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Ford Ranger Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • brysuebrysue Member Posts: 35
    Excellent work. It feels good to get something fixed, doesn't it? I have a feeling I will be replacing my MAF sensor in the future. But for now, my truck is running great. I am happy yours is too. :)
  • hunter3079hunter3079 Member Posts: 3
    i have replaced timing belt,coils,wires,plugs,ing mod and fuel pump relay.still won't start. no fire to coils or injectors.what is a multi function switch?
  • rangergalrangergal Member Posts: 1
    My husband has a 1993 Ford Ranger, it has a manual trany. He needs to know how to open the bleeder valve on the hydraulic clutch. Does anyone know? Thank you!!!!
  • ryan2005ryan2005 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, im 16, and im a pretty good mechanic. i have an amazing ranger. it was handed down to me from my late father. ever since i went with him to pick it up a few years ago its been flawless. but right when i got it, the belt started to squeak and its really annoying. i tried everything to make it stop but the belt had its time and now its worn out. its a 2002 xlt 3.0L V6 (w/ac) and i cant figure out how to release tension on the belt or how to get it off. it doesnt say in the manual or in the hood. help me please.
  • moochy1moochy1 Member Posts: 2
    I have 95 2,3 L it cut off and will not start, It has 180,000 and I have well maintained sense new. I replaced timing belt, water pump and every thing in path
    to save future labor cost non of these have been replaced until now. I did this before I started testing figured I would get lucky no luck. have spark ,fuel pressure and timing marks ok and all electrical checks out.I started on vacuum lines and found cracked male plastic fitting going to canister purge valve this line is routed from throttle body goes threw a switch called thermistor to purge valve then to cannister.these two switches have vacuum and electric. It will start at first then die I figure this from lost of vacuum not sure looks like a little JB weld will solve my problem or should I just buy the two switches? Can someone please explain what these switches do and have they caused further damage that I should look for? I have not done anything futher. This crack has been on going you can tell by looking it just gave way and stoped the engine. I thank you in advance for any help
  • moochy1moochy1 Member Posts: 2
    A mutilmeter checks for voltage ac or dc some are analog this is preferred for vehicles auto zone has for 15.00. You need check fuses or look in power box
    for relay or fuses under hood good luck.
  • callerdalecallerdale Member Posts: 7
    Sure the slave can be replaced without doing the whole clutch.
    HOWEVER....
    Because of the expense, (and the effort in doing it, if you are doing it yourself) of taking down the trans. to replace the slave, it is a good idea to do the clutch as well.
    In other words, you could do the slave, and get it all put back together, and have the clutch go out in a week.
    So, think about it. If the clutch is new, or nearly new, then you are probably okay just doing the slave.
    Otherwise, you are doing the same job twice, if the clutch goes out.
  • ioldsmblioldsmbl Member Posts: 1
    Alrighty, this is long, but detailed. About 2 months ago I bought a used 1996 Ranger shortbox, very plain jane, with the 2.3L, no AC and 5 speed. It has being doing very well with the exception that it was pretty gutless in 4th gear, and barely pulled its own weight in 5th.

    A few days ago while going down the interstate it died. Timing belt snapped. So I replaced the belt and tensioner for that belt. I discovered at the time all the plugs and wires were bad, so I replaced six of them while doing the belt. I reassembled the motor till there was enough there to test it, by this I mean I reassembled everything on the serpentine belt and started it. It started great, ran good, but a little extra noise do to not haveing a fan, radiator or coolant. I tried it a second time, and again, it was great.

    So at this time I replaced my final two plugs and wires (the aweful ones to do under the intake), replaced the fan and radiator and filled it with fluid. I got in again and it just turned over and over without firing. I checked the plugs and they smelled of gas. And I checked one for ignition, and it seemed to be fine. So my dad came over and got it started by flooring the gas pedal, it ran really rought for about a minute them smoothed out a little. But it could barely keep itself running, and when I ran the RPM up it almost sounded like it was starving for air and dragged terribly. We also noted that it had almost a diesel ping in the drivers side bank when it started, and had minor pinging while idling. But at this point is undrivable do to lack of power. I know that the cam and crank timing marks were on, and the oil pump was off a little from its mark, but it started twice just fine. Pretty quickly here I'm going to rent a computer to check for codes or just take it to a mechanic.

    Can somebody help me, anybody have an inkling of what's wrong?

