Ford Ranger III

dmould · September 2001

2001 Ranger XLT S/C 4x4 4.10LS 4.0L SOHC 5-speed manual.
7800 miles
City driving 15 mpg.
Best highway 21 mpg.
This truck is fun to drive, and when the engine is broken in, it really pulls hard right to 5500rpm. It does suck the gas at higher speed - it's best to keep your cruising speed below 70mph. And the 91mph speed govenor really sucks.

96flea · September 2001

You can get a Superchip and have them program the chip to remove the speed limiter.

martycali · September 2001

I have a 2001 ranger 4 cyl auto regular cab. It doesnt FEEL too bumpy when i drive it...compared to some small trucks.. but after a day of driving my back is STIFF SORE AND in pain. The truck is causing this- how can i make it have a smoother ride? ANY /all suggestions appreciated. I cant keep it if this goes on this way. Would utting cement in the back help? i dont carry much weight. What about the leaf springs? take them out?? Would that help?? lower tire pressure/ ? it has 3000 miles on it, and i felt every one, believe me. Im about to drive this pos off a cliff.

eharri3 · September 2001

1) Why did you buy a compact truck? Did you want to combine light hauling duty and commuting into one vehicle? Do you ever really haul anything that could not fit in a station wagon, hatch back, or the trunk of a car? You described no manufacturer's defect, but the normal ride characteristics of vehicles in this class. What is the interior like? Do you have a 60/40 split bench, buckets, or the regular flat bench? Interior options help with ride comfort.

2) Did you test drive it before you signed for it in the first place?

Experimenting with cement in the back might help, as the ride of some trucks does tend to improve with a load. Expect fuel economy to go down though.

I think swapping the leaf springs of the rear vehicle would be impractical from a cost standpoint, and would also deprive the truck of much of its haulng capacity. However, experimenting with different shocks might help a little.

Lowering the tire pressure below manufacturer's recommendations could lead to overheating and/or a blow-out.

I'd say try running with a couple hundred pounds always in the back... and if it doesn't improve the ride enough that you can live with it, trade it in, and take it as a lesson to be sure you can live with a vehicle before you sign for it.

Ed
1995 Ranger, 4 cyl, regular cab, 5 speed manual long bed with 60/40 bench and center console. 75000 trouble-free miles.

Daily commuting to work, hundreds of long trips includng 2 hour drives to and from college, and occasional light to heavy hauling thrown in. It bounces and jounces when the road gets rough, but I really don't even notice anymore. Some people are just not the truck type.

midnight_stang · September 2001

Truck suspension is made for driving with a payload.

Try a lumbar support cushion, or one of those beaded seat covers...

You may experiment with different shocks, but I don't think it will fix the problem, only possibly reduce it to a degree.

Ranger seats aren't the very best, but they certainly are far from the worst.

Also if you're driving all day(taking your post literally) , and you are sore, well, whadyaexpect?

amorales · September 2001

very comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic on 78 mi one way commute. I drove it to 144,000 trouble free miles for 4 years with the original brakes. Best mileage was 27 mpg, highest speed 116 mph...and that was with 112HP. Best mini i ever owned

midnight_stang · September 2001

I can understand that amorales. My 93 has 137k on it and still climbing. My commute is only about 7 miles or about 20 minutes, so I am on my third muffler. Seems I just get to main operating temperature once I get to work or home, so I constantly had water dripping out the muffler. My baffles kept rusting out and practically blow out. But Merlin's Muffler's Lifetime replacement was the cure. Nothing bad against the Ranger, just a coincidence with a short commute for the past 3 years.

Still getting 20-21 mpg, and great power since I rarely ever heat up the engine to where the cooling fan turns on. Not bad for a 8+ year old 2.3l with that milage.

tammycampbell8 · October 2001

Does any know if any of the newer model Rangers have this aluminum transmission, I have a 98 model that has had its transmission rebuilt twice.
I was told and dont know if it to be true or not, but ford has stopped putting that aluminum transmission in the newer rangers.

bluewolf · October 2001

Besides the fact we can get 0% APR on new Fords, does anybody have a ballpark price on a 2wd XLT ranger with the 4cyl? Might want a stepside if it's not too much money. Just to haul my bike and the occasional washing machine or something, and get me to work and back.
Thanks.

midnight_stang · October 2001

Check edmunds prices, they have 2002 models listed too. They give Invoice pricing, MSRP, and TMV(True market value). Another good place is www.ford.com under "build your own" on any of the vehicle pages, or http://www1.forddirect.com/forddirect.asp for a neat site that lets you customize a bit.

