Ford Ranger Maintenance and Repair

tfitch

i am getting this weird whirring sound. its a 97 3.0 auto 2wd 128K.
The sound seems to be centered in the truck -like the tranny but its hard to tell. It doesn't change when the truck shifts gears but it does change with speed (higher as I go faster etc). It doesn't matter if I am under power or coasting. Above 45 it goes away and sometimes it seems to go away for days. I changed the bearings an front discs myself 6 months ago. I was very careful with the grease etc. and I don't "feel" anything from any of the corners. Any educated guesses? I checked the tranny fluid it looks fine. I never checked the rear though.

rangmarv

Have you found a solution to your break problem? I am having the same problem with a 99 Ranger. Would love to hear your solution.

Thanks

fmc12

i have read several posts about dome light staying on.my 95 did this and it was traced to a light module.the module is easy to get to after you remove the radio.it is silver in color.don't know about cost ,it was warranty.

marknewell

i have an 88 2.9 4x4 ranger, 5 spd. I have been having the following problem for a while. In wet weather or when i go fast through puddles it starts to go through spells. Usually when this happens i can put the pedal to the floor or lightly touch the pedal and it will run as normal but anything in between makes it bog out; as if i lost all spark or fuel. This problem usually goes away shortly after when it dries off a bit. A couple days ago it was really wet out and it started the problem again, but this time anything more than approx. a quarter throttle and it cuts out and the problem has not gone away yet although i am expecting it to.
Has anyone experienced this problem or know what it might me?
Any input would be appreciated.

sstephani105

I have a 1994 Ford Ranger and the wiring harness for the O2 Sensor has melted... I have the new O2 sensor and everything but i was just going to splice the wires together to hook it up, but i can't find any diagrams or anything directing me on which wire from where the harness was would go to which wire on the O2 sensor. if you know where i can find a diagram or something of the sorts let me know... or if you know another better way of doing it. thanks

sia

Personally I would just get the whole harness and replace it, because if you splice the wire you can't be completly sure that it will carry the voltage the same as the unspliced wire would especially over time with water and debris getting into the connector, but if your set on doing it you should find a diagram in a repair manual(either home mechanic one or the shop one) and be very careful to waterproof it.

SIA
P.S. for a cheap shop manual I have found that instead of paying 116 bucks for one check out thrift stores or used book stores the last shop manual I got at a thrift was 2 dollors/ but if you live in tucson don't try it till I find one for my new truck;)

sia

Well I just bought my first Ford ever, and I have to say that I like it more by the minute, It's a 2002 Ford ranger super cab 3.0L 2WD, and yes it has its issues but hey every thing does or we would never be on this website,

!. My door switch does that stupid staying on thing but I figured it out I think, I saw someone mention it happens when it's cold, have you noticed if your windows is all the way up it does it? the air pressure of slamming the door pushes the weather stripping out and it rests inward too much( which the design is a little off since it will happen all the time when the weather strip wears down)

2. My air conditioner compressor stays on no matter what position the switch is in which sucks when you want heat but don't want to have that bad of miliage especially when I drive 100 miles a day.
I have yet to figure out the A/C problem so if anyone knows than let me know or when I find out I will post it.

And I will end this with a note

nothing ever "blows up" instantly, in a hour, or usually even a week so once a week drive your vehicle 10 miles with no music on a quiet road and listen to it, and just for extra caution do a 10 min inspection for leaks and such at the drivetrain (pay attention to the rear differitial I see so many trucks leaking back there while I drive around and I see alot of damage because of that) it won't kill anyone to spend 30 min of TV time on your truck instead.
And most of all we all want to just jump into a new vehicle drive it 200,000 miles and abuse it without ever thinking about it but that never works for anything, So don't hate your truck because you slacked and it broke down just be happy you don't still drive your mom's Pinto

sia

Why bother wondering what the whistle is? the tranny is blown and needs to be rebuilt regardless. but just for kicks, what might sound like a whistle could be air sucking into the the vacuum line going to the modulator valve, that can actually cause the tranny to act up real bad, but thats something that is some thing you have to hear for yourself to know what the sound is, And next time you want to go off road don't go with an automatic, they really are not designed for it.

