trinituner.com

Hello All.
I recently purchased a new ford ranger with e 3.2 transmission but not the limited version. I dont know much about cars, but i work in construction and i bought it knowing i was gonna "work" it with a lot of driving ( i already have 15,000kms on it), a lot of towing in the tray and offroading on sites and weekends.
All in all im very happy with the purchase and like the vehicle. However i'm a little worried about some things happening.

1) I have what i believe to be transmission issues, especially at the bottom of a hill. I live on a steep hill and it happens on occasion when i stop at the bottom of the hill, look both ways, and take off, the car doesnt know what to do. it moves off in a strained manner and then after a few seconds i "bucks" on me hard and makes a very loud "knock". i believe when its trying to go from 1st to second, or it feels like it was in 4x4 (its not) and then transfers back to 4x2. This happens say once ever few weeks and usually at the same spot. ONCE during this same occurrence with the bucking - the gear engine light turned on.. (manual says- see dealer) but i restarted the car and it never came back.

Not as often i do feel the same - car not knowing what to do when taking off in traffic, but no where near the loud thud and buck as at the bottom of a hill. for the record i do not drive hard and i dont take off fast. when i feel the lethargy of the engine.. i actually pull off the ex slightly and allow it to "work"

2) I have an idle vibration, that seems more than normal. I feels as if the van is chocking. and the reason i think this is not normal is because it doesnt happen all the time. At some times (red light at intersections) its very noticeable and other times not.


Ive been looking on this forum for a while but havent seen anyone else complain. So i thought id be the first. I keep a record on my phone of when these incidents happen with dates and times. I have spoken to the the service manager at ford on my timely (5000km) services and all they say is they checked it and nothing is wrong.

to be fair. nothing is wrong.. but these things are worrying me slightly

Any insight or similar experience out there?

i have the 3.2 as well.
I have never experienced what you describe,but my tranny (only 1st to 2nd) is not as smooth
as my grand vitara,but not to the point of complain.
I will feel when the van downshifts,when driving slow or upshift.
i just blamed it on the higher compression of engine.

get the service manager to send a mech with you to the hill to see problem.
doesn't matter how far, if this is where problem occurs

This is the first time I am hearing anything with the new ranger , you should post this in the trucks and pickup section.

well i was researching and found this.

On the transmission front, you have the option of a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic; I have to say I didn’t fall in love with either. There’s nothing wrong with the manual’s function, but I didn’t like the gear shift which felt sticky and vague.
For the most part the 6-speed auto is well mated to the 3.2-litre engine but I didn’t like the gearbox’s ability to ‘learn’ my driving style. This is part of the Ranger’s Driver Recognition software which made the Ford’s gear changes a bit erratic. Especially when you’ve just driven the Ranger off-road; as the gearshifts are so uniquely different in low-range and over harsh terrain, the bakkie feels out of sorts when driven back on tar. The gearbox eventually returns to normal, but for a short while after it feels like there’s a learner driver behind the wheel.

Zaria.

Thanks for the responses. I cant invite anyone to witness it because it only happens on occasion.
I'm not too worried about it, but id say what you dug up might describe my problem 80%. I will continue to pay their high service fees to make sure i maintain the warranty. And keep my log of when it happens.

Any update on this ?

the amount of issues right now with the new ranger - it ent worth it. If u really want the new ranger - get the Thailand version (wildtrak)

civic minded wrote:the amount of issues right now with the new ranger - it ent worth it. If u really want the new ranger - get the Thailand version (wildtrak)

Hey dude, are they still having issues with those from the firm ? I am seriously looking at a 3.2 manual. Was gonna pay down tomorrow

I wouldn't. I admit I've never driven the 3.2, but if the 2.2 is any indication, you would encounter some serious problems. My last employer bought a 2.2 manual. They had transmission problems, a sensor replacement, a turbo replacement and the last straw, fuel pump problems. The latter has not been fixed 'cause he's fed up of it and just left it at the dealer.

