Ford Ranger Maintenance and Repair

wthomas1 · May 2005

My daughter is having the same problem with her '94 Ranger. I've thrown a little money at the problem with a new battery and then a new solenoid. It started twice with the new battery, nothing after that. Same thing with the solenoid. It now sits in my driveway, it only clicks with the turn of the key. Can you help?

thanks, Wayne

bolivar · May 2005

Bad battery cables or bad battery cable connections.

The cables may be eaten up inside the insulation. Check carefully.

Remove the ground cable at the block or whereever and clean the connection and reattach.

digitalthug916 · May 2005

I have a '94 ranger 4x4 4.0L that is running rough, low gas mileage, hesitates on the throttle occasionally, and the check engine light stays on. I have checked the ECM codes and get a #539 (not sure off the top of my head what this one means) and a #214 (CID, Cylinder Identification failure). The oil is clean and full, i'm not losing coolant.

The following things I have replaced or checked: O2 sensors, plugs, EGR vlv, plug wires, all 3 ignition coils, fuel filter, air filter.

I drove from California to NY and the check engine light only came on when flooring it in 5th gear and would shut off when the pedal was depressed. Right around Chicago the light stayed on and the gas mileage dropped about 6 mpg. The engine used to sound like a smooth roar now sounds rough. I have also noticed a loss of power.

If anyone could give suggestions as to what else to check I would greatly appreciate it.

blackranger01 · May 2005

I currently changed the fuel filter because the check engine light was on and it was jerking and hesitating when you are stopped at a red light when its in gear. I have no idea what it could be know. Check engine light is still on can some one help me?

tdranger94 · May 2005

try www.partsrain.com i found them for 100.00 fit perfect on my 94

tdranger94 · May 2005

i recently had break preoblems with my 94 ranger trhe abs light refused to go out!i tried midas brake shops they couldnt get it to go off!!iWENT TO DEALER AND THEM FOUND IT REPAIRED IT ALL FOR 400.00 ITS WAS called the RABS VALVE.ONLY FORD HAS IT! SADLY

cary · May 2005

My 98 Ranger is un able to pass a smog check because the check engine light is on w/ a dtc code of p1450. Apparently this has something to do with Excessive Fuel Tank Vacuum. Any ideas as to quick fixes or how to get the light off?

hanksully · May 2005

I have the same problem, and it's driving me nuts :mad: . Did you find a solution?

ranger_t · May 2005

The Mazda 2300 is a Ford Ranger for all intents.

I purchased it about a month ago with 29.5K miles. I didn't notice at the time, but it seems to have a hesitation when cold (first 60 seconds of driving) at 2000 RPM's; Weird!

It will happen in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Gear (no opportunity to check 4th gear in the first minute of operation). Truck has the 5-spd tranny. Good truck for all else . .

All replys appreciated!

TG

blackranger01 · May 2005

My check engine light came on a few weeks ago and this jerking started up when ever you have it in gear (only when you aren't moving). It's been doing this for a while now. I changed the fuel filter in it thinking that was maybe the problem but it's still doing it. Not sure what to do next I don't wanna start to guess and pour a lot of money in it and is still not get fixed. Can anyone help me?

birdy1 · May 2005

Hi , Just bought a Ranger 2.3 automatic 2wd The lady said when she would drive it the speedometer would act up and it would like down shift /loose power, she would have to pull over and either turn engine off or if it quit she would disconnect the battery cables and re connect them and start the truck and go again She had just bought it also . She only drove it about 50 miles total . Didn"t have any money to fix it and I bought it. I drove it home about 5 miles and it drove fine ,but it did for her at first too , so I'm thinking that when it warms up or you get to a faster then 45/50 mph speed is when it happens . I was told it is probably a sensor ...I agree , but does anyone have a clue WHICH sensor? I cant afford to start replacing all of them I was told there are 3 sensors that it could be . Anyone with same problem ? PLEASE respond . Thanks in advance. Birdy1

mbsmith · May 2005

I have a 1994 Ford Ranger with 61500 miles on it. Three days ago on my way home from work I noticed the check engine light come on. It stayed on the entire way home, which is about 8 miles. The next morning when I went to work it didn't come on, nor on the way home that day. I didn't run the a/c this day because it wasn't needed. The day before when it did come on I had the a/c on. So, on the 3rd the check engine light didn't come on on the way to work but it did come on on the way home. I had the a/c on when it came on but this time it only stayed on half the way home. I haven't checked the codes yet, wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts before I do. Thanks

bolivar · May 2005

I doubt if the A/C has anything to do with the CEL.

