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2.3L Engine Vibration

VehicleNanny

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I bought my XLT in November, and now have 2,000 miles on it. Shortly after I bought it, I noticed a slight vibration at idle and at speeds under 50 mph. I took it to my dealer at 1,000 miles and they balanced two wheels (not road forced balanced). It really didn't change anything, so before I pursued anything else I asked to drive a like vehicle. That one may have been a bit worse than mine.

Living with it, I think there is an inherent imbalance in this engine. To be clear, it is not significant--I am just very sensitive to NVH issues. I also feel the transmission calibration forces it to get to higher gears quickly, leaving the engine to work a bit harder in those higher gears (almost lugging at times). I installed a Roar Pedal throttle controller, which seems to take care of most of my concern. With just a little throttle application, the transmission will donwshift much faster (less lag).

I've read that the Ford Performance ProCal tune smooths out the drivetrain. I'm not after more power, just smoother operation. This is my first Ford, so I am learning as I go. I haven't seen any other posts here like this one, so wonder if I'm just being unrealistic with my expectations, or if there are any tweaks to make. Tell it to me straight--I can take it!

P.S. I had a 2022 Subaru Outback, 2017 MINI Clubman and 2016 MINI Hardtop prior to my Ranger, and currently have a 2.0L Turbo Camaro. I'm no stranger to four cylinder engines.
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Highspeedplay

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Mine seem pretty smooth with idle and 70mph on the freeway.
 

fordtrks4ever

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I had a F150 with a 3.5 EcoBoost before this Ranger with the 2.3
I feel a difference at times but I think it is just the 4 cylinder vs the 6 cylinder
and is normal. I feel the 2.3 is not as smooth as the 6 cylinder engines.
Just my two cents.
 

LLCCPA

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When I start mine there is a significant vibration and rattle until the idle slows
 
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VehicleNanny

VehicleNanny

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I appreciate the feedback. I'm pretty sure I'm just too picky. The truck is so good overall that something like this is noticeable.
 

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stemplar

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I had a F150 with a 3.5 EcoBoost before this Ranger with the 2.3
I feel a difference at times but I think it is just the 4 cylinder vs the 6 cylinder
and is normal. I feel the 2.3 is not as smooth as the 6 cylinder engines.
Just my two cents.
I agree; the 2.7 was noticeably smoother at idle and low RPM's than the 2.3 was when I drove them back to back. But when I drove the 2.3 first I didn't notice anything "off" with vibration or anything; it seemed fine. An inline-6 would have been smoother yet, but then it probably wouldn't fit...
 

fordtrks4ever

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I agree; the 2.7 was noticeably smoother at idle and low RPM's than the 2.3 was when I drove them back to back. But when I drove the 2.3 first I didn't notice anything "off" with vibration or anything; it seemed fine. An inline-6 would have been smoother yet, but then it probably wouldn't fit...
I have to agree that if you have not driven the 2.7 or 3.5 then you most likely would not notice the 2.3 is not as smooth. What some feel with the 2.3 is normal.
 

mpcraven

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Ford did a wonderful job applying this four cylinder in my opinion. It does demonstrate what I call a mild growl to the feel of the vehicle, but it's a four cylinder. This is based on 50 years of experience driving four cylinders. What everyone also experiences is that the drivetrain mounting system is basically a low-pass filter system. That's why one notices more smoothness as one revs (hence higher frequencies) an engine (no matter what type).

History chatter... I got a hand-me-down Saab with a Ford V-4 Taunus engine in the early '70s. Even though it was a 'V' it needed a balance shaft to help smooth things out. (compactness was the main reason for the V however) I have a Ford straight 4 in a '74 Lotus, but we don't care much about smoothness in that application. All my 4 cylinder Saabs for forty years were comparatively 'rough' and criticized for that, but pushed the design envelope on power vs. emissions vs. weight vs. cost. I have an old straight 6 Jaguar engine that is wonderfully smooth and weighs 600(!) lbs.

