Page 84 of 248

require that children use approved booster seats until they are eight
years old. Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific
requirements regarding the safety of children in your vehicle.
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.
Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any infant or
child restraint you might use.
Do not install a child seat in a center facing jump seat.
Children and safety belts
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat. Children
who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your child safety
seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
Follow all the important safety restraint and air bag precautions that
apply to adult passengers in your vehicle.
If the shoulder belt portion of a combination lap and shoulder belt can be
positioned so it does not cross or rest in front of the child ’s face or neck,
the child should wear the lap and shoulder belt. Moving the child closer to
the center of the vehicle may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.
Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets unattended in
your vehicle.
Child booster seats
Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh
40 pounds and are around 4 years of age. Although the lap/shoulder belt
will provide some protection, these children are still too small for
lap/shoulder belts to fit properly, which could increase the risk of serious
injury.
To improve the fit of both the lap and shoulder belt on children who
have outgrown child safety seats, Ford Motor Company recommends use
of a belt-positioning booster.
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
84
Page 89 of 248
2. Pull down on the shoulder belt
and then grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
3. While holding the shoulder and
lap belt portions together, route the
tongue through the child seat
according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not twisted.
4. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) for that seating position until
you hear and feel the latch engage.
Make sure the tongue is latched
securely by pulling on it.
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
89
Page 94 of 248
the child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also
be attached to the proper tether anchor. SeeAttaching safety seats with
tether straps in this chapter.
Your vehicle may be equipped with LATCH anchors for child seat
installation at the following seating positions:
• Bucket seats
• 60/40 seats
Never attach two LATCH child safety seats to the same anchor.
In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two
child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury or
death.
Connectors on the LATCH child seat
and the child seat instructions may
use the symbol shown here. Your
vehicle seat will have black buttons,
instead of this symbol, to indicate the location of the LATCH lower
anchors.
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
94
Page 95 of 248

The lower anchors for child seat
installation are located at the rear
section of the front passenger seat
between the cushion and seat back.
The LATCH anchors are below the
black locator buttons on the seat
back. Two plastic LATCH guides
may be obtained at no charge from
any Ford dealer (part number
1W4Z-54613F16–AA). They snap
onto the latch lower anchor in the
vehicle to help attach a child seat
with rigid latch attachments. It will
hold the seat foam away and expose
the anchor making attachment of
the child seat easier.
Follow the child seat manufacturer ’s instructions to properly install a
child seat with LATCH attachments.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to the
anchors shown.
If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten
the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off the vehicle seat cushion
when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug without
lifting the front of the child seat. Keeping the child seat just touching the
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor. Try to tilt the child
seat from side to side. Also try to tug the seat forward. Check to see if
the anchors hold the seat in place.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child
being injured in a crash greatly increases.
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
95
Page 102 of 248

The BRAKE warning lamp will
illuminate and will remain
illuminated until the parking brake
is released.
To release, pull the lever (2).
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure that the
gearshift is securely latched in P (Park) (automatic
transmission) or in 1 (First) (manual transmission).
STEERING
To prevent damage to the power steering system:
• Never hold the steering wheel at its furthest turning points (until it
stops) for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
• Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned
off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, check for:
• an improperly inflated tire
• uneven tire wear
• loose or worn suspension components
• loose or worn steering components
• improper steering alignment
A high crown in the road or high crosswinds may also make the steering
seem to wander/pull.
TRACTION-LOK AXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
This axle provides added traction on slippery surfaces, particularly when
one wheel is on a poor traction surface. Under normal conditions, the
Traction-Lok axle functions like a standard rear axle.
!
BRAKE
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
102
Page 105 of 248