SIA

darxxx

I have a '95 Ranger, which I purchased new, and now has 230,000kms on it. The check engine light has been on since around 85,000kms. The dealer said it was a defective emissions sensor and would not cause a breakdown. I never did get the part replaced (I kept putting it off), and have never had a problem with the engine. I know that is not the proper thing to do, but it's still running strong, although I do have some strange heater/lighting problems going on that I'm going to have to start a discussion about.

darxxx

The heater's fan control switch (rheostat?) would only work on the highest setting. When I switched it on yesterday, something shorted out and I lost my headlights and instrument panel lights....weird. With the heater turned off, the park lights work, but when I turn on my headlights the dash lights go out again. As I turn up my fan control the lights get dimmer. Anybody ever experience something as strange as this?? I wonder if I removed the fuse for the heater altogether, would the lights return to normal, and would replacing the switch fix the problem? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

cj091184

:confuse: my 1990 for ranger has the 2.3 with the 8 plugs, it just had a tune up, and has been running great. The other day I got off of the freeway and as I applied the brake to stop at the light my engine kinda bogged down and stalled out. Now I can start it in park and neutral and it will idle just fine and you can rev the engine to a higher rpm, and a side note the brakes are fine to. Every time that I shift into gear it stalls, even if I hold the brake, it just kinda jumps and cuts out, it sounds more like shutting down than stalling. it is automatic and it stalls in reverse to. I tested with a comp. and returned nothing. any input would be great, thank you for your time

mtbickle

I have a 94 ranger that needs to be jump started to get running. My other car is in the shop and I need the vehicle to get to work. Unfortunately when I tried to open the hood and pulled the release it didn't work. I can pull as hard as I want and don't hear that familiar click. Is there a way to easily get the hood open without the inside the cab release?

Thanks,

Mark

cj091184

if you look under the front bumper, behind the grill of the truck, you can reach up there with a screwdriver and pop the latch over. thats how I open my pontiac.

ppborceb

Does anybody know what happened to smoothop1 or the vibration problem that he had?

krillin47

I just recently purchased a 1994 Ford Ranger from someone, and was planning on working on it. The dash is starting to seperate a little, and I wanted to basically change it out.

What I'm wondering is, is it possible and if so, can you swap the dash with one from a newer Ranger, or from an Explorer? I want to give the truck a newer look, and want to see if anybody thinks its possible, and if so, which one matches to the mounting brackets of the Ranger? :confuse:

Also, when you do that, how hard is it to change it from manual air and heat, to powered? I am making the windows powered, and just want to see how hard it is to change the air and heat to powered.

wijoco

Based on your description, it sounds like low fuel pressure. I would have that tested, go from there.

ranger_kid

Im having this problem too on my 90 Ranger XLT 4.0 L. It just started today, its whines when I let go of the gas or when I apply the break, I kindda want to catch this problem early. Thanx

ogre

I don't know for sure about fords since this crappy 93 ranger is my first, but I had an older chevy that did the same thing every now and then. I ended up buying some electronics cleaner that would displace moisture and leave a thin film on everything as a barrier. I live in fla. and at times the humidity alone would be enough to make it want to act up. It's worth a try. Just make sure that anything you use is plastic safe and give it a little time to dry before plugging things back in.

ogre

I've got a 93 ranger thats giving me a fit. I've ran code scans on it and get back 121,122. I think there both refering to the coils and or ignition, but the books I have don't really give a very good explanation. It acts odd when it first starts up before it has a chance to warm up, then it'll smooth out except for the occasinal hiccup going down the road or that it feels like it's being chocked out. It has a fairly new fuel filter, one of the coils is new, ignition module. Any ideas?

platefire

The other day I was driving to work and started smelling something but I thought
it was coming from the outside. Then my cab started filling with smoke. I quickly
jumped the curb (no shoulder) up on a sidewalk, jumped out, raised the hood expecting flames to be coming from my engine compartment but nothing. I got back in my truck letting it air out and feeling for warm spots on the dash but nothing. I cranked the engine and everything was working fine. A couple of days latter on a warm day I jumped in my truck and turned on the AC only to fine none of the lower speeds on my fan would work, only the highest speed works. My question is what part do I need to get to get my fan speeds working and where is the part located. Thanks, Bob :confuse:

bmwguywithford

If your truck has a MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR the oil from the K&N coats little tiny wires in it with the oil from the K&N and the very small particals of dirt stick to it and all hell breaks loose car runs like crap K&N's really only work well with mechanical MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS. K&N's are sometimes more trouble and costly in the future than there worth.

bmwguywithford

look for the power distrbution box near the battery and check out the fuel pump relay. just a guess

bmwguywithford

A 94 Ranger 2WD manual with 4.0 U.S. The truck starts in the morn fine run all day but if you turn it off it will not start NO SPARK till next day basically. I pulled the computer, ignition module but not the pick up sensor. Aldata only refers to a update on the Ign mod plug. Anyone had this problem before?

bolivar

'none of the lower speeds on my fan would work'

Your 'resistor' pack has burned up. This sometimes happens. I can't give you exact location, but it's under the hood, right side, on the firewall. There is the box where the blower sits. You should find some kind of little box with wires into it.

