I know that this forum is designed to help people with problems with their vehicle, but after browsing through it so often it just seems like Rangers are always breaking. Instead of asking about a problem, I want to hear about when your Ranger pulled through in a situation where normal vehicles would fail. I want to hear about the time that you pulled three people out of the thickest mud in the world, I want to hear about the time that you climed a 60 degree dirt hill that Jeeps have problems with, I want to hear about when your Ranger stepped up and took a bullet for you! Make the rest of us Ranger owners proud to own the same type of vehicle that you do!
Sorry, ending dramatics now.

 

Glad to hear there is nothing wrong. My advice is don't fix it. Hope that helps!

 

I went wheeling with 2 jeep wranglers, and a dodge full size 1500 with a crew cab, and an escape. The escape was scared to go off the road, the first jeep got water in the exhaust, the second jeep burnt his clutch, and the dodge splasehed water on the distributor and stalled out. The little ole' ranger who everyone thought would get stuck soldiered on and ended up heavier than when i started. (you know the passengers in the other cars that were tired of riding in a crappy vehicle.)

 

Mine makes it to work every day, snow, rain, sleet, hail. Not something I could say about the Mustang, hehe. Now that I fixed all the things the previous owner neglected, it runs great. I wish I had another that was a 4.0L Auto so I could tow some more, but I don't want to get rid of my solid little truck.

-Jim

 

1994 XLT 2.3 5 speed, regular cab!

120k miles, and only a heater core, very slightly leaking transmission (fixed with a small bead of RTV silicone sealant) and clutch (which was my fault for bad snow driving anyways )

Other than that, just Prev. Main:
Tires (3rd set), Plugs and wires, fuel filter, air filters, Fan belt, new muffler and cat, 2 sets of brakes (my dad drives HARD on them!), new shocks (just need put on), one U-joint, and MANY oil and coolant changes...

Has been my only car since I was 16, I am almost 23 now. Has hauled so many loads of crap to college and back. Carried 1 1/2 pallets of sod, pulled a smaller boat no problem (14' Tri-hull). Seems genuinely low maintainence, and really not too bad to work on (time, money, or difficulty!) when I have needed to. That is uniqure nowadays.

I never considered being attatched to automobiles utill I started considering new trucks. I can't bear to part with the ol' danger ranger.

Got lots of nookie in that thing! Mever would have happened in any other vehicle, I'm sure of it!

 

Well, my Ranger has never pulled me out of anything deadly, neither has it pulled a dangling kitten out of a tree. But it HAS remained intact throughout my owning it (except for one transmission issue, but that's to be expected). Everytime I see my roommate outside cursing his '98 Dodge Ram V8 and performing his daily part swapping ritual, I am happy that I have my Ranger.

 

My 2.3l ranger was a flood recovery vehicle. It is a 96 with about 36,000 miles and I have done nthing but preventative maintenence. I put 4 new tires, plugs, wires and a clutch fluid flush. It runs strang and seems to have survived the flood. According to some mud lines I have discovered I believe that the water was about 6 inches over the floor board.

 

I bought my Ranger used to use as a daily driver (I drive about 400 miles per week) to keep from putting too many miles on my car. I also do some home repair work and needed a truck to haul building supplies. Since I bought the vehicle it has become my "project!" I have enjoyed improving the interior (leather seats, console, overhead console) and doing little modifications. Other than tires, which I knew it needed when I bought it, I have had ABSOLUTELY no mechanical or repair problems. It is a great little truck and has far exceeded my expectations. I actually prefer driving it to my Olds Intrigue (which sits 98% of the time in the garage). Love this little Ranger!!

 

It is typical to expect to hear of MANY problems in ANY forum for ANY vehicle, since that is where many folks come to find solutions. When putting it all in perspective, Rangers are great little trucks. My '85 2.8 A4LD has 203,450 miles ... bought it in Dec 1999 with a bad tranny for only $500, and it's STILL GOING, bad tranny and all. I've only done the usual stuff that typically wears out on all vehicles sooner or later (muffler, tailpipe, alternator, regulator, starter, tires, starter solenoid, water pump .........).