Again, I think Ford did a great job minimizing vibration with this four cylinder that we all are referring to as the '2.3' nickname.
 

superj

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The v6 in my 04 ranger vibrates way more then the 2.3
 
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VehicleNanny

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I appreciate all of the comments. . Since my original post, I removed and reinstalled the air filter housing (it was not fully seated) and moved the coolant pipe that rested against the housing. This made a big difference and after comparing two other Rangers (one was a new 2025), I feel mine is now within the norm.
 

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fordfinranger

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I appreciate all of the comments. . Since my original post, I removed and reinstalled the air filter housing (it was not fully seated) and moved the coolant pipe that rested against the housing. This made a big difference and after comparing two other Rangers (one was a new 2025), I feel mine is now within the norm.
Do you kind expanding on what you did to fix? I believe mine is doing the same. Where was it not fully seated? Looking at my air intake there are several pieces.
 
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VehicleNanny

VehicleNanny

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Do you kind expanding on what you did to fix? I believe mine is doing the same. Where was it not fully seated? Looking at my air intake there are several pieces.
Another Ranger owner reached to me with the same concern. I put together the images below with some notes on what I did:

Ford Ranger 2.3L Engine Vibration Screenshot 2025-06-20 084927


Ford Ranger 2.3L Engine Vibration Screenshot 2025-06-20 084949


In addition to the airbox, I found a coolant pipe was laying next to the airbox when cold. I loosely secured it with a ziptie. This keeps it away from the airbox. but allows it to move as it heats and cools. Hope this helps!
 

fordfinranger

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Another Ranger owner reached to me with the same concern. I put together the images below with some notes on what I did:

Screenshot 2025-06-20 084927.jpg


Screenshot 2025-06-20 084949.jpg


In addition to the airbox, I found a coolant pipe was laying next to the airbox when cold. I loosely secured it with a ziptie. This keeps it away from the airbox. but allows it to move as it heats and cools. Hope this helps!
Wow thanks so much for the reply!
 

snowman3

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In addition to the airbox, I found a coolant pipe was laying next to the airbox when cold. I loosely secured it with a ziptie. This keeps it away from the airbox. but allows it to move as it heats and cools. Hope this helps!
thanks for detail and notes!! very helpful!! Is there a way to tell if the airbox is seated without removing it? Does it wiggle or how should I know if mine needs seated? (I can't tell if my rattle vibration is normal or can be lessened).

Interesting that airbox can cause so much trouble. Heck it just sits there, would never think to look at it!
 
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VehicleNanny

VehicleNanny

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thanks for detail and notes!! very helpful!! Is there a way to tell if the airbox is seated without removing it? Does it wiggle or how should I know if mine needs seated? (I can't tell if my rattle vibration is normal or can be lessened).

Interesting that airbox can cause so much trouble. Heck it just sits there, would never think to look at it!
Thanks for the question. The vibration I felt was very slight, so the source was not obvious. I started by looking at all of the areas where the engine interacts with the body and frame. I was able to rule out the exhaust system (a common source of engine vibration), so looked for anything else that might be binding up. If you look at the air filter housing, the hose to the intake is pretty stiff. It does flex a bit, but can be one path of vibration. From there, I looked at the air filter housing itself.

There are two points where the housing mounts. I removed the bolts and noticed that the housing didn't line up easily with the two holes. When loose, it was at an odd angle. At that point, I removed the air filter housing and that's when I discovered the two pegs at the bottom. I iad trouble reinstalling it, so shot some lube on the rubber grommets in the tray under the housing. This allowed the two pegs to slide easily into the holes. After doing that, the two top holes lined up! I reinstalled the bolts (after adding a rubber washer between the body and the mounts). The sytem was not more "relaxed," which seems to have fixed my vibration.

While it may not be related, I did notice that one of the fuel lines (return line?) was not in the retaining clip on the frame. Is it possible the pulsing from the fuel pump created a vibration, since the fule line was bound up? Maybe. Either way, everything I could find under the truck and in the engine compartment all see to be properly in place and my issue is resolved.

I have about 5700 miles on my Ranger as of today. Perhaps my issue was fixed with a combination of tweaks I made along with other points settling in. Who knows? I'm just happy to have a vibration free truck.
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