I've been getting increasingly serious about picking up a convertible over the last several years, and although I wasn't exactly planning on it, things aligned such that I brought home a 1991 Mazda Miata earlier this week.Clean, looks like it was pretty well taken care of and used sparingly...

The little garage-door-opener looking thing that you use to "train" the truck to it's new TPMS sensors.Probably works for other Fords that use the banded-on TPMS sensors; I used it on my '09 Ranger but I think I bought it off a Mustang site that had the best price.Used twice per year for the...

My '09 Ranger is showing the ravages of New England winters...doesn't look too bad on top, but the frame and core support are pretty crispy. I don't think it'll take an inspection sticker next winter and I don't think it's worth trying to patch it together- not saying I couldn't, just don't...

Or, I guess more properly, the pedal doesn't fully retract.2009 Ranger, all stock; I rebuilt the rear brakes maybe 25,000 miles ago (143k now). Problem appeared over a year or two later.E-brake works, but when I pull the handle, the pedal only comes back almost all the way up. The brake is...

My '09 Ranger is, well, not quite new anymore.I'm helping the family of a friend deal with his estate, and although this wasn't exactly the plan to begin with...I ended up hauling a bunch of old motorcycle parts (mostly fairings and bodywork, not engines and other heavier bits) home with me...

Looks like I'm going to need to be doing rear brakes on "my" '07 Focus.I believe the drums are going to be a bit of a fight.Looking at a parts diagram, the rear brake adjusters, etc, don't look the same as I'm used to in the Rangers. There's no star wheel?Anybody ever fought with a...

Was under my truck ('09 4x4, ~127k) the other day and noticed a wet/oily spot on the passenger side axle, where the axle (CV shaft, I guess) comes out of the housing. Doesn't appear to be leaking much- certainly doesn't mark the pavement where I park it.I'm thinking the seal is probably...

I picked up a set of cheap used wheels for the winter tires on my Mazda. The rims were originally off a Mitsubishi Eclipse, and are alloys, styled such that the center cap is really just filling the very center of the wheel, not covering the lug nuts or anything.Came back from getting the...

Anyone familiar with this radio?I'm kind of tempted by one, primarily for use in my car but also to be a little more portable to other cars. Figuring to use a Lil'Wil or similar smallish mag-mount, at least for now...

I had a little oopsie one icy morning last winter and tore up the bedside on my Ranger. Still serviceable but ugly, and probably not inspectable since the fender no longer covered the tire.Been playing the CL waiting game since then...and I got lucky last week. Ad was pretty vague but...

I've been a fan of the 2014-2016 Mazda 3 hatches since they came out. Really nice looking cars, IMO, and designed in-line with my interests for a car...fun to drive, fuel-efficient, and reasonably practical- and available with a manual transmission.But it was just idle interest...I wasn't in...

My '09 Ranger, with the 4.0, seems (based on very preliminary diagnosis) to have a t-stat sticking open...always used to run just below mid-scale on the gauge. Starting yesterday, it climbs maybe a quarter of the way up; a little higher if I'm on the hammer climbing a long steep grade.I have...

I've been driving my sister's car while she's in grad school, and have noticed that the gearbox is definitely much less friendly than when the car was newer. (It's probably more pronounced because I've driven the car off and on over the years, mostly when it was nearly new.)Anyway- it's a...

I've assumed...custodianship, I guess, of my sister's car for the next couple years while she pursues a Master's Degree.Meaning I've now got two "identical" (but not interchangable) keys in my pocket- any tips on how to mark one so I can tell 'em apart quickly and easily? Preferably a tactile...

Starting a thread...haven't done much research yet.Friend is parting out a '96 Ranger- low miles but rotted to bits. I would like to put the seats in my '09 Ranger, as the older seats (with springs!) are more comfortable.Known points of concern: -His is a single cab, mine's an extended cab...

My '09 Ranger has a "Group 59" battery.My '97 Ranger had a "Group 65" battery, though parts sites suggest either the 59 or 65 fits that truck.Near as I can tell, the 65 is about the same height and width, and ~2" longer...and generally 875 CCA instead of the 590 from the smaller battery...

2009 Ranger, 4.0, 5-speed, just over 100k miles.I have two symptoms- one is vague, hard to explain, and could have a multitude of causes (at the end of this post). The other is a little more clear-cut (maybe). I'm hoping they're connected.Short version: From new, the truck has "high-idled"...

Want to replace the front sway bar to frame bushings on my '09 Ranger. Preferably with polyurethane.Every source I can find for this truck, including Ford's parts website, seem to suggest that the two options for this truck should be 27 mm or 29 mm.My bar- the one it left the lot with-...

This is a great antique car show, and it's pretty near my house.

I was getting set to order some tune-up parts for my truck, and figured I'd get the parts to do sway bar links and bushings at the same time.(No, I probably don't need new bar-to-frame bushings...but that's neither here nor there. My curiosity has been peaked, and I need to know.)Links are...

Wasn't sure if I was going to, but I took a ride over to the Owls Head Transportation Museum's Spring Auto Show this weekend.I left work shortly before noon (almost on time!) Friday, and headed east, not quite sure where I'd stay the night. On a whim, I decided to ride up Mt. Washington- the...

Closing in on 100k, I'm due (maybe overdue) for new plugs and wires...what brand(s) are people liking for wires in a stock application?Willing to pay for quality, but would prefer not to throw money away, and apart from OEM, I can't even think of what a "name brand" part would be...so-...

'09 Ranger 4x4, 94.5k miles. All stock, and the only non-original bits in the front end are outer tie rod ends (~68k miles), front wheel bearings and brakes (~75k miles) and Bilstein shocks (~89k). At low speeds (e.g. backing into a parking space or turning out of my driveway) I've heard a...

~89,200 miles later, it doesn't look much different. Little rougher around the edges, few minor accessories added.(Pic is a couple years old, but not much has changed since then.)Repairs have been few: both front wheel bearings, new front shocks (new rears are waiting for me to install...

Met Dad and his wife for lunch today, and Dad brought his new car.We were discussing the fact that after 45 years of driving, and 37 years after his first new-car purchase, this is the first time he's ever had electric windows. He ain't exactly thrilled about them, either.It's still a...

Just installed two new Bilsteins in the front of the Ranger.I'd ordered a full set, but the rears are backordered.:guns:Tried to time it so I could do them when I swapped the snow tires on, and this afternoon seemed like a good time (first dusting of snow last night, shocks showed up midday...

Does anyone know the size socket required to remove the axle nut on the front of an '09 Ranger 4x4?Need to pick one up to replace a wheel bearing.Looks about 1 1/4", but I'm not sure if it's English or Metric.Thanks!

My sister's driving a '99 Explorer.I heard somewhere, just yesterday, that there may be a recent recall on that vehicle- something to do with the fuel system, maybe?Anybody know if this is true, and if so, have any details on the problem and the fix? (It may not be correct- I'm third or...

For reasons I no longer recall, I've kept very careful track of this truck's fuel usage- as in, every fillup since it rolled off the dealer's lot is in a spreadsheet. ('Cause I could, I guess.)I'm just a whisker early on 75k, but close enough- these charts cover through 74,840 miles. Overall...

Is on in my '09 Ranger. I know the truck needs front brakes; is the light just a warning that they're nearly shot?Or is there some separate cause I should figure out before I tear it down to replace the brakes?Thanks!