Looks like base XLT with 2.3l is 14805 MSRP, styleside(flat). Flareside(step) is 15,280 MSRP. 15525 for the styleside 3.0l. 4.0L makes you goto supercab, 4 door, 5 speed auto, 21255.

arjay1 · October 2001

I have been looking at Rangers here in the St. Louis area and the dealers appear to be selling them at invoice, no questions asked. Some dealers here have a very large inventory of 2001 Rangers, over 100 units.
I have been quoted an XLT extended cab, 4 door Styleside (flat) with 3.0l V6, air and power for $17,600. That is before the $2,500 rebate. Not a bad truck for $15,000.

jakethefatman · October 2001

I have just bought a 2001 Ranger Edge, 3.0 litre, V6 with the 5-speed. It only has 5300 km's on it and it seems to be running great so far. I 've heard that trucks with the 3.0 engine have a tendancy to Ping. What does this mean? Is it a serious problem? Has anyone else heard of any other problems I should be watching for?

hciaffa · October 2001

I can't explain what causes the pinging, for that matter Ford can't figure it out either. Most 3.0l suffer from it. You will notice while driving and trying to go up a grade and as you give it some gas you will hear a metallic rattling sound maybe slight or it can get very loud. It usually appears when the engine is under load. Some owners report that after getting the truck it runs great then after about 6 months the pinging starts and some never get it. Mine started about a year after I bought it. To try and cure it I went from 87 octane to 89 and and higher to see which worked and I settled in at 89 which helped. severe pinging can actually damage the engine because the spark is pre-igniting the fuel. Ford has issued several TSBs on this, the latest from what I gather is TSB #00-07-03 in which they replace the ignition coil and pcm (I think thats a computer reprogram). For some owners it worked and ohters it didn't. On mine after trying the 89 octane I went back to 87 and after a few tankfulls and some pinging I disconnected the negative terminal on the battery for about an hour then reconnected it. This clears the computer and then after driving around as i usually drive it reprograms the computer. The pinging was still there but not as bad and so back to 89 and its runs pretty decent with almost no pinging. Well I have been a little long in the message but I hope it helped.

midnight_stang · November 2001

Ford says the 3.0l has been revised for 2002. Edmunds shows a 4 peak HP and 5 Peak Torque drop at the same RPM levels. Towing capacity remains the same, but MPG looks to have increased.

Also how's the new (for 2001) 2.3l 4 cylinder performing for any new owners? Looks like a good improvement from the 2.5 or older 2.3l on paper...

eharri3 · November 2001

Being replaced with a 5 cyl.?

jdbishop · November 2001

I have the 2.3 in my 2001 Regular cab flareside and love it. The gas mileage in the city is averaging just over 24mpg. I haven't had it on the highway enough to get a fuel mileage reading. I have just over 3750 miles on the truck. Luv it!!

pro02 · November 2001

jdbishop - does your 2.3 flareside have auto or manual tranny?

mjbwrtr · November 2001

i just bought a 2000 ranger xlt with the 2.5 and auto, cd player, bucket seats, etc. would have gone with the V6 but i needed the mileage of the 4. so i am a new member of this forum...after being in the "older s-10" forum for quite a while.
does anyone know of a website where i can punch in my truck's VIN number and find out what gearing it has in the rear end? i am very curious.
thanks.

eharri3 · November 2001

IT should tell you there on that tag where it also tells things like payload and tire pressure.

mjbwrtr · November 2001

all it says is "rear 87" whatever that means. now i have to find out with the 87 code is for, the 3.73 or the 4.10.

jdbishop · November 2001

My 2.3 is MTX.

mjbwrtr · November 2001

i was driving down the highway tonight and i remembered that someone told me to shift to neutral in my automatic Ranger to get better mileage. i wanted to see if there was truth to it so i shifted. well...the gearshift slipped past "N" into REVERSE. the truck made a "wham" noise and acted as if it had hit a bump, in the split second it took me to return to "drive."
no strange noises since and no problems. i am sure someone, somewhere else, has done this before...any advice? i am under warranty...should i take it into the service department on monday and admit what a retard i am?

jewels5 · November 2001

I see that edmunds has a 2002 Edge supercab 4x4 w/ a 3.0L manual 5spd. Cannot get this configuration on the Ford site. Do you think this is an error? I can only get a 4.0L option w/ the 4x4 supercab on the ford site. Also, does the Edge (4x4 supercab) HAVE to come with auto trans? thanks for replies. I would love to know if ANYONE out there has a new Edge or XLT with this setup.

danny25 · November 2001

I know the 4.0 L only comes with an auto.

midnight_stang · November 2001

jewels--->I use www.forddirect.com, and this site indeed lists a 3.0l 4x4 in Regular cab only. Don't know I'll look up the brochure and see if it's on there...

danny--->The 4.0l predominately comes with the 5 speed auto, yet the FX4 and this 4WD Supercab still carry the manual transmission.

mjbtrtr--->Probably didn't do much, but I wouldn't do that again...

