Ford Ranger Maintenance and Repair

stgermain · March 2005

Is it possible that the catalytic converter is plugged?

hutch5 · March 2005

its has good flow comin out the exhaust. sometimes it want to come out of it and run fine but just for a couple of minutes then it goes back to acting up

jkidd2 · March 2005

Hi Everyone...I own a 2002 Ranger FX4...yesterday, I went to open my tailgate and the tailgate latch broke off in my hand when I pulled it.

Majorly pissed me off as I had just purchased a rather heavy potted plant from an estate sale and without the ability to open the tailgate, I couldn't lift if over to the bed, so I had to take the plant back and get a refund (thankfully).

Anyone aware of any recalls for this?

Its a 2002, but I purchased it new in Feb 2003...so shouldn't the repair be under warranty?

Thanks!

stacey25 · March 2005

Hello
I myself have had 2 Rangers! My first one was a '97 and it gave me a few problems. The Steering Box had to be replaced at 40,000 miles and the thermostat went up on it but that was the dealerships fault!! At 80,000 miles all the brakes and everything with it were replaced but that's understandable. My Ranger that I have now is sitting in my driveway because I do not know what's wrong with it! It could possibly be my Transmission slipping and I don't want to drive it around and ruin it!
My question is, is why are we knowing of all these problems with rangers but we all keep buying them?? I know that I love the truck! I have almost 70,000 miles on my 2000 and I treat it very well! I can understand the minor stuff due to wear and tear on the vehicle just like all vehicles but tailgate latches--c'mon!! That shouldn't happen!
Well anyway, sorry such a long note!!
But if anyone has some advice with my truck, please feel free to post me a note!
Thanks

atlgaxt · March 2005

After 60,000 miles? I do not know, but on my Mazda B4000 (Ranger under the skin) I just had to rebuild a transmission at 56,000 miles ($2+ k worth of work).

To be fair, the truck had no other problems prior to then, but I am not going to wait around to see if it happens again, so I am planning on getting rid of mine soon. Could that be why someone is trying to sell a 2002 ranger edge with 57,000 miles....

atlgaxt · March 2005

With my transmission going at 56k miles on my 2002 B4000 and my wife (girlfriend at the time) having to rebuild a V6 on a four year old Taurus with 72,000 miles, I'm going to have an awful hard time buying another Ford (the Mazda is a rebadged Ranger).

I took good care of my truck, but I cannot vouch for how my wife took care of her Taurus. We could just have bad luck, but I still think there is no excuse for these major failures at relatively low ages and mileage.

sethp · March 2005

I have a 97' ranger stepside bed on my 2001 ranger and im looking for some euro tail lights on ebay and they all claim to not "fit" on stepside beds...but the lights look the same, im just wondering if they bolt on different or something...ide appreciate it if u could let me know if its a buncha CROCK and they might actually fit, lol..take care, and thanks alot..(im at school right now, and cant go home and look, but im trying to order the lights in class right now)

first time in here (owner of 2 rangers)
SoopaSeth

stacey25 · March 2005

Well I am not quite sure what is wrong with my truck yet but hopefully it's minor!! The only thing that could be my fault is running it out of gas a couple times this winter and cause the fuel line to get clogged or damaged!! But I am going to keep this truck til she dies and then i'm going to chevy!! Probably a Tahoe or Yukon!
Thanks for your reply! 2 Rangers are enough for me even though my love for them is still there!!
Later

peonyman · March 2005

Have 2002 XLT with 33,000 miles. Runs like a top in cold, hot, wet, dry conditions. But when it's snowing, I get an engine skip/hiccup/stumble/buck regardless of engine speed and load. Not a ping. Happens half a dozen times during a 25 mile drive, but is quite random. Makes me think it's going to die, but has never been more than one misfire at a time.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

ranger_125 · March 2005

hey dude bin there did that
get youre idle air control sensor checked out and most importantly you mas airflow sensor located just after youre air filter box on top you can remove it with tamper proof torx bits clean it with carb or brake clean and let dry but do not touch then re install als cheack for intake gtasket leakage e-mail me if you have any more ? ranger_125@hotmail.com

ranger_125 · March 2005

try youre fuel pump of fuel pump relay
also it could be vapour locked so try puging youre fuel lines at the fuel rail on top of your intake manifold ranger_125@hotmail.com

blank · March 2005

im thinking about buying a ranger and i wanted to know if there is a model or year that seems to hold up best and have the least problems. or can anyone recomend a better choice of small truck.

