97 Ranger 2.3L

Was starting to have starting issues and it was acting like battery was at the end of its like (it was 9 years old) so I replaced the battery, plus terminal connectors due to one cracking while replacing battery. this did not solve the problem and I was able to see that the starter ground was disintegrating. so I replaced the starter and it fired right up first try, Great! I get home after 9 miles and back into my driveway when it feels like it stalls and dies on me. I try to start it up again and I hear the solenoid click and I lose all power. I try to turn it over and no lights or indicator. its late so i call it quits and come back the next morning, put key in and I have lights and indicator bell but when I turn it over I get the click and dead. Ive checked pretty much all my grounds and connections and I get the same result.
Ive read a few other posts and maybe its the solenoid?

 

Welcome to FTE

Probably a good idea to have replaced the 9 year old battery.

I'm not clear on some of the repair things. If the starter ground cable was disintegrating at the starter end, why did you replace the starter? Did you mean you replaced the battery B-/Ground cable to the starter motor?

If you replaced the starter motor, was it new, or a reman? Did you have it load tested before leaving the store with it?

When you said that you replaced the battery terminal connectors, did you replace them with those inexpensive wire strand/clamp on type temporary connectors?
If so, they aren't intended as a permanent replacement & don't make a really good sealed electrical connection for the high amp current loads that have to pass through them & with the exposed cable strands at the clamp, they're prone to further corrosion & contact issues, SO, for a permanent repair, the specified wire gauge battery cables with molded on & sealed connections on Both ends are recommended.

Since we only have 12 volts to work with, the replacement wiring must be the specified wire gauge to carry the load & those connections need to be clean, bright & tight.

All that said, seeing as how things worked well enough after the repairs to get you home, consider a revisit of the repairs you made, looking for loose/faulty electrical connections.
Maybe consider using your multi-meter to perform some under load voltage drop tests along & across those connections & let us know what you find.

If no joy with the above, if you have, or can come by the inexpensive ELM scan tool, plug in into the under dash DLC & load FORScan, or the like diagnostic software on the viewing device of your choice as discussed here https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-scantool.html & have it scan for trouble code clues & post All code Numbers, as they can help focus a trouble shoot. Let us know what you find.

 

I replaced the entire starter. the cable that is on the starter motor itself was cracked and deteriorating. it looked original to the truck or at least it had been on there since before I bought the truck. I didnt get it load tested which I regret but the autozone employee was no help at all at the store when I was trying to purchase the part so I dont think he would have been able anyway. Its brand new but parts these days arent made like the old days.

This morning I picked up a starter solenoid (the driver fender mounted one) and swapped it out. still no fix and today was the first day nothing happens when I insert the key, no lights and no sound. battery still has 12.2v

 

Ok good feedback. So the starter motor is untested, but new, not reman.
So, now you've also replaced the starter solenoid, with no joy.

Don't replace any more parts on a hunch, only if diagnostic tests suggest they're bad, or at least highly suspect.

At only 12.2 volts, the new battery is at less than a 50% SOC, so use your smart battery charger on a low recharge rate, say a 4-6 amp setting & let it Slowly recharge the battery overnight & then if it has removable cell caps, test each cell specific gravity to see if all are healthy. Just because it's new doesn't automatically make it good either.

It should be at a higher SOC, unless you have a parasitic drain problem, or have been loading it heavily during the trouble shoot.
Did you have it tested & ask for the dated print out, before leaving the store with it?

Now, what's the full story on the battery cables & their end connections?

Have you performed any under load voltage drop tests on the battery cables & their end connections to the engine & body, to make sure all is electrically sound with them?

Have you revisited the work you did that got you home, to see if all is still clean, bright & tight?

Hang in there, don't get discouraged, Murphy's Law might be messing with you!!!!

