Ranger rod knock...

Hello,

I went out to start up my Ranger today and as soon as I did so I heard this loud noise coming from the engine. When I opened up the hood and was looking at it a guy that was walking by said that it sounded like it was "a rod." As a young person who knows very little about cars, I have no idea what exactly that means and if he is right, but I've read that people often misdiagnose engine noises as being "rod knock" when in reality they are something else. Based on some research I've done, I could try and remove belts and things to try and isolate the noise, but really I'm no mechanic. I'd rather just take it in to the shop to determine what the problem is. I did check the oil and it was kinda low but still within the "ok" range, but I added some anyway. Also the oil pressure gauge stays normal upon startup..

My main concern is that if it really is a rod that's making noise, will I make things worse by driving to the shop? I've read that if it is indeed rod knock then it could be quite costly to repair, and that driving it could make it worse. Would it be safe to drive a few miles or should I have a tow service tow my car to the shop (never done that, I'm assuming you can though...)? I don't have an alternate form of transportation, so would the tow service take me to the shop as well? Stupid question, I'm sure, but the less concerns I have floating around in my mind the better...

they will tow it where you want to have it worked on. one thing did you hear it before or did you start it and it was there? and yes you could damage if it's a rod or main bearing it could score the crank and it might be a ris-pin but to be safe i'd have it towed if your not going to try fix it yourself. never know could be water pump,push-rod. if you done a compresion check it would tell you if indeed a rod because ragers are tuff...i wish you good luck....

one thing did you hear it before or did you start it and it was there?

I drove it a long distance the day before and never heard anything, though I did have the music going pretty loud. As soon as I started it today I heard it as it idled. After listening and looking at it for a few minutes, I shut it off and stayed home. I listened to this video of a rod knock: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SlZvtcZ6uSA and mine isn't quite the same. My noise isn't nearly as fast, with more time elsapsing between each *clank* noise as compared to that video. Also it seems like the noise from my truck is quieter, but its hard to tell from that video. I don't know if that means anything, just throwing that out there.

If there are any simple things that don't require specialized tools I can do to try and determine the noise I'd be willing to do that, like I said though I just don't know much about cars nor do I have alot of tools. Should I give it some gas and see how it sounds with more RPMs? I'd like to avoid towing it as I imagine it's not going to be cheap to do so, but I don't want to damage it further.

If it is a rod, how much do you guys think it will cost to fix? It requires the engine to be almost completely disassembled or perhaps replaced, correct? If so would I be better off just selling it as is and getting a new vehicle?

Well, I had it towed off to the shop today, they'll be looking at it tomorrow. I do know that last time I looked in the coolant reservoir it was dark colored and looked like it needed changed...does this indicate possible coolant contamination? The oil on the dipstick looked normal...

Also, today the guy towed it with the back wheels up and the front down. It's an automatic AWD with the switch on the dash, and I made sure it was in 2WD when it was towed. As someone whose never had his vehicle towed before and knows little about cars, I didn't think much of this. But today I was looking in my owner's manuel and it says:

"On 4x2 vehicles, it is acceptable to tow the vehicle with the front wheels
on the ground and the rear wheels off the ground.
On 4x4 vehicles, it is recommended that your vehicle be towed with a
wheel lift or flatbed equipment."

Ugh. You think there was damage done to the transmission or anything? It was towed to a shop about 10 miles away.

how long was it since the oil was changed as hydralic lifters will chatter if the oil dirty. also a 2.3 is bad about the lifters sticking.

If that was a rod knock, it's a guarantee that the crank will have to be reground, assumning that it isn't damaged beyond repair.