Misfire 2003 Ford Ranger , 2.3 Remove Spark plugs , Replace Coil.

Misfire 2003 Ford Ranger , 2.3. Here we have a ford ranger with a 2.3 4 cylinder engine. It seems to be misfiring on one of the cylinders.Remove Spark plugs , Replace Coil. After inspecting found the ignition coil was cracked. Also changed spark plug wires and spark plugs. Had to work some removing the stuck spark plugs.I show how i got the spark plugs out in the video . This ford ranger 2.3 is running well now after changing ignition coil , spark plug wires and spark plugs on this ford ranger with 2.3 engine . ford ranger tune up. wtbm123 , car repair.

[@Motorman-dl1sc]

Nice tip on the spraying the plugs holes with cab cleaner.

[@CountrySideClub]

Cool

[@wtbm123]

Thanks

[@ConsolidatedPBY]

I love my little Ford Ranger 2.3. She's such a practical little truck being that you can reach into the back of it and good on gas and all. I don't understand why they don't make a modern version of this same size little rig. Yeah sure, bicyclists can pass me in the summer when I'm running the AC, but that AC will re-freeze ice cream! Mine is a 2003 with 120,000 miles which is low for that old. I just replaced the shocks which were shot and she's not squirrely on the highway nor take bumps so harsh anymore. Mine has always revved high since it was new when first starting from cold...don't know what that is, but oh well. Fuel pump went out once probably cuz I didn't drive it enough at one time, but other than that she's been great. I need to do the spark plugs and I thank you for the pro tips as that's my next project on the little Ford with the venerable little four.

[@wtbm123]

Thanks for watching and commenting . Wonders if the IAC and throttle plate is dirty , but if it always did then it may be normal

[@robertmunroe3976]

Agreed, they are great little trucks. The new Ranger is simply WAY too big, hard to tell it from an F150 these days.

[@scotthummel4248]

Nice vid, however you didn't mention putting on a little bit of antisieze on the threads of the new plugs. A must with aluminum heads

[@zx8401ztv]

I like your carefull way of getting the plugs out, lots of patience. People screw so much up by forcing it. Hmm cracks in coils, i wonder if having it bolted to the engine is not so clever, as the coil will get hotter and hotter. Well that sounds very happy now, i bet it has more power as its not missing :-D

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

zx...that's a great idea you gave me! A bit of expanding foam under various Ford parts have actually solved lots of issues. Racers who have too hot of intakes on the 5.0 can reduce temps by as much as 50 C or F, I forget, by foaming under the intake! :) (I think the no. was higher, but I down played it rather erring on a smaller amount of help, lol)

[@zx8401ztv]

I didn't think manufacturers were daft enough to bolt coils to a boiling engine, but they did. I would rubber mount it to the fire wall or similar. "Coil on plug" Also seems really silly to me, the heat must penitrate the coil and damage it over the years, but they do seem to cope for quite a while. I still don't like the idea though lol.

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

Coil on plugs are built a lot more expensively than those complete packs of coils. And as far as location goes. . . I'm sure there are cooler places to put these things but they don't because then they'd have to pay for more spark plug wire. They'd all be longer. Or so I explain most of what they do based on the theory that cheaper is better for their bottom line. A bunch of us thought coil on plugs or COP's for short would end reliability of cars, but they only got more reliable. I'm sure you've seen my series of videos on perfecting spark. Tons of those techniques shrink in difficulty if you have COP.

[@wtbm123]

I have learned it is a shorter wait to soak than fix the threads . lol

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

Great, a good visual inspection like this is key

[@wtbm123]

I agree , Just takes a minute to look thing over

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

I did a V6 Ford Ranger like this the other day. I missed the crack at first too. A warning to people. Look super close and careful at these coils for the SLIGHTEST cracks. On mine they all did spark, so I never looked really close. I fixed a couple other broken things and then the customer didn't believe me. Well, customer, if you let everything go it's not my fault when more than one things is making for bad misfires. Cheap customers grind my gears. Sorry, told you all the stuff I couldn't tell him. When I fixed a couple other issues it ran a lot better, but "I got it wrong". Carb cleaner! I just learned that from Schrodingers Box the other day. I'll be sure to keep that tip ready to go. Thanks for the reminder!

[@wtbm123]

I learned the carb cleaner from a Ford garage mechanic years ago . It does work most of the time .

[@0517mariamtz]

I have a 2003 ford ranger 6 cyl 3.0 with a misfire took it to Autozone and they said it might be the fuel injector trying to fix it myself

[@davidb7699]

Mine was running like crapolla one day,,,so I started pulling plug wires off the coil to see if I could fine one that didn’t change the idle …#4 wire didn’t change how it was running,,so I had a bad #4… when I pulled the wire off the plug ,, the wire was submerged in 3 inches of oil down in that hole, and so was number three,,,Replaced the valve cover seals put new plugs new wires and tried to start it up yesterday it still runs like crapolla,,so going to chk the coil today to see if all outputs are firing,,, if not I’ll chk the it electricity to the coil or replace the coil…

[@wtbm123]

Wonder if the oil helped the coil go bad . Hope you get it all sorted out.

