Tech Thread - Ford Ranger

[Mr. Red Sleeper]

^^Yup...Lookin like a fibreglass project to attempt

[civic minded]

^^wam hoss - what are you doing in the Diesel forums anyhow? like yah trade in the gas guzzler for something with 4 wheel drive orr?

the pic in my avatar is the Ranger Max kit - donno how much it cost but i bet its a sh!tload of money - I am always complaining of this- Accessories cost too much money...

[madcoolieboy]

it have a kit?? i thought the ranger max was only a concept vehicle....

[civic minded]

^^ nah ask 4x4 trinidad - he can source the kit but the kinda money you have to spend - it eh make sense - better get a good fibreglass person and fabricate the pieces

[Mr. Red Sleeper]

civic minded,

Heh...Surprised?

A good fibreglass option is the best option, based on availability, price, shipping, etc. etc.

The led's package. Have you done any research?

[lighthammer]

Found this while searching http://www.4wdaction.com.au forums for service manuals on t&t trucks.

http://www.filekeeper.org/download/bt50 ... -50_en.pdf

It's an overview of the service manual for the BT-50 and I assume the Ford Ranger as well (since they have identical engines and chassis). There's a hardcopy version that's much more in-depth - so this PDF is meant for technician-training purposes for dealers.


Hope you guys find it useful - I could see it being used for DIY maintenance or possible engine upgrades.

Cheers!

[madcoolieboy]

for civic minded..remember bodykits for the older rangers 06-08 won't work eh....the front bumper is totally different so if is the nice orange one or something you see on worldstyling forget itttttt......unless you see it on the 2009-10 model

[nick009]

is the rfw light supposed to come on when the van starts even if it is in 4x2?

It's not normal, it must be a malfunction. Probably a bad relay/solenoid. Have it checked and lets us know the outcome.

got it checked turned out to be the vacuum line connector on the disengage solenoid was broken

strange when i pressed the rfw button it came off thou.
anybody knows how this system works?

[Cooper]

I have an idea on how it works through just basically being curious..... engaging gears & switches and peeping under the vehicle and trying to move parts by hand to see what happens. So don't take this as a concrete explanation....
(keep in mind I have a manual transmission while you read this)


The actual RFW system is attached to the front differential. When you stop and engage the 4WD system, it engages the front wheels to the front differential (using the relay and vacuum lines) so this basically turns on the RFW system.

Once engaged you are allowed to shift on the fly while driving between 2WD & 4WD.

You would notice that in your owners manual it states that if the RFW is on and you are driving the 2WD, it can affect your fuel economy. This is because you have and extra weight attached to your front wheels. In 2WD the transfer case is not connecting power to the front wheels, but with the RFW on, the front diff and the front drive shaft is connected to the front wheels putting an extra load on your engine.

....in a nutshell, all the magic takes place inside the front diff.

Check the diagram below, I hope it can help you understand how the systems works. If anyone has additional info, please feel free to post.

[nick009]

thanks for the info
but what i dont understand is
does it use vacuum to engage and disengage the rfw? or only to engage?
the reason i ask this is because i find it strange that , in my van, even with the vacuum connector broken when i pressed the rfw button the light still came off.
Both solenoids are connected to vacuum so i am guessing it uses vacuum to disengage and engage.
which makes me wonder if the light comes off just from the solenoid being triggered and not the position of the engager

[civic minded]

so how come my ranger which comes in auto do not have a RFW switch - only the knob to change 2h-4h-4l - does this mean that my RFW is on all the time?

[Cooper]

nick009, I'll have to do some more research under to van to find out. (maybe take some pics and draw another diagram to include the vacuum lines) The RFW has to be linked to the electrical circuit on the Solenoid so I don't expect the system to leave the light on if a vacuum line is broken.

civic minded, I'm not familar with your system, so I can only guess that the rotary switch electronically turns the RFW system on and off. BTW, do you have to come to a complete stop before initially engaging 4H? (I don't have my owner's manual with me to find out for myself)

[civic minded]

no - mines is on the fly

[nick009]

Cooper, what i was thinking was that the light works on a position sensor inside the diff.
When i engage 4x4 usually i have to roll a bit before the rfw engages and then the light pops up
So this leads me to think it works on a position sensor
But
all the time my vacuum line was broken and when i pressed the rfw button the light came off
However it came on every time i started the van so maybe it is a position sensor.
Took a picture of the solenoids

[civic minded]

i tried researchin on the net to find out how my system really works on the fly - i am not getting anything concrete with relation to mines so i really don't know

[Cooper]

nick, your engine plenty cleaner than mine .... have a holiday tomorrow. As long as it's not raining I'll dig a bit deeper to confirm your theory.

civic minded, if your system shifts on the fly without stopping, I figure you may have a system that is totally different from the manual RFW system. I'll try to get a pic of the front diff tomorrow and post it up. You can compare it to what you have.

[civic minded]

i called blaine moze from mc enearney but i dont think he understand what i was asking - he just explain how to use it. I guess he just following the salesman handbook advice to answer technical questions. I will wait till i take it in to service to ask the service manager how it really works - somehow in the back of my mind i don't think he knows either.

Now i have a theory of how it might be working - i believe that there isnt a RFW in mines that it is similar to the Suzuki and other SUV 4wd system - there is a magnetic lock that engages when the 4wd knob is activated. Even when driving - the magnetic lock align itself to lock in place thus allow 4wd on the fly

But damn it really came in handy on Monday - pelting rain in south - coming down the highway after the roundabout where the firestation is - took a right at the NP quickshop and drive all the way up to enter cepiro street - the road is a roughly 25degree incline with a traffic light at the top - cars behind me - my rear tires start to lose some traction cause of the water - in less than a second i switch to 4wd and out of that before i touch the idiot wingroad driver that bumpering me.

