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Ford Ranger III

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Comments

  • fredfred3fredfred3 Member Posts: 73
    Anyone know the best way to apply touch-up paint. Somebody's lose shopping cart put a scratch in the fender of my 2000 Ranger. I have heard if you let a detail shop buff in the touch up paint it is not as noticeable. I have gotten the paint from the dealer but haven't applied it yet
  • modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    On my white truck I got some 1200 Wet or Dry and VERY GENTLY feathered the area around the bare spot. I then did at least three VERY THIN coats of touch up paint lightly sanding between coats. I waited over night between coats. you could barely tell where the touch up paint was. Good luck.
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    cpousnr:
    I'm looking for one that goes top to bottom on the door edge, not across (left to right) the door. It doesn't need to go from the very top of the door to the bottom, but at least from just below the bottom of the window to near the bottom of the door. I kinda think of it as an industrial strength door guard (maybe something you would think woulld be on large trucks).

    I'll check out Pep Boys though.

    Thanks,
    The Merg
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    Merg, I purchase a set of door edge guards from JC Whitney for about $20 and I'm very pleased with them. These are the metal type that you have to snap onto the door edge, no gluing required and the ones I bought are covered with black vinyl material. Ford also sells them just ask the parts dept. guys to look up the number, same price. If you have no luck I have a Ford Outfitters catalog with the base number for the part if you what it let me know and I'll bring it to work tomorrow and send you the number. hciaffaglione@canberra.com
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    So what does everyone think about the recall Firestone is going to issue on their Wilderness tires? I'm actually a little miffed at Firestone. According the article on the front page of the Washington Post today, Firestone is going to only issue the recall for Ford Explorer owners. This basically leaves Ford Ranger and some Nissan and Toyota pickups users in the wind.

    Supposedly though, you can go to a Firestone shop and have your tires inspected and if they deem them to need replacement, you can get a prorated reimbursement depending on how many miles you have put on them.

    This should be very interesting. So far NHTSA has not approved of a Firestone recall plan and it could be a little while before the recall occurs.

    - The Merg
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    Merg I just finished reading the News article from the 11 am news conference that was held by Bridgestone/Firestone and I understood them to say they are going to replace all the tires not just the ones in the south. I don't mind having mine replaced with the Bridgestone brand but I would just as soon as have the money and let me purchase what I really want, Michelin LTX. By the way I sent you an e-mail on that catalog.
  • jclevelandjcleveland Member Posts: 21
    Check this link for the recall news.
    http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000809/ts/tires_firestone_dc_8.html

    It is only for one size of tire, mostly on the explorer and some trucks. P235/75R15

    They also say that they may offer other brands in the beginning until they can get production up to meet the recall demands.
  • onegraniteonegranite Member Posts: 9
    Granted the Firestone problem is not exactly Ford's fault, but this company sure have a large number of recalls under its name. A company that advertises "Built Ford Tough" is most definitely a very successful marketing campaign that sells millions of inferior product and a dealer service that is close to the buttom in customer satisfaction. You can argue that they sell millions and there are bound to be problems, but what makes sense is to produce less until they can work out their quality problems on every single vehicle. Selling millions argument is no consolation to a family that just forked over $30,000 for an overpriced truck and have to deal with Ford's unending number of recalls and safety problems. (BTW, Ford has $26B in cash reserves that is why they are buying car companies left and right.) It does not inspire confidence when a new model like the Ford Focus and Ford Escape have a number of recalls before they even get formally unveiled to the public. If you are a Ford owner, you are already captive because unless you unload the vehicle at a lost (considering Ford's history of resale value), you have no choice but to deal with the recalls. They sure do not compensate owners for the inconveniences these recalls create. As well-intentioned they are with these recalls, the bottom line is, a recall is still a negative. It is still all about their greed and the customer, an afterthought. Ford should do the public a favor and just RECALL their company with their dubious quality and advertising (and that goes for Aston Martin, Mazda, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and God help us, Daewoo)
  • igloomasterigloomaster Member Posts: 249
    Dear all -
    I have a 1994 Ford Ranger XL pickup. This truck,
    unlike the XLT version, does NOT have power
    steering. What would it take for me to put the
    XLT
    power steering into my truck? The chassis is
    exactly the same from the XL to the XLT, and so is
    the 2.3 liter engine.