[@noodlesoup9]

Only an idiot would turn a truck on get the spark plug hot and try to take them off a minute later...

[@armikgharakhani9468]

Anybody tell me the firing diagram for those spark plug wires? Can’t quite see it clearly in the video

[@altosdelacolina8496]

I have they same problem, did You fix it ???

[@ZippoVarga]

Awesome tip on getting the carbon loosened up on the plugs my Friend! Or in your infamous words..."COOL" hehe. Cheers! Zip~

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

He probably has written the word "cool" more than anyone on earth. :)

[@wtbm123]

Thanks Zippo

[@TimsComputerRepair]

I really enjoyed this video. What could you do if the well is full of oil?

[@scotthummel4248]

TimsComputerRepair replace the valve cover gasket along with the tube seals.

[@The_Tronic_Drummer]

@@scotthummel4248 Try tightening the valve cover first before you go taking it all apart. They just loosen over time. I replaced mine and think all I had to do was tighten it.

[@evanbyner3205]

Did not show how to get plug wires off. Most important thing as I would rather avoid changing plug wires at todays prices.

[@wtbm123]

Sorry

[@dougsmaintenanceshop5868]

Thank you for this video! I ended up checking the coil on my 07 Ranger, and sure enough, it was cracked. I was just looking for info on doing plugs and wires, like the known pitfalls of these heads, etc. Your video delivered and more. I replaced my coil, plugs and wires after watching your video. I employed your spark plug removal technique and worked slowly, dousing every plug with PB Blaster and Kroil. Added some anti-seize to the threads of the new plugs, in case they ever have to come out for any reason. (Engine has 132K, and the last set of plugs went 100K, I don't expect to change plugs again, but who knows.) Thanks again.

[@wtbm123]

Really should use carb cleaner . It eats the carbon away where penetrating oil does not like carb cleaner does . Thanks for the kind words and glad you got it sorted out

[@andrewgoodwin4771]

Yall guys helped me alot. I just bought a 07 ford ranger 2.3l. Now I think I'll go ahead and buy the plugs and wires and check out the coil. I think my plugs might be going to the wrong spark plugs too. Thanks for the help.

[@HarveySpooner]

Hey Terri, All good info for me as I own a Ford Ranger.... I think mine has 8 plugs though, it is a 1996.... I like the carb cleaner trick.... Doe this truck belong the to S10 extreme driving test Pilot???? If so, is it holding up better then the S10????

[@wtbm123]

LOL , no but the test pilot is doing better at keeping one running now .

[@sagebushes2061]

Very good vid thanks

[@wtbm123]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@terrycasey1306]

My b 1st an 2nd cylinders aren't firing

[@wtbm123]

Hope you get it sorted . Do you see any cracks in the coil

[@DriveShaftDrew]

good job

[@wtbm123]

Thanks

[@jessescott3224]

I just want the firing order

[@wtbm123]

1342

[@rickyargueta6881]

What codes did you get ?

[@wtbm123]

I will have to go back and look . Been a while since i made this . What codes are you getting

[@garymartin8619]

Great tip on the plugs thanks

[@wtbm123]

Thanks

[@RustyGlovebox]

Good eye Terry, experience is a big advantage

[@wtbm123]

Yea i have changed a few of those coils with cracks , so i usually look there first

[@TheOpenAirGarage]

Pretty good tip Terry!!

[@wtbm123]

Thanks

[@ziggassedup]

That's what I would have done too.

[@wtbm123]

Thanks Zig

[@OFD]

Thank you!! Great video

[@wtbm123]

Glad you liked it!

[@reverenddarthbeavis]

my coil has those EXACT cracks same spot and one more..and i have a miss like you..my plugs/wires are new only 2.5 kmiles on them so i didnt bother pulling them...when i changed them there was no oil on them so i ordered a coil from rock auto and well see if it works...im thinking it will

[@wtbm123]

Yea usually if cracked the coil is bad

[@jonathancabral6367]

Is this the same firing order for the 2005 ranger 2.3L

[@wtbm123]

I think so . but if you google, 2005 ranger 2.3L firing order , it would confirm it

[@arturoperezsanchez23]

great tip on the carb cleaner. I had a plug that was really stuck in there and was scared of breaking something a few minutes later, and it came out easy, thanks

[@wtbm123]

Glad it helped!

[@MidwestMotoRider]

Sometimes a visual is all that is needed. Seems like the plugs and wires needed replacing anyway so I would have done the same thing.

[@wtbm123]

Any time i get a misfire on one with that type coil i look at the coil well , seems to happen a lot

[@michellerenee5028]

Crack in the coil and sparks. Taking my 2001 in tomorrow. What all should I expect?

[@wtbm123]

Thanks for watching and commenting

[@Journeyman-Fixit]

Good fix! I had a distributor cap drive me nuts like that once, the cap looked perfect but it was defective. Nice to see no oil problems. Great fix on the carbon issue... Definitely sounds stronger!