[trinibajan34]

shouldn't ur lsd have kicked in at that point ,just wondering ? instead of having to engage 4wd

[civic minded]

both rear tires was spinning - if you remember the location - there isnt much traction there when wet - what the city corporation need to to is perforate the road to allow more traction.

[Cooper]

civic minded I know exactly what you're talking about. I got in a similar situation heading up Cipero Street in the rain last year. I pulled the emergency brake and dropped it in 4H and got going again. Did it so fast, I couldn't believe I didn't hit the car up close behind me.


Anyway, I got a picture of the RFW system. The two vacuum lines are used individually to engaged and disengage the system....which is exactly what nick was saying.

[trinibajan34]

that traffic light should be removed from there though

[nick009]

ahhh i see. good job cooper

[civic minded]

i will look around in the engine bay and see if i can follow the vacuum lines - mines is the TDCi engine (common rail) and it have a huge flikkin plastic cover on top - I guess they tryin to make it more car like - i will come back with pics soon

[trinibajan34]

i have been wanting to ask this question for a while now,why choose the ranger over the bt50 since both are the same price and engine. The bt50 comes with running board ,stock rollbar and outside tray hooks. can someone enlighten me please.

[lighthammer]

^^ I think it's a combination of brand-loyalty/recognition as well as resale value. Perhaps the Ranger holds its value a little more than the BT-50? I might be wrong here but someone else might know the answer to this.

Also, IMO at least, the older ranger with the square headlights looks a bit more aggressive and appealing to male buyers than the softer, sleeker BT-50. But with the new headlights and grill for the 2009-2010 Ranger, the two of them are closer in looks. Also the Ranger has a better luxury package when fully decked out than the BT-50.... some ppl just need to have leather seats.

There's a lot of BT-50's out on the road though. I myself would seriously consider it, given that it's a bit cheaper than the Ranger but with identical engine/chassis.

[Cooper]

For Me...

- After Sales service: McEnearney Service IMHO is far more professional than Southern Sales.

- Brand Value: most fords hold value better than mazdas and the after sales service has a lot to do with it.

- Style: I like the aggressive look on the 'Square Light' model

and last... I made sure that the timing of my purchase, coincided with the cosmetic change in the Ranger (last year.) This gave me some bargining power to get my accessories pratically free

[Mr. Go Slow]

^^ I think it's a combination of brand-loyalty/recognition as well as resale value. Perhaps the Ranger holds its value a little more than the BT-50? I might be wrong here but someone else might know the answer to this.

Also, IMO at least, the older ranger with the square headlights looks a bit more aggressive and appealing to male buyers than the softer, sleeker BT-50. But with the new headlights and grill for the 2009-2010 Ranger, the two of them are closer in looks. Also the Ranger has a better luxury package when fully decked out than the BT-50.... some ppl just need to have leather seats.

There's a lot of BT-50's out on the road though. I myself would seriously consider it, given that it's a bit cheaper than the Ranger but with identical engine/chassis.

Also engine and transmission options ... With the Mazda (last I checked) there were none, just the 12v manual is available.

[civic minded]

well i needed an auto and preferred to get the 3L version - this wasn't available with the BT50 at the time. I think now it is.

[lighthammer]

^^ I think it's a combination of brand-loyalty/recognition as well as resale value. Perhaps the Ranger holds its value a little more than the BT-50? I might be wrong here but someone else might know the answer to this.

Also, IMO at least, the older ranger with the square headlights looks a bit more aggressive and appealing to male buyers than the softer, sleeker BT-50. But with the new headlights and grill for the 2009-2010 Ranger, the two of them are closer in looks. Also the Ranger has a better luxury package when fully decked out than the BT-50.... some ppl just need to have leather seats.

There's a lot of BT-50's out on the road though. I myself would seriously consider it, given that it's a bit cheaper than the Ranger but with identical engine/chassis.

Also engine and transmission options ... With the Mazda (last I checked) there were none, just the 12v manual is available.

Aye Mr. Go Slow - how the ranger holding up?

I think there's a 3.0L turbo diesel available for the BT-50, in australia and thailand at least. Not so sure about local. But I'd definitely go for the 16V 3.0 TDI for the Ranger though, if I had my choice.

[Mr. Go Slow]

^^ I think it's a combination of brand-loyalty/recognition as well as resale value. Perhaps the Ranger holds its value a little more than the BT-50? I might be wrong here but someone else might know the answer to this.

Also, IMO at least, the older ranger with the square headlights looks a bit more aggressive and appealing to male buyers than the softer, sleeker BT-50. But with the new headlights and grill for the 2009-2010 Ranger, the two of them are closer in looks. Also the Ranger has a better luxury package when fully decked out than the BT-50.... some ppl just need to have leather seats.

There's a lot of BT-50's out on the road though. I myself would seriously consider it, given that it's a bit cheaper than the Ranger but with identical engine/chassis.

Also engine and transmission options ... With the Mazda (last I checked) there were none, just the 12v manual is available.

Aye Mr. Go Slow - how the ranger holding up?

I think there's a 3.0L turbo diesel available for the BT-50, in australia and thailand at least. Not so sure about local. But I'd definitely go for the 16V 3.0 TDI for the Ranger though, if I had my choice.

Van is almost a year old ... No squeaks, no rattles, not a single problem! I absolutely love the truck!

I drive it like i stole it, van rips tires today just like it did on day one, I just service it on time and put diesel. Never used an additive , nothing ... Perfect example of what a hassle free new vehicle should be like.

I'm just at 25000K now and here's a couple shots from the most recent outing in the van: