# 2004 Ford Ranger - What do these symptoms mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford\ **Created:** [April 11, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309 "2019-04-11T13:36:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![m.keneemang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@m.keneemang](https://community.cartalk.com/u/m.keneemang)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/1 "2019-04-11T13:36:46Z")
2004, Ford ranger hesitate acceleration, black smoke from exhaust, rough idle. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/2 "2019-04-11T14:01:24Z")
Yet you don’t have your CEL on? Black smoke means grossly over rich fuel mixture. Blue smoke is oil. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/3 "2019-04-11T15:11:01Z")
It can be as simple as a dirty air filter. When is the last time you did a service update on the engine? Are the spark plugs original? ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/4 "2019-04-11T15:40:40Z")
> [@m.keneemang](#): > > 2004, Ford ranger hesitate acceleration, black smoke from exhaust, rough idle. which engine? How many miles? Any repairs recently done? Check Engine Light on? Any repairs that haven’t been done that you know it needs? ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/5 "2019-04-12T03:46:09Z")
Sounds like a misfire if you’re looking for a guess. I’d guess a bad coil on a Ford. This is only a wild guess for funsies. But, as others said, the check engine light should be on. If you get the codes read for free at a parts store, someone here might use the code to point you in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/6 "2019-04-12T03:50:14Z")
My guess — truly a guess — is there’s unmetered air getting into the engine somehow. Check carefully the path from the air filter to the throttle body. Use a mirror or just disassemble it and look at it on the bench. Any splits in rubber boots, etc? Parts disconnected? ---
**Author:** ![m.keneemang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@m.keneemang](https://community.cartalk.com/u/m.keneemang)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 6:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/7 "2019-04-12T06:46:54Z")
Hi, The engine is 2.5 diesel it has 200000 miles the repairs i did was change airfilter, fuel filter and heater plugs it is also difficult to do more 80miles/hr The check engine light appears when i start but goes off after i start the car. It other things as suggested by community i will talk to the mechanic to check Regards, Mmoloki ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 10:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/8 "2019-04-12T10:15:27Z")
Are you in the United States? I wasn’t aware that any Ford Ranger had a diesel engine. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/9 "2019-04-12T13:21:26Z")
> [@ledhed75](#): > > I wasn’t aware that any Ford Ranger had a diesel engine. 1983 -1986 rangers had diesel engines as an option. ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/10 "2019-04-12T13:43:08Z")
Well, I’ve learned something today. Thank you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/11 "2019-04-12T14:31:03Z")
My guess was wrong! ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/12 "2019-04-13T05:14:27Z")
That may be so . . . but op said his Ford Ranger is a 2004 model year So I’m guessing he’s not in the USA ---
**Author:** ![m.keneemang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@m.keneemang](https://community.cartalk.com/u/m.keneemang)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 6:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-ford-ranger-what-do-these-symptoms-mean/138309/13 "2019-04-15T06:14:48Z")
Yes, I am not in USA, i am in south africa.