1999 FORD RANGER Owners Manual

Do not replace your tires with ªhigh performanceº tires or larger
size tires.
Failure to follow these precautions may adversely affect the
handling of the vehicle and make it easier for the driver to lose
control and roll over.
Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle's original tires may also
affect the accuracy of your speedometer.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Driving too fast for conditions creates the possibility of loss of
vehicle control. Driving at very high speeds for extended periods
of time may result in damage to vehicle components.
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use snow tires and chains,it is
recommended that steel wheels are used of the same size and
specifications as those originally installed.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
²Do not use tire chains on aluminum wheels. Chains may chip the
wheels.
²Use only SAE Class S chains.
²Install chains securely, verifying that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
²Drive cautiously. If you hear the chains rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the chains. If this does not work, remove
the chains to prevent damage to your vehicle.
²If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
²Remove the tire chains when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire chains on dry roads.
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²The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
Important safety precautions
Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an overfilled tank
may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and fire.
If you do not use the proper fuel cap, the pressure in the fuel
tank can damage the fuel system or cause it to work improperly
in a collision.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel cap is venting
vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops before
completely removing the cap.
Automotive fuels can cause serious injury or death if misused or
mishandled.
Fuel ethanol may contain benzene, which is a cancer-causing
agent.
Flexible fuel components and standard unleaded gasoline fuel
components are not interchangeable. If your vehicle is not
serviced in accordance with flexible fuel vehicles procedures, damage
may occur and your warranty may be invalidated.
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Observe the following guidelines when handling automotive fuel:
²Extinguish all smoking materials
and any open flames before
fueling your vehicle.
²Always turn off the vehicle before
fueling.
²Automotive fuels can be harmful
or fatal if swallowed. Fuels such
as gasoline and ethanol are highly
toxic and if swallowed can cause
death or permanent injury. If fuel
is swallowed, call a physician immediately, even if no symptoms are
immediately apparent. The toxic effects of fuel may not be visible for
hours.
²Avoid inhaling fuel vapors. Inhaling too much fuel vapor of any kind
can lead to eye and respiratory tract irritation. In severe cases,
excessive or prolonged breathing of fuel vapor can cause serious
illness and permanent injury.
²Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If fuel is splashed in the eyes,
remove contact lenses (if worn), flush with water for 15 minutes and
seek medical attention. Failure to seek proper medical attention could
lead to permanent injury.
²Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the skin. If fuel is
splashed on the skin and/or clothing, promptly remove contaminated
clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or
prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
²Be particularly careful if you are taking ªAntabuseº or other forms of
disulfiram for the treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline and/or
ethanol vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse reaction. In
sensitive individuals, serious personal injury or sickness may result. If
fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with soap
and water. Consult a physician immediately if you experience an
adverse reaction.
²FFV fuel tanks may contain zero to 85 percent or more of ethanol.
Any fuel blends containing gasoline and ethanol should be treated the
same as ªFuel Ethanol (E85)º.
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179

Fuel Filler Cap
Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with a one-eighth turn
on/off feature.
When fueling your vehicle:
1. Turn the engine off.
2. Carefully turn the filler cap counterclockwise 1/8 of a turn until it
stops.
3. Pull to remove the cap from the fuel filler pipe.
4. To install the cap, align the tabs on the cap with the notches on the
filler pipe.
5. Turn the filler cap clockwise 1/8 of a turn until it stops.
If the ªService Engine Soon/Check Engine ª indicator comes on and stays
on when you start the engine, the fuel filler cap may not be properly
installed. Turn off the engine, remove the fuel filler cap and reinstall it
being careful to align the cap properly.
If you must replace the fuel filler cap, replace it with a genuine
Ford or Motorcraft part. The customer warranty may be void for
any damage to the fuel tank or fuel system if a genuine Ford or
Motorcraft fuel filler cap is not used.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is
venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops
before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out and injure you or others.
If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap, the pressure in the
fuel tank can damage the fuel system or cause it to work
improperly in a collision.
Choosing the right fuel
Use only UNLEADED FUEL for non-flexible fuel vehicles. The use of
leaded fuel is prohibited by law and could damage your vehicle.
If your vehicle is a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV), use only UNLEADED
FUEL and ETHANOL (E85). The use of leaded fuel is prohibited by law
and could damage your vehicle.
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180

Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage critical fuel systems
components.
Vehicles certified to meet California emission standards (indicated on the
underhood Vehicle Emissions Control Information label) are designed to
operate on California cleaner-burning, low-sulfur gasolines. If you have a
California-certified vehicle and California cleanerÐburning gasoline is not
available when you refuel, your engine should perform adequately.
However, the performance of the emission control devices and systems
may be adversely affected. In New York and Massachusetts, which have
adopted California's emission standards without requiring the sale of
California cleaner-burning gasoline, repairs to correct the effects of using
non-California fuel may not be covered by the emissions warranty.
Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel additives with metallic
compounds, including manganese-based compounds containing (MMT).
Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for which your vehicle was
not designed may not be covered by your warranty.
Octane recommendations
Do not be concerned if your engine
sometimes knocks lightly. However,
if it knocks heavily under most
driving conditions while you are
using fuel with the recommended
octane rating, see your dealer or a qualified service technician to prevent
any engine damage.
Unleaded Gasoline engines
Your vehicle is designed to use ªRegularº unleaded gasoline with an
(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend the use of gasolines
labeled as ªRegularº that are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in
high altitude areas.
FFV engine
Your vehicle is designed to use Fuel Ethanol (E85), ªRegularº unleaded
gasoline or any percentage of the two fuels combined.
U.S. government regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to have a small, square, orange and black label with the
common abbreviation E85 or the appropriate percentage for that
region. Use of other fuels such as Fuel Methanol may cause
87(R+M)/2 METHOD
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181

powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and your
warranty may be invalidated.
Fuel quality
It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel
tank if you continue to use a high-quality fuel.
Unleaded Gasoline engines
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability
problems during a cold start, try a different brand of ªRegularº unleaded
gasoline. ªPremiumº unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly
in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become
more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
The American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) issued a
fuel specification to provide information on high quality fuels that
optimize the performance of your vehicle. We recommend the use of
fuels that meet the AAMA specification if they are available.
FFV engine
Your FFV will operate well on ordinary ªRegularº unleaded gasoline, but
only the highest quality fuel ethanol will provide the same level of
protection and performance.
If you are experiencing a rough or rolling idle after start-up with the
outside temperature above 27É C (80É F), the idle should improve within
10 to 30 seconds. If the problems persist below this temperature, see
your dealer or a qualified service technician.
To assist fuel ethanol providers in meeting high fuel quality standards,
the AAMA has published guidelines which prescribe ªEthanol Fuel
Compatibleº dispensing station equipment. To ensure proper operation of
your FFV on fuel ethanol, refuel at stations certified by the AAMA.
Cleaner air
Ford approves the use of gasolines to improve air quality, including
reformulated gasolines that contain oxygenates up to 10% ethanol or
15% MTBE.
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Running out of fuel
Avoid running out fuel because this situation may have an adverse affect
on powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
²You may need to crank the engine several times before the system
starts to pump fuel from the tank to the engine.
²Your ªCheck Engineº light may come on. For more information on the
ªCheck Engineº light, refer to theInstrumentationchapter.
Fuel Filter
Your vehicle is equipped with a fuel filter that is mounted on the
underbody.
For fuel filter replacement, see your dealer or a qualified service
technician. Refer to the maintenance guide and or service guide for the
appropriate intervals for changing the fuel filter.
If you replace the fuel filter, replace it with an authorized
Motorcraft part. The customer warranty may be void for any
damage to the fuel system if an authorized Motorcraft fuel filter
is not used.
ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY
Measuring techniques
Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the
driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as
possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fillups or fuel gauge readings are
NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend
taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1 600 km (1 000
miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate
measurement after 3 000 km±5 000 km (2 000 miles-3 000 miles).
The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to
the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in the Refill Capacities
chart in this ªOwner Guide.º The advertised capacity is the amount of
the Indicated Capacity and the Empty Reserve combined. Indicated
Capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank
when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty Reserve is the small amount
of usable fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates
empty.
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The amount of Empty Reserve varies and should not be relied
upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after
the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel
the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to
the empty reserve still present in the tank.
Filling the tank
For consistent results:
²Use the same filling rate setting (low Ð medium Ð high) each time
the tank is filled.
²Allow three automatic click-offs when filling.
²Always use the recommended octane rating of a known quality
gasoline, preferably a national brand.
²Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the
same direction each time you fill up.
²Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time.
Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent.
Calculating fuel economy
1. Fill the fuel tank completely and record the initial odometer reading.
2. Each time you fill the tank, record the amount of fuel added (in liters
or gallons).
3. After at least three to five tank fill-ups, fill the fuel tank and record
the current kilometer (mileage) reading.
4. Follow one of the simple calculations in order to determine fuel
economy:
Multiply liters used by 100, then divide by total kilometers
traveled.
Divide total miles traveled by total gallons used.
Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This will provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle's fuel
economy. Additionally, keeping records during summer and winter will
show how temperature impacts fuel economy. In general, lower
temperatures give lower fuel economy.
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