Dear Car Talk, I have a 2005 Ford Ranger pickup with 53,000 mile. Every now and then, the truck will start but runs rough like it’s hitting on 2 cylinders. Then it cuts off after 2-3 seconds. The truck will not start even though the engine turns over well. After waiting 15-20 minutes the truck will start like nothing has happened. Do you have any idea what the problem is? Thank you. Larry
Is your check engine light on? What are the codes it has set?
If there is no CEL on, I’d suggest paying your trusted local mechanic to take it on a test drive with his scanner hooked up so he can data-log what is happening and fix it. Expect to pay for that diagnostic time.