Besides you're gonna slow down pretty fast in neutral.

cage3 · November 2001

For 2 yrs now this engine will not run at the proper temp. The temp gauge flags while driving, but
never overheats. The gauge stays on cold side. Have replaced thermo, the 2 sending units on
frt of intake manifold. Also when cold a/c air is on the air is blowing on my throttle foot. When
I,m saying flagging you watch the temp gauge go up and down while driving. Ray C.

midnight_stang · November 2001

flushing the entire coolant system, radiator, pump. After that many years and miles there is no doubt some scale built up, and possibly some rust or just plain blockage. When I replaced my radiator last year, I swear the old one weighted at least twice as much as the new one, fully drained too. Also check the electric fan and be sure it's still functioning properly. I wouldn't be too worried because it's not overheating.

mjbwrtr · November 2001

thanks, i was really worried i broke something!
it seems to shift fine and no noises or anything. another question for you: my brother drives a 1989 F-150 and was stuck in some mud today. i hooked my ranger up to it with a rope, thinking that even though it wouldnt jerk it right out, it would certainly pull harder than i could by standing behind the truck and pushing with my body. so i put it in first gear and accelerated slowly, but the rope simply broke since the f-150 was buried. my question is, if the rope had held, and since my towing limit is 2,000 pounds, could i have hurt my tranny/engine? i would think so but i am curious. i want this truck to last a long while and if i keep this rate up who knows...lol

midnight_stang · November 2001

I'm no expert at this, but seems logical the engine wouldn't have been hurt, unless you were really bogging it down, and/or revving it high. The transmission probably would take any brunt of any damage, if it was a drawn out event. But the biggest problem was the weight of the F-150. With a couple of heavy duty tow straps, or maybe a winch you probably could of gotten his truck free. Best thing to do would of gotten another buddy with a truck and have both pull at the same time to share the weight(and not using a rope).

Maybe one of the off-road guys will come to this forum and can explain better.

mjbwrtr · November 2001

maybe you can shed some light on this. i have often wondered how companies like Ford or Chevy manage their parts, in relation to their product line. for instance, it seems like a waste of money to create a new tranny for each engine. for instance, would my tranny on the 2.5 liter be the same on on the 3.0, which has a higher towing capacity? why wouldnt they just make one heavier one and let both engines share it? i understand that the 4.0 liter needs a heavier one, and also a 5-speed auto as opposed to a 4, but the others should be interchangeable, right?

midnight_stang · November 2001

Basically it boils down to bell housing bolt patterns and torque ratings. I had a friend at a parts store who took a 5 speed, 4 cylinder mustand (1990ish) and put a 302 on it. The transmission was kept original. Last I know he was still running around town with no backseat, and loud [non-permissible content removed] mufflers and the common cheap bolt ons. The transmission survived,(unknown how long) but for the time I kept in contact it worked fine. I bet that trans and rear end were receiving major abuse, and doubt they would last over a couple of years, but it did work then. Automatics are a different story. They have different stall speeds, different gearing, that one would probably not want to swap those around.
Just don't forget that Ford can share parts with Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury, and even Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Jaguar. While those last three aren't as likely, the first ones are. This helps keep the cost down because that 3.0l transmission goes on many other vehicles across the whole Ford corporation. Vice versa, and same for most other engines/trans.
It would be nice if everyone was interchangable, but for the most part they just won't fit. I could probably rattle off a little something about late 60's bolt patterns, but haven't really had any experience with anything newer. Besides most automatics are computer controlled, it would be just too hard to make your own breed.
Why not just make them all heavy duty? Probably to keep prices down. By that mark I wish the 2.3l would be the 2.3l SV0 turbo motor from the earlier mustangs, but again, cost and power curve characteristics would probably not benefit the compact truck.
Also the 5 speed auto wasn't introduced because it was required, but more to help out gas milage with that extra final gear. Pretty cool that it is available, but I still prefer a stick in a truck.

