I have a no spark condition on my 98 ford ranger. Started it on day and it ran for about 2 seconds then died. Wouldn't restart ckecked for spark and had none.

Asked by klinkerforge May 26, 2016 at 12:02 PM about the 1998 Ford Ranger

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I check all fuses and relays. All good there.I replaced the front coil pack as the connector had broken off. no fix there. I switched the packs around still no spark. I replaced the crank shaft sensor as well as the cam shaft sensor. no luck. Finally  replaced the eec as that was the most expensive part and I left that for last. Guess what? still no spark. I am at a loss as to what could be causing this problem. The neutral safety switch had been by passed a number of years ago for unrelated problem and has not been on the clutch push rod wonder if that may have an impacted just hanging loose down there, although the starter still works. Does the eec need to be programmed?  
thanks
Gary

1 Answer

310

Hi. In answer to your no spark question There are two ways to check. First off. I'm not exactly familiar with this particular truck. If it has a distributor or not. If so there are two or three ways to absolutely tell if you are getting power at all. One is to take the coil wire off and hold it by a metal part on the engine to see if there's any spark at all. Be sure you use insulated pliers while doing this as this is a Hi energy ignition and grounding on you can possibly kill you. Its safe to do as long as you take precautions. Second is to take a voltmeter, Pull the wires that feed electricity to the coils. Turn the key to the on position and see if there is voltage reaching the coils. And while you're at it look for loose ground wires. You'd be surprised how many times I've see mysterious problems that were caused by that. And if all that doesn't work, try a scan tool. Only as a last resort look at replacing your computer. You may not have to. Besides even re manufactured ones aint cheap

4 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    4,420
  • #2
    Bob Beaman
    Reputation
    3,010
  • #3
    Jennifer Gorham
    Reputation
    2,620
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford F-150
321 Great Deals out of 15,103 listings starting at $1,712
Used Toyota Tacoma
57 Great Deals out of 1,080 listings starting at $8,708
Used Nissan Frontier
20 Great Deals out of 879 listings starting at $5,998
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
195 Great Deals out of 5,967 listings starting at $2,975
Used GMC Sierra 1500
143 Great Deals out of 7,206 listings starting at $3,950
Used Ford Mustang
65 Great Deals out of 1,258 listings starting at $4,995
Used Jeep Wrangler
146 Great Deals out of 5,076 listings starting at $5,450
Used Toyota 4Runner
12 Great Deals out of 309 listings starting at $9,700
Used Ford F-250 Super Duty
24 Great Deals out of 1,201 listings starting at $8,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.