    Can I get the parts from a junk yard? If so, what
    do I need? How much do you think it would cost
    for me to get a mechanic to install the parts once
    I get them?
    Thanks for any help you can provide.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    onegranite, there is no such thing as a 30K Ranger? Rangers loaded go for about 22K in my area. As far as the Ranger being an inferior truck, why has it been the best seller for 13 years straignt? Don't you think the American public is smart enough to know even after 5 years that the Ranger is a so called heap of junk? Why is Ford still around after 55+ years? Ford makes good product, there are plenty of Ford owners out and about to attest to this also. Me for one, I'm on my second Ranger and at 30K, not ONE PROBLEM. Mother has a 93 Escort 110K, NOT ONE PROBLEM, Mother and father in law own a 95 Taurus SE 89K, NOT ONE PROBLEM. Niece has a severly used 89 Escort with 150K, doesn't run the greatest but still gets her from A to B... I can go on and on with people I know who own Fords and would buy another... We all have stories...
    Dae who?? Come on.. Even the Koreans quality/reliability resale record is not that great!
  • hmerglerhmergler Member Posts: 85
    vince:
    I think onegranite was referring to the fact that Ford is looking at buying into or even buying a controlling interest in DaeWoo. Don't take this to mean that I agree with him, because I don't. I have 2000 Ranger with 15,000 miles on it and the only problem I had was the alternator failed when at 8 miles. The mechanic saw it was defective and had it replaced. No problems since then.

    - The Merg

    --
    The Merg's Freeware Co.
    http://themerg.bizland.com
  • igloomasterigloomaster Member Posts: 249
    Dear all -
    I have a 1994 Ford Ranger XL pickup. This truck,
    unlike the XLT version, does NOT have power
    steering. What would it take for me to put the
    XLT
    power steering into my truck? The chassis is
    exactly the same from the XL to the XLT, and so is
    the 2.3 liter engine.

    Can I get the parts from a junk yard? If so, what
    do I need? How much do you think it would cost
    for me to get a mechanic to install the parts once
    I get them?
    Thanks for any help you can provide.
  • nighthawk11nighthawk11 Member Posts: 4
    I'm looking to buy a 2000 Ford Ranger with
    the Off-Road package, Automatic, 4.0L V6,
    Flarestyle, etc. I've been offered $100 over
    invoice, and on top of that, Ford will rebate
    $500 with 3.9% finance rate.
    My question: Is $100 over invoice a good
    price for the Ford Ranger at this time of the
    year, with the 2001 model coming out soon?
    Thanks in advance!
  • cpousnrcpousnr Member Posts: 1,611
    Could I suggest you go here:
    http://www.fordranger.com/offroad.html
    or maybe the main board which you can access from there.

    I think as a minimum you would need a whole new steering setup, a pump and bracket and the lines. You may need new inner tie rod ends and perhaps a new steering column.

    But check out that site, post the question and see what the people say. That board is where guys post info on modified suspensions, engine swaps, header/ehaust swaps etc.

    Give it a try, it is a good site for Ranger info.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    $100 over invoice sounds pretty darn good to me. What is the total price before taxes? In 1998 I paid 19.6K for a similar truck to yours.. Granted, I paid cash this probably made somewhat of a difference..
  • nighthawk11nighthawk11 Member Posts: 4
    Invoice price was $22,788, so my "base" price
    before taxes and rebates is $22,888. With
    the $500 rebate, it will be $22,388.
    What upsetted me to walk out on them was that
    they advertised it for $1500 below invoice,
    and I'm still paying above invoice. I also
    really wanted Ford to offer the 0.9% financing
    like they are doing for other cars.
  • kjtgkjtg Member Posts: 49
    I thought Ford was giving a $1500 rebate on Ranger
  • nighthawk11nighthawk11 Member Posts: 4
    The rebate deal is either $1500 or
    $500 & 3.9% financing. I want the
    good financing deal.
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    In case you didn't know, Edmund's 2001 Ford Ranger Review, by By Liz Kim is now available. Let us know what you think.