    (not to mention that I broke the emergency brake by cranking on the crank really heard)
  • hunter3079hunter3079 Member Posts: 3
    thanks i will give this a shot. have checked all fuses and relays but will check again. will also kcheck all grounds. thanks again
  • dfontenodfonteno Member Posts: 1
    Got the same problem. Code check says solenoid problem as well. Is this an easy fix as the part is external? Any special tools required?
  • mostlylucky2mostlylucky2 Member Posts: 7
    Bleeder valve is above the line connection to the transmission bellhousing. Make sure when bleeding that you remove the rubber bladder insert from the reservoir and really fill it with enough fluid. If, during bleeding, air is inadvertently drawn in to the top of the system and makes it's way to the master cylinder, it's a pain to bleed out. You have to remove the master cylinder and turn it upside down to get the air out. Check out the tech tips at "therangerstation.com". Good luck.
  • mostlylucky2mostlylucky2 Member Posts: 7
    Most serpentine belts have spring tensioners which look like idler wheels pressing against the smooth side of the belt in such a fashion that tension in that direction is increased. They are typicallyabout 2 inches in diameter, and can be released by placing a hex socket (maybe on a breaker bar so you can get some leverage) on the exposed end and relieving the tension so that the belt can be slipped off of the easiest pulley location that you can get to.
    There is a sticker showing belt routing usually on the front near the radiator, unless it's missing. That sticker shows the location of the tensioner pulley too.
  • eautigereautiger Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1991 with a 5-speed. Any thoughts as to why the Clutch Hydraulic line would just pop off the slave cylinder after 10 months? It appears the outside of the quick connect is missing. Could this be a frozen slave cylinder problem? It popped off in the middle of a shift, I felt it and the clutch pedal went rock hard. By the way, that clutch hydraulic line is a dealer item. M.S.R.P? $75.00!! Thanks alot Ford.
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    As mostlylucky mentions in his post look for a pully that the smooth of the belt goes in between or around. Before you remove the belt and you don't have a sticker to refer to (should be on the hood or on the radiator top) make a diagram of the belt routing and note the pattern of which way the ribs on the belt are going around the pulleys. If you are still stumped on which one is the idler pulley to move try going to a NAPA or Pep Boys store and one of the counter men or service people can show you. The pulley is under some tension so you will need a3/8 or 1/2 ratchet or brealer bar to unspring the tension.
  • eautigereautiger Member Posts: 3
    :confuse: I have a 1991 with a 5-speed. Any thoughts as to why the Clutch Hydraulic line would just pop off the slave cylinder after 10 months? It appears the outside of the quick connect is missing. Could this be a frozen slave cylinder problem? It popped off in the middle of a shift, I felt it and the clutch pedal went rock hard. By the way, that clutch hydraulic line is a dealer item. M.S.R.P? $75.00!! Thanks alot Ford. Is the slave cylinder a big problem for all of you?
  • eautigereautiger Member Posts: 3
    It should be hooked up to master cylinder inside the firewall, right near where pedal connects to master cylinder. It is wrapped around the shaft. Be careful sliding it off, tabs break easily.
  • engineer2engineer2 Member Posts: 2
    For what it's worth, my next door neighbor bought a new 2002 Ranger with a V-6 (don't recall which one) and I saw him fire it up in the morning a couple of times during the winter and I saw billows of black smoke coming from the tail pipe while it ran very rough. After a couple of minutes of nursing it, it smoothed out. Periodically mine has done a similar thing when first starting it up (2001 Ranger with a 3.0L), but not nearly as bad (or from my angle I didn't get a good look at the exhaust). I suspected the computer was linked to the problem, but I never had that confirmed. Something was telling the injection to pour in the gas. I wonder if others have had the same intermitant problem?
  • jselphjselph Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,
    Has anyone removed the bed from an 89 ranger 2wd? My fuel gauge is kaput and I'd like to see if the float is sunk or just stuck, and I believe that moving the bed is the easiest idea. I'd like to know if there is a wiring connector for the lighting on the bed or do I have to pull all of the bulb sockets out of the bed before removing it from the frame.
    Also, has anyone changed the AC over from R12 to R134, and if so how does it work?
    Thanks,
    John
  • txhessrangertxhessranger Member Posts: 5