Pull the codes.

dwstacy · May 2005

Try to find a station that carries E85 fuel. That is 85% ethanol alcohol made from corn. Depending on where you live you might save up to 60 cents a gallon!!!

wijoco · May 2005

Sounds a lot like either a speed sensor on the rear end or an ABS speed sensor. Don't replace anything until it's diagnosed.

kimble989 · May 2005

I had the exact same problem with my '01 4.0L V6 Ranger! First replace the rear differential sensor. Look back a page or two in these comments and a gentlemen emailed me a reply on my ranger telling exactly where to find the sensor for replacing. Part only runs about $15. That however, didn't fix my truck. After taking it to the shop, the PCM had to be replaced. But...the good news is that Ford covers this for 8yrs under warranty whether you got an extended warranty or not. So check the sensor first, then the pcm. If it is the PCM the dealership or shop shouldn't charge your hardly anything as they can get it all covered under the warranty.

bradnjan · May 2005

I recently bought a 1997 Ranger 3.0V6 auto with 70k miles. I needed the 7 ft bed to haul a motorcycle, so I got what I could find. The guy who owned it clearly had no clue as to preventative maintenance, so I've had lots of little things to do (belts, brake rotors, etc). The engine now has a squeak that seems to come from one or the other of the 2 idler pulleys. Is this a common problem? Do both generally need replacement at once? Is there any trick to replacing them? I ask because I am on the road with a motorhome and this is the only vehicle I have to get around. I don't want to start the replacement until I know what to expect, as I won't have a vehicle ro go get another part or tool. The Chilton book I got doesn't say anything about replacing these things. When I replaced the serpentine belt, I learned that the tensioner was really tight. If it is that tensioner pulley that squeaks, it seemed like it would take a lot of torque to take off the bolt...unless it is removed by turning counter-clockwise. I've never had to replace any idler pulley on any vehicle in the past, so I'm being cautious.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide!!!
Brad

pac3 · May 2005

i got a 1991 ford ranger with 5 on the floor and 143 K miles and i cant seem to get the shifter to get out of neutral and im not sure if the clutch is disenganging or its the drive train or what

but its really getting annoying an estamate for it to be fixed was like three grand :surprise:

richyankee80 · May 2005

started to leak from engine out of a draining hose. Now it is coming out of behind the glove box. Smoke comes out of the vent the engine over heats.The windows get all fogged up becouse of the heated water. The haynes book is helping a little bitbut not as much as i need. The entire dash has been pulled out half the heater and a/c unite pulled out but still cant get to the heater core unit an hoses. Well for one am i doing the right thing or have the right idea could someone give me a little input :confuse:
thanks
Rich

01goldranger · May 2005

If you clear your codes, try this:
http://trs.rrorc.com/CleanMAF.html

If it isn't avail any more it suggests cleaning the filament wires in the MAF sensor. You will need a T15 or T20 Security Star drive. My 01 4.0L takes a T20. (Available @ atuozone for $2.99).
With a cool engine, unplug the electrical connection, use the T-20 to remove the MAF sensor. Carefully spray the filament wires with an O2 SAFE carb cleaner. Let it dry or help with a few squirts of canned air. Clean surrounding area, replace, & plug in. You should be good to go. Do not over tighten the screws when replacing.............

Good luck
(this should work for #1228 also.

01goldranger

rangerman1 · May 2005

I need a seat release handle (passenger side) for my '98 Ranger Supercab. The OEM handle is stripped out. Does anyone know where I can get one?

bolivar · May 2005

What kind of a response are you expecting?