Oh my word....

That sounds to me.like a gas problem.. question though when get on the hill do you lose a lot of power in anyway

Tks u jus saved me some $$$...

1UZFE wrote:Tks u jus saved me some $$$...

Well I searched and searched all forums,spoke with Ranger owners and formed my own opinions. Every person you talk to will give you their "own opinion". Ask them to back it up, aside to the OP in this thread, ask how many people saying bad things about the Ranger actually own one. Admittedly, there were some problems with the first batch and particularly with the automatic versions. The van has been in Trinidad for about 2 years and I think Ford has a handle on things with no issues.

If someone chooses not to maintain at the firm, do their own "mango tree" mechanics (not you OP - generally speaking) and something goes wrong, how can the vehicle be blamed ?

I know persons who had problems and I know persons who are very happy and not an ounce of headache. I think it's all person dependent and how they manage their trucks.

One could argue that the other pick-ups undergo the same treatment and they do not present the type and volume of problems experienced by the fords.

As for your statement suggesting that Ford has a handle on the situation, what have they changed/modified to rectify all the problems.

My ex-employer owned many pick-ups throughout the regular line up (vigos, local hilux's, B2500s, BT50, Navs, Sportero, DMax's and a few other basic models) and all, with the exception of some cracked heads due to heating problems that weren't fixed in the BT50, made it up to or close to 200,000kms without a single major problem. Problems experienced would usually be cradle bushings as most of them wore 20's or larger. They all fill up at the same stations and undergo the same service by the company mech.

V2NR 3.0 wrote:

1UZFE wrote:Tks u jus saved me some $$$...

Well I searched and searched all forums,spoke with Ranger owners and formed my own opinions. Every person you talk to will give you their "own opinion". Ask them to back it up, aside to the OP in this thread, ask how many people saying bad things about the Ranger actually own one. Admittedly, there were some problems with the first batch and particularly with the automatic versions. The van has been in Trinidad for about 2 years and I think Ford has a handle on things with no issues.

If someone chooses not to maintain at the firm, do their own "mango tree" mechanics (not you OP - generally speaking) and something goes wrong, how can the vehicle be blamed ?

I know persons who had problems and I know persons who are very happy and not an ounce of headache. I think it's all person dependent and how they manage their trucks.

Im sure u did other searches besides tuner (i hope ) dis ford tranny issue has a man in Princess town rel rich.
I was really close to buying d new wildtrack. Tranny issues is the most common issues with the Ranger. I read some where that the seals in d tranny are kinda substandard n only d company replaces them at a high cost. Also i worked for a company that had abt 15 TCH to TCL rangers fully loaded and abt 5 of those had issues wit the tranny.
Jus adding to OP point i guess.

One could argue that the other pick-ups undergo the same treatment and they do not present the type and volume of problems experienced by the fords. As for your statement suggesting that Ford has a handle on the situation, what have they changed/modified to rectify all the problems.

Dude, I am not a Ford representative or affiliate. I am also in the market for a truck. Test drove the hilux (waste of time), Navara (best value for money) and then the Ranger 3.2. I have not debunked that there were issues in the beginning - new truck - natural teething problems. What has Ford done ? To start with 1. they have changed out the famous "hose" problem which led to turbo failure and sensor malfunction because originally the truck was equipped with a hose not suited to our driving conditions. 2. They have updated their software framework to ensure that the trucks are updated at every single service - the manuals will not have a transmission problem cause no updates are required for this, the automatic on the other hand need updates, 3. Now, as different from before, some of the technicians have officially been trained to properly service the vehicles. These may be small changes, but are quite effective.

Ford USA and Ford Australia are very concerned because there was a disconnect between the truck and the people servicing these vehicles. Letters were penned and responses given. I have copies of these responses. So hopefully these issues were given a handle.

With that being said, there are numerous issues with the Toyota's, Mazdas, Navaras which again as originally stated May have been part of the rumor mill. Toyota's - spongy ride, warped rotors. Navaras - fuel pump issues, warped rotors, alternator failure, body mounts etc. Mazdas - ecu malfunction.

