Ford Ranger 1996 User Manual
Table of Contents
Introductory Information ................ 1
Safety Restraints .................... 9
Starting Your Ranger ..................41
Warning Lights and Gauges ...............53
Instrument Panel Controls ................73
Steering Column Controls ................87
Features ........................99
Electronic Sound Systems ............... 127
Driving Your Ranger ................. 155
Roadside Emergencies ................. 219
Customer Assistance ................. 241
Reporting Safety Defects .............. 247
Accessories ...................... 251
Servicing Your Ranger ................ 257
Quick Index ..................... 337
Index......................... 349
Service Station Information .............. 372
Introductory Information
At Ford Motor Company, excellence is the continuous
commitment to achieve the best result possible. It is dedication
to learning what you want, determination to develop the right
concept, and execution of that concept with care, precision, and
attention to detail. In short, excellence means being the standard
by which others are judged.
Our Guiding Principles
■ Quality comes first. For your satisfaction, the quality of our
products and services must be our number one priority.
■ You are the focus of everything we do. Our work must be
done with you in mind, providing better products and
services than our competition.
■ Continuous improvement is essential to our success. We
must strive for excellence in everything we do: in our
products — in their safety and value — and in our services,
our human relations, our competitiveness, and our
profitability.
■ Employee involvement is our way of life. We are a team.
We must treat one another with trust and respect.
■ Dealers and suppliers are our partners. We must maintain
mutually beneficial relationships with dealers, suppliers, and
our other business associates.
■ Integrity is never compromised. Our conduct worldwide
must be pursued in a manner that is socially responsible and
commands respect for its integrity and for its positive
contributions to society.
1
Congratulations on the purchase of your new vehicle. This
guide has information about the equipment and the options for
your new vehicle. You may not have bought all of the options
available to you. If you do not know which information applies
to your vehicle, talk to your dealer.
This guide describes equipment and gives specifications for
equipment that was in effect when this guide was approved for
printing. Ford may discontinue models or change specifications
or design without any notice and without incurring obligation.
NOTES and WARNINGS
NOTES give you additional information about the subject
matter you are referencing.
WARNINGS remind you to be especially careful in those areas
where carelessness can cause damage to your vehicle or
personal injury to yourself, your passengers or other people.
Please read all WARNINGS carefully.
RWARNING
Finding Information in This Guide
After you have read this guide once, you will probably return
to it when you have a specific question or need additional
information. To help you find specific information quickly, you
can use the Quick Index, Table of Contents, or the Index.
The Quick Index at the end of the book provides a page
number following each item which indicates where detailed
information can be found.
2
Introductory Information
To use the Index, turn to the back of the book and search in the
alphabetical listing for the word that best describes the
information you need. If the word you chose is not listed, think
of other related words and look them up. We have designed the
Index so that you can find information under a technical term.
Canadian Owners — French Version
French Owner Guides can be obtained from your dealer or by
writing to Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, Service
Publications, P.O. Box 1580, Station B, Mississauga, Ontario L4Y
4G3.
Booklet
The Maintenance Schedule and Record booklet lists the services
that are most important for keeping your vehicle in good
condition. A record log is also provided to help you keep track
of all services performed.
Your vehicle is covered by three types of warranties: Basic
Vehicle Warranty, Extended Warranties on certain parts, and
Emissions Warranties.
Read your Warranty Information Booklet carefully to find out
about your vehicle’s warranties and your basic rights and
responsibilities.
If you lose your Warranty Information Booklet, you can get a new
one free of charge. Contact any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer,
or refer to the addresses and phone numbers on the first page
of this owner guide.
3
Buying a Ford Extended Service Plan
If you bought your vehicle in the U.S., you can buy a Ford
Extended Service Plan for your vehicle. This optional contract
provides service protection for a longer period of time than the
basic warranty that comes with your vehicle.
You do not have to buy this option when you buy your vehicle.
However, your option to purchase the Ford Extended Service
Plan runs out after 18 months or 18,000 miles. See your dealer
for more details about the Ford Extended Service Plan.
If you purchased a Canadian vehicle and did not take
advantage of the Ford Extended Service Plan at the time of
purchase, you may still be eligible. See your dealer for the
details.
DRIVE VEHICLES
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an accident. Be
sure to read the Additional Special Driving Instructions for
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle Operators, in this book and the special
supplement included with four-wheel drive vehicles entitled
4-Wheeling with Ford.
4
Introductory Information
Your new vehicle goes through an adjustment or break-in
period during the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) that you drive it.