Where's Modvptnl? He probably know more about this than me...

mjbwrtr · November 2001

i know this has been discussed before but i want to know specifics to the ranger so here goes. i have the 2.5 liter four cylinder. i want to get it to a total of 130 horsepower. its has 119 stock, and i added a K&N filter. will remvoing the snorkle/air silencer make it run better or have more power, and will it void my warranty? any other performance tips which can help?

boaz47 · November 2001

putting on a cold air k&N intake and a Throttle body spacer. Should increase mid to top end horsepower but not torque. Add a Cat back exhaust system and you should be pushing your desired HP rating. A street legal Header system wouldn't hurt either. Do all three and you might see a bit more than a 11 HP bump. In any case it will feel stronger.

mjbwrtr · November 2001

but where do i start? how much $$? and will it affect warranty or mileage?

midnight_stang · November 2001

Your warranty will be not be in affect if the part that failed is not a Ford Oringinal Equipment or if non-original equipment part caused the original part to fail. That's why it pays to know your dealership well. Bring donuts, become a good friend...

Good thing about removing the snorkle and replacing the air filter is that it can be undone in under 10-15 minutes. No warranty to worry about there. Also invest in premium spark plugs and spark wires. I'm sure you could do a little internet searching for many other ideas...

mjbwrtr · November 2001

what the heck is it? also, i have heard that the hotter plugs dont do much, and that the premium wires arent really an upgrade. any thoughts?

midnight_stang · November 2001

That long tube infront of the air filter housing. It's designed for silencing the intake noise, and lower the sound ouput of the engine. But it also restricts incoming airflow. If you're really want to improve things, you can make a cold air induction yourself. All you got to do is have a tube that runs from the airbox intake to somewhere where cold outside wind can get to it. You can even get a little ram air effect if you do it right. Just do what you can to help the engine breathe and burn better. Every little bit will eventually add to the grin on your face.

Better wires and plugs just ensure the best spark is produced from the coil pack. I'm not so crazy about going hotter, as much as going to Iridium or platinum. It's an expensive initial investment, but will last a looooong time.

It's all about the little details. If you bang the garbage out your air filter every oil change, occasionally use injector cleaner or oil additives (I recommend zmax), then your engine will run strong for many years. That's why my 1993 2.3l has reached 138k miles and the valve cover has yet to come off once.

jewels5 · December 2001

Does anyone have accurate EPA mileages? What is the claimed is what is your actual? thanks.

jewels

frey44 · December 2001

I have a 00 Ranger 4x4 XLT 4.0 with 5 speed auto. It has an ARE cap and 15 inch Michelins 235's. It consistently gets 17 mpg in my "mixed" driving". The best I have done is about 20 to 20.5 at a steady 60 to 65. The worst is about 14 to 14.5 (i.e. lousy) in cold weather around town . It has the 3.73 rearend. At 70 to 75, the MPG drops to about 18.5. This is all pretty typical. If this truck was 6 inches lower it would probably get another .5 MPG. You can do better with an F 150 or a Siverado LS 2x4. My neighbor gets about 1 mpg BETTER with his 99 F-150, small V8, auto XLT extended cab 2x4. Pushrod 4.0 Rangers are gas hogs for their size [that 4.0 engine is not very efficient and is an old design..however, rleiable and strong]. The 3.0 "pinger" is better on gas, but you have to put up with the snap, crackle and pop. As I have said before, if this truck didn't vibrate me to death at highway speeds, I would LOVE it. The engine is great and I like the ergonomics of the cab very much. I like the seats, inspite of the complaints about them (I am 5ft8 and 150 lbs, so these seats aren't made for big guys).

mjbwrtr · December 2001

i knew that the 2.3 liter was a twin plug setup, and i knew my 2.5 liter is a close relation to the 2.3, but when i popped open the hood i was dismayed to see "plugs, plugs everywhere." lol
so my questions are:
why in the hell do we need twice as many plugs as usual?
why did they see the need to move that idea to the 2.5?
and finally, does having 8 plugs help me? does it get better mileage, more power?

frey44 · December 2001

My old 89 Nissan has a twin plug head. It allows for a cleaner exhaust in that the spark is distributed over a larger combustion area. Also, I recall reading that a slightly higher compression ratio is more feasible with the new Ford design with twin plugs, with supposedly reduced detonation. The higher CR is, of course, good in that using regular fuel you theoretically would get more power. After hearing the 3.0 V6 Ranger motors ping themselves into oblivion, it is good Ford is addressing this on their little 4 banger. It seems like a nice little motor for guys who don't need to tow or haul much.

midnight_stang · December 2001

Word on the street is the 3.0l was revised for 2002. I'm still trying to get any new owners to let us know their experiences with this motor. Hopefully Ford has fixed the issues with the past design...

http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm? vehicle_id=524&press_subsection_id=421&make_id=92

Combine this whole line together and copy into your Address bar for the correct article. Remove any spaces in the middle.