 

I have a story,
Back in June My friends and I climbed into my Ranger to head out about fourty miles to go to a car show. Where we left from was perfect weather but when we got there it started to POUR. Unfortunatly we could only sit in the truck and watch the nice muscle cars pull out of the park. Well the last car finally left. A 1968? Pontiac GTO running slicks and alcohol. I'm behind him going up route 441 when he suddenly fishtailes in the rain (Slicks) gains control then slides again into a ditch and gets stuck. Long story short the little 98 Ranger 4x4 pulled him out using the front tow hooks and 4x4 low. came right out of that ditch!!! That was the coolest thing I have ever done, we were all soaked but we talked about it the whole way home and still talk and brag about it. I LOVE my truck, never has let me down.
-Phil

 

Awesome story. Feels good to help someone in trouble when you have a clear advantage. (A Ranger 4x4 is a clear advantage).

 

My poor little 2000 has been through quite a bit with me, but the most memorable one was where a friend and I were off roading with her. There's this section of puddles that you have to count as you pass, because #7 is about 3 feet deep and is a real PITA... Well, I wasn't counting, and found puddle #7 at about 30 MPH. I was well convinced that it was over, I pushed in the clutch, shifted into neutral, and let off the gas, confident that I had just ingested enough water to lock her up and leave me stranded. Enough water came up the hood to RUN (not splash, but a 4" thick sheet of water) up the hood, over the cab, and into the bed. When we came to rest, I looked at the dash, no CEL, no battery light... Hmmm... I tapped the gas, and she was still alive! I put her in first, eased off the clutch, and out of the puddle she went. About 20 yards down the trail it died, and I had to get out and wring the water out of the air filter. But hey, she got me home that night.

Another time, in, of all thngs, the same puddle, I got stuck. VERY STUCK. Like, water into the cab stuck. It had rained, and I forgot, and the 3 feet turned into 4. Oops. Along with getting stuck, it died. Oh well. Got my buddy's Explorer to haul me out, and I fired her up. I swear to you, that truck ran on one cylinder. ONE. It sounded like the world's biggest 5 horse Briggs and Stratton. So I decided to leave her run and wait. I got back another cylinder, then another, until I had 3, and drove it home that way. Over the next 2 days, I alternated between 3 and 4 cylinders, and then, all of the sudden, it was fine.

Hands down, this is the best vehicle I have EVER owned. It has taken more crap and given back everything, and has never, EVER let me down...

 

Notice that most of the troubles here are with older Rangers, that have seen their better days. True, makes and models have some problems prematurely in all, but all in all, Rangers have been one heck of a good vehicle. My 93 has been tearin through this 12" plus drifting snow like mad. I can't wait to see what she'll do after I get my Traction-Loc rebuilt in the rear end. I'll just say I had fun pulling people out and plowing through drifts my buddies '94 Cherokee wouldn't go through.

 

Just went back out. Tugged a ZR2 S-10 out of a snow bank. I kinda taunted him a bit by driving through the rest of the snow bank that he didn't make it to to get in front of him to pull him out. He was glad to be out, but I think if his girlfriend wasn't with him he'd of let me pass. Could tell he would of preferred I'd been driving a Chevy. Also gave an F-150 4x2 a pull out of his spot where the plow went by. Man I love my truck!!

 

My friend and I went out off-roading the other day and found a really nice jump. Re-found actually, I used to bonzai my little Toyota over it just to see if it would break. Anyway, he drives a 97 Honda Passport. I took the jump in my truck at 40 mph, and it felt like every day driving with how smooth it was. Took it in his Passport at the same speed and I swear that thing felt like a brick with wheels. To summarize, my Ranger is the smoothest ride I have ever felt. I love that thing to death.