    As for Ford Ranger incentives/rebates, look for that information right here in Edmunds's Current Incentives and Rebates section.

    Happy Motoring. ;-)

    Pocahontas,
    Town Hall Roving Host
  • igloomasterigloomaster Member Posts: 249
    thanks! I'll check it out!
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    Onegranite, I have stories too. I'll tell you the worst in a nutshell....my 1998 Ranger 4.0 was so bad that Ford was forced to buy it back from me. Not replace parts, not give me a new motor, not fix anything - but BUY IT BACK. I went to arbitration and won and they gave me avery red cent back that paid for the truck. The list of probelms was endless.
  • davidb72davidb72 Member Posts: 174
    Since I've decided to keep my Ranger another 98,000 miles, I've been thinking of installing a locker in the rear end for winter driving. I really like my Ranger, but even with 400 lbs. of sand in the back it is a nightmare in all but the slightest snowfall. Has anyone done this? Mine is a 95, 4 Cyl, 5 Spd. I have the 3.73 gears now, but it is an open differential and I've had many times where one wheel will just spin away while the other one just sits there. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. Thanks!
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    Lockers don't help you in icy or snowy conditions. You want a limited slip diff. Lockers are more for straight away acceleration and not good for corners or turning. A limited slip has a clutch mechanism where one wheel slips and causes the clutch to engage the other tire. Locker is when both wheels spin at the same rpm at the same time constantly. Lockers are usually found on the folks who do some serious rock climbing or snorkling or serious offroading. Stats show that over 90% of 4x4's don't even see gravel! I think for you a locker would be way over kill..
  • freyguy18freyguy18 Member Posts: 2
    i just bought a ranger 4x4 xlt extended cab for 20 350 (BFORE tax and title) here in ohio. options include 4.0L six, 5 sp auto, power locks, cruise, air, 4 doors, running boards, air, cd player. this is pretty close to invoice, but soes not take into account "dealer holdbacks". however, i am happy as this is the best price i could find in my area. i also took advantage of the $500 rebate and went with 5 yrs @ 5.9 %. i also bought an after market cap (A.R.E.)
    and bedliner. also, i am installing a "draw tight" brand class III hitch to tow my bass boats (cost for all these about 1550). hope this helps any new shoppers.
  • freyguy18freyguy18 Member Posts: 2
    any comments on the reliability of the ranger 5 speed automatic tranny ? since i just bought a yr 2000 truck with this option, i am intersted in it's long-term reliability. any details i need to be aware of ? any advice on its maintainance ? thanks in advance. freyguy
  • davidb72davidb72 Member Posts: 174
    Thanks for the advice, you are probably right. Someone else on another board mentioned that they have a lock right in their Bronco and that it makes for "interesting" turning characteristics... I guess I'll keep looking for something elso, either that or I'll try 1000 pounds of sand with the snow tires. It's a shame really, 99% of the time the truck is fine, but those 3 days a year of snow just stop you dead in your tracks...
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    A limited slip may not be out of the question though..
  • onegraniteonegranite Member Posts: 9
    I can gladly say that I too won the arbitration, and typical of Ford, everytime I call them on my check I get the proverbial "check is in the mail" response. I am getting every red cent minus the mile the problem was first reported. How long from your acceptance did you finally receive your check? Did the dealer hassle you on little dings?
  • lordconquerorlordconqueror Member Posts: 1
    can't speak on the longevity/durability of the auto, but change the fluid _every_ 20,000miles. and i mean a complete fluid change...don't just have them drop the pan and swap out the 4qts there.
  • zartanzartan Member Posts: 9
    i just noticed someone here named "cygnusx1". rush fan? this is my first post and i just wanted to share some ranger history with you. my 94 2.3l with 88775 miles is in the shop as we speak, so my opinion may be somewhat negative right now. ive had the truck since 27k ad had only one problem up until late. merely replacing the oxygen sensor somewhere around 50k lead me to believe the little truck was indestructible. i would make jokes with my friends about how my american truck will last forever. i am now sorry i said that. at around 80k, i had to buy new tires. that may sound usual but i drove on bad ones sooo long that i was forced, for my own safety, to buy new ones. then it couldnt be aligned because the ball joint went bad. next up, the heat shield comes loose and rattles at extremely irritating frequencies. next, a squealing sound from the rear means my U-joints dont want to work anymore. alas, my front brake pads are all but non-existent. i need a new serpentine belt. my A/C needs recharged. the fan switch only works on high anyway. i cant get the spark plugs out because they were apparently installed pneumatically. there are several other minor things wrong with the truck. it is my opinion that these repairs should not be necessary on a vehicle with only 89k miles of highway, careful (ive never, ever dropped the clutch) driving. i am fearing for a continuation of problems as i have seen in both of my brothers' rangers. one of which broke to the point of no return.
    thanks for listening and i hope this info is useful to anyone wanting to buy a domestic truck. my advice is: dont buy a truck at all. theyre useless. if you need one, buy a beat up, old f150 for $1000. forget american cars completely and buy a mazda, honda, or nissan and be happy when they go and go and go. or, dont buy a car at all. ride your bike, youll be happy you did.
