You are correct, the codes are not related
P0442 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (small leak)
Check to make sure fuel cap gasket is OK
On start up, the EVAP system puts a slight Negative(vacuum) pressure in the gas tank then sees if it can hold the Negative pressure, if it slowly loses pressure then P0442
If it can't hold Negative pressure at all then:
P0455 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (
gross leak)
So P0442 can be a cracked EVAP hose, even small crack in Filler hose or gas cap
P0461 Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
This is the gas gauge and sender/float in the gas tank code
Computer has these codes to choose from:
P0460 Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Malfunction
P0461 Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
P0462 Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Low Input
P0463 Fuel Level Sensor Circuit High Input
P0464 Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Intermittent
What year is this Ranger, not a 1987, lol?
Is the gas gauge working OK, not erratic?
This code can not effect performance in any way, it is just letting driver know the gas gauge may not be acurate
1989 and up Rangers use Senders and gauges with these OHMs
16 OHMs Empty
158 OHMs Full
P0461 indicates at some point the OHMs were higher or lower(out of Range) than they should be, but not always lower and not always higher, that has different codes
Or that the OHMs changed rapidly between 16 and 158(performance) which wasn't just from gas sloshing around in the tank
Its good to look up codes on a full list, like this one:
https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/obd-ii_trouble_codes/
You can see the codes the computer can chose from, so the codes it does NOT use can help you diagnose what its NOT, lol
Our Rangers never had fuel pressure sensors, just FYI
Just the air pressure sensor for the EVAP system