thanks.

townhome · March 2005

I absolutely recommend the Ranger. My 96 4.0 V6 automatic extended cab flareside bed is the BEST vehicle I have ever owned. It only has 84,000 miles on it, but I am not kidding when I say it has NEVER broken. Nothing. Zero. Zip. I sold my 89 Toyota truck to buy it and I have loved it everyday. The Toyota was alright, but at 100,000 miles it was stalling regularly and the dealers couldn't seem to fix it. The Saturn, Altima, and Jetta I've also had all had more problems than my truck (with the Jetta being the most trouble free, but I only kept it until 40,000).

My truck will be 10 years old in about 6 months and I was just thinking tonight how tight it still is. Not one rattle or squeak and all I have done is regular maintance. I do use synthetic oil -- that's the only thing special I do. I mean, even my friends brand new 2005 MB C230 has a rattle somewhere in the dash, and their other car, an '03 Accord already needs new engine mounts.

I understand some people on this board have had problems with their Rangers, and I feel for them. I know how it is to live with an unreliable car. But, Ford has sold a lot of Rangers over the years and you gotta figure some of them will have problems, just like some cars, no matter who makes them, will have problems.

delerious2005 · March 2005

I have a '00 Ranger XLT Ext. Cab. The power switch on the driver side sometimes sticks, and now the key lock is jammed. If I replace both locks, will I have to replace the ignition too. Please help me out and tell me where I could go to get the parts needed.

girlluvstrucks · March 2005

I've had my 2003 Ranger in the dealer 2 times, about to be three, in the past 5 weeks or so. It doesn't want to start. At first, I attributed it to the cold. But we had a warm spell of 50 degree weather and it still did it. Plus it would even continue after the engine is warm.
The first time, I was told it was the fuel pump. So they replaced it. The second time, they said it was the computer so they reprogrammed it. It starts good for a couple days after I get it back then it'll start up with problems again. It goes to the dealer again tomorrow for a different reason and I'm going to tell them then, but I'd like to have an idea what it could be so I can ask them if they've checked other possibilities. Thanks!

wijoco · March 2005

If it's the standard warranty, no. If your dealer is nice, they might do it as a courtesy, but the way things are going for Ford I doubt they're in a nice mood.

bolivar · March 2005

When door locks are replaced the best thing is to have a locksmith open up the lock tumblers and replace them so they 'match' your existing ignition key.

Overall, it sounds like you might have lock 'linkage' problems, not switch or 'lock' problems. Someone needs to get inside the door and figger out what really is wrong, then buy the correct part/s.

lifted · March 2005

you have a sensor bad a dealer i could tell you more if i could put a scan tool on it.the scan tool would tell you the sensor that is bad .

lat41 · March 2005

I have a 2000 XLT 2WD Xtra cab with rear doors. The floor in front
on the driver's side is soaked. I have
pulled the carpet and backing back to feel it all wet. It does not
appear to be coming through the firewall or the drain in the well at
the base of the windshield. The windshield is original. There also
small drains forward in the door jambs if you pull up on the weather
stripping seal inside the doors. Any ideas? check your own Rangers
after a rainy or slushy ride. We've had enough rain and slush here
in RI lately to go through a few soak dry cycles. Any auto body guys
or auto glass guys ever run across this? People around here say "oh,
a lot of Rangers do that", but can never pinpoint it for me.

