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

[racsan]

I dont like to go below 1/2 tank in the winter, on a trip or summer I will consider 1/4 tank “empty”.
The electric fuel pump setup in the ranger seems to notbquite have full pressure once it get to 1/4 tank left.

 

[Roert42]

I new a guy that would always keep his tank around 1/8 to 1/4 tank, never more. Replaced his fuel pump almost every year, swore up and down they were designed to fail like that.

I normally keep an extra couple gallons with me just in case, I like to run the tank from full to almost empty so I don't have to stop as much to fill up, so the extra gas is in case I run it too low and can't find a filling station.

 

[Rick W]

I married the “practice“ wife a year out of college in 1979. She had driven Toyotas, and I always drove something exotic and had a Ford or Chevy truck. So I got her a sports car, a 65 European, and it was the first car anybody around us had that had the little idiot light for low gas. She loved the car, but I don’t think she ever looked at the needle again. She would drive it until the light popped on, she knew she had 30 to 50 miles, so then she go get gas.

So, time goes by, two or three years later, she calls me frantic from a shopping mall about 30 miles away, the car has died. Fortunately, she was in a parking lot where it was very easy to drive around her so there was no hazard. So I grabbed my tools and I rode out there and went all over the car and couldn’t find anything wrong, but it wouldn’t start. Well about the third time I looked at it I realized the needle was on empty. You know the rest of the story. She usually filled it up about once every other week, and she had been driving with the needle down there on empty empty for a month, but the light didn’t come on. I got a gallon of gas and got her going and a few days later I replaced the lightbulb. I made the mistake to joke about it at the next party. Wasn’t pretty. Somehow, I was in the doghouse for the rest of the marriage because Rick let her run out of gas.

Later, when the practice wife was gone, and I had learned my lesson, and I filled up both cars the #2 would drive every week.

I had a similar issue with her. I bought her this beautiful Olds Regency 98, used, low miles, perfect. But I didn’t realize that the speedometer was off by about a third. When you were going 45 it was telling you you were going like 25. So she’s riding in the 25 zone in the neighborhood and gets stopped by a cop and she gets a ticket. When I figured it out, we got her out of the ticket, but I’d joke at parties how she was riding only 25, the trees were flying past as if you were in a jet plane, but she’s only going 25! Yeah, she’s gone too....

 

[pjtoledo]

note to self, don't joke about spouse's driving quirks,,,,,,,wait a minute,, did I tell you about the time she..........

 

[sgtsandman]

While most vehicles have plastic fuel tanks now, it's still a good idea to not go below half on a regular basis. Plastic tanks don't collect condensation like metal tanks do but they still collect condensation. The less air exposed surface there is in the tank on a regular basis, the better.

People will do with their vehicles what they will do with their vehicles and not much we say here is going to change that. Heck, I can't get my girlfriend to follow the recommended practice. How am I going to convince some person on the internet?

For me, there is only two scenarios where I'll run the fuel tank that low. 1. When running fuel system cleaner through the vehicles every spring and fall to get the full effect of the cleaner on the fuel system and the injectors. 2. On long trips where the trip is longer than what the fuel tank holds. Those tend to fall along with the need for food and/or bathroom stops. So, it's more of an efficient use of time thing than for any real mechanical or preventative maintenance purpose.

 

[romcjr]

Went and filled the tank at a station about three miles away . I put in 17 gallons , so I had quite a few miles to go . Problem I had the other day is I wasn't sure exactly hen the light came on , so I didn't know how far I had already gone . At least I know the light works and I have 30 - 40 miles before I run out .

 

[97RangerXLT]

I haven't driven my truck in over a week so I wanted to take it to work just for a "maintenance run". I opened the door and got hit by the most ungodly smell I have ever experienced, and I've smelled clam chowdah rotting in my air vents for an entire summer...

Aparently last time I was in the truck a chicken hopped in and I didn't notice before I shut the door.

Took the fiesta to work and ignored the problem. I may just set it on fire. There's just only so many smells a truck can take. I give up...

Dirtman, you are keeping us hanging... did the chicken get a proper burial? were you able to get the smell out or are you collecting gasoline and flamables to put the Ranger out of its misery?

I think I would take anything that has upholstery or carpet on it and burn it for sure.... so maybe a new interior can help...

AJ

 

[Rick W]

Definitely drives the smell off

 

[Curious Hound]

Definitely drives the smell off

View attachment 55068

Introduces new smells

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Introduces new smells

*unless you have a 3.0

Then its probably just more of the usual.

 

[4.0blue98]

Definitely drives the smell off

View attachment 55068

Must have had the "self destruct" option on that model.
Since it's a truck can we still call it a carbeque?
Happen just about everyday down here in MD. Is that a MD tag?

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Valve covers to match, i couldnt leave them gray, and rust colored next to the perty intake assembly.

 

[fred m]

New battery. This is the third consecutive battery Interstate has replaced under warranty in this truck; each one lasts 20-23 months. I’d say I’ve gotten my $159.99 out of them.

267,950 miles

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

New battery. This is the third consecutive battery Interstate has replaced under warranty in this truck; each one lasts 20-23 months. I’d say I’ve gotten my $159.99 out of them.
View attachment 55071
267,950 miles

What do they do? Just go flat or?

 

[fred m]

What do they do? Just go flat or?

Never completely flat, but they get to the point where they won't take any sort of load.

There's not an excessive draw on the battery when the truck is off, not that it ever sits for more than a few hours.