Hey everyone!

I tried posting a question in the general tech last week, but it doesn’t look like it got approved—maybe because I didn’t introduce myself? Haha, not sure. Anyway, here’s my intro!

As of last week, I’m officially a Ranger owner again! This time, it’s a 2008 XLT 4x4. I previously owned a 2003 XL Ranger from 2010 to 2019, and it was my absolute favorite truck. It ran strong, never gave me any issues, and supported me through so many amazing years—until it was randomly totaled by a drunk driver while parked outside my apartment. The dude was uninsured, and it ended up being a total loss.

Fast forward to now: I just moved back to California from New Mexico to be closer to family. My wife’s car was totaled in an accident last year, we recently had a baby, and we needed a second vehicle—so I jumped at the chance to get another Ranger. After months of Craigslist alerts, I found this 2008. Overall very clean, has just over 100k miles, and only a few minor things that need updating, which I’m slowly checking off my list.

Of course, in true "used truck" fashion, it did die five minutes after I handed over the money and transferred the title. There I was, directing traffic and pushing my 'new' truck out of an intersection! I was a PATS no-start issue with dashes on the odometer. After a tow, an auto locksmith who couldn’t solve it (and told me it was probably a dead ECU), and three days of scouring posts on this forum, I found the problem: a loose PCM-to-SJB connection under the driver-side console. Thankfully, it’s all resolved now, and the truck runs strong.

This forum has already been such a helpful resource, and I’m excited to be a part of the Ranger community again. Looking forward to learning more and contributing where I can!