  • onegraniteonegranite Member Posts: 9
    I some ways I agree with Rangerous. I also have a bad experience with the Ranger. At 2,000 miles it pings on acceleration and hills. Dealer can't fix the problem other than making me pay for 92 octane fuel. The one or two times I used their service dept, they always have something extra to sell. In case you would like to know the dealer, it was featured on the Edmund's July 2000 Ranger Road Test report. I know I was not only one complaining about this "award winning service dept" dealer..., so they say.
  • zartanzartan Member Posts: 9
    thanks for your comments. have you had any interesting problems with your ignition switch? the lock on mine just kind of spins around and sometime the key gets stuck and i have to work to get it out. i forgot to mention it when i was complaining. the good thing is sometimes i can manipulate it so the chime trigger doesnt work (theres a little plastic switch proximal to the steering column behind the ignition lock). so, do you think my repairs are common? i dont have that much experience with autos. my previous car was an escort gt that continually fell apart. my friend had one that went almost 160k but he had replaced almost the entire car. my point is that i dont know about "normal" repairs. another question is where the heck is the pcv valve in the 2.3L? i have been looking for it since 65k! i dig your idea of getting another 90k out of yours. i want to do the same (much more economical than buying a new car no matter how you look at it) but as i said, my brothers' rangers both fell apart at around 115k. it seems as if every consumer advocacy guide ranks rangers reliability pretty high but what are the real world records of the early and mid nineties trucks?
    thanks for the tip about the shoes. ill be looking into that.
    onegranite: sorry about your experience with pings. do you have the four cylinder? i noticed this with my truck since ive had it. earlier this year i was driving through west virginia and almost cried as my ranger struggled to make it up the appalachians. it was very frustrating to have a truck struggle and ping its way up foothills. also, it is my opinion that one should avoid the dealer repair shops. i dont believe they are any more qualified than i am to work on a car. they just have the tools and a garage. also, you WILL get ripped off with their pricing policy. does 92 octane fix the ping? ive NEVER used anything but 87 in mine and cant afford to start using premium but i was just wondering. i think the four cylinder is just a little underpowered for its application. good luck.
  • zartanzartan Member Posts: 9
    almost forgot. can i ask how much changing the timing belt cost you? ill be looking to have this done soon.
    thanks!
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    I bought it used with 38,000 miles. It's had all dealer recommended service every 5 k. It now has 59,800 miles and I just took it in for an early 60,000 mile service. Never a lick of trouble with the engine or suspension. they told me the serpentine belt will need replacement in about 5,000 miles. The only annoying thing has been the electrical system. That damned interior light, and a malfunctioning temp gauge which my dealer took care of as a warentee repais when it really wasn't. Overall I'm more than happy with the truck, which has never failed to start or take me where i need to go. One question though: My dealer service manager told me I have a timing chain that wont need replacement until the hundred thousand mile mark. Anyone know whether this is true or heard differently?
  • davidb72davidb72 Member Posts: 174
    I paid $335.00 to have the Ford dealer change my timing belt. I had taken it to a local mechanic at 60,000 miles, but he couldn't get it off, he did say that it looked good so I chanced it and drove it to about 97,000 miles. I was away for two weeks for the Army so I dropped it off and let them take their time to do it. Sorry to hear about your ignition switch, that sucks and sounds unusual to me. The other repairs sounded pretty common, they are just basic preventive maintenance that most all vehicled will eventually need. The PCV is that little gray thing sticking out of what looks like the power brake booster. Why it is there I do not know, but I did the same thing! I was looking and looking, I figured it would be on the intake manifold somewhere, but nope.
    To Eharri3, if your truck has the 2.3 then I would reccomend changing the timing BELT between 60,000 to 75,000 miles, like I said above, I pushed mine to 97,000 but I wasn't real comfortable with that. I will say that the belt looked OK though, the dealer left it in the truck for me to look at. If you have a 3.0 or 4.0 then you have a timing CHAIN and I can't help you, I don't know if you have to replace them or not.
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    thank you. my service manager may have some explaining to do.
  • gvanegasgvanegas Member Posts: 1
    1999 4WD ranger torsion bar broke after big noise driving off road on 4WD Low.
    Took it to dealer, fixed the problem; but I still have that same noise while driving 4WD low.
    The problem is that the vehicle in now off Warranty period; can I still apply the Lemon Law?
    please advise
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    Your vehicel has over 36K miles on it and its a 1999? It hasn't been 3 years yet either.
    I would try to bring it back under the original repair and claim they didn't fix it right the first time, may work...
  • dannygdannyg Member Posts: 131
    Just curious, what kind of MPG do you get? I've got a 1985 2.8L V6 4x4 long-bed Ranger, I get about 16MPG around town and 19MPG highway. Make that 20MPG if I take it easy and use a tonneau.

