Hi all, I have a 2009 stick-shift 4WD ford ranger with a clutch that is sticky in 1st and reverse. Basically it requires alot of force to push it into 1st or reverse, but this problem isnt always there, and it the problem dosnt seem to pop up under any particular circumstances - e.g.: the weather, if the tuck has been driven recently etc. I paid $5000 for extended warranty when i bought this truck new, and the dealer repair shop tells me that they can’t tell me if it is covered under warranty until they take it apart to see if the problem is a “wear item” .
If it’s not covered under warranty then I am stuck with the $700 bill. Otherwise the truck runs great, and I have never had any work done under the extended warranty. The warranty runs out soon, and I am wondering whether to take a chance with a rebuild. My wife dosnt like to drive the truck with the clutch like that because she is afraid of getting stuck at a stoplight and being unable to engage the gear.
If when they open it up they claim it isn’t covered, nothing will prevent you from accessing the appeal protocols defined in your owners’ documentation to contest the charge to “a higher authority”. Of course, most “extended warrantys” are actually onnly third party insurance policies, so you’ll probably need to review the policy and follow their appeal protocols instead of the manufacturer’s.
Offhand, it sounds like the clutch has some wear in it and that is what’s causing the balky low/reverse gear shifting.
Clutches are normally considered wear items both under factory and extended warranties and only in certain situations would a clutch be covered. You might dig up your paperwork on the extended warranty and peruse that a bit.
One would think that someone at the dealer could check the clutch pedal free play and engagement/disengagement points and make a pretty accurate guess about this. Unless a service writer was involved in the discussion and that would clear up the part about having to tear it all apart on a fishing expedition…
This might be a clutch master cylinder and/or slave cylinder problem. You are describing an inability to completely disengage the clutch. Are you getting any signs of clutch slippage? Slippage is usually the presenting symptom of a worn out clutch.
Replacement and bleeding of the clutch release system should be covered under your extended warranty. IIRC the slave cylinder on this is inside the bell housing which will require removing the transfer case and transmission. You might be able to have the clutch replaced for just the cost of the kit i.e. they pay for the R&R and the slave cylinder. You pay for the clutch kit.
the $5000 extended warranty (5 years or 100,000 miles) was an option when i bought the truck new from the dealer so it is a Ford company warranty. The dealer service center was not helpful at all about my complaint about the clutch : all they said was they would have to take it apart. The problem is, on occasion, that the stick is difficult to push into first or reverse - when i have the clutch pedal pressed down i have to jam the stick into first or reverse position. It dosnt always happen. It has been like that for at least a year. Not sure how to proceed - i dont have much mechanical knowledge, and i get the impression that the Ford Dealer service center dosnt have much interest in helping me out