What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[Blmpkn]

The factory original battery in the wife's Escape made it just over 5 years.

You blew it though... be prepared to break out the checkbook.

It HAS been a little slow to crank the motor this winter when it's been super cold out.. so yeah.. I'm sure I just finished it off lol.

 

[sgtsandman]

It HAS been a little slow to crank the motor this winter when it's been super cold out.. so yeah.. I'm sure I just finished it off lol.

Might be able to milk it until the spring but it definitely sounds like it’s about time.

 

[Blmpkn]

Might be able to milk it until the spring but it definitely sounds like it’s about time.

It's about time that car gets scrapped to be honest lol. I really hope the battery lasts long enough for us to get settled back in from the move and in to a better routine and just replace the damn thing.

I've been telling her to replace it for.. going on 3 years now. It's to the point where she's not going to get much money out of selling it unfortunately.

All hell breaks loose If WE don't listen... but THEY sure don't listen

 

[sgtsandman]

It's about time that car gets scrapped to be honest lol. I really hope the battery lasts long enough for us to get settled back in from the move and in to a better routine and just replace the damn thing.

I've been telling her to replace it for.. going on 3 years now. It's to the point where she's not going to get much money out of selling it unfortunately.

All hell breaks loose If WE don't listen... but THEY sure don't listen

Been there. She has a current example sitting in the driveway that she doesn’t want to part with.

 

[Snoranger]

Well... Bird Dog 1 is a no crank/no start victim this morning. Looks like I'm battery shopping today. I pulled the receipt from my last battery and it was purchased by my wife just before Christmas 2019. So... three year warranty expired a month or two ago. It amazes me how closely the battery manufactures have it dialed in. The last three aftermarket batteries I've had to replace were literally within weeks of the warranty expiring. The one I replaced in the Edge was only 3 or 4 days past warranty.

I was thinking I would buy an Optima this time around... according to reviews... even these are a hit or miss anymore. For the price of them... I think one should expect more. I can spend $100 plus dollars less on known junk and have the same results.

I miss the old days...

Christmas of ‘19... 3 years later would be Christmas of ‘22. Sounds like you still have a warranty.

 

[fastpakr]

You and your fancy 'new math'!

 

[Uncle Gump]

Maybe they aren't as good at avoiding warranty claims as I thought....

They're still mostly junk nowdays.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’m trying to remember who offers them. I think it is AutoZone or maybe NAPA that sells an AGM battery but it isn’t Optima. The price is about the same and the reviews seem to be better. It’s supposed to fit just fine where as Optima doesn’t have one that is listed as fitting the newer, old Rangers. Might be worth a look.

Autozone “Platinum” batteries are AGM and some Golds are if the vehicle they are specific to requires it. Which is why my lawn tractor has a gold AGM that was intended for a Miata. I picked it up off the “used“ battery rack because the date code made the battery over a year old so no longer able to sell as new.

 

[racsan]

maybe ive been lucky but Ive had good results with $50 rural king batteries. theres one in everything here except the escape & the ford 2000 tractor. HHR had been a little slower cranking this winter but it had been cold and I had a alternator that was barely charging. Think coolant killed it, I had a slight leak at a hose connection right above the alternator. After I fixed all of it I cut a 6” peice of 3” pvc (lengthwise) and zip-tied it to the underside of the upper radiator hose so if it were to leak again it wouldnt drip on the alternator.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Ok, here's some pics from the last couple weekends... or is it 3 weekends? whatever...

First is the Explorer pulling my new to me trailer with a cord of wood on it... this is when a fuse blew in the Explorer that powers like half the fuel injectors and the transmission solenoids and other such fun... of course it blew at a stop sign waiting to cross a busy highway, took all it had in low range first gear (even being a 5.0L) just to cross the stupid intersection, was getting honked at and everything... stupid mice...

Second is the Ranger pulling the ranger trailer around the yard, the trailer had some super old tires on it with blown cords and super cracked on first gen wheels (even had one hub cap...), so I put on the last pair of wheels/tires that came with the '97... while I was working on the trailer I checked the diff tag, it has the oh so sought after 3.08:1 gears... Right now the Ranger trailer is sitting about 3" lower since it is full of firewood stacked fairly nicely to a point over the bedrails... For anyone curious, whoever put that trailer together even wired the tail lights correctly into the trailer wiring unlike 90% of people that give up and just put on magnetic lights or whatever...

 

[LearningStick]

I drove it to a garage for work. My manual driving instructor was not available and the tires look more suitable for street racing than snow, so that was more challenging than I wanted for my first drive. It stalled a few times. People were waiting behind me at a stoplight through a few cycles. My back hurts from the jolting and lurching. Biking home in snow was easier than that two mile drive.

 

[superj]

You will be good if you drove it with slicks in the snow. You don't need a driving instructor, just a big parking lot to practice in

 

[Fast Eddie]

You will be good if you drove it with slicks in the snow. You don't need a driving instructor, just a big parking lot to practice in

It's called 'seat time'.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You will be good if you drove it with slicks in the snow. You don't need a driving instructor, just a big parking lot to practice in

Yeah, I’ve driven both, and I’d still rather have good tires and practice

 

[scotts90ranger]

I drove it to a garage for work. My manual driving instructor was not available and the tires look more suitable for street racing than snow, so that was more challenging than I wanted for my first drive. It stalled a few times. People were waiting behind me at a stoplight through a few cycles. My back hurts from the jolting and lurching. Biking home in snow was easier than that two mile drive.

Not many people want a manual trans anymore, so good on you... I'm a diehard manual guy but like an auto here and there, when my V8 Explorer is running good it's a pleasure to drive...

If you are jolting, and judging by how my wife tries to do it I understand, it will mainly take practice... I recommend an open parking lot or somewhere where you have room to yourself. The big trick is getting a feel for how far to release the clutch pedal before it starts engaging, along with how much throttle to give it to get a smooth transition. The clutch isn't a switch, well it acts like one but you can release the clutch slow at the engagement point with a little bit of throttle to keep from stalling or lurching. The jarring motion is from too much throttle when engaging the clutch too harshly then freaking out and letting off the throttle... you want to be just off idle then slowly let off the clutch pedal until it starts moving forward a little then a touch more throttle and release the clutch, or just release the clutch... there's times I'll screw around and end up in 3rd gear without touching the throttle...

Believe me, I know how it can be, I learned to drive a manual on my '90 Ranger that had a 4 cylinder and 3.08:1 gears (makes it harder)... I don't even think about it anymore, towing offroad with my F350 diesel with a warped clutch plate and no damper springs left (guessing) can get annoying though...