I would just buy a new one (95% sure this is the problem), the aftermarket stores should have one of these, then look for something that looks like this on the fan box under the hood.....

bolivar

121 ³ Closed throttle voltage higher or lower than expected ³
121 ³ Indicates throttle position voltage inconsistant with the MAF sensor

122 ³ Throttle Position (TP) sensor circuit below minimum voltage

Looks like a TPS problem to me....... This is usually on the throttle linkage at the throttle body. It tells the computer if throttle is closed, how far open, etc.

jorgev7

I have a 2003 Ranger 2.3L 5 Speed, when pressing the clutch pedal to shift into 1st gear I can hear and feel the clutch engaging as well as when shifting from 3rd to 4th gears it sound as if universal joints were loose. I've taking the truck to the dealer 3 times and they claim not to find any problems. Anyone had this problem before? and is there a clutch master cylinder on this truck?
I appreciate the help.

darxxx

See post # 1143...that's me. I lost all lower speeds on my heater controls (no A/C) and when I turned my heater on last week my lights started doing weird things. Do you think the same thing is wrong with my '95 Ranger? I thought it was the actual fan speed switch crapping out. Can I test the resistor pack?..I am an electronic technician and can use a multi-meter easily if I knew what to look for. Do you think the rsistor pack failure would affect my lights?

bolivar

When you lose the lower speeds, but the high speed on a blower fan still works, it's almost always the resister pack. The blower is actually only a single speed motor, the lower speeds are obtained by dropping some of the voltage through the resistor pack. The high speed bypasses the resistors totally, so it still works.

I don't know about the lights being affected. But anytime you have electrical things 'burning up', it will cause surges, which probably can be seen as flickers of the lights.

bolivar

I don't have any idea about what your are 'hear and feel'ing, but manual transmission Rangers for many years have hydralic clutches. They have what I've been told is a 'slave' cylinder near the clutch itself. And are very difficult to correctly bleed.

darxxx

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to check out the resistor pack as soon as the weather warms up a little...we still have some snow on the ground here in Pasadena, Newfoundland.

precstreetrod

Ok guys, Here are some answers to a few questions from my experience in my shop. The problem with the lights inside staying on and the door light staying on are in deed caused by the door switch. Although usually on the driver side, the passenger side will do it in a heart beat too. Even though it is a very, very common problem, Ford has not done a recall on them yet. Unfortunately there is no adjustment and you can't, as some one said, ram a screw into the end as it is located in the door in the latch itself. You can replace it, however as I mentioned, it is built into the latch so it requires removing the entire latch assembly and drilling out the rivets that hold it into place. Honestly even though it is not the correct fix we recommend around the shop, the easiest fix is to remove the door panel and unhook the two wire plug at the bottom of the latch. We usually charge about $15.00 to do it for the customer and they usually opt for that over buying the high priced part from the dealer, paying the 75.00 labor to replace it here and hoping it doesn't happen to the new one. After all, Ford made that one too and they have not redesigned them yet. Also for the guy who put the screw into the end of the Intrepid, glen it worked for you but that was risky since most pin switches are made of plastic and there is about 1/16th of an inch separating the positive wire from ground. Not putting anyone down, just saying. Also as far as the mpg problem. They get what they get and don't usually seem to really "break in" until about 20-25,000 miles! A tonneau cover may gain 1-2 mpg but keep in mind, putting your tailgate down will do the same thing which is reduce air resistance and the cool thing is you don't add the 100-150lbs of the tonneau (fiberglass ones that is, 25-40lbs for the soft ones. Hope that helped some one and please email me if you have more questions about these topics. p.s., I always thought the 4wd rangers where loud and rough riding and sloppy, but then again its a 4wd mini truck.

jorgev7

Thanks bolivar, I "found" the clutch slave cylinder, I'm planning to replace the clutch assy. not only because of the noise but because it slips every now and then when taking off. Unfortunately the dealer does not want to hear about it.

pjama

Hi,
I've just read through all of the posts here, starting with #1, and have only found, I think, 3 that seem to describe the problem I'm experiencing - all 3 with no replies! The problem is that, when I would push in the clutch, the RPMs would go up to 4000 +, then when I put it in gear and let the clutch out, it would go down. I took the truck to a trusted mechanic and he said that the computer needed to be reprogrammed but that only a dealer could do this because Ford has the independent guys locked out. The TSB he cited was 98-26-8. I took it to the Ford dealer and requested that they do the reprogramming as per the TSB and now it's only revving up to 3000 RPMs. When I asked the guy at the dealership why it was still revving up, he said that sometimes it takes a while for it to re-learn everything after the reprogramming. Does anybody know anything about this?? Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

bolivar

I don't know.....