    Yes, the 2001s look good. I'm waiting for the 2.3L 4cyl, I'm interested in improving my MPG.
  • dmoulddmould Member Posts: 76
    I've been getting between 17.5 and 21 mpg in my '89 2.9L. I could probably get up to 23 mpg, but that would require keeping it below 60mph on the highway - not gonna happen. Also, the check engine light comes on with long periods of idling (shuts off when you go), so there is probably a bad sensor or something. Have to have it looked at soon.
  • kit1404kit1404 Member Posts: 124
    I had one - a 1998 fully loaded 4X4. The engine was bad - bought it new and the dealer could not or would not fix it properly. Now I have a 1999 F-150 4X4 also fully loaded with the 5.4 and automatic. The difference in gas mileage is minimal - the differnce in 17 overall at our high altitude and the difference in 15 overall for the F-150. There is so much difference in the trucks - maybe the difference in a car vs. a real truck. Spend a little more and be a lot happier is my message here.
  • dannygdannyg Member Posts: 131
    You're right, 17MPG is pretty bad for a compact truck. My old V6 4x4 Ranger gets about that around town and 19-20MPG on the highway. That's why I'm waiting for the 2.3L 4cyl. It should get at least 5MPG more around town and 10MPG better on the highway. Worthless for heavy hauling or towing, but a decent little truck nonetheless. Depends what you're looking for.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    "a real truck"? Maybe people don't need the extra size of a full size truck. The Ranger equiped correctly can tow plenty. And I am getting about 19MPG on average in my Ranger. I have a 4.0 5spd with P265x75R16 all terrains to boot. I use it as an offroader vehicle, and in no way would a full size go or fit into places I go. Some of the old logging roads are way to narrow, along with finding turn around spots in a full size would be difficult.
  • kit1404kit1404 Member Posts: 124
    We have an old Jeep for off-roading when we want - tend to rent a newer one for fun in Colorado. No, my F-150 plays off-road, but it would not deal with serious trails without serious damage, especially with the factory running boards, which I really like for everyday life - this truck has to go to town too. My 1998 Ranger lived at about 7,500 foot altitude and simply could not pull the interstate grades around here at the speed limit - 75 mph. Getting stuck behind a semi at 60 or so on grades and trying to accelerate around them was an exercise in frustration plus wondering if the full-size pick-up behind me would run me over. Nothing is perfect. At least the new Ranger will have the new 4.0 engine with OHC. For me, I will wonder - it's based on the old engine (1998 4.0 version) which for me had serious defects and the Ford mechanic told me while rebuilding my older version 4.0 that the OHC version was worse. For the difference in gas mileage, I have had other 6-cylinders that struggled at high altitude - I'll opt most likely in the future for a good state of the art overhead cam V-8. The newer version of the 5.4 fills that bill for me.
  • dmoulddmould Member Posts: 76
    Well the new SOHC 4.0L in the Ranger won't have a problem with the hills, and should be better on gas than the old 4.0L. The 4.0L SOHC can't be all that bad; there are at least a million Explorer's on the road with this engine. The Ranger meets my hauling needs (bicycles, camp gear, snowmobile) without the extra size, fuel consumption, and cost of a full size. I am really interested in getting a 2001 XLT SC 2wd - just waiting to see what they look like before placing my order. I have priced it out, and the 2001 is actually cheaper than an equivalent 2000, at least here in Canada. $26,235 MSRP includes Sport Buckets, 6CD in-dash, all power options, 4.0L SOHC, 5sp manual. ABS, Limited Slip, sliding window all standard here.
    Out of curiosity, I priced out an equivalent Dakota ClubCab 4.7L V8. $30K plus, and the price of fueling the V8 makes the Ranger an easy choice.
  • dannygdannyg Member Posts: 131
    Does someone have a 2001 Ranger brochure? What are the final EPA MPG numbers (city/hwy) for the Ranger with the new 4.0L SOHC versus the 3.0L?