To put your vehicle in gear:
•Start the engine
• Depress the brake pedal
• Move the gearshift lever into the desired gear
To put your vehicle in P (Park):
• Come to a complete stop
• Move the gearshift lever and securely latch it in P (Park)
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is
latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition to the LOCK position and
remove the key whenever you leave your vehicle.
R (Reverse)
With the gearshift lever in R (Reverse), the vehicle will move backward.
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into and out of R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
With the gearshift lever in N (Neutral), the vehicle can be started and is
free to roll. Hold the brake pedal down while in this position.
(Overdrive)
The normal driving position for the
best fuel economy. Transmission
operates in gears one through five.
(Overdrive) can be deactivated
by pressing the transmission control
switch on the end of the gearshift
lever.
This will illuminate the O/D OFF
lamp and activate Drive.
Drive (not shown)
Drive is activated when the transmission control switch is pressed.
• This position allows for all forward gears except overdrive.
• O/D OFF lamp is illuminated.
• Provides engine braking.
O/D
ON/OFF
O/D OFF
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
105
Page 107 of 248

4. Move the gearshift lever to the desired gear, then slowly release the
clutch pedal while slowly pressing on the accelerator.
During each shift, the clutch pedal must be fully depressed to the floor.
Failure to fully depress the clutch pedal to the floor may cause increased
shift efforts and prematurely wear components in the transmission. Make
sure the floor mat is properly positioned so it doesn’t interfere with the
full extension of the clutch pedal.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal or use the clutch
pedal to hold your vehicle at a standstill while waiting on a hill. These
actions will reduce the life of the clutch.
Recommended shift speeds
Downshift according to the following charts for your specific
engine/drivetrain combination:
Upshifts when accelerating (for best fuel economy)
Shift from: Transfer case position (if equipped)
2H or 4H 4L
1 - 2 14 km/h (10 mph) 5 km/h (4 mph)
2 - 3 32 km/h (22 mph) 11 km/h (9 mph)
3 -4 50 km/h (33 mph) 19 km/h (13 mph)
4 - 5 (Overdrive) 71 km/h (41 mph) 27 km/h (17 mph)
Upshifts when cruising (recommended for best fuel economy)
Shift from: Transfer case position (if equipped)
2H or 4H 4L
1 -2 16 km/h (10 mph) 6 km/h (4 mph)
2 - 3 26 km/h (19 mph) 10 km/h (8 mph)
3 - 4 43 km/h (28 mph) 16 km/h (12 mph)
4 - 5 (Overdrive) 68 km/h (40 mph) 26 km/h (16 mph) Maximum downshift speeds
Shift from: Transfer case position (if equipped)
2H or 4H 4L
5 (Overdrive) - 4 88 km/h (55 mph) 34 km/h (22 mph)
4 - 3 72 km/h (45 mph) 27 km/h (18 mph)
3 - 2 56 km/h (35 mph) 21 km/h (14 mph)
2 - 1 32 km/h (20 mph) 11 km/h (8 mph)
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
107
Page 144 of 248

Fuse/RelayLocation Fuse Amp
Rating Power Distribution Box
Description
44 —Not used
45A —Wiper HI/LO relay
45B —Wiper Park/Run relay
46A —A/C clutch solenoid
46B —Washer pump relay
47 —PCM relay
48A —Fuel pump relay
48B —Fog lamp relay
51 —Not used
52 —Not used
53 —Not used
54 —Not used
55 —Blower relay
56 —Starter relay
* Mini Fuses ** Maxi Fuses
CHANGING THE TIRES
If you get a flat tire while driving, do not apply the brake heavily.
Instead, gradually decrease your speed. Hold the steering wheel firmly
and slowly move to a safe place on the side of the road.
The use of tire sealants is not recommended and may damage
your tires.
Spare tire information
Your vehicle may be equipped with a conventional spare tire that may be
different in size (smaller diameter and narrower width) than other tires
on your vehicle. This tire will have a “Caution ”label on the wheel (rim).
Some 4x2 models may have a “mini-spare ”tire. This tire will have the
words “Temporary Use Only ”molded into the tire sidewall. These spare
tires are considered “temporary ”. Replace the temporary tire with a tire
of the same size, speed rating and load carrying capacity as the other
road tires as soon as possible
2004 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Roadside Emergencies
144