matt--->The 2.5 is bascially a stroked 2.3l. I heard that the dual spark head was for increased power, due to the low cubic inch (140) of the engine. I'd like to see a 4.2l v6 borrowed from the f-150, or even a 3.8l v6 from the Mustangs in the Ranger. The 4.2l generates 252 lbs of torque at 3400 RPM...

mjbwrtr · December 2001

i am leasing my Ranger, but i am going to buy it (should have simply bought in the first place, duh).
when i own it, i intend to play with it a little to get more punch from my 2.5 liter.
I added a K&N filter and i am going to also play with my air intake. after it is out of warranty i am thinking of milling down the head to increase compression or maybe getting new heads for it. any suggestions? i would like around 145 or so horsepower to go along with my 23 mpg.

midnight_stang · December 2001

140 cubic inches was for the 2.3l.

Sounds a little pricey for a 4 banger... But if you want the kick, sounds good. An exhaust system might be close to that amount too. Do web searches for 2.3l mustangs and performance parts for them. The 4 banger mustang is kind of the red-headed step child as far as parts availability, but they can be found. (Under drive pulleys, chips, and a few other ideas here and there...)

mjbwrtr · December 2001

a new catback system would increase my horsepower by 10 horsepower???
if so i am going to do it asap. any preference as to brands/shops?
also, would such a system damage my factory warranty?

jwsmith · December 2001

With 20,000 miles (4.0 w/auto), 16" tires and Off-Road gears (4.10), mine gets up to 19 highway (just under 70 MPH) and around 12 - 14 city. That beat the 95 F-150 it replaced (302 V8) with 15" tires and Off-Road by about 2 MPG.

mjbwrtr · December 2001

so, i was checking my oil tonight and i saw a sticker i had never seen before. it was under the hood on the "shelf" above the radiator. it said that my PCM had been replaced as of July 12, 2001.
Why would my PCM be replaced? does this hurt anything or help anything in the long run?

midnight_stang · December 2001

Well I run hooker headers and warlock mufflers on a 460 big block, but that's in my 67 mustang.

My '93 is all stock, so I don't have any experience in brands. But the brands I know of are dynomax, borla, flowmaster, and bassani, and one of them can probably offer a kit. Just look in a JEG'S or Summit Magazine and you can find other companies that you can try calling to see if they can help you out. If you go the full route (not just cat-back) you will be losing a little (tiny bit) of low end torque, but you'll gain an equal or more amount of higher end HP/power.
The way the warranty thing goes is that if it's not Ford OEM, they won't warranty it, but any other part on the vehicle not affected by such replacement should still be covered. Exhaust shouldn't affect much but itself. I would just try to get to know your service technicians and manager at your dealership. I'd rather have them as friends than just strangers or enemies. Can't hurt asking their opinion and policy on stuff like that.

Sounds like a sticker marking your car to receive a replacement. That's where they stick the R-134 freon replacements, and other stuff like that. Maybe your sticker was a recall or TSB of some sort, or maybe a special repair(if it's a used truck). All-in-all, you should feel better off because it's been replaced with the aparantly correct one.

Here's a cheap and easy way for a little more HP. If your engine seems to have more power when cold, then replace your thermostat with one rated in the 160-180 degree range. This will force your computer into a "cold" loop, and milage may suffer, but your engine will always act like it does after you pull onto your first street in the morning...

mjbwrtr · December 2001

i was going to ask you about the thermostat but i forgot to...funny that you should suggest it. thanks for your advice...
also, does it take the computer time to adjust to my mods?

midnight_stang · December 2001

will adjust itself based on sensor outputs. It has a specific datamap of fuel/air/rpm/speed/temperature ratios. Small things like mass or ram air for the Ford small block v8's had different computers. So if you change anything that could affect air/fuel flow or burning, then a computer adjustment would be beneficial. The computer will adjust to a degree, but it's always trying to reach it's default settings. Hence when you put in a lower degree thermostat, the computer will adjust the fuel/air ratio to rich, possibly decreasing fuel milage and increasing idle RPM. While the engine itself runs cooler, there will be less heat for the heater and defroster.
Trick is to try getting all the modifications done, so you know what to tell the company burning the chip for you. But a new exhaust or removing your air silencer and changing filters won't require or really benefit from a chip. Milling heads, adjusting timing, cams, new injectors, new gears, that sort of thing would probably take advantage of reprograming the computer.

Ever think about just swapping out the rear end gear? Installing a numerically higher gear (like .25 higher) would give you better zip, but you would sacrifice cruising RPM a little. It would feel like an extra 20 horses or so.

Ford Ranger III

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