If a computer was causing that high an idle, I think I would report it to the Nat Highway Safety Admin as a safety hazard.... Also check on there for the same complaint...

I would double and triple check that there is not some kind of throttle linkage problem. Something binding, etc. Sticking throttle butterfly valve. Bad Idle Control Valve (I've heard of them causing surging, but nothing this high).

Wild thing to check - Rangers of early 90 had brake boosters breaking off firewall because of rust. Other Fords I've heard of having brake or clutch brackets on firewall breaking, or firewall itself pushing through - maybe something in clutch linkage is really messed up and binding throttle cable????

fafaflunky

I have a 93 Ranger 2.0L 5 speed manual...I am hearing a rattle almost like the fan is hitting the shroud when I speed up. I have checked the fan and shroud and verified that this is not the problem. Any thoughts on what the problem might be? I have 140k miles on this baby without any real problems.

Also what can one do to extend the life of this truck so that it can last another 5 yrs. :confuse:

ogre

In my 93 ranger I've had a "knocking" sound thats started recently. At idle it's fairly noticable, but when it gets the RPMs up a little it seems to go away. I crawled under it and I suspect it's the front main seal and or bearing going bad. The main pully has a wobble to it a at idle, but when the engine revs up it seems to pull it back straight again. It looks like the casing wouldn't be hard to get into, but I'd really like to know if theres anyone thats done this and could tell me about any pitfalls that go along with it.

dper299

I have a 98 ranger 4x4 xlt extended cab (100343 miles).The problem I am having is what the dealership says is driveshaft binding,and claims it is common for this year It is not all the time but enough to be a concern when I accelerate.The dealer claims the only fix is a new aluminum driveshaft.Has anyone had this problem and fixed it?Any suggestions..thanks

pizzas

OK, here we go. I think I finally got my Ranger running correctly. My tranny shop trouble shot the hestitation when accelerating. He changed the 2-3 (?)servo on the outside of the transmission right next to the catalitic converter. Upon examination this thing was rock hard and had a small hole in it (its made of rubber). Being in Phoenix and the cool summer temps along with the freeway driving and 115,000 miles it got "cooked". So far, after 2 weeks and almost 500 miles I haven't had anymore problems. For a 2.3 she flies along @ 75mph all day long.
And as far as my dome light and door ajar light staying on for hours, I followed a suggestion I saw in this fourm. I purchased a can of PB Blaster from Autozone and sprayed both my door locks real good. Haven't had a problem yet (pretty good stuff).
Now for another problem I need help with. I just changed my heater control valve. Now it seems like the heater door doesn't close right away. Did I do something wrong? It's only 4 water lines and a vacuum hose.I KNOW for sure everything worked properly before I changed this valve, now the heater system is "screwed-up". after about 20 minutes the the door closes and everything turns off as it should. When you select A/C , MAX A/C and the other vent thing, it blows out the floor and defrost vent for a while then out the A/C duct as it should.
Thanks Alot - :mad:

kimble989

I purchased a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab in December of '03. Its an automatic V6, 4.0L, SOHC engine. I love the truck and how it drives, when it drives. I have recently ran into a problem that two different dealerships in four visits have still not been able to tackle.

While driving the truck it will start to sputter, you will then lose your speedometer, then the truck slips itself into neutral. It is still running, but just slips into neutral. Then the overdrive light and ABS lights on the dash begin to flash at 100mph. You simply coast off the side of the road, turn it off, let it sit for about a minute or two and start it back up and you are good to go for another 2 days or so, sometimes less, before it happens again.

I've been told that a wiring harness can do this under the drivers seat if corroded, but both dealerships (very reputable ones) have found nothing. I paid $200 plus labor b/c they thought it might be the alternator overcharging, but happened again after I had the truck for only 3hrs. The only thing I can get from them is that all of the codes read high voltage.

Anyone have a clue? Email me at kimble989@frontiernet.net if you do. I cannot afford to be without a vehicle for a fifth trip into the dealer for 1-2 wks.
Thanks,

kimble989

For everyone out there with a Ranger extended cab having problems with door ajar problems....

I talked with a good friend of mine that works for a ford dealership. He said the first thing they try is to just lubricate the latch on the third or fourth door with WD-40 and open and close the door several times. It seems to have done the trick with mine after fighting it for about 2 weeks or so. I don't know if this will work on yours but it is quite cheaper than a dealer working on it. Supposedly it is the contacts that corrode easily and need to be worked back in for good connection.