    Thanks in advance for posting the info.
  • dmoulddmould Member Posts: 76
    I went to the local dealer to pick up a brochure (they didn't have any yet), and I saw a 2001 Ranger Edge! The new front end looks cool, but I don't like the vinyl floor and the plain plastic on the doors (no pockets!) in the interior. The highriding 2wd does not appeal to me either, and the silver steel wheels looked dwarfed in the fenders. Look forward to seeing an XLT 2wd, before I consider ordering one.
  • shawn106shawn106 Member Posts: 16
    I had a 87 4x4 xlt v6,5speed,great truck.Now i have a 94 xlt super cab 4x4,4.0L,auto,manual hubs(very rare)with about 119,000 miles and still goin strong!I too have the problem with the pinging.I noticed it about 50,000 miles or so.Went to dealer and they found a crack in the cyl head,had both replaced,thought it went away but i was wrong! They said it was carbon build up so now i just ignore it.Love the truck! Extremely reliable the only time i was ever stranded was in my own driveway last fall with a dead battery.Also i put on about 60-70 miles a day,get about 19mpg combined.I would like to get a new one but the only way to get skid plates is if you get the offroad pkg but i dont want 4.10 gears i think the way ford is grouping the options is dumd. Shawn
  • shawn106shawn106 Member Posts: 16
    I meant dumb,sorry!
  • xena1axena1a Member Posts: 286
    Get the Ranger you want, then add the skid plates later. That's what I did with my '99 Mazda B3000. I ordered the skid plates from the local Ford dealer for about $125 (gas tank and transfer case skids), got some good mounting hardware from the ACE store, then put them on myself. No big deal. It worked out fine...
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