I own a 2001 Ford Ranger. It sat for about 2 mths in the cold with a cylinder misfire that I fixed. I jumped the battery and ran it for 30 min then drove it. On the way back home it killed and won't restart.
I popped the hood and it smelled like something electrical was hot. It's cold and I can't afford a tow and a shop fix. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thx for your time

 

i hope you were able to catch a ride kyle.good luck to ya.

 

Call the parts store and ask if you can borrow a code reader. I know Autozone will read the codes for you and if the car is somewhere else you can leave a deposit and take the tool with you.

When you say the engine won't start be more specific. Is it turning over or is the battery completely dead? I'm thinking maybe the alternator got seized up from sitting in bad weather.

 

It has a blown head gasket, call the salvage yard and get their money.
buy another ranger
Problem solved.

 

Welcome to FTE. I had your initial post moved here, so hopefully members can help you think your problem through.

We likely need some more info to try & get a mental image of what's going on now, as your first post has mentioned several things, maybe they're related, maybe not.

Do you now have any electrical power at all, like do the head lights come on Bright, or dim???

If you have 12 volts from the battery, use your ELM, or the like scantool & have it scan all of the vehicle computers/controllers for trouble code clues & post up All code Numbers.

Jumping a dead/flat battery & driving for any length of time can over heat the alternator & battery & wipe out both. Maybe the alternator got hot trying to recharge the flat battery & that's what you smelled????

Our alternator isn't designed to recharge a completely discharged battery, just to quickly put back what was removed in cranking & starting the engine & keeping the battery charge topped off as we drive.

We should always first recharge a completely discharged battery with a smart battery charger, as a smart charger can detect a completely discharged battery & begin a "soft" start recharge, so as not to over heat & warp the battery plates with mucho Amps, like our alternator will pump out.

SO, if the battery has cell caps, remove them & check each cell to make sure its plates are fully covered with Distilled water, but careful not to over fill, as the battery will get warm on recharge & the electrolyte will expand, so you don't want it to run over. A completely discharged battery can freeze, so if the battery is frozen, completely thaw it out before trying to recharge it. If it was frozen when you drove the vehicle, the battery & altenator may be history as a frozen battery shouldn't be recharged. If its cold where you are, try to recharge the battery where its above freezing & has good ventilation, as you don't want the hydrogen gas collecting up in a ceiling & being set off by a light fixture spark, or heater flame!!!!

So, hook up your smart, computer controlled battery charger & have it attempt to recharge the battery on a slow rate, like 4-6 amps, so it won't get too warm, as slow charging can remove/reconvert/ more sulfation on the plates back into sulfuric acid & maybe have the battery last a little longer.

Then once you get a charged battery on line, check the alternator output & voltage regulation with your multimeter, to see if the alternator is fried. If you don't have a multimeter to do that, run the vehicle by your favorite autoparts store for their no cost in vehicle electrical system check up. If the vehicle won't start, remove the battery & alternator for a parts store bench check.
Some trouble shooting thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.