Thread: I think we might have sorted the Ranger...

So the saga (I think) is nearing the end...

The vehicle is an early PX2 ranger, one of the first of the new subgroup with the 3500Kg tow rating (after the earlier 3250 PX1's).

It started developing an annoying issue with the check powertrain light illuminating, sometimes throwing a P0089-xxxx code, sometimes other codes, sometimes no code. The P0089 was 'fuel regulator a pressure out of spec', but the datalogging showed not much of an issue with the pressures being achieved by the injection pump and no real issues with anything related to the operation of the pump (metallic fragments in the fuel filter etc etc).

It also started behaving quite weirdly in terms of electronic operation, parking sensors randomly failing or not wanting to play the game but testing out fine, cruise control randomly cutting out or misbehaving, fuel lift pump/sender randomly operating in an erratic fashion, etc etc.

Took a long time but finally chased one of the causes of the vehicle's issue to a failed sensor power supply regulator in the powertrain control module that was not supplying a perfectly regulated 5.0vdc (anything between 4.9 and 5.1 with surges and spikes). Manage to track down a replacement PCM out of a pranged vehicle, this took a massive effort to get playing nicely with everything else in the vehicle as the PATS (passive anti theft system) rejected the new module so everything had to be told to play nice again. The instrument control module is still fighting... Once the PCM was replaced and the sensor supply voltage was stabilised we could suddenly see a wide range of sensors that were inoperative or damaged including the throttle body position motor and a few other rather critical sensors including the (so we thought) the fuel rail pressure sensor.

On ripping the fuel rail pressure sensor out, it was like the meme: "ewww, brother, ewww, what's that????" - a rather large lump of white squishy goop sitting on a chalky flaky material completely covering and blocking the sensor port in the end of the pressure sensor. The same white goop was half filling the common rail as well... Seems that someone in the factory in Thailand decided that the bulk supply of thread sealant coming from their mate's supply outfit needed to be used up and that dipping the pressure sensor directly into the crap was the way forwards. Thanks Ford - doomed from the factory to die young... Basically the pressure could get into the sensor, but the chalky sealant packed into the end of the sensor was delaying the pressure dropping so no surprises it was throwing a hissy code about pressure out of spec.

Back into the mechanic, pull all injectors and test for diagnostic and sure enough two failed - one blocked off No1 cylinder and No3 cylinder not performing due to high resistance (likely another victim of the failed PCM). A full set of injectors later and we will see how it goes.

It was actually surprising the vehicle was running as well as it was considering everything it had against it, and it will be interesting to see how it goes now that everything is hopefully sorted (with the exception of the instrument panel controller!).

What a bloody saga, should have rolled it off a cliff accidentally and claimed on it. Basically 6.5 years of trying to figure out what components had died in the thing, including 3 odd years of delays over covid where the ute wasn't really being used.