Hi all,

I currently own a 6 cylinder 1995 Ford Ranger XLT with 116000 miles on it. This past week the radiator needed to be replaced (had a hole in it) and a break caliper jammed shut, both combined costing me nearly $800. Once the caliper was fixed, I then noticed another noise which turns out to be the rear differential.

I am concerned that three separate systems need to be repaired at the same time. While it the failures could be a coincidence, given the age of the Ranger, I don't want to start throwing good money after bad. I am currently on a tight budget and I don't really have the money to keep fixing my Ranger, but I also don't really have the money for a new Ranger, either .

So, I thought I would come to you all. In you experience, do you think these repairs are all a coincidence or do you think it is time to start looking for a new(er) Ranger?

Thank you for your help,

Rob

 

sounds like it

 

unless you can afford monthly payments the cost on repairs is always cheaper, but it appears you are not doing the repairs yourself.

how is the condition of the truck? decent? you like driving it? do you feel that you want something new in a year? then maybe work up to buying a new one. a noise in the rear diff could last forever or quit the next time you drive it.

 

take a good under neath your ranger

1- is there a lot of rust underneath your truck
2- has the transmission been serviced on a regular basis
3- does the engine still have sufficient compression
4- the condition of all the engine compartment parts

remember radiators have no conditional warranty
then can leak from brand new or 10 years down the road
( radiators are cheap compared to other parts )

my advice is to learn how to do repairs yourself , you will save a lot of money going that route

i have seen pretty pitiful excuses of supposedly well maintained vehicles

1 particular case , was a f150 that had a badly rusted frame -- the frame snapped on the hoist as it was being lifted up.

 

I think that's just a string of bad luck. Every vehicle goes through its cycles of repairs.

 

Youd be suprised what you can do with a few basic hand tools and a haynes/chilton or whatever manual you grab, up to about a year ago i havent done so much as change the oil on anything, a little common sense, patience and a repair manual and iv been able to fix everything thats needed it so far, you should have no problem replacing something like a radiator, maybe 150 or so bucks is all it should take, the caliper could have failed from a bad brake line, its happened to be in the past which also caused my wheel bearings to heat up and basically explode, it would be a good idea to replace both the lines along with the calipers.

The differential is a little beyond my experience, but i dont see why you would want to ditch the truck just because of it, theres always a junkyard you could pull one from with an extra set of hands, and im sure you could find someone who has the skills to swap it out for a decent price.

 

Aint that the truth! all at one time, my front oil seal and waterpump went out!

 

old things break, and when they do you fix em. if you dont have the money to repair it then you defiantly dont have the money for a loan or financing and payments. right now you dont give your ranger money it sits in the driveway, buy a new one and dont give it money itll disappear back to the bank.

 

If you've taken good care and maintained the truck well, I'd keep it. If you beat the snot out of it and only replaced things after they fail or leave you stranded then it could be a sign of things to come!

 

If you do decide to buy a new one, you really should buy used. You can find alot of nicer Rangers (03-05) for around 12k.

 

the key to long vehicle life

is to maintain a proper maintenance schedule

engine / transmission / differential fluid changes

routine cooling system flushes / routine engine oil flushes /

when your brakes start to squeal -- time for new brakes - check your brake hoses regularly
check your brake resevoir level / colour on a regular basis - check your coolant level regularly ETC!