[@wtbm123]

Yea , nice when you can see the issue , but then it would not be as much fun . lol

[@SteveRobReviews]

Wow you have eyes on ya like an eagle . Nice one Terry

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

You got that right. Those tiny cracks are HARD to spot. I inspect for them and still miss them.

[@wtbm123]

I just look there because that style coil does the cracking thing alot .

[@reverenddarthbeavis]

which cylinder is number two?

[@wtbm123]

second one back . some of the ign coils have the cylinder numbers on them by each plug wire connector

[@garycampbell8663]

Good advice on the spark plugs,it would have galled the threads for sure,great video,thanks

[@wtbm123]

Yea , i like the old days when it was hard to hurt the spark plug hole threads

[@Outdoors-ty8hp]

I got a 08 2.3 ranger. Had a terrible spark knock. Replaced plugs and wires, fixed issue for about 1000 miles. Now I have a very bad miss, code is cylinder 1 misfire. I was thinking injector but idk for sure... any pointers ?

[@kennycybertron1]

1776 Outdoors I had the same thing after replacing my plugs, coil and wires....turns out one of my new wires was bad. O'reillys gave me another new set...instant fix. Good luck

[@Outdoors-ty8hp]

Fixed it. Turned out to have cracks in the coil.

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

I’m having trouble getting the new plug wires to seat all the way down in my 2009 2.3.

[@wtbm123]

Did you use any dielectric grease . it helps the boot slide on . And some wires just fit better than others

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

I don’t remember. It was a bad coil.

[@Velvethamma]

Nice fix

[@wtbm123]

Thank you

[@noble_crusader1796]

What’s the firing order on these spark plugs on the coil pack?

[@wtbm123]

google , 2003 ford ranger 2.3 coil pack firing order . it is hard to explain because of describing orientation , A lot of the coil packs have the cylinder numbers marked on it . 1 should be by the primary wire plug in , 3 is the other one on that side , 4 is across from 1 and 2 is across from 3 . if you look up the coil for yours it will show where the numbers are , sorry i can not be more help , but hard to explain

[@The_Tronic_Drummer]

@@wtbm123 Left to right ....front....4 -1 Back......2 - 3

[@kennycybertron1]

Excellent video....Thank you

[@TheEZGZ]

Nice!

[@wtbm123]

Thank you .

[@PhilGeissler]

Thanks! Very helpful!

[@wtbm123]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wyattoneable]

Good one Terry. It's cool when a visual inspection tells the tale.

[@wtbm123]

Yea i like those too . Makes things easy

[@terrycasey1306]

Any advice

[@Timetotinker]

cool.............tony

[@wtbm123]

Thanks

[@joedelarios1]

Good vid, thx

[@wtbm123]

Glad you liked it!

[@GSPirosaki]

How long did you soak the plugs?

[@wtbm123]

About 15 min , and try , if still very tight you may need to soak longer

[@GSPirosaki]

@@wtbm123 Thanks.

[@sevbait]

Thank you!

[@wtbm123]

You're welcome!

[@bashafacin]

Shoulda changed the oil too!!

[@wtbm123]

Was no signs of fuel in the oil , but a good idea that i should of thought to mention

[@michellerenee5028]

I smelled gas then I checked my oil. The answer is yes. Michelle girl mechanic

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

great share man !

[@wtbm123]

Thanks

[@Buckswoodshop]

Nice work!

[@wtbm123]

Thank you

[@ManicMechanic007]

Nice work Terry.

[@wtbm123]

Thank you

[@davidb7699]

Cool Video,,,

[@wtbm123]

Thanks!

[@reyalvarenga551]

Same problem 2002

[@wtbm123]

Thanks for stopping by and commenting

[@reyalvarenga551]

@@jrb897 try to turn off your a/c for 100 miles

[@bobgwinn5091]

good video. my 97 f150 coil pkg went out. cracked from a pothole. i bought 12 of them before i go the right one. even the dealer said they buy in bulk and store in barns by buckets loads.

[@wtbm123]

Thanks for watching and commenting

[@scotthummel4248]

bob gwinn Ford's are notorious for ignition coils going out. If you have one with one coils per cylinder, 96 or newer, the computer will tell you which one is out. Also, don't buy the aftermarket ones, get the motorcraft brand. They last longer

[@kennycybertron1]

Scott Hummel I paid $95.00 for the full engine diagnosis from the Ford dealer and it showed the #2 ignition coil was bad. The code is was giving off showed bad oxygen sensor bank one too lean p0701. I bought new wires, plugs and a coil and runs like a champ.... 104,000 miles, 2010 ranger 2.3

[@trentallman984]

@@kennycybertron1 for less than $10 you can buy a code reader that will connect to an app on your smartphone.

[@kennycybertron1]

@@trentallman984 Thanks Trent, I will look for that

[@fapjack77]

please say the firing order of the coils

[@wtbm123]

should be 1342 for firing order , The cylinder numbers go front is 1 , then 2 3 4 going on to the back of engine

[@connorschwab7232]

How are they numbered on the coil pack?