tmiller1 · March 2005

i have 2000 ranger with the same problem it only has 29,000 miles

bonestar · March 2005

Please post this everywhere you can. Here is the solution and it doesn't invlove driveshaft replacement or removal. Drill a 7/32 hole in your split yoke close to your front u-joint(so you don't drill into your splines). Purchase a 1/4x28 grease fitting 1/4x28 tap. Install grease fitting and inject heavy duty grease into your driveshaft. This will coat your splines. Do not overfill or you will rupture your boot that covers your 2 piece connection. Easy to do and if driveline slop comes back, get the grease gun out and recoat in minutes. Worked great on my 2000 extended cab.

hurleybill · March 2005

A friend just bought it. We can't find a back up light switch! I see the Neutral Safety Switch atop the trany (with nothing connected to it). Are they one and the same? Thanks.

jrc346 · March 2005

Had a very similar problem on my wife's Explorer. I could be driving on the smoothest of roads and, then "bump." Made me wonder if I was crazy. The problem only showed up after my wife was in an accident and we had to have the front bumper cover replaced. So, I looked around in all of the area's that would get really wet while driving, and wound up finding a dangling sensor at the front of the drivers side wheel well. I think the repair manual said it was the Ambient Air Temperature sensor. I accessed the sensor from the headlight bulb replacement access panel under the hood and pulled it up and stuck it into a hole (it had a clip attached to it) in the frame where it would stay dry, and haven't had a problem since. Not sure if this is the problem, but you might try and reposition that sensor up higher. If you are out for a drive and notice your truck starts bumping, when you arrive at your location, look in this access panel and see if any of the sensors in that compartment are wet or have snow built up on them. Just a thought. Not even sure if you have the same symptoms that I had.

lostwrench · March 2005

Ranger transmissions are made in France. Why be surprised when Ranger transmissions fail?

lifted · March 2005

have them check the speed sensor and the crankshaft position sensor

wil1 · March 2005

I had a problem like that with mine and it turned out to be the idle valve air converter sillinoid. just go to auto zone or garage and have them plug it in to tell you for sure. but it is an easy fix with just two bolts if that is the problem.

wil1 · March 2005

i took my truck into a garage to get it looked at because it had stalled. they said that the problem was a blown fuse under ther hood and they do not know the cause of the problem. anybody have an idea how i could fix it.

sdwarren · March 2005

I have a 94 ford ranger V6 4x4 extended cab. On rainy days it doesn't start unless i hold the accelerator down. It also likes to "hop" on occasion during mild accelerations. I've also noticed on occasion that the engine cuts in and out on hard accelerations. I know that there is a leak in my tank because fuel spills when i fill it up. Does this have anything to do with it? Please help.

wijoco · March 2005

Could be anything. You have to start with the basics and isolate it to a spark, air or fuel problem.

bigwheel82 · March 2005

I own a 00' ranger xlt 4X4 with 70,000 miles and over the past year at very random times when I come to a stop, the rpm's drop as if it's going to stall. I touch the gas and everything is fine. I took it to the dealer and they checked all sensors and they were fine. They then drove it to recreate the problem and it didn't happen to them in the 20 miles they put on my truck. They have no idea what it could be. Does anybody out there have a similar problem?

peonyman · March 2005

Thanks for the tip. I'll look around as you did for anything exposed. Funny how it only happens when it snows but not in rain. Maybe that means it is both moisture and temperature dependent.

jrc346 · March 2005

Well my wife's Explorer would do it while it rained as well, but only if the temps were cool. If we were driving only in snow, then it wouldn't happen, or if it did, very rarely. If it was slushy, it got pretty bad. Melted snow (from road salt), also made it bad. Hopefully this helps you, I wonder how many other people have had it happen. This is the second Explorer in a row that has done this, only the first one was a lease and got turned in before a solution was found.

