Hello everyone.
I need a little help please. I have an 89' Ranger 2.3L FI manual Trans. with OD
When you turn the key over it will not start, no power. No lights, no wipers , no nothing.
I do have a very dim dome light and radio works on the acc. postiton. But when you turn the key these also stop working. All connections look good and tight. Battery is 2 months old.
The first time this happened was 6/10/03.

I jumped a wire from the postive battery post to the "S" post on the relay ( I read that on this forum) and the starter kicked in.
I replaced the relay and it started right up. Drove it for a day then nothing again.
Tried the "battery to "S" post and starter did not turn" .
Then replaced the started and got another day out of it then nothing.
I just replaced the Key Cylinder and still nothing. I can replace parts but I'm not very good working with the electrial side of the engine. To many wires. . But I can follow instuctions.
Still will not start, no lights no nothing. But when you put the light switch in the "On" postition, the postitive post on the battery gets warm to the touch.
What else could it be? What other parts should I test?

Thank you very much

 

Welcome to FTE!!!

If your 100% sure the battery is good then I would replace the positive battery cable since jumping it corrects the problem.

 

You could have a major short somewhere.

Rand

 

To add to my post, jumping wire from the positive battery post to the "S" post on relay does not work anymore. Still no power at all.

When you try to "Jump Start" my truck with a charger or my other truck The relay makes a chattering sound when you turn the key over. But still, nothing happens, no start or crank.
Any more suggestions? Any one?

Thanks your help.
StevenRanger

 

What happens if you connect to the other end of the positive cable when you jump it?

 

Hi Ken00,
I tried your suggestion jumping the "S" terminal directly to positive on the relay itself ( left post on relay connects to pos. on battery) and still nothing.

Now that it's dark outside, I could see a little spark from the connection. So if I scrap or tap the jumpwire onto the "S" terminal while the other end is connected to either the battery (+) post or the left (+) post on the relay, I can see a very faint spark.
But still, no power. Starter still doesn't engage.

I even swapped batteries and both will start my other Ranger , but neither will give power of any kind to my 89 Ranger.

Battery shows full charge on meter (12.75)

Thanks Ken

 

Have you tried using the jumper to make a good ground from the negitive side of the battery? Don't try to start the truck if its a small junper and not a real jumper cable.

 

Hi Ken00
I tried your suggestion for the ground. I connected the jumper to (neg) on battery and to top of carb. Still no lights. Used screwdriver to jump between Relay posts, starter did not crank.

Connected to other ground sources and same results. Nothing.

Checked "jumper ground" connection by removing jumper from battery (neg) post and connecting that end to volt-meter (Neg) and leaving other end of jumper connected to carb.
Placed (+) meter probe on to Battery(+) and meter reads 12.71

Used same connection to check other grounds to Hood hinge and Fender Bolt. Got the same reading of 12.71

Still no power.

 

Do you have 12v at the power distribution box, even with the dome light and radio on? The PDB gets power from the starter relay, its the other wire connected to the same post as the positive battery cable.

 

IT sounds like your starter has a died short.Also try a new cable from seloinod to the starter,make sure you have good ground from bat,to engin.the ground is just as importend as the hot side.I'm willing to bet that your ground cable is bad,there for not a complet curcit.JM2CW

 

I want to first thank everyone here that helped me in trying to fix my truck.I finally had to give up in my efforts in finding the problem myself. I had to have it to have it towed to shop for repair. Or at least for them to tell me what the problems is. I may still be able to repair it myself if I only knew what it was. So you might hear from me again.
And let me tell you that hurt my feeling seeing my baby going down the street on the flat-bed of that tow truck. This is only the 2nd time in my 30 years of driving (I'm 45) to have my vehicle towed. I have always been able to fix it myself. (Replaced a timeing belt in the parking lot of Walmart once)

But then again, out of the 10 automobiles I have had, 7 were 60's and 70's models.....
..Ah the good old days.


68 Ford LTD
72 Cheyanne StationWagon
69 Torino
62 Bel Air
70 Chevelle
74 Monte Carlo
74 Dodge Charger SE
84 Ford Ranger (Still have it)
92 Toyota Tercel (Wife's Car )
89 Ford Ranger

 

I have a similar circumstance and am very curious to know the solution to your problem! Have you considered the "Fuel Pump Inertia Switch? Or perhaps a faulty ignition switch? There have been times 'after starting' when the ignition switch, when turned to far, would disable some of the dash instrument/accessories? By simply turning the ignition key back slightly, the phenomenon disappeared. This switch feels worn and loose - I have a 1991 Ranger that has recently stopped dead in a Target Parking lot! The battery cables were checked & the red wire from the battery to the dash was wiggled? These were the only actions that were taken until I returned to further investigate.

The pickup started when I went back to retrieve it and was subsequently diagnosed @ a Ford service center which found no problem for a small fee of $60!

Any follow-up would be appreciated!

Stranded in Madison, WI.

 

I do not know if this switch "when tripped" will kill "all" electrical power. It would seem so because if the vehicle were in a wreck & gas 'all over the place' you would not want any electrical power to go to the starter or any where, Right. I hope this helps.

 

Is there a trigger wire on the starter? I have never had a problem with my Ranger and can't remember how the starter is wired, but I had a Taurus that had the same symptoms a couple years ago, and my Ford tech bro-in-law pointed me toward the trigger wire. Apparently, the factory connection corrodes and loses contact. It was strange because the problem would come and go.

As soon as I installed a new connector it worked like a dream - that is until the tranny took a crap

 

Maybe you have a corroded wire going to your ignition. I had a similar problem and traced a wire from the solenoid to the ignition, it was still together but was corroded. Also, check your ground wire from the battery to the starter. That is a common problem as well.