1998 Ford Ranger Xlt Extended Cab Pickup 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Ford lowers MPG ratings on six vehicles

Ford has announced that it will be lowering the fuel economy ratings on a number of its 2013 and 2014 model year vehicles after an error was discovered in the company's internal testing data. The EPA has been notified.
Worryingly for Ford, the vast majority of the vehicles affected are hybrids, including the C-Max, Fusion and MKZ in both hybrid and plug-in varieties (where applicable). Also covered as part of the rerating is the entire lineup of 2014 Fiesta engines, with the exception of the ST, including the turbocharged, three-cylinder EcoBoost.
The C-Max was originally rated at 47/47/47 mpg, but dropped to 43/45/40 last year and now to 40/42/37.

Ford spider screen keeps creepy-crawlies out of cars

Ford is waging a global war on spiders with the 2016 Focus RS. The little beasties can be a real menace to a vehicle by blocking lines with their dense webs, but engineers at the Blue Oval now have a new screen that they claim keeps the bugs at bay. Yellow sac spiders especially like to craft their webs in fuel vapor lines, but blocking the way can cause pressure to build, leading to a safety issue. Implemented in 2004, Ford already has a screen to keep the creepy-crawlies out. But the company now has an updated version in North America, and the Focus RS is the first global vehicle with it. "We are constantly improving and adapting, even when it comes to technologies that are already working," said William Euliss, Ford fuel systems engineer, in the screen's announcement. It might seem like a waste to put engineers on the task of making a spider screen, but the device could save Ford money in the long run. Arachnids have been responsible for the recalls of hundreds thousands of vehicles in the US over the years. Mazda issued two campaigns on the Mazda6 due to the webs causing pressure to build up in the fuel tank and potentially leading to a split. There was also a similar recall from Suzuki, and another one covering the air conditioning system on Toyotas. LOOK OUT! HERE COME THE SPIDERMEN: FORD ENGINEERS USE ARACHNID LEARNINGS TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE SCREEN TO KEEP CREEPY CRAWLERS OUT AUG 5, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH. Ford engineers developed an innovative spider screen to keep the creepy crawlers from nesting inside vehicles Screen prevents spiders from building cocoon-like webs dense enough to potentially block fuel vapor lines, which can damage engines and diminish vehicle performance Now, an updated version of the spider screen is being implemented in Ford vehicles in North America; it will go global with launch of the all-new 2016 Ford Focus RS DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 5, 2015 – Arachnophobes may not know this, but there is a team of Ford engineers who developed an innovative spider screen to keep the creepy crawlers from nesting in Ford vehicles. You're welcome. Cheiracanthium mildei and Cheiracanthium inclusum – more commonly referred to as yellow sac spiders – have been known to nest inside vehicles in North America, causing problems for car owners and automakers alike over the years. Instead of using webs to catch prey, these spiders build cocoon-like webs for shelter and to lay eggs.

Ford recalls 90,736 vehicles due to engine valve issue

Ford will recall 90,736 vehicles as engine intake valves in the vehicles may break while driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Saturday. The recall impacts certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine, the NHTSA said. According to documents posted by NHTSA and sourced from the automaker, "The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power." Following an investigation that started in January, 2022, Ford found 22 instances where "the engine intake valves fractured and fell into the combustion chamber of the engine causing catastrophic engine damage." The automaker's analysis continues: "Ford identified that the potential root cause of the failures was engine intake valve failure due to valves that exceeded the designed specification for hardness, were brittle, and more likely to fracture. Ford determined that this was due to the supplier’s grinding processes and the sensitivity of the intake valve material to grinding processes that were not within control specifications. The intake valve material was changed for vehicles produced after October 31, 2021." Fixing the problem will require replacement of the entire engine. "Dealers will inspect each vehicle to determine its cumulative number of engine cycles. For vehicles that do not meet the engine cycle threshold, dealers will accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles per a service procedure. Engines will be replaced on vehicles that do not pass the engine cycle accumulation," Ford says.