    OK here goes the story, my 98 2,5 L 5 speed would not start on Sat. JUly 4. Pulled the battery and it tested good at the local Autozone. Put the battery back nad the truck started! WOW~ Took my truck back to autozone and they tested teh electrical and said it all looked good. Monday, July13, my truck would not start. It had all the looks of the battery, yet the starter did not turn. Pulled the starter and had it checked at O'Riley's wher I boought it 4 years ago and it was bad, lifetime warranty so they replaced it. Insalled the strater, truck did not start. Had a jump start, took the truck to Autozone where I got the battery, they tested the electrical and the battery was dead. 3 years old in Houston, TX is about the life cycle so I got a new battery, prorated cost (it was a 5 year battery) and the truck ran all week, until tonight. The battery crapped out again. The AC was fixed on Thursday July2. Any correlation?
  • ryan2005ryan2005 Member Posts: 3
    actually i found it the day after i posted. its one of the smooth pulleys almost directly in front of the fan. after i found it i put the belt on and the the squeak was gone. there was a diagram in the hood but there was no label to where the tension pulley was. thanks a lot thouigh i appreciate it.
  • callerdalecallerdale Member Posts: 7
    Sounds like the ignition module.
    It is located on the lower part of the throttle body.
    It has a plug on top and on the bottom.
    Does this truck have a distributor?
    If NOT, it might be the Crankshaft timing sensor.
    It's located down behind the crankshaft pulley.
    It's a bit of a job to replace, but can be done
  • callerdalecallerdale Member Posts: 7
    I"ve had the same problem.
    Its the radiator, get a new one.
  • cliftronicscliftronics Member Posts: 2
    I am trying to figure out what is wrong with my daughter's Ford Ranger. It is a 4 cylinder 1999 with automatic tranny. It has recently developed a problem when starting off. If you release to brake and let the truck begin to roll and be easy with the accelerator, it will go. The problem is when you you accelerator normally, it will cough and cut off. As I stated earlier, this is my daughter's truck, and I can't let her drive until I get this fixed, because of the traffic being pretty heavy in our area. The purpose of saying that, the truck starts back with no problems and runs good afterward. It just cuts off when starting off. When it does cut off, it makes a noise like compressed air being released. Up to this point, I have replaced the spark plugs (8) and plug wires (8). I am now attempting to replace the fuel filter. I have come across a small problem with this too. The fuel line connections are something I have never seen. The connector looks kind of like a air hose connector, only it does not have the spring loaded collar that you slide back to release air hose connectors. I cannot figure out how to release these connectors. I need some advise on these problems if anyone can help me. THANKS!!!
  • hunter3079hunter3079 Member Posts: 3
    thanks for your help but have already replaced both
  • brysuebrysue Member Posts: 35
    I would get some electronic cleaner and clean the MAF sensor. The connector does have a spring on the inside. You cannot see it. There is a small tool you can pick up at the auto parts store that costs about 5 bucks. Ask the guys there.
  • seldersselders Member Posts: 5
    Sorry I haven't had the chance to get back on here. Damn hurricanes throw your whole schedule off. You've allready done more with the catalytic converter, and exhaust than I've got around to. The coils I bought were from Advanced Auto and they seem to be doing O.K. I ran the test for codes on it about a week ago and guess what, It said that the throttle positioning sensor wasn't getting enough signal. Actually I think it said signal was low, but it's getting replaced next. The only other thing I 've been able to figure out is that the whole "surging" thing may very well be due to just plain old lack of power. Mine dosen't seem to do it if the A.C. is turned off, or better yet wait til you're driving and in the middle of third gear turn off the A.C. and see if it still does it. I've been looking into going a different route with mine and trying to free up as much H.P. as I can. We'll see how that goes I guess.
  • ryan9999ryan9999 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 3.0l v-6 1999 ford ranger. I'm trying to replace the water pump.
    I have one bolt that i can't get to. According to the haynes guide i need
    to remove the "air conditioning compressor and power steering pump bracket"
    but it doesn't say how to do this. Do i have to remove the belt tensioner to do
    this? I only really see one bolt holding this bracket on and when i removed
    that it did nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :confuse:
  • dicklambdicklamb Member Posts: 1
    My neighbor and I replaced the alternator in his 1999 Ranger 4 WD 3.0L pickup. That fixed the charging system problems, but when we drove it we found the speedometer no longer worked. Of course, everything needing data from the speedometer (e.g., ABS, cruise control, shifting) has problems. Is there anything anywhere near the alternator that we could have bumped to cause this?
