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'94 Ranger:problems shifting gears
I have a '94 Ranger 5-speed and over the last few weeks, I am having a very difficult time shifting gears. It is almost impossibe for me to get the vehicle into 1st gear altogether unless the vehicle is off and that is where I start from. Once I start the vehicle, the moment I let ANY pressure off the clutch, the truck starts moving fairly rapidly. I have to press the clutch all the way to the floor to shift. Going from 1st to 2nd is very difficult, 2nd to 3rd a little easier, and 3rd to 4th or 5th is not too bad, but all gears seem a little rougher than normal. Now, the other part is that say when I approach a stop sign or light, I'm afraid to put it in neutral for fear of not being able to get back into gear. I have actually had to turn the truck off to get it back into a gear, then restart the vehicle. The other thing is, if I am sitting at a red light and I leave it in gear, it idles rough and has even died on me a few times. However, if I do put it in neutral, it idles fine. But, of course I won't put it in neutral because I can't get it back into gear!
Bottom line question is...does this sound like the clutch needs adjustment or replacement? Also, I have noticed that since this all started, it is harder to start the vehicle and that my battery gauge is moving around a lot, especially when I am driving and attempting to switch gears. Would a bad battery or alternator cause difficulty with the clutch or are these two totally separate issues?
Thank you
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