Ford Ranger Truck - Bad Clutch & Starting Problems?
I just bought a 1996 Ford Ranger (5-speed) that is, or was, in great condition and only paid $500 for it. During the test drive, it ran well and I bought it without hesitating. I rationalized that even if something went wrong with it, like a transmission, at least I only had $500 invested.
Well, the second day I had it, the clutch suddenly went bad, meaning that it has no tension to it and just goes all the way to the floor. What is really odd about all this is that when I push the clutch to the floor and try to start the truck in gear, it lunges forward - like it would if I tried to start it under normal circumstances with the truck in gear and the clutch disengaged - and it acts as if the battery is going bad, no lights or anything come on, and it won't start. However, if I just put the truck in neutral, with or without the clutch, it starts right up and runs like a well-oiled machine, but I can't change any of the gears So, while I'm fairly certain that I need a new clutch, I still don't understand how or why that would affect the truck starting up and/or acting like it has a weak battery.
If anyone out there has the knowledge to explain the connection between the clutch and the truck lunging and not starting when in gear, whatever opinions you have to offer would be greatly appreciated. Like I said, it was a steal at $500, and it would be nice to get it up and running. Also, is there any kind of standard test for determining if the clutch does need to be replaced, and how much such I expect to pay for a new or used clutch? Thanks in advance!
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