During the break-in period, you need to pay careful attention to
how you drive your vehicle.
■ Avoid sudden stops. Because your vehicle has new brake
linings, you should take these steps:
— Watch traffic carefully so that you can anticipate when to
stop.
— Begin braking well in advance.
— Apply the brakes gradually.
The break-in period for new brake linings lasts for 100 miles
(160 km) of city driving or 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
highway driving.
■ Wheel lug nuts must be retightened to proper torque
specifications at 500 miles/800 km of new vehicle operation.
Proper torque specifications are provided in this guide. Also
retighten to proper torque specification at 500 miles/800 km
after any wheel change or any other time the wheel lug nuts
have been loosened.
■ Use only the type of engine oil that Ford recommends. See
Engine oil recommendations in the Index. Do not use special
“break-in” oils.
Some vehicles are equipped with a Powertrain Control Module
that limits engine speeds with a cut-out mode to promote
durability.
5
Pollen, bird droppings and tree sap can damage the paint,
especially in hot weather. Wash your vehicle as often as
necessary to keep it clean.
Take similar precautions if your vehicle is exposed to chemical
industrial fallout.
Paint damage resulting from fallout is not related to a defect in
paint materials or workmanship and therefore is not covered by
warranty. Ford, however, believes that continual improvement
in customer satisfaction is a high priority. For this reason, Ford
has authorized its dealers to repair, at no charge to the owner,
the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by environmental fallout
within 12 months or 12,000 miles (20,000 km) of purchase,
whichever comes first. Customers may be required to bring their
vehicle in for inspection by a Ford representative.
Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle
Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the underside, with
a mild detergent.
DO NOT:
■ Wash your vehicle with hot water
■ Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct sunlight
■ Wash your vehicle while the body is hot
Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits and protect the
finish.
Cleaning Chrome and Aluminum Parts
Wash chrome and aluminum parts with a mild detergent. Do
not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, fuel or strong detergents.
6
Introductory Information
Cleaning Plastic Parts
Some of your vehicle’s exterior trim parts are plastic. Clean with
a tar and road oil remover if necessary. Use a vinyl cleaner for
routine cleaning.
Do not clean plastic parts with thinners, solvents or
petroleum-based cleaners.
If you have your vehicle rustproofed, remove oversprayed
rustproofing with a tar and road oil remover. If rustproofing is
not removed from plastic and rubber parts, it can cause
deterioration.
Because your vehicle’s side mouldings are painted in lacquer, do
not use thinners or solvents to clean them.
7
Safety Restraints
The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and your
passengers in case of a collision. In most states and in Canada
the law requires their use.
Safety belts provide best restraint when:
■ the seatback is upright
■ the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)
■ the lap belt is snug and low on the hips
■ the shoulder belt is snug against the chest
■ the knees are straight forward
To help you remember to fasten your safety belt, a warning
light may come on and a chime may sound. See Safety Belt
Warning Light and Chime in the Warning Lights and Gauges
chapter.
See the following sections in this chapter for directions on how
to properly use these safety belts. Also see Safety Restraints for
Children in this chapter for special instructions about using
safety belts for children.
RWARNING
Make sure that you and your passengers wear safety
belts. Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
RWARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a collision.
9
RWARNING
Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies and
attaching hardware should be inspected by a qualified
technician after any collision. Safety belt assemblies not
in use during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
RWARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury in a collision,
children should always ride with the seatback upright.
RWARNING
Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. Never
swing it around the neck over the inside shoulder. Never
use a single belt for more than one person or across more
than one seating position. Each seating position in your
vehicle has a specific safety belt assembly which is made
up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed to be
used as a pair. Failure to follow these precautions could
increase the risk and/or severity of injury in a collision.
RWARNING
Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to lessen
the risk of the door coming open in a collision.
10
Safety Restraints
While your vehicle is in motion, the combination lap and
shoulder belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake
hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the lap/shoulder belt locks and helps reduce
your forward movement.
After you get into your vehicle, close the door and lock it. Then
adjust the seat to the position that suits you best.
Pull the combination lap/shoulder belt from the retractor so
that the shoulder portion of the belt crosses your shoulder and
chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If it is, remove the twist.
Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened
to the buckle by pulling on tongue.
Unfastening the outboard lap/shoulder belts
NOTE: Be sure to read and understand Important Safety Belt
Information at the beginning of this chapter.
