-$20 common tools (probably just a screw driver for the clips), and safety goggles New spark plugs (don't buy the Bosch's-any of them, just use Motorcraft, and make sure they are gapped properly) ~$3 per plug, anti-seize and dielectric grease usually included for free with purchase.. only need a 3/8" drive ratchet, spark plug socket, and maybe a short 3-6" extension, all of which are usually included in a Craftsman 50+ piece tool set New spark plug wires (I use AutoZone ones, they have a great warranty and seem to be fine for me) $35, no tools required New distributor/coil pack (don't know which it uses, sorry––try for Motorcraft if you can) depends, maybe $60-$70, probably just a socket and ratchet to get the old one off Get the transmission serviced (make sure they change the filter and get new fluid in there). If you get a flush then most likely they won't change the filter) filter around $20 I think, and 7 qts-ish of ATF probably under $30, will need a small socket, and ratchet, big drain pan, not sure what else is needed to get the pan off on a Ranger, if a cross member is in the way or not? Get the transfer case serviced (new fluid) a couple quarts at most of ATF, probably the same as in the transmission?, and an appropriate wrench or socket to get the drain plugs off, probably just a hex type socket, and most likely a spout type $3 device to get the fluid in Have the differentials serviced as well couple quarts of gear oil, same type tools as on transfer case most likely This is all very easy to do stuff. Trust me. Have a friend show you and you'll be surprised how easy a lot of "car stuff" is. Any idea about how much all that would run? |
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And my elevation is about 7200 ft You may be having some minor issues associated with the altitude then. They should be minor, and temporary. I looked it up some, and fuel injected vehicles typically don't need any adjustments for altitude, they will adjust their fuel/air mixture and timing on their own. Fords of that vintage have a tendency to be a little slow in adjusting the fuel trim, but should eventually. Of course if the truck hasn't had a tune-up in a while, or you can't be sure that it has, it is a good idea to do so. |
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And my elevation is about 7200 ft You may be having some minor issues associated with the altitude then. They should be minor, and temporary. I looked it up some, and fuel injected vehicles typically don't need any adjustments for altitude, they will adjust their fuel/air mixture and timing on their own. Fords of that vintage have a tendency to be a little slow in adjusting the fuel trim, but should eventually. Of course if the truck hasn't had a tune-up in a while, or you can't be sure that it has, it is a good idea to do so. It does adjust but you still end up with less power. My wife's trailblazer has no balls at all, not that it has a lot of power to begin with. |
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All that cleaning kit is going to do is get more oil on your MAF.
You should have used the money to throw in a paper filter and bought a bottle of MAF/Electronics cleaner to clean the inside of the MAF. Is it a drop in K&N or one of the cone types? If it's the cone type and you don't have the stock airbox that'll cost you more money to put that back in unfortunately. You should be able to get it from ebay, craigslist or a junkyard for cheap. The oiled/gauze style airfilters have proven to be problematic especially if they've been overoiled because it puts a layer of oil on the MAF wire which makes the ECU think its seeing different airflows then the engine is really getting. If you have an aftermarket wheel/tire combo that has a larger overall diameter then OEM and the gears weren't lowered that will have a performance impact too. With that mileage i'd do at the minimum: Plugs Wires Paper air filter Clean MAF/Throttle Body Fuel Filter Check differential fluids and replace if burnt or it appears there's any water in there Check transmission fluid and replace fluid and filter if it appears burnt. Is the check engine light on? If so pull the codes. As mentioned, since you're at altitude, try and get gas with zero ethanol and use the lowest octance you can get without the engine pinging. |
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Elevation change is likely making a significant difference in the power output of the engine. If I recall correctly, you lose 3% of your horsepower per 1K' in elevation. I've had vehicles that had great power when I lived at sea level,not so much back here in WY. If you are in say the Denver area: 5K' X 3%= your Ranger is now at 85% of what it had in IA. |
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Just left autozone. I got the K&N cleaning kit for now as I don't have enough for a whole new system yet. I also got talked into a bottle of gumout regane. Any experience with that stuff? Nothing that comes out of a bottle will give your truck a tune-up. The earlier advice was good–– plugs, wires, rotor, cap, fuel filter, air filter, PCV, etc. |
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Thanks for all the input guys! Its gonna get a full tune up and ill replace the air filter system asap. Will I need a whole new system or can I just switch to paper cones? You'll need to get a new "air box" that holds the rectangular filter, it connects to where the K&N cone goes. People tend to remove the stock air box so it "looks cooler". Junkyard should fix you up for cheap. |