For a $3,000 estimate, you should have a piece of paper with lots of things written on it that the shop will replace.....

petrakid · May 2005

Ok so I am guessing that the reason my truck idles at like 2500RPM then drops down to 1500RPM when I completly stop is because I put a K&N filter in last week and the oil got all over the MAF sensor. I've since unplugged the sensor and it idles around 1000RPM but it idles rough. Is there a way to clean the sensor, or am I going to have to replace it with a new one?

kanawha · May 2005

I have an 89 Ford Ranger II, 4 cyl, 2.3 liter, 2 wgheel drive.
Temp guage quit working, or is always on cold.
After 20 minutes of driving, I detect the smell of an overheated radiator, and have a small leak someplace, but, can't exactly determie where.
Water in radiator is barely warm, as if there is a blockage somewhere.
Changed the thermostat, but, still have the same problem.
I do not know where the temp sending sensor is.
A friend said if there is no circulation, the gage will not register, and will stay on cold. He suggested it may be the water pump. But, I had thought the water pump squeals when it goes bad, or, at least, water flows out of it someplace, onto the ground.

Can you all help me with this problem?

Thanks.

Joe

bolivar · May 2005

It will take a special 'security' torx driver to remove the MAF. Just pull it out. Inside are 1 or 2 very fine wires. Very delicate. Do not touch. Spray with electrical cleaner. Do not touch. Let it dry and put it back together.

Throw the K&N filter away.

hlaj1 · May 2005

So I am sitting in the 110 degree heat in the valley of the sun stroke in my 99 ranger 2WD 4.0 and I turn the switch to AC and it starts to cool down. I turn it to max AC and it might as well be a hair dryer. Thinking that maybe the freon is gone I shut it off, but as I pass through AC mode it blows cold. Why is my MAX AC acting like MAX AZ but my reg AC is working fine? Help me I am baking in the sun!

fmc12 · May 2005

try replacing the light module. ,it is mounted on firewall.it is easy to get to after removing radio

jasmith52 · May 2005

Your description indicates that (perhaps) your Ranger truck has a pressure leak and isn't getting up to normal pressure and that it's running cold. You really need a pressure check to tell.

I would bet that your (plastic) radiator tanks either have cracked, as they do, or that the seal between the tank and radiator has failed. Look for white snail tracks on the tank of the radiator where the coolant has come out and dried as an indicator of where the leak is.

Alternately, you may have a bad hose or fitting somewhere.

If your pressure leak turns out to be the radiator, find an independant radiator shop to fix it, They can put a new plastic tank on the radiator. That will be a third the cost of a new radiator which is what you'll get if you take it to a general repair shop

jasmith52 · May 2005

Your description does indeed indicate classic symtoms of a failed heater core.

Can't help on it's removal though as every car/truck is a little different.

range · May 2005

Hi all, I have a 94 Ford Ranger with 211,000 miles and i too have the infamous Check engine light problem, it's not the light that bothers me it's the symptoms that come along with it. Here are the symptoms and the steps i've taken over time to combat it.

After driving for an extended period of time or at very high speeds, the check enigine light will come on. Almost immediately following that the engine will begin to cut out or bogg down as if no gas or very little gas is reaching the engine. Rpms and all else remain normal, if i continue to drive the light will periodically come on and off. If stopped at a red light the truck will occansionally begin to shake and jerk. If i turn off the car and let it sit it for around 15 mins. it will run as normal for some time before the process starts over.

I first had this problem at 114k miles(i got the truck at 100k) on a trip from LA to Vegas while driving at excessive speeds. It did not happen again until about 150k since then it's happend more and more frequently and at less and less drive time and speed. At this point i can't make it to the local gas station without the check engine light coming on and it's a battle to go UP streets.

things that i've tried:

Loosened the gas cap- this helped with the problem temporarily, very temporarily.

Replaced fuel filter- did seem to help at the time for a day or two but not really.

...basically lots of things help the problem but nothing fixes it permenantly.

