My 2010 Ranger 4wd has two issues that may or may not be related. I'm thinking the electrical one is the place to start. Naturally, this is something I notice at night when the headlights are on.

Occasionally when I put on the brakes the lights "blink." They don't go completely out, but they do a noticeable blip.

Is this a loose ground wire someplace, a failing switch, or what?

My initial thought on the 4wd issue is that it is related. My understanding is that the 4wd is controlled electrically. The truck no longer goes into 4wd when I turn the switch, so as it relates to electrical matters, is it the 4wd switch, or something in the transmission itself?

My apologies for plugging two issues into the same post, but if they are related, I need to hash them out in the same conversation.

Thanks in advance for wisdom, suggestions, or comments.

Rick

 

I see you don't have any replies yet so I'll see if I can get things started.

Did the blinking lights & 4WD problem come about suddenly after some event?
You may be right to suspect ground connections, so inspect the battery B- wiring & connections to the battery post, body, & engine.

If no joy there, use, borrow, or come by the inexpensive ELM scan tool & running FORScan diagnostic freeware on the viewing device of your choice as discussed here, https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-scantool.html
FORScan is tweaked for Fords, so this combo is a very powerful but inexpensive diagnostic tool for our electronic tool box that can query All of the vehicle computer / controllers for pending, or set trouble code clues. Then post All code Numbers as they can help focus a trouble shoot.

Some beginning thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.

 

Thanks! I stopped at an O'Reilly's and had it scanned. The scanner read everything and did not draw a code.

I'll start running down the ground connections this weekend while off work. Can you steer me to a source for making sure I know where to look for them all?

 

The O'Reilly code reader likely can't access anything more than the engine computer, but the ELM/FORScan combo can access All of the vehicle computer / controllers, like the tranny, 4WD & body controllers for trouble code clues, that might be able to help focus your trouble shoot.

Follow the battery B- cable to where it attaches to the engine & the woven body to engine ground strap that runs from the firewall to the engine block, for rusted. corroded, or loose connections. Maybe perform some under load voltage drop & wiggle tests on the B+ & B- cables to their respective contact points in the under hood power distribution box & the above B- cable connection points to determine if you have unseen corrupt connections or corrupt cable strand to lug end connections, like I once had on my Renault Alliance. That was a fun trouble shoot. Copule of years later the danged factory issued a recall on the B+ cable, too late for me though!!! It had developed a unseen under the insulation corroded connection between.the cable strands & the lug end that connected to the starter. Intermittently it wouldn't crank the engine if torque, or vibration had it resting in a high resistance contact position.

Again, did the light & 4wd problems both begin together after some event?

 

Thanks! I'll print out the suggestions for checking the grounds, etc, and see what I find.

RE, the code reader. I'll double back and see what I find using your suggestions above.

The lights issue began after the 4wd problems. I suspect it is all electrical and thereby connected (albeit loosely) in some way.

 

Yo @pawpaw . There is a butt-load of those code readers at Amazon, and I'm tech-challenged just enough to be paranoid about getting the wrong gadget. (The way I usually approach these types of choices is to look over a friend's shoulder while he uses one, and then get exactly what he is using).

Can you offer a little more specific guidance on which to choose?

Thanks in advance!

 

You didn't read through the thread far enough, try reading all the way through it, or scrolling down to post #26 in that thread for a vendor suggestion & type ELM you'd likely want, depending on what viewing device you want to use, the kind & depth of trouble shooting you'll likely want to do & the different vehicles you have that you'll want to use the ELM on.