1996 Ford Ranger Oil Type & Capacity

It depends on the engine: Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 2.3 A uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Automatic uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Standard uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard uses 5W-20; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Automatic uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Standard uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard uses 5W-20; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic uses 5W-30; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard uses 5W-30.

Capacity depends on the engine: Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 2.3 A holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Base, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup Extra Cab, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 2.3 A, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, 4WD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Automatic holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 3.0 U, RWD, Standard holds 4.5 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, 4WD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Automatic holds 5.0 quarts with filter; Splash, 2D Pickup, 4.0 X, RWD, Standard holds 5.0 quarts with filter.

Yes. 5W-20 is widely available as a full synthetic, and synthetic is safe (often recommended) for the 1996 Ford Ranger. What matters most is matching the factory viscosity and specification, then changing the oil and filter on schedule.