Hey, new owner here. Liking the truck so far, but need to get a crash course on what is normal / abnormal with Rangers and such.

First question: How much condensation is typical from the A/C? I get a puddle about 1-2ft in diameter when I park (after which point it stops dripping) after driving 20min with the A/C on about 2 bars up from max cold in 85 degree weather. I'm pretty sure it's just water, as I've checked, but the puddle is much larger than any of my other vehicles (all sportscars/sedans).

Second (and more important) question: I've got a P1443 code showing that I've had reset and comes back within 10 min. It was there when I bought the truck, but I got them to sign documents stating they would fix any issues stemming from the code. I normally would walk regardless, but the code doesn't seem too bad since it's something I've had before on most of my cars (loose gas cap most of the time, never expensive). Considering it's a 18 year old truck, perfection is not to be expected lol. It runs great though.

Obviously the evap/emission purge isn't a huge problem, but the valve malfunction result might be. Of course, the code doesn't specify which of them it is, just that it's one of the two. Anyone have experience with the P1443 code?

 

P1443: Just knowledge gleened, probably well known info, as I work on 3d generation rangers,[93-97]
When you get this code, the first thing to check is the fuel filler tube. Every truck I've worked on has had cracked and leaking filler tubes. I always do new fuel pump and filler tube first thing.

 

The condensation is fine. Nothing to worry about. As long as its actually draining and not just collecting on your carpet in the footwells, that should be your only concern. Maybe your truck traps humidity? Ive noticed my 93 always feels humid inside after sitting. Run the AC, remove extra humidity, this contributes to the larger puddle. Dont overthink it.