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Intermitant Electrical problem

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Old Mar 28, 2017 | 07:51 AM
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Intermitant Electrical problem

My '96 ranger with a 4.0 auto will be running fine and then dies. When you go to syart, the engine will will crank over. Also notice that there are no lights coming on the dash when the key is in the run position. A few hours latter the truck started right up. Not reading any codes. Transmission was rebuilt a few weeks before this problem.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
john
 
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Old Mar 28, 2017 | 08:30 AM
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Quickest check would be the cab or body ground connections. Check the relay or power distribution box, depending on vintage, for loose connections.
There is a relay for the computer on both, one on the top of the computer behind the kick plate, the other with the relay in the power distribution box- PDB.
If you have a PDB, I'd pull and re-insert all the relays, helping them have good contact.
Check also the feed from the battery to the PDB, and all grounds under hood.
There should be a bare, braided cable from the cab (firewall) somewhere to the negative post of the battery, or a common ground wire from the battery or the engine block.
tom
 
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Old Mar 28, 2017 | 10:13 AM
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Could be almost anything from a failing ignition switch, bad cable that feeds the fusebox (es), or a loose connection, perhaps to the fusebox or one of the major fuse's socket is loose.

I'd doubt it's a main circuit grounding issue. If it were, the starter system probably wouldn't operate during failure mode
 
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Old Mar 28, 2017 | 10:49 PM
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Thanks for the inputs. Last year I had the ignition switch linkage in the column break. I could start the truck but had to remove a couple of relays to turn it off. I had to remove and disassemble the column to repair it. PITA
 
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Old Mar 31, 2017 | 10:34 AM
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My 99 did this a couple of weeks ago, turned out to be a faulty computer power relay whos solenoid coil/winding had gone high resistance/not open circuit, so it couldn't pull in strong enough to have the contact points handle any more electrical load than warning lights, not able to carry any sizable computer electrical load, like the fuel injectors. SO, try swapping in a like relay not needed to start, or run the engine. More thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.
 
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Old Apr 3, 2017 | 10:13 PM
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Thanks pawpaw for that info. I've cleaned some electrical contacts and reset the relays in the fuse box and so far it hasn't reoccurred.
 
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Old Apr 3, 2017 | 11:52 PM
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Ok, good feedback, let us know if the problem returns.
 
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