  • ntrdntrd Member Posts: 1
    the vehicle got up to about 35 MPH and then just shut off. The oil pressure dropped repidly to zero, and everything went dead. (no noises, no vibration, will turn over with starter, just won't start now.
  • budselectbudselect Member Posts: 1
    I ned help I can't seem to find the orfice tube , on my ac. Thanks for any help
  • brysuebrysue Member Posts: 35
    Well the 2.3 liter engine only produces about 100 horsepower but, you should still be able to get most of it out of the engine. In my case it seemed as though I was only getting half. I have gotten some very good results after my last battle with my truck. It had been an ongoing war for about a month and a half. I found an intermediate connector attached to the ground wire that connects to the front coil pack right mounting bolt. You should be able to find this on your truck. It had some oxidation in this connector. I filed this oxidation off. What I should have done was cut this completely out and soldered the wire ends together. I used electronic cleaner in all the connectors to the fuel injectors and any connector related to the ignition. I also sprayed electronic cleaner to clean the MAF sensor. I bought some SEAFOAM cleaner at the auto parts store and cleaned my throttle body very well. I removed it competely to do this. I also sprayed SEAFOAM into a vacuum line in the intake manifold while the truck was running. I actually had a friend spray it while I revved the engine up and down to about 3500 RPMs. This SEAFOAM stuff is awesome. I would really recommend you do this. The results were amazing. I have so much power since I did these things. And even with the air conditioning on, I have very, very little power loss. I am so pleased. Try these things and see what happens.
  • ryan9999ryan9999 Member Posts: 2
    never mind i figured it out. There are 3 bolts on the front of the bracket.
    Only one of these are obvious the other 2 are recessed behind the
    belt tensioner and you have to feel around with your fingers to find these.
    There are also 2 on the bottom that are double nutted. The first nut holds
    up wires after these are removed the second nut unscrews the bolt from the
    engine.
  • cliftronicscliftronics Member Posts: 2
    Not that I know about around the alternator, howver, my daughter has a 1999 ranger (automatic trans.), and the transmission stopped chaging gear automatically, then the ABS light came on a little later, then the over-drive started going on & off, finally, the speedodometer quit working, some similar problems you are speaking of. It was the speed sensor in the rear-end of all places. Hope it helps you, I am very thankful to have found this web-site and hope to help and be helped. I have not yet solved my problem. Good Luck!!
  • seldersselders Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the info I'll have to give it a try when I get the chance and or the money. I had pretty good luck just replacing the coils all togther, But I still lose quite a bit with the A.C. on I'll give the SeaFoam a try. Thanks again.
  • jennyferrisjennyferris Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever find out what the problem was? I love my Ranger EXCEPT when the bl..dy thing won't start! I have had the fuel pump replaced and the issue remains the same. If I bang the tank cover, it might start. If I wait 15 minutes it might start. Ugh!!!
  • juno139juno139 Member Posts: 1
    I apologize if this topic has already been addressed elsewhere. If it has, just let me know where and I'll read up there.
    I have a '98 Ranger V6 3.0L. Recently I discovered that the brake lights aren't working. The taillights, the reverse lights, and the turn signals all work fine, but when I press on the brake the lights won't light up. A friend who is a Dodge truck mechanic told me it was probably the brake relay switch, and said if I got the part he'd fix it. My problems are these: first, is "brake relay switch" the correct term for this part? I've looked all over online and can't find anything matching the name. Second: what is the cost for this part? I'm not made of money and I need to know in advance if it's expensive so I can set aside some cash.
    Any help is much appreciated.
  • lisa15lisa15 Member Posts: 1
    1999 Ford Ranger oil pressure dropped to zero and the engine died. Only 50,000 miles on it and well cared for. Over $4,000 to fix. Was wondering if this problem is common enough that a recall was issued or maybe one should be.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    It just called the 'brake light switch'. It's usually on the brake pedal. Should be less than $10 at auto parts store. My 94 Ranger has eaten 3 of these in the 7 years I've owned it.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    I've read a lot of Ranger message boards, and a massive failure of a motor is very seldom heard of.