11
Unfastening the outboard lap/shoulder belts
While the belt retracts, guide the tongue to its original position
to prevent it from striking you or the vehicle.
Safety Belts for Front Outboard Passenger and Rear
Outboard Seating Positions
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on
the shoulder belt portion of the combination lap/shoulder safety
belt for the front seat outboard passenger and rear outboard
passengers.
Dual locking mode retractors operate in two ways:
Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode
In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will allow the
occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard
braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more. The retractor can also be made to lock by
pulling the belt out quickly.
12
Safety Restraints
Automatic locking mode
In this operating mode, the shoulder belt retractor will be
automatically locked and will remain locked when the
combination lap/shoulder safety belt is buckled, and does not
allow the occupant freedom of movement. This mode provides
the following:
■ A tight lap/shoulder belt on the occupant.
■ Child safety seat installation.
This mode must be used when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat and rear outboard seats where dual
locking retractors are provided.
To switch the retractor from the emergency locking mode to the
automatic locking mode, perform the following steps:
until all of the belt is extracted and, when allowed to retract,
a clicking sound is heard. At this time, the belt retractor is in
the automatic locking mode (child restraint mode).
allowed to retract. This indicates that the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode.
NOTE: When the combination lap/shoulder belt is unbuckled
and allowed to retract completely, the retractor will
switch to the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking
mode. See the detailed instructions under Safety Seats
for Children in this chapter.
13
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Driver and right front passenger
The driver and right front passenger shoulder belt height is
adjustable to one of four (4) positions (Regular cab model) or
five (5) positions (Super cab model).
To adjust the belt down, push the release button on the adjuster
down and slide the adjuster down. Then release the button and
make sure the adjuster is firmly in one of the positions. To
adjust the belt up, slide the adjuster up. (You do not have to
push the release button.) Slide it up or down until the belt rests
across the middle of your shoulder.
RWARNING
Position the shoulder belt height adjuster so that the belt
rests across the middle of your shoulder. Be sure the
shoulder belt is properly positioned on your shoulder
each time you use the belt. If the shoulder belt is off
your shoulder, on your upper arm or neck, there is a
greater risk of severe injury in a collision.
NOTE: Be sure the belt is properly positioned on your
shoulder each time you use the belt.
14
Safety Restraints
Shoulder belt height adjuster — full up position (regular cab models)
15
Adjusting shoulder belt height (regular cab models)
16
Safety Restraints
Shoulder belt height adjuster — full down position (regular cab models)
17
Shoulder belt height adjuster — full up position (SuperCab models)
18
Safety Restraints
Adjusting shoulder belt height (SuperCab models)
19
Shoulder belt height adjuster — full down position (SuperCab models)
RWARNING
Use the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder only.
Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. Never
swing it around the neck over the inside shoulder. Never
use a single belt for more than one person. Failure to
follow these precautions could increase the risk and/or
severity of injury in a collision.
To tighten the lap portion of the belt, pull up on the shoulder
belt until it fits you snugly. The belt should rest as low on your
hips as possible.
20
Safety Restraints
Unfastening the outboard lap/shoulder belts
Center Front Lap Belt (If equipped)
The lap belt in the center of the front seat does not adjust
automatically. You must adjust it to fit snugly around your
hips. Do not wear it around your waist.
To fasten the belt, pull the belt across your hips and insert the
tongue into the correct buckle on your seat until you hear a
snap and feel it lock. Make sure the buckle is securely fastened.
If you need to lengthen the belt, unfasten it and tip the belt
tongue at a right angle to the belt. Pull the belt tongue over
your lap until it reaches the buckle.
If you need to shorten the belt, pull on the loose end of the
webbing until the belt fits snugly.
To unfasten the belt, push the release button on the buckle. This
allows the tongue to unlatch from the buckle.
Because the center front lap belt does not have a retractor, it
should be shortened and fastened when not in use.
21
Fastening and unfastening the front center safety belt
RWARNING
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as possible
around the hips, not around the waist.
Rear Lap Belt with Retractor
Pull the belt out of the retractor with a steady motion and insert
the tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and
feel the latch engage.
To Unfasten the Safety Belts with Retractors:
tongue to unlatch from the buckle.
position. If you do not guide the tongue, it may strike you
or part of the vehicle.
22
Safety Restraints
Safety Belt Extension Assembly
For some people, the safety belt may be too short even when it
is fully extended. You can add about eight inches (20 cm) to the
belt length with a safety belt extension assembly (part number
611C22). Safety belt extensions are available at no cost from
your dealer.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the
safety belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of
the webbing on the label. Also, use the safety belt extension
only if the safety belt is too short for you when fully extended.
