Man, I was so proud of my 1999 Ranger.

Almost 180,000 miles and one brake job (front), but the same engine, same clutch and same transmission.

First it started with a new head gasket.

Great, I thought.

The fact that happened while I was still 59 didn't register. Maybe a far-away warning shot. Something like, "You think your turning 60 is a big deal. Like you're healthier than ever despite years of unhealthy living. Pride goeth before the fall."

So I turned 60.

7 weeks later I renewed my AAA+ membership. 2 weeks later the clutch hydrolics finally gave out in the Costco parking lot and my newish bride got to ride home with me in the cab of the tow truck.

I had already called my local Enterprise dealer and arranged for a car, so asked the driver to drop the Ranger at my local mechanic, who had just closed for the weekend. Friday turned to Monday and the call, "I'll try to look at it this afternoon, but it might be tomorrow."

Tuesday the prognosis, after which I decided to drive it to another local guy who had been doing transmissions for years in the same spot.

Trust. Trust.

I finally get it back and notice the shifting is real loose, and there is a strange new noise. I figure new clutch hydrolics -- how would I know what it should sound like, but at least I can drive my Ranger the 60 miles one-way to visit my aging parents.

My bride and I swoop down and back in a breathtaking 5 hours.

Sunday when I get in to drive off to the office for a couple of hours of work while my newish wife slept in, I notice more new noise. I drive the 8 blocks to work.

A few hours later my wife joins me, having walked the 15 minutes from home.

We do a few chores (self-employed) and put a small table in the bed and start home.

The most noise yet and now some seriously serious shifting problems. The hasty decision to try and get to the market to snag some food or head home is snatched from us when the noise suddenly changes and I stammer, "I think something fell off".

So there we are -- my newish wife and me -- scanning the pavement for "something" that might have fallen off.

We leave the truck there (2 blocks from home) and walk home.

Bright and early Monday I call the transmission guy who fixed my clutch who then calls his local tow guy to pick it up and by 11 I have learned "Someone forgot to replace the fluids, so I have a replacement transmission on its way, but I'm gonna need it for a couple more days."

The replacement has 67,000 miles on it and was pulled from a wrecked 99. Or 37,000 miles. I heard both figures.

But no paperwork for when I sell it.

I finally get it back and the very next day (a Friday, of course), the check engine light comes on.

So I take it my long-time guy, tell the story and ask him to put it on the computer.

I trust him.

His verdict?

Something about "sensor 2, bank one" and "the 02 sensor is fragile" and "the one after the cat was loose"... He quoted about $260 plus labor.

Also something about I cannot say if the transmission/clutch work had anything to do with it.

I guess I give up some mileage while I drive it around. But this turnip feels squeezed dry. Do I go with the guy I trust (who also said he'd never heard of such problems with the transmission guy) or take it back to transmission guy who might cut me some slack on the price (but may also "fix" something else that will give out in a few months.

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Cowboy

 

 

Well, maybe, but it ain't over yet and I am at the point story-tellers call an action fork. I'm a tired older guy who didn't take shop classes (and I think the last mechanical car/vehicle thing I did was change the oil on a 1968 VW by myself).

Even if I had, they certainly didn't teach about computer monitoring.

I was hoping some wiser and more experienced folks might tell me if the sensor failure was coincidence or perhaps related to the transmission job.

This 99 was my THIRD consecutive Ranger...

Anybody?

 

The Ranger has 180k miles on it and O2 sensors are a maintenance item that is recommended to be changed every 100k miles. So I am betting that it was just a coincidence that the O2 sensor went out right after the transmission job saying as its long past due to be changed if you never have. If I were you I would go ahead and replace both sensors as they tend to go out around the same time. I would also purchase the sensors at the store then take them to the shop. They're around $50 a piece.

Also my 98 I just had to replace both O2 sensors at around 184k miles.

 

That's what you get for putting off maintenance. I thought 125k on a clutch was pushing it (what I had on mine). You put almost double the recommended mileage on it.

Dude, ask anyone here, Ranger karma is a b*tch.