Thanks,
kimble989

kimble989

I keep seeing that you all use an acronym called TSB, I think that is what it is.

What does that stand for and what is it?

Thanks,
kimble989

kimble989

I purchased a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab in December of '03. Its an automatic V6, 4.0L, SOHC engine. I love the truck and how it drives, when it drives. I have recently ran into a problem that two different dealerships in four visits have still not been able to tackle.

While driving the truck it will start to sputter, you will then lose your speedometer, then the truck slips itself into neutral. It is still running, but just slips into neutral. Then the overdrive light and ABS lights on the dash begin to flash at 100mph. You simply coast off the side of the road, turn it off, let it sit for about a minute or two and start it back up and you are good to go for another 2 days or so, sometimes less, before it happens again.

I've been told that a wiring harness can do this under the drivers seat if corroded, but both dealerships (very reputable ones) have found nothing. I paid $200 plus labor b/c they thought it might be the alternator overcharging, but happened again after I had the truck for only 3hrs. The only thing I can get from them is that all of the codes read high voltage.

Anyone have a clue? I cannot afford to be without a vehicle for a fifth trip into the dealer for another 1-2 wks.
Thanks,

KCRam

TSB = Technical Service Bulletin. These are diagnosis and repair bulletings sent by the manufacturer when a large number of vehicles exhibit a similar problem.

kcram - Pickups Host

dper299

Well I just put in a new aluminum 525.00$ driveshaft and guess what ? The problem is still there!!! It happens when you have to accelerate to go around or pass someone...Any ideas

jkidd2

This is the first I've heard of this, but this article indicates Ford has expanded its recall regarding fires/speed control to the Ranger.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4420584/detail.html

jkidd

hotwheelscott

I just had all of the dash lights replaced at THE Ford Dealership. $70 Bucks! Its much easier to have them do it. Ive got the repair manual, and I looked it over. Too much work! let the experts do it. Its worth it. They missed 1 bulb, and had to do it again for free. Oh, yea mines a 99 Ranger xlt x-caB

hciaffa

I tried that site but it states that the article is no longer posted or available. What did it say. Does it concern the engine fires in the F-150's that are running rampant in FL. Another one was reported yesterday which burned downed the owners house. 27 such fires in FL and numerous other fire damages as well over a simple $13 switch. We have the same switch in our Rangers if you have the cruise control

ogre

I found out that it's not the front main seal or bearing going bad. It turned out to just be a bent pulley. Does anyone know anything about overdrive or underdrive pulleys for 4cyl. rangers?

hciaffa

This is an article that appeared this morning up at cars.com about the 1997-2002 Rangers and Explorers that may have the same switch that is in question causing the fires. From what I have seen on TV reports is that the switch is in a vulnerable area and can get contaminated with brake fluid (the switch is mounted to the master brake cylinder fluid housing and only if you have cruise control) and because the switch gets power all the time even when the ignition is off it can over heat and if it is gunky with brake fluid and other oils it can ignite and bye bye vehicle, house, shed, garage or whatever. Again this is the suspect but in a recent news article I think on Dateline a specialist in auto fires pin pointed that this switch is the hot spot on the vehicles he has seen. So here we go again from Firestone tires to a 13 dollar switch. What next. By the way I have a 98 XLT extended cab. I used be up on this site sometime ago but got sidetracked and like the prodigal son I have returned and I thing I'll stick around. Here is the site if you are interested...
http://www.cars.com/go/news/Story.jsp;jsessionid=RBKM2BHL30XI1LAZGQLU2VA?section=news&subj- ect=recent&story=042805storyaUT&referer=&aff=national

mikeb2k5

Believe it or not, the problem is the speed sensor on the rear differential. The part is $25.00 and when I went to the dealer to buy it, the parts counter guy said they sell a bunch of them. It's fairly easy to change. jack up the driver side rear and remove the wheel and tire. Put a block or jackstand under the axle to prevent tipping off the jack. Look at the front top of the diff. you will see a connector. Spread the locks and unplug the connector. remove the bolt holding the sensor in place. Wipe any debris off the diff surrounding the sensor then pull the sensor out of the diff. use a screwdriver to carefully pry it out. Put some engine oil on the O-ring of the new sensor. Carefully insert the sensor and rock it gently to seat the Oring. Insert the bolt and tighten. Re-connect the connector. Mount the wheel and tire. Viola!!! everything will work and the truck will run fine. I didn't believe it either until I tried it (My son in law is a Ford tranny mechanic) Hope this helps. It's a fairly easy fix, but if you're not mechanically inclined, have a mechanic install it for you.