So after time the truck will begin to cut out sooner and sooner until it won't start up. My father took a look at it and replaced some sort of "electronic regulator" he said and the car started up fine and ran great for a good 6 months. Now the the problem is back, it seems to have come on suddenly this time rather than gradually worsened. Later we're going to take a look at it and see what's up, i'll udate if we fix it and any advice would we greatly aprreciated since i'm still unsure of what exactly the cause is. thx

P.S. - about 3 weeks ago i noticed my gas tank is leaking but only when i top it off, this might have something to do with the problem coming on more suddenly (gas tank pressure) hopefully i'll find out.

P.S.S- although the eltronic part my father replaced had the truck running great for 6 months the problem would still happen occasionally so it did not completely fix the problem. He's an electrician and was messing with the fuses as well so possibly he just "reset" the check engine light in some way which others have stated helps. I just saw Star Wars...Odd problem to have this is.

shadowprince · May 2005

I've go the same year, and had the same problem. The solution I found that worked for me is WD40, sprayed into the door latch. I pulled it off of another site (can't remember which one) where a lot of people were reporting this problem, and WD40 seemed to work well for them.

bolivar · May 2005

211,000 miles.

Check engine light.

This truck has been your good and faithful servant for years and years and miles and miles.

And you seem to not want to take it to a mechanic, to have the codes pulled, and have its ills repaired.

You don't deserve this truck.

remow · May 2005

Hi,

I have a 2001 ranger 4x4 extended cab with the infamous thump clunk problem. I would like to get the drive shaft fix instead of the grease.

Does anyone have the part number for the new yoke or do I need to replace the whole driveshaft? The tsb implies that it is just a yoke, but no part number.

My cruise control head under the hood has gone bad. Anyone have part number or a place online I can order one?

Thanks,
Dan...

dru2_9 · May 2005

well if you meed a quick fix un do the heater core hoses and atach them togeather with a nipple

brysue · May 2005

Try spraying WD-40 into the door latches, especially the driver's side. This worked for me and have noticed that many people are doing the same.

brysue · May 2005

Where is the PCV located in a 1997 Ford Ranger 2.3L. :confuse:

actreat · May 2005

Hi all,

No idea if anyone actually reads these, but I have the exact same problem desribed by jared4071. the player was working fine, getting warm like it usually does, and then it just stopped playing Cds all together. doesnt' matter if they're new or self-burned. no self-made labels on 'em, either. it just displays "CD Error 0001", which in the owner's manual is listed as something non-helpful like "unable to read disk". the disks are fine - any ideas? thanks much

ebollinger · May 2005

my fathers cam belt snapped on his 97 ranger 2.3, and we put a new one in, we followed the Haynes book step by step, and after completion, the truck would not start. we plugged a diagnostic tool into the computer, and it said there weren't any problems. does anybody know what could be wrong???

kx_dad · May 2005

I was having the same problem with my Ranger.Try spraying silicone in the door latch. It worked for me instantly.

greenchief · May 2005

I enjoy reading the posts to this board, they are informal and enjoyable. I have a 2001 Ranger 3.0 XLT. There are two things I want to do to my truck.

First, the side turn signals are burned out, and I can't figure out how to access the lights to change them. I've tried from above, tried prying on the light itself, nothing. There are no screws holding this light on, nothing. Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Second, I'm thinking of swapping out the engine for a larger one. I realize the Ranger comes with either a 3.0 or 4.0. Does anyone know where you can purchase a rebuild engine for this year? Can you go larger than 4.0 in the Ranger?

Thanks.

newtruckgal · May 2005

I have a 2000 Ford Ranger 4x4 which I bought with 31k miles. At my insistance the dealer "sent the truck out" for a new clutch assembly. Now 20k miles later with a stiff shifting problem they sent it back out to the same trans. shop and say it needs a new clutch assembly! my question is ,should'nt the clutch last longer than 20kmiles? is there something about the ford clutch or is this a bad dealer problem?

