I am having trouble starting my 1992 Ranger and have replaced the Soliniod on the wheel wall (relay) and the starter as well. I had a broken wire on the starter soliniod and repaired it. I have headlights coming on and off when I try to start up, I have display lights on but dim when I try to use the ignition ... I have jumped started it(screw driver method) a few times on the soliniod (on the wheel wall) but now get zipola in that area. I am totally frustrated at this point and have tried everything currently. I am thinking of taking up new cussing technical languages!!! Dammit Jim, I am just a country doctor!!!

CelticMace

My truck is in range

 

First, welcome to FTE!!!!

Make sure your battery is fully charged, and ok. Then I would pull
the battery cables off, and thoroughly clean the battery & cable
terminals.

 

It sounds like bad battery wire connections (either at the battery or their opposite ends) or a bad alternator (not charging the battery).

 

Ok, the battery was checked and has a full charge. I had fixed the battery clamps from the original ones due to the positive side needing cable cleaning. I repaired the cable and did the normal post cleaning. There was the nasty green build up on the cable and had to fix the clamp on the positive side. I hope this is not a short in the wires somewhere. I have not had a problem like this before and will check out the cleaning, etc etc again and get back to you gents as soon as I try the cleanup and check again. But the battery has a full charge and I am losing power somewhere and no start. I will try again and thanks ... btw, I love my Ranger but this is really a pita! ROFL

 

If the cables look questionable, I would just put new cables on
it.

 

Ok, did the wire tracing on all the battery grounds and positive side. I cleaned up all the wires and found a couple of ground wires on the side wheel wall that had the corrosion green stuff and some places where the connection was not enough. I tried starting the truck before I did the clean up and saw the tell tale wisp of smoke in the areas needing attention. It was upper battery area problems on the grounding. I used good old PB Blaster and a wire brush, cleaning the connection clamps again on the battery, re-attached the clamps to the wires to the clamps and when it was all said and done ... it started right up. But I spent about 125ish bucks for a starter (rebuilt) and the wall soliniod relay to catch the problem with a broken wire on top of the starter to the other Soliniod (one in a zillion chance and a rock broke my wee little clip connection and wire). It is firing up and maybe the replacement parts were a pita but that means I dont have to do that again, hopefully ...

Thx for the insight and pointing out the battery area top side before I started doing a wire trace through the whole harness and the likes. It would have really been expensive and a lot of time on a wiring trace.

Live and learn, I guess ... Thax again gents!!!