    'Well cared for'? What actually failed? Rod bearings? Main bearing? Did the low oil pressure light and/or gauge come on/read zero? What motor?

    Go to the NHTSB government site and check for recalls. I've never heard of one.
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    Whoa before you go out and buy the swicth try this. I have a 98 V6 3.0l as well and what I thought to be a faulty switch turned out to be the rear brake lights. They are on a separate circuit that than signal and reverse. My bulbs were burned out and I replaced them. Brake switch in may area goes for 38 dollars so try the bulbs first.
  • silverrangersilverranger Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for reading.

    Here is the scenario: 97 Ranger XLT, Big 6-cyl. . Neither headlight comes on when you turn on the headlight switch. All related fuses check OK in side panel and under the hood. No problems with any other lights. Can "flash" high beams OK by pulling back on turn signal stick, but cannot "lock" high beams by pushing turn signal stick forward. Prior to this problem with the headlights, on rare occasions the windshield wipers would randomly turn themselves on "high" for no reason, but could be turned off by turning the wiper switch forward (on) and then back to the off position. Possibly related to a common switch in the turn signal stick? If so, are there any know service bulletins or defects regarding this so that I might get if covered by Ford?

    Thanks for any help !
  • devilsworkshopdevilsworkshop Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1989 ford ranger, its almost perfect, it has a small exhaust leak, and the gas gauge doesnt work, im sick of adding up the milliage to find out when i need to fill it up, any ideas on what to do? im sick of having to deal with it
  • mrartmrart Member Posts: 2
    David: I'm haveing fuel problem and it maybe the crank sensor. Could you tell me where the crank sensor is located on the Ranger 1994 4.0L V6 . mr art
  • helpless1helpless1 Member Posts: 2
    How do you replace the electric shift motor on a 4x4 Ranger. I have removed the bolts but it still doesn't budge. I believe that the shift motor is shot on my 94 Ranger 4x4 as it will not go into 4wd when the push button is depressed. (Nor do the LEDs light up denoting that the 4wd is engaged; do hear the relays clicking though.)
    Any advice on removing the shift motor would be helpful.
    thanks,
  • 91rangrdad91rangrdad Member Posts: 1
    Here we go, my daughter has a 91 2.3L 4 cyl. that we just replace the fuel pump on. It ran well for about a week and a half. It is now doing the same thing as before, starter is turning and no gas to the throttle body. I can spray starting fluid in there and it will run until that is gone. I have just replaced the fuel filter relay(I think). Not sure which one it was.
    When the key is turned, the pump does not prime. no noise, nothing, nada. What else needs to be checked?
    Not a mechanic at all either. I am lost right now.
  • happynewownerhappynewowner Member Posts: 2
    You got screwed by Ford too huh? Got a 99 Ranger 3.0 Flexi Fuel 4x4. Was driving around and the same thing happened to me at 62,xxx miles. Before I could even get off the road it was ruined. I called Ford and there had been no recall or service bullentin about this problem but now I REALLY wonder if there should be.

    Repair shop said they think it was the cam postition sensor or something along those lines that failed. Cost me over $3k. Try American Engine Installations. They are a national chain. The dealership wanted over $4k as well but it was 500 for the engine and 1500 for labor and AEI. The rest I went ahead and got new hoses, belt, water pump, sensor, tax and so on since it was being worked on. They were not only over $1k cheaper but gave a 50K warranty over the crappy 36K Ford one. Really stand behind their work at Ford huh!

    Oh, let's see what else has gone wrong. Well at 58,000 the spider gears in the differential went our costing $1100. The tranny went out 3 months ago at 72,000 costing over $2500.

    I take VERY good care of my behicles and I will NEVER buy a Ford again. I'm solid Toyota now. While US auto makers are heading out of the country, foreign ones are building plants here.

    Hope you get it worked out.
  • dgoodwindgoodwin Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever find out what the problem was with this Ranger?! We have a similar situation. The dealership replaced the alternator...well, they replaced it twice (!) but that's a different story....but after the replacement several weeks ago, this now sounds VERY similar to our problem. I'm wondernig if they did something while working on the alternator! Thanks!
  • bird1036bird1036 Member Posts: 2
    We are having trouble with our Ranger. Sometimes it will start and other times it won't . It is supose to have a reset switch for the fuel pump but we don't know where it is located. We have replaced just about everthing paid over a thousand dollars at garage and it still does this please help!! :cry: :sick:
  • ianchasianchas Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem with my 94 Ranger splash-- just this monday had to have it towed cause it won't start for over four hours. As soon as I rolled it off the tow truck, it turned over a long time the first crank with no result, then started right up on the second try. I'm also frustrated... I've found suggestions to replay the fuel pump relay and replace a sticking idle air control valve. Don't know if either will help.

    This seems to be a common problem with older Rangers,

    Anyone else please help?
    John
  • ianchasianchas Member Posts: 2
    Hello,

    An update to _my_ version of this problem... Could not get it to start again tonight, fortunately at home this time. Swapping the fuel pump relay with the AC relay as suggested by someone had no effect. It DID start after I put it into reverse and let the truck "rock" a bit as I tried starting.

    Then after one or two tries, it started right up... Help, I'm as lost as the guy with the 91.

    Also, for reference, my clutch is starting to go, and is hard to shift into 1st or reverse, don't know if this is part of the problem or not,

    Ideas?
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