The Ford Ranger is a truck that is two generations ahead of any pick up on the road. The truck is fully computerized, not necessarily something I agree with, but that's the trend in motor engineering.

All I am saying, there are many rumors and it has to be sifted out.

I'm glad to hear that they've sorted out their issues. I guess we would know of they were successful soon enough. Now they need to do something about the cheap feel of the interior as well as the area around the clutch. With my size 11 steel toe boots, I found it was difficult to send the clutch fully down or even far enough for a smooth shift.

Honestly, my pickup of choice is the Mitsubishi Sportero, even though I'm a Toyota guy. Loads of power and torque for a 2.5, especially the new high output 2.5's, and is very reliable. There are also a lot of creature comforts such as speed sensitive wipers, steering wheel audio controls, sunroof, opening rear windshield, graphical display for fuel consumption, speed etc.

Still don't know why you said the hilux is a waste of time

Toyopet wrote:I'm glad to hear that they've sorted out their issues. I guess we would know of they were successful soon enough. Now they need to do something about the cheap feel of the interior as well as the area around the clutch. With my size 11 steel toe boots, I found it was difficult to send the clutch fully down or even far enough for a smooth shift.

Honestly, my pickup of choice is the Mitsubishi Sportero, even though I'm a Toyota guy. Loads of power and torque for a 2.5, especially the new high output 2.5's, and is very reliable. There are also a lot of creature comforts such as speed sensitive wipers, steering wheel audio controls, sunroof, opening rear windshield, graphical display for fuel consumption, speed etc.

I hope so too. I also agree with you regarding the Sportero. I was never really a Mitsubishi guy unless it's the Evo series.

Ted_v2 wrote:Still don't know why you said the hilux is a waste of time

Matter of my personal view based on my test drive - that's all.

Nixon - any updates on your issues man ?

Understandable

Trying to get some feedback from the owner of this post (OP). Nixson - many men await your feedback bro ! - Holla at us

A guy in work here has the 2.2 auto high ride model. Only problem he reports is that shifting to reverse from forward has a 5 second or so delay for the gear to actually kick in. They (dealer) told him it was a safety feature. He has the van maybe 4 months now.

Just wanted to share my recent experience.

3.2 Auto ranger.

Driving up the highway at 100km on Saturday morning when I felt the van begin to surge forward, looked in the rear view mirror to see a cloud of white smoke behind me. I filtered to the shoulder, put the vehicle in park with foot off the pedals and watched as the engine revved off on its own to 5000rpm. Wrecked the vehicle to Mac enearny.
So today the service rep called and said turbo is shot, an injector is stuck in an open position and fuel pump also has issues. Anyone seen this before?
Sound like engine oil got into the air intake plenum and cylinders and caused what some call "runaway engine".

Hello booEVO,

If you don't mind me asking, what is the mileage on your vehicle and have you been servicing at the firm in keeping with the warranty guidelines ? I have a 3.2 6-fwd manual and have had zero issues to date and I'm averaging just about 25 k on the dash.

Hi all I own a 3.2 Wildtrak , one year and 15K kilos after she's still as sweet as she was the first day we met ! Please note these vehicles aren't designed to run on our "nasty" diesel , because of the poor fuel quality the EGR valve often sticks open and dumps exhaust back into the intake! The first mod I did was to eliminate it!

Marcel Burkett wrote:Hi all I own a 3.2 Wildtrak , one year and 15K kilos after she's still as sweet as she was the first day we met ! Please note these vehicles aren't designed to run on our "nasty" diesel , because of the poor fuel quality the EGR valve often sticks open and dumps exhaust back into the intake! The first mod I did was to eliminate it!

Where did you get this mod done

I got th block off plate an installed it myself.

Marcel Burkett wrote:I got th block off plate an installed it myself.

Where can i get it
Can u do d install for me