Do not use extension to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
RWARNING
Failure to follow these instructions will affect the
performance of the safety belts and increase the risk of
personal injury.
Check the safety belt systems periodically to make sure that
they work properly and are not damaged.
The short plastic boot on the front safety belt at the outboard
anchor location (Regular Cab, driver; SuperCab, driver and
passenger) covers an energy absorbing sew pattern on the safety
belt. In the event of an accident, the sew pattern may release,
and the colored label (REPLACE BELT) may become visible. If
this occurs, the safety belt must be replaced.
23
Energy absorbing sew pattern
24
Safety Restraints
RWARNING
FAILURE TO REPLACE THE SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLY
UNDER THE ABOVE CONDITIONS COULD RESULT
IN SEVERE PERSONAL INJURIES IN THE EVENT OF
A COLLISION.
All safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front
seat belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped),
child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if equipped), and
attaching hardware, should be inspected after any collision. Ford
recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles
involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was
minor and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not
show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not
need to be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a
collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage
or improper operation is noted.
Cleaning the Safety Belts
Clean the safety belts with any mild soap solution that is
recommended for cleaning upholstery or carpets. Do not bleach
or dye the belt webbing because this may weaken it.
(SRS)
The driver and right front passenger air bags are Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS), provided at these seating positions in
addition to the lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to
supplement the protection provided to properly belted
occupants in moderate to severe frontal collisions. The
supplemental air bag system does not provide restraint to the
lower body.
25
The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts
RWARNING
Safety belts must be worn by all vehicle occupants to be
properly restrained and help reduce the risk of injury in
a collision.
RWARNING
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should
always wear their safety belts, even when an air bag
Supplemental Restraint System is provided.
There are four very important reasons to use safety belts even
with an air bag system. Use your safety belts to:
■ help keep you in the proper position (away from the air bag)
when it inflates
■ reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or rear impact
collisions, because an air bag is not designed to inflate in
such situations
■ reduce the risk of harm in frontal collisions that are not
severe enough to activate the supplemental air bag
■ reduce the risk of being thrown from your vehicle
RWARNING
The right front passenger air bag is not designed to
restrain occupants in the center front seating position.
26
Safety Restraints
The Importance of Being Properly Seated
In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely fast to help
provide additional protection for you. In order to do this, the
air bag must inflate with considerable force. If you are not
seated in a normal riding position with your back against the
seatback, the air bag may not protect you properly and could
possibly hurt you as it inflates.
Important Information About the Right Front Passenger
Air Bag (If equipped)
It is important for the front seat passengers’ safety that they
remain properly seated whenever the vehicle is moving. This
means that small children should be secured in appropriate
child safety seats or infant seats, and all other occupants should
sit upright, with their backs against the seatback, and restrained
by lap and shoulder belts. No passenger should sit toward the
front edge of the seat, or stand or lean near the air bag cover
(which is near the glove box).
RWARNING
Rear-facing infant seats should not be placed in the front
seat unless the passenger air bag deactivate switch is
turned to OFF. In rear-facing infant seats, the infant’s
head is closer to the passenger air bag. The force of the
rapidly inflating air bag could push the top of the
rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback. Turning the
passenger air bag deactivate switch to OFF will prevent
the passenger air bag from deploying, avoiding any
interaction between the passenger air bag and the
rear-facing infant seat.
27
Passenger Air Bag Deactivate Switch
If your vehicle is equipped with the passenger air bag option, it
also has a passenger air bag deactivate switch. The switch is
located at the lower center of the instrument panel, next to the
ashtray. The switch must be used to turn off the passenger air
bag when a rear-facing infant seat is installed in the right front
or center front passenger seat position. To turn the passenger air
bag off:
NOTE: If the yellow peel-off label is still on the switch, pull
the tab to remove it, and discard it.
word OFF printed on the instrument panel.
RWARNING
In order to avoid inadvertent deployment of the
passenger air bag, always remove the ignition key from
the passenger air bag deactivate switch.
ignition switch is placed in ON.
RWARNING
If the light fails to illuminate when the passenger air bag
switch is in the OFF position and the ignition switch is
in ON, have the passenger air bag switch serviced at
your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer immediately.
The passenger air bag will remain off until it is turned on.
When the infant seat is removed, turn the air bag on. To turn
the passenger air bag on:
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