96 Ford Ranger gear shifter gage issue

[Jonnyboy]

I have a 96 Ford Ranger supercab 4.0 V6. it shifts into every gear except 1st and have no problems putting into 4x4 high ow low.when I look at the dash the gears don't go past 2(check out the pic to see what im talking) and is it a cheap/easy fix?

Also in this pic I was in drive not 2nd gear


and I also have a small oil drip and not sure where it's coming from because the oil dipstick shows full and I also checked the tranny fluid and is fine.

not sure where the oil drip on that netalic thing came from.

[BigBlockTowncar]

So if the car is in drive, the engine will rev and you will not move anywhere?

What happens if you shift to 1? Does the car move in reverse?

If you are unable to move the selector, there is probably something wrong with the cable.

Your description of the problem is horrible.

[Renegade8100]

agreed with bigblock. Sounds like the gear linkage has fatigued from tention over the years and is keeping you in gear 2. How many miles on it and when was the last time that the tranny pan was dropped and filter/fluid replaced if ever?

[Jonnyboy]

sorry for the confusion, but what I meant was that R is parked,N is reverse,and 2 puts into drive,and I can't get it past the number 2 which puts in drive. Not sure when the tranny pan was dropped and the person who owned it before him kept it maintained well and it has no issues shifting gears while driving or changing from park to another gear just can't get 2nd or 1st gear. I checked around the oil pan and oil filter and I think it's the drip pan screw.

[Renegade8100]

go to a shop and have them correct the linkage cable.. your truck is fine. It will cost like 30 bucks to have this done, I can go under your truck now and do it for you in 10 minutes. Its just a cable like with your throttle.

[BigBlockTowncar]

Search online for TSB's related to the shift indicator needle for 1996 Ford trucks. Shift needle misalignment is common in older cars that had full mechanical linkages.

[airbud7]

Originally Posted by Renegade8100

go to a shop and have them correct the linkage cable.. your truck is fine. It will cost like 30 bucks to have this done, I can go under your truck now and do it for you in 10 minutes. Its just a cable like with your throttle.

This^.....@Jonnyboy You need a mechanic Buddy like Renegade...

[sykozis]

There's a shift indicator cable that needs to be replaced. Done a ****load of them. Takes about 30mins to replace it. It just snaps into the instrument cluster and hooks onto a pin on the shift lever. Very easy to replace.

You remove the trim on the steering column, remove the trim below the column on the dash and around the instrument cluster, remove the instrument cluster, unsnap the shift indicator from the instrument cluster (carefully), disconnect the small cable from the shift lever, remove 1 bolt (can't remember the size right off hand but believe it's 5.5mm). Install new shift indicator and reassemble. Problem solved.

1996 Ford Ranger doesn't use a mechanical shift linkage....it uses a shift cable.

BTW, that "metallic thing"....is the fluid pan for your transmission.

@airbud....no need for a mechanic. If you can build a computer, replacing the shift indicator cable is a walk in the park.

[airbud7]

Originally Posted by sykozis

There's a shift indicator cable that needs to be replaced. Done a ****load of them. Takes about 30mins to replace it. It just snaps into the instrument cluster and hooks onto a pin on the shift lever. Very easy to replace.

You remove the trim on the steering column, remove the trim below the column on the dash and around the instrument cluster, remove the instrument cluster, unsnap the shift indicator from the instrument cluster (carefully), disconnect the small cable from the shift lever, remove 1 bolt (can't remember the size right off hand but believe it's 5.5mm). Install new shift indicator and reassemble. Problem solved.

1996 Ford Ranger doesn't use a mechanical shift linkage....it uses a shift cable.

BTW, that "metallic thing"....is the fluid pan for your transmission.

@airbud....no need for a mechanic. If you can build a computer, replacing the shift indicator cable is a walk in the park.

Yep^

[PhantomCracking]

http://www.therangerstation.com/Maga..._indicator.htm

..Might help, just a 'lil.

Plenty tuts on there that'll come in handy down the road.

[Renegade8100]

Originally Posted by sykozis

There's a shift indicator cable that needs to be replaced. Done a ****load of them. Takes about 30mins to replace it. It just snaps into the instrument cluster and hooks onto a pin on the shift lever. Very easy to replace.

You remove the trim on the steering column, remove the trim below the column on the dash and around the instrument cluster, remove the instrument cluster, unsnap the shift indicator from the instrument cluster (carefully), disconnect the small cable from the shift lever, remove 1 bolt (can't remember the size right off hand but believe it's 5.5mm). Install new shift indicator and reassemble. Problem solved.

1996 Ford Ranger doesn't use a mechanical shift linkage....it uses a shift cable.

BTW, that "metallic thing"....is the fluid pan for your transmission.

@airbud....no need for a mechanic. If you can build a computer, replacing the shift indicator cable is a walk in the park.

So, you're saying it's not as easy as looking for the cable that goes from the cabin to the top of his tranny and simply removing the slack? I've done this on Ford and Chrysler pickup trucks from the mid 90's.

[jeffmorris]

I think that the shift indicator cable goes from the shift lever to the indicator on the dashboard but it's possible that the linkage between the transmission and the shift lever also needs to be adjusted. There may be linkage between the transmission and the carburetor on older vehicles.

[sykozis]

Originally Posted by Renegade8100

So, you're saying it's not as easy as looking for the cable that goes from the cabin to the top of his tranny and simply removing the slack? I've done this on Ford and Chrysler pickup trucks from the mid 90's.

The shifter cable has nothing to do with the gear indicator on the cluster being off, if the transmission is going into gear properly.

[Jonnyboy]

it goes into all gears but gives false showing of what gear it's on, and does that mean I have to replace the cable with the cluster or just the piece that might be broken?

[Renegade8100]

Originally Posted by sykozis

The shifter cable has nothing to do with the gear indicator on the cluster being off, if the transmission is going into gear properly.

Oh, I misread. I thought it wasn't going into the right gears.

[sykozis]

Originally Posted by Jonnyboy

it goes into all gears but gives false showing of what gear it's on, and does that mean I have to replace the cable with the cluster or just the piece that might be broken?

You replace the gear indicator.

What happens is, over time the cable that moves the gear indicator stretches resulting it the indicator becoming "misadjusted" and pointing to the wrong gear. Fortunately, there's nothing actually "broken". What you're replacing is the gear select indicator itself, which includes replacing the cable that's attached to it. It's actually very easy to do.

[Loophole35]

I think is sound like the shift cable has stretched over time the detents felt during shifting are in the transmission iirc. I would say start with just a shift cable or you may be able to adjust the cable.

[sykozis]

There's no reason to touch the shift cable. This is a very common issue with Rangers and Explorers with column mounted shifters.

[Jonnyboy]

what's the exact name of the part cause just goggling 96 Ford Ranger Gear shifter part is coming up empty.