ihatefords · May 2005

I have a 2002 ranger 2.3l. It was over heating so I took off the thermostat, but to get to it I had to take off a part from the air intake I've put everything back just like it was but it wont start. It cranks but its like its not getting gas or air. I replaced the spark plug, but still nothing. please help. thanks :lemon:

newtruckgal · May 2005

Can the slave :confuse:

be replaced without replacing the clutch assembly? My 200 Ranger is hard to shift into 1st and reverse from a stop. all other gears are fine, New clutch assembly only 20k mi ago(suposedly)

jaws2 · May 2005

I have had your very same issue...it typically occurs on warmer days. It is likely your driver side door switch. Get your door switch replaced...do not have them put it on the diagnostics machine...that will cost you atleast a hundred fifty dollars. What has happed is your seat belt gets trapped in your door when you close it and it has damaged your door switch. I lived with my door ajar dinger going off for about 2 years. (broke college student at the time) I finally spent the money and it was worth every penny. Good Luck

truckgrrrrl · June 2005

I have a 1993 V6 4.0L Ranger that is overheating. It always stays in the NORMAL range (doesn't redline) but the gauge cycles and goes as high as "L". I've had the truck 6 years and this is not typical. I replaced the following parts: radiator and cap (leak found when pressurized), thermostat (3x), fan clutch, water pump (had replaced, leak found after replacement, defected out and replaced again), coolant/radiator hoses, and serpentine belt. There is no coolant in the oil and I tested for a bad head gasket but it came out negative. Used a pyrometer to check for blockages and found that the thermostat allowed coolant to go to 215 degrees before opening (hence the 3rd thermostat replacement, this time with a motorcraft part), thermostat replacement did not effect problem. All other areas during the pyrometer check were normal temp. I believe it is mechanical since I can smell coolant after it gets warm, I occassionally need to add coolant to the overflow tank, and the pyrometer check indicated no blockages. Any suggestions out there or has anyone run into this before?

ihatefords · June 2005

try checking the heater control valve. I have a 2002 ranger 2.3L and mine just broke. it should be on the left side where the hoses go into the dash. its not hard to replace and about $15.

range · June 2005

Problem was the DPFE sensor Differential Pressure Feedback sensor. Replaced that for 55 bucks and the truck is running good again no check engine light. If anyone has a similar problem I would advise changing this part.

Truckgrrl, my ranger was doing the same thing recently. Replacing the clutchfan and flushing the radiator seems to have fixed the problem. It stills seems to be gradually running a little hotter than normal about half way.

cranky · June 2005

Does anyone know where the fuel pump is on my 1990 ford ranger and how to take it off??????? I have looked every where

jhall1 · June 2005

I have a 94 Ranger that has automatic transmission. I have been having the same problem occurring the last several years. It use to only happen when the temperature got into the 80's or I would turn off the car and run back into the house quickly and try to restart the car. Now it has happened two days in a row. The Ford dealership cannot find anything wrong with truck with a computer analysis. The spark plugs and cables have been recently replaced. The battery is strong and will crank, but the engine will not turn over. If I wait 20 minutes to an hour for the car to cool, it will start. The starter is still good. My mechanic is baffled. Does anyone know if there is some kind of relay that is heat sensitive or some other part that needs replaced or assessed? The fuel pump is working, but maybe it needs to be replaced. My mechanic does not know whether that will solve my problem. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

vette_tech · June 2005

I have a 2004 ranger 4.0 5sp. auto that has intermittent problems!!
When it runs good it runs great!!!

When it runs BAD it looses power, takes off in 2nd gear and rapidly shifts to 5th gear by 25mph, air blows cool only, Will not down shift until full throttle at 20mph, Brakes during panic stop become rock hard and won't stop!( 1/2 normal braking), Sometimes shuts off (rare), when cruising at 60mph it surges like someone hit you in the back.
Been to the dealer 3 times and all is fine, called another dealer (No help),
called ford ( never heard of this)?? :lemon: 11500miles in 18 months and almost 5 wrecks. Any Ideas. I think its the computer retarding the timing causing a loss of vacuume in turn causing loss of power in brakes and ac ducts not to close.
P.S. No codes or warning lights. But like i said when it runs good it runs great and everything works properly, it just wont do it at the dealer.
Also 12.3 MPG sucks :sick:

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