thiggs · March 2005

I have a 99 ford ranger v6 4.0 with 99,000 miles on it. Recently my truck has suffered a blown head gasket($1500) or a cracked cylinder($2500) and I don't know if I should fix it or trade it in. I still owe $5,000 on it and love the way it drives. I just seem to always have problems with it. The tranny has also been replaced at 50,000 miles. What is the history on ford rangers and what should I do? Will fixing it solve the promblem and give me another 100,000 miles?
Thanks for your advice

ifd_32 · March 2005

i have a 1988 extended cab ford ranger, it has a built 302 with 3speed trans 8.8 rear end, the gas hand doesn't work properly, does anybody know what to replace to fix it, i can do the work just dunno what to replace...thxs

ifd_32 · March 2005

1500$ for a blowed head gasket? i don't think they cost that much, and they not hard to replace at all, if its a blowed head gasket i would fix it before trading it in.

gbicknell · March 2005

I had a 94 Ranger 4 Banger that did the same thing. Ended up having a stopped up fuel line and filter. After replacing the filter the shop ran a cleaner through the system and everything went back to normal.
The gunk that was in the lines looked like day old Expresso it was so thick.
Hope this helped,
G Bicknell

mrbz · March 2005

HELP- my son's ranger pickup(90 2.3 4cly 5spd distributorless ignition system)we have replaced everything from the timing belt, to the brain and all other electrical components related, new timing belt installed timing marks lined up and still do not have any spark after the coil packs??? any suggestions gladly appreciated, running out of options!HELP

climbmo · March 2005

I just purchased a 2000 ranger 4WD ex cab, is there a way to grease the tie rod ends? The manual says you can remove the plug in the end. Does anyone know if it will unscrew? I tried grabbing it with vise grips however there is very little surface to work with.

mrbz · March 2005

HELP! My son has a 90 ranger with same problems, but we've just replaced the timing belt and still no spark. Can anyone help with the timing marks and firing order; the Chiltons manuel doesn't refer to the distributorless ignition timing belt after the new one is installed- thats where we are stuck-PLEASE HELP!

redhotranger · March 2005

I have a 2000 ranger extcab 4x4 automatic, and I am currently having this jerking problem when my truck is shifting between gears. When I accelerate, my truck starts jerking hard and it feels like it is hesitating. The engine runs fine and the RPMs does not seem like it is fluctuating. I had a problem before when I was driving and the truck started to hesitate, but that time the engine light went on and I found out that one of the spark plugs started to misfire. This problem is different; the truck feels like it is just jerking after it shifts to the next gear. The truck jerks 4-6 time or till I let off the gas. Has anyone experience the same problem. Is the transmission the problem or is it related to fuel or ignitions system?

rmill · March 2005

My 89 fuel injected v6 Ranger sat a while, when I tried to start it the starter was burned up.
I replaced the starter & few rat chewed wires.
There is no spark, There is power to the coil & it tests good.
the only thing left is the distributor, the contacts & rotor look good.
I can not get the little module off the distributor.
It appears to be held on by small hex head bolts.
I thought I had every socket there is ... but not that one.

day1 · March 2005

If you buy a new one make sure the dealer throws in (free) the extended warranty. You need to protect yourself against the transmission failing at ~50,000 miles. I think the extended warranty covers this.

rowdyrick · March 2005

I don't have an answer to your problem but I am very interested in knowing how you got the replacement timing belt on. I have a '93 Ranger (4 cyl, 2.3 Lt, 5 spd manual) and the timing belt busted about a month ago. I bought a "Haynes" manual for assisting with replacing the belt but it's been little help. I had to remove the cooling fan and remove some bolts that hold the metal frame that holds the A/C and power steering unit. It is loose enough that we could remove the old belt. However, the belt was broken and came off fairly easily. But, in trying to put the replacement belt on, the clearance at the very bottom of the crankshaft pulley and the metal housing underneath the engine block make it impossible to put it in place. To add to the problem, there is a plastic shroud that gets in the way. The shroud is loose so I can move it some...not too much. I'm thinking that the crankshaft pulley has to come off...but I'm not absolutely sure. Plus, I've not done that before and not sure of the implications.

Any help anyone can provide would be appreciated.

With that said, here's something my Haynes book said about losing the timing belt..."Extensive engine damage can result from the loss of the timing belt". That's pretty ambiguous but that's what it said. The Haynes manual did show that there is a timing mark on both the crankshaft pulley and the camshaft. We took the #1 intake-side spark plug out and turned the crankshaft until we felt the cylinder was at top dead center. Couple that with the location of the camshaft timing mark, I'm hoping that the timing will be good if and when I can get the replacement belt on. I don't know if it's luck or sheer coincidence, the camshaft was right on the timing mark...I'm guessing when the timing belt broke.

I did think that maybe, just maybe, something else happened at the moment in time that caused the belt to break. If so, it would probably be in the camshaft or valve area. The truck just stopped running while driving so I'm thinking and hoping it was just a belt issue.

As for testing the spark, I took the #3 exhaust side plug out and let it sit on the engine block while the plug cable was connected. I had someone turn the engine over and I could visibly see spark. But that was when I was troubleshooting the problem and before I notice the timing belt wasn't moving.

The Haynes manual also noted there is a fuse associated with the timing. You'll need to get a book and/or diagrams on your particular model to know where that's located. On mine, it's in a box under the hood behind the battery. Also, my owner's manual also addressed the issue of a reset button located under the passenger side floor mat just under the dashboard and nearest the "hump" in the floor. According to my manual, this could be set from a front-end collision, primarily, but has been known to set from hard bumps...even potholes in the road. So be sure to check that on your truck as that may need to be reset to allow the engine to fire.

RowdyRick

rowdyrick · March 2005

Check your owner manual for a "fuel reset switch". My '93 4cyl, 2.3L, 5-spd manual truck has one. It is located inside the cab, on the passenger side, under the floor carpet, just under the dashboard, next to the "hump". The one on my truck is a push button. It isn't so hard to get to but you do need to pull the carpet down/out about 2 inches.

rowdyrick · March 2005

Today is the first time I've run across this forum. I got here looking for help with replacing my timing belt. But I've gone through all the postings and am amazed with all the problems noted. I have a 1993 Ranger XLT, 4cyl, 2.3L, 5-spd manual, and have had absolutely no problems with it. I have right at 117,000 miles on it. But, the timing belt broke about 3 weeks ago. After reading all the postings, I must be blessed to have had such a good truck.

RowdyRick

stacey25 · March 2005

hello
i have the same exact thing happening to my 2000 ranger 2x4 3.0. i just changed the transmission fluid and filter and not even 12 hours later it started doing the same thing. Then on my way to work my o/d light started flashing. My brakes in the front definitley need replaced and the jerking is still happening just like it would be my transmission slipping. i am still going to try the tune up and see what happens. i will get back to you--if you find out what is going on with yours please let me know--thanks

stacey25 · March 2005

yeah i was amazed too. i am seriously thinking about moving on to Chevy's!! my love for Rangers are starting to fade and all these problems just scare me more about all the things happening to my truck. it's funny though because my truck really didn't start doing all of these things until i started reading all these forums. so maybe we jinxed ourselves. so watch out!! thanks for the reply

wijoco · March 2005

Are you saying you have a signal to the coil packs but no spark out?You need to start at the plug wires and check for spark progressively backwards with a spark tester, and then a digital multimeter upstream of the coil packs. Witha few diagnostic tools and a wiring diagram you'll find it.

wijoco · March 2005

There is a grease needle that punctures the boot and allows you to force more grease inside the boot. Id on't know who sells it. My advice is unless it's making noise now, wait till it breaks and replace it with a greasable joint. It may waer out next week or you may get another 100,000 miles out of them. Tie rod ends are pretty cheap.

wijoco · March 2005

You're looking at the TFI (Thick Film Ignition) module. It is attached with Torx screws. They did fail pretty commonly. You've got to get a wiring diagram for your truck and a digital mulitmeter so that you can test all the parts before you start replacing. You can spend $500 and still not fix the problem by shotgunning.

Ford Ranger Maintenance and Repair

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