The Ford Ranger is probably one of the most reliable trucks on the market today. It has always been known to be a workhorse, and few faults have been detected that could turn you off from buying one. However, there are a few Ford Ranger 3.0 TDCI Common Problems you need to be aware of and try to sort out.

One of the most common Ford Ranger problems is the rusting out of air conditioning and seat rails. A few turbo failures have been reported by many people, but this seems to be on the lower end of the scale. Fortunately, none of these issues seems to be catastrophic, which means that Ford remains one of the leading options.

If you are the lucky owner of a Ford Ranger, you might be very hopeful that you have one of the best trucks money can buy. However, it is best to do your research and understand some of the common issues related to them. The article aims to help you better understand your Ranger and know what you should look out for.

Top 6 Ford Ranger 3.0 TDCI Common Problems

To ensure that you have a great experience with your Ford Ranger, we have put in some research and testing to find out what issues are common. While the following problems might not apply to everyone, they are important and you should keep an eye out for them. Here are some of the common problems with the Ford Ranger 3.0 TDCI:

1.      Injection Failure

Problem: The common-rail injected diesel vehicles all have to keep this issue in mind and it is not specifically related to the Ford Ranger. Due to the complexity of the design of these injectors and how they feed into the engine, there are plenty of things that could go wrong. With the Ford Ranger, the high pressures and pump are constantly working to keep the vehicle moving.

As it turns out, with so much pressure, constant maintenance needs to be done to keep the car on the road. There have been cases of these injectors failing at a modest mileage of less than 50,000-miles. If the issue is untreated, it could have a significant impact on the fuel and the fuel pump and lead to engine failure.

Solution: While Ford might not be keen on fitting auxiliary fuel filters, there have been situations where a finer filter has helped to combat the issue. You can buy the parts online and install them yourself, but you will be doing this at your own peril. If your truck still has a warranty, you should consider having a conversation with your dealership.

2.      Oil Pump Problems

Problem: While this issue is not as common on the road and will probably not cause you any issues when driving, it does have a risk when your vehicle is being serviced. The issue is often comes during service when the mechanic draining the oil from the vehicle does not pay enough attention. Many mechanics leave the car to drain.

The main issue is that if you leave it for too long, you will eventually bleed the pump. The pump needs to be primed before turning the ignition to work smoothly. However, if you run the vehicle with a dry pump for too long, you could blow up the engine which will cost you far more than fixing the oil pump issues.

Solution: The biggest solution would be that you should not leave the Ranger with an empty sump. If you do, it should not be for more than 10-minutes. To ensure that you do not run into this sort of issue, you and your mechanic should focus on draining the oil rapidly and making the change to have the vehicle ready to roll.

3.      Clutch And Flywheel Problems

Problem: The Ford Ranger is available in different transmission models, and while many people buying the 3.0 TDCI will opt for the 6-speed automatic transmission, some might consider the 6-speed manual a better option. The Ford Ranger has a dual-mass flywheel (DMF), which is fundamentally a flywheel within a flywheel.

With the level of force going through the flywheel of the Ford Ranger, it works perfectly. However, those that love to hitch a trailer to the truck might find that it is not always as comfortable. With too much pressure, you will find that the DMF can come apart and will eventually lead to significant damage and replacement needed.

Solution: While the issue can be fixed with a simple replacement, it will consistently cost you plenty of money. Many Ranger owners have opted for the more conventional single-mass flywheel, but this does require a conversion. Fortunately, numerous companies will offer you these conversion kits.

4.      The EGR Cooler Failure

Problem: One of the most vital parts of modern vehicles is to keep their emissions as low as possible. The Exhaust Recirculation Valve (EGR) is responsible for keeping the emissions as low as possible. However, since it is water-cooled on many models, it uses the same coolant as the engine normally would.

Whenever you use such a water-coolant, you always need to be careful of the coolant dripping out into the engine. One of the common issues with the Ford Ranger has been that older models seem to have the cooler split in two. This leads to some coolant dripping into the exhaust manifold and could even lead to hydraulicked engine issues.

Solution: Unfortunately, there is no real solution to this, and you will need to have your vehicle tested. The common symptoms you could be dealing with will involve the engine performance staggering. However, you should consult your mechanic on every visit to ensure that everything is being cared for.

5.      Crankshaft Sensor

Problem: Many crankshaft sensors in the Ranger might have a few faults that could cause some frustrating issues. The sensor is responsible for the RPM of the crank. It also indicates to the ECU to control the fuel injection and timing. You can probably see where this is going and how essential the sensor is to your truck.

If you are struggling with uneven acceleration or a slow acceleration, you might be having crankshaft sensor issues. If you do not try to figure out how to fix it, you could be damaging other parts of the vehicle if not enough fuel goes to the truck. Engine misfires can also be a common symptom of the issue.

Solution: Since many things can cause these symptoms, you will need to have a mechanic test your vehicle to see if you can determine what the cause of the problem is. Oftentimes, you might need to have the component replaced. However, reprogramming the sensor seems to help fix the problem in the Ranger.

6.      Air-Conditioning, Turbo, and Seat Rails

Problem: These issues are not specifically directed at the Ford Ranger, but there have been a few complaints of these issues at low mileage. While they can cause some frustration for the user, your service schedule is at fault. Due to the build-up of debris and other common issues that happen while driving, it exacerbates the problems.

If you like driving off-road terrains, you might run into these issues more frequently, and they can be due to the rattling and shaking of the different terrains. The issues are often straightened out when you take your vehicle for service. The technicians will tell you all about the issues and how to fix them.

Solution: While Ford recommends taking your vehicle for a service every 15,000km, we have found that reducing this to every 10,000km would make a bigger difference and ensure that you could find some significant use from regular service intervals. It should help make it much easier to spot some of these common problems.

FAQ

Is The Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 A Good Engine?

The 3.0 V6 engine is one of the staple engines in the Ford range. It is known for being durable and reliable, with years and decades of proof that shows how reliable the engine can be. The Duratec 3 is implemented in numerous Ford vehicles. While there have been a few issues, these are on the lower end of the spectrum.

Are The Ford Ranger Diesels Reliable?

One thing that Ford has maintained well is the reliability of their vehicles. Throughout the years, there have been very few changes in reliability ratings on the Ford Ranger. It sits high on the chart and is known to last users for numerous years. Yes, you have the occasional issue, but aside from the Ford Kuga fire issues in South Africa, there have been only a few.