2003 B4000 Tips for new owner - now with gas leak

[forzdab4000]

Long time lurker and 2nd time ranger owner. I just picked up a white 2003 dual sport with the 4.0 engine and auto. It has about 122k miles on it and the check engine light is on but its running pretty ok. I have not had a chance to connect to get the code but will in the next day.

I am going to start with an oil/filter change, lubrication, plugs and tranny fluid change. Is there anything else I should do?

I have checked everything as recommended in the buying guide and so far everything seems ok. There does seem to be a bit of an issue closing the hood and I noticed what seems to be a gap to the bumper so I assume it took a hit to the front. Also the door for the bed is actually from a ford ranger and still has the ford logo on it...

Thanks again for any help.

 

[adsm08]

On the passenger side of the intake, just behind the throttle body is a rubber boot that is part of the PCV system. The boots tend to tear and rub through with age. Replacing that, the PCV valve, and the thermostat would all be good, age-appropriate things to do, that are somewhat specific to that vehicle/engine.

And if it runs well that hose or the thermostat may well be the cause of your check engine light.

 

[forzdab4000]

Thanks for the fast reply and the tips. Greatly appreciate it. Will definitely do what you recommend.

 

[Uncle Gump]

You're right in the year range for the timing chain tensioner issues. If one lets go it will ruin your day and grenade the engine. Listen to the engine carefully on cold starts... if it has the issue it will typically rattle for a second or two on cold start ups.

I would also stick to Motorcraft oil filters and spark plugs. The oil filters have an anti flow back valve. this will help keep the engine oil in the engine and not let it flow back to the pan. As for spark plugs... I've never had much luck with other brands in a Ford.

You don't say where you are... but if you live in the rust belt... I would take a good look around the underside. Spring hanger/shackles and brake lines are prone to rusting out.

 

[forzdab4000]

Thanks for the additional tips, I will fix that location in my profile. I am in central NC. So far after having it for a few days no detectable rattle on start ~35F days but will do some further checking. I did check several areas for rust and everything looked ok but will take a closer look in the areas you mention.

 

[DILLARD000]

Get that plastic ThermoStat Housing replaced, before it cracks & splits open & overheats your engine.
Replace it with an Aluminum version if your smart.
Their cost has become comparable to the plastic junk,
just you've got to order them online, as local counters will only shove a plastic housing in your face.

 

[DILLARD000]

Become OCD about both Engine Oil+Filter and Tranny ATF+Filter changes.

 

[sgtsandman]

Assume the previous owner didn't do a thing to their truck that they didn't have too. More often than not, that will turn out to be true. Very few people believe in or perform preventative maintenance on their vehicles but wait for something to break before they fix it. Check everything. The stuff mentioned above and take a good look at the brakes.

Chances are good that if the caliper slider pins aren't seized, they are well on their way. They should move fairly easily by hand with the caliper off. While there, take a look at the pads. They should be worn evenly on both sides, meaning the pad on the outside and the pad on the inside should be the same thickness or close to it.

Look at the rear brakes too and make sure the parking/emergency brake works. A lot of people, especially those who have automatics, rarely if ever use the thing. The cables and/or the mechanism could be seized and nonfunctional.

How does the suspension look and sound? Is there any squeaking or groaning? If so, a ball joint or tie rod end may be on the way out. If one side is going, the other isn't far behind. Do the work or pay someone to do the work once instead of multiple times as things fail. My 2011 had one upper ball joint, one lower ball joint, and one tie rod end that were complaining last year. So, the front end is pretty much new now. Everything looked fine. The proof was when the creaking and groaning happened on bumps in the road.

 

[forzdab4000]

Thanks all for the tips. I always assume that the former owner didn;t do much but surprisingly they claimed to have had a tune up and replaced the plugs and wires etc and sure enough they were new and the right brand!

Lights, heat and electrical seems to be working well except for the ODB port oddly enough.

I did an another level of inspection on the truck and the PCV valve and elbow are shot for sure so I ordered them, I also spent a good amount of time checking the break system. The front break pads are at ~2mm so i will replace those and smooth the rotors. The rear breaks looked really good, also the parking break works well. I am also glad to say that there is no sign of rust anywhere.

I changed the oil and filter which was clearly overdue. The transmission ATF was supposedly changed at a shop by the previous owner actually looked really clean on checking but I will still do a change later in the week. I also found that the ODB port isn't powering up so I can't get codes on the check engine light. I will do also do some poking around to trouble shoot if its a wire or a fuse. I will swap out the PCV valve later in the week.

The suspension seems pretty solid with no obvious squeaking or groaning that I could detect. But i ran out of time so I will double check everything will take a closer look tomorrow or Wednesday.

Thanks again for all of the helpful info I greatly appreciate it.

 

[sgtsandman]

I think there is a fuse that effects the operation of the OBD port. I can't say which one that is off hand though. If you have an owner's manual, it might say in there. I'm sure someone here knows the answer. Heck, it might even be labeled OBD in the fuse schematic...

 

[forzdab4000]

Thanks I will first check that for sure. If its labeled that clearly that would make things almost too easy

 

[sgtsandman]

Thanks I will first check that for sure. If its labeled that clearly that would make things almost too easy

I'm suspecting it won't be.

 

[DILLARD000]

In my 2001, the OBD2 port is on same fuse as CigLiter. Not sure about 2003.

 

[sheep herder]

In my 2001, the OBD2 port is on same fuse as CigLiter. Not sure about 2003.

Same for 2011.

 

[Orca]

Welcome to the forums!

Not sure if the owner's manuals for Mazda are different from the Ford Ranger manuals, but a quick peek at the latter shows that they were labeling that fuse as "Data Link Connector (DLC)" in the 2002-2003 era and (more properly) called it "Diagnostic Connector (OBD II)" in 2004-2005. Either way, all 4 years have that fuse sharing duty with the "cigar lighter", so it should be easy to spot in any manual.

Whatever you do, stop calling it "ODB". You want "OBD" (On-Board Diagnostics), not "Ol' Dirty Bastard".