Ford Ranger 2021 FAQs

Check out real-world situations relating to the Ford Ranger 2021 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Does having the "smart alternator" configured to a normal alternator void the warranty in my 2021 Ford Ranger?

  The `smart’ alternator fitted to the Ford Ranger was designed to cap the amount of charge being fed back into the vehicle’s battery. In effect, it meant that the battery was usually charged to a lower voltage that it would have bene with a conventional alternator.

  The reason for this was to extend battery life by never over-charging (and stressing) the battery, but many owners have found that the lower charge rate left them with a battery more likely to go flat when they most needed it. Many Rangers are also used for camping and therefore have a second battery fitted. That could also cause problems as the extra battery and electrical accessories often fitted to such vehicles weren’t recognised by the vehicle’s computer, leading to more low-voltage problems.

  For many Ranger owners, the solution was a trip to a Ford dealer where the computer could be re-programmed to make the alternator perform in a traditional (non-smart) way and keep everything purring along. Having this performed at a dealership will not affect your warranty, but having a non-Ford technician fiddle with the charging system may not be so warranty-friendly.

  I’m also informed that driving everywhere with the car’s headlights switched on causes the alternator to acknowledge the current draw and switch to a higher charging output.

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• Is a C-TEK battery charger the best option for protecting the battery in my 2021 Ford Ranger?

  The C-TEK brand has a huge reputation for performance and safety. I've personally had such a charger for more than 20 years which has been in use almost every single day of that time and still works perfectly. They're more expensive than some chargers, but the inbuilt protections against incorrect connection and overheating are worth the price, not to mention that longevity.

  Some mechanics recommend connecting the two leads from the charger directly to the battery terminals, but conventional wisdom says that connecting the red cable to the positive terminal first and then the black cable to an earth somewhere in the engine bay is a better idea. This method means less chance of a spark igniting gasses emitted by the battery as it charges and discharges.

  The indicator lights on the C-TEK unit will tell you when you've achieved a good connection. Using a metal part of the car for the negative attachment point works because the whole car is essentially one big negative terminal. Just make sure your attachment point isn't painted or coated with a chemical that prevents the flow of current. Or that it's not a plastic part (increasingly common these days). Many cars have a dedicated post or connection point within the engine bay.

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• Is the 2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrak a next-gen model?

  No, the new Ranger is code-named PY, while the vehicle in question is a PX. Admittedly, it’s a very late-build PX (a Series 3, if you like) which got a revised look and extra tech, but it’s not a 'Next Gen'. The real giveaway is that it has the five-cylinder 3.2-litre engine fitted. This engine was dropped for the newer models, Ford electing to stick with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo and 3.0 V6 diesel engines and the twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol unit for the Raptor.

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