 

Everything ive done is still clean and tight, double checked everything. the one thing i havent done so far is use any chemicals to clean connections( im even willing to try coke to fix the darn thing) havent been able to do any load test since im at home and parking is awkward at best (Im just a renter with only basic tools here at home, my job allows me to use our repair shop so I might have to tow it or trailer it to the shop to do anything else)
the connections are tight and like you said before yes its the temporary connectors, havent bought the permanent ones yet. I will go ahead and put the charger on the battery. Are there fuses I should be checking?
Could I have put the wrong starter on the vehicle? I know i got it to start twice but at the store there were 2 options for the starter, i bought both and picked the one that looked the same although the difference was supposed to be that one was a post style terminal for the signal wire and the other was the tab/snap on style.

thanks for your tips im very grateful

 

Ok more good feedback.
Seeing as how the battery is new, but it's SOC is showing only has 12.2 volts & you apparently didn't have it tested before leaving the store with it, I was thinking maybe it has one or more cells with problems that are causing a voltage drop when you heavily load it when starting & is one of the reasons why I keep asking about under load voltage drop tests.

Seeing as how it was working well enough to start & get you home, unless the battery has developed an internal problem, it still sounds like a connection problem of some kind to me.

When you turn the ignition switch to On, before cranking the engine, do the dash warning lights come on for their self check?

 

For the past week the lights and self check came on( I would check every day out of habit and also after every time I cleaned a connection or replaced something) but when I fully turned the key to start, everything goes dead and wouldn't come back till the next day. I wouldn't even disconnect and reconnect the battery.

Today was the first day that I get absolutely nothing when I insert the key.
Im convinced its a connection problem unless I managed to blow a fuse (which ive checked twice.)

 

With everything going dead with a load, it sounds like a voltage drop across a high resistance connection, or the new battery has developed, or has a internal high resistance connection.
Once had a JC Penny Forever battery go open circuit during dinner. Car started & ran fine before dinner, shut it down to go eat, afterward on restart....nothing....dead as a door nail. Dang thing just suddenly went open circuit without warning. Found out years later they nearly went bankrupt on that model battery, from bad internal electrical problems. Anyway if the new battery will take a complete charge, load test that puppy while measuring voltage across the posts, to make sure it's not laying down on you under load & let us know what you find.

 

Everything you stated sounds like the voltage regulator on the alternator is going bad. If that goes bad, the primary ignition system will pull power from the battery and eventually suck the charge out of it. The voltage regulator is suppose to switch over to alternator power after start up and then charge the battery. If the Voltage regulator is dead then the power is not going to switch over from battery to alternator!

 

After re-reading your #1 post, where you said the battery cable on the starter end was in bad shape, if it's crimped wire strands to the end lug have corroded, out of sight, it could have gone high resistance when you were moving it around replacing the starter, so try a wiggle test on it & the B+ cable while your helper holds the key in the start position & see if it'll make connection & crank the engine.
You could perform a B+ voltage test from the under hood power distribution box heavy gauge B+ feed, to the battery B- post to see if B+ is making it to the distribution box.

If that looks ok try thumping & wiggling the ECM power relay, to see if it, or it's connections to the box, have problems. If you come to suspect the relay, try swapping it with a like, known good relay not needed to crank, or run the engine & see how it goes. Power relays are a known problem part.

Long story, I just went through a start, run 30 seconds then sudden engine shut down. It would crank strong/fast but not restart. All dash warning lights lit & went through their self check & timed out. Swapped out the ECM power relay for the like kind blower motor relay & WALA started right up. To double check, I plugged the questionable relay into the starter power relay spot & no engine crank. Ohm tests show the power relay solenoid windings had gone High resistance, about 20K ohms, not completely open circuit, but enough that with just 12 volts to operate on it couldn't pull in well enough to make good enough contact to operate the starter relay circuit. New power relay has everything back to normal. So, with only 12 volts to work with we have to be Real persnickety about All electrical connections, lest Murphys Law mess with us. lol

 

Get a $5 go/no go test light from an auto parts store and a free (with coupon) digital volt meter from Horror Freight and do some troubleshooting, pure and simple.

 

Sorry it took so long to update. so it turned out that the battery cables were just corroded enough to not have good contact with the connectors. so It starts and runs but it runs awful and dies if I dont feather the gas. it seems the Lord wants me to suffer.

So I had a friend of mine come by and he checked some things out and it turns out the fuel pressure is supposed to be at 45ish but its at 30. I changed the fuel filter and the air filter (it was dirty) It still wont stay running. Should I swap out the MAF Sensor and see what happens?

 

MAF sensors are not cheap,,do not throw parts at it and hope it works,,,buy a good scan tool or go to nearest Autozone and have then scan it,,,might save you time and money