97 Ranger Engine wont fire
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97 Ranger Engine wont fire
Hey all. New to the forum, but got many useful tips on here already. I have a 97 ranger 2.3 5 speed ac. 166000 miles and has always ran great.I was going to work yesterday and went over a set of bumpy railroad tracks and the truck just shut off. I checked the inertia switch and it was not even tripped. I have no fuel at the rail and not getting any spark. I have tried switching out the FP relay with the AC relay and still nothing. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. hanks in advance.
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
You need to start going over the wire harness looking for disconnected wires. If that doesn't do it you'll need to get your multi meter (don't use a test light you could over amp the wrong wire and fry your computer!!!) Start by checking voltage on your relay contacts, fuses and fusible liks and see what you get!
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From: suburban atlanta
Do you hear the short pump run when the key is turned to 'on'? Do any of the accessories work or is everything dead? Does it crank over? Have you looked at the fuses? Look at the wires from the starter solenoid also.
tom
tom
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From: Perry,Ga.
First Take the battery out and charge it. Make sure that the cables are clean and not broke. Make sure that the ground is good and clean where it bolts to the block. Put the battery back in and see what happens.
If you know where the starter solenoid is check the small red{I think}wire that had the red rubber elbow is making good connection to the small post on the solenoid and that wire is not broke.
That's the first place to look. If that's all good and your truck still will not start the the fun begins.
If you know where the starter solenoid is check the small red{I think}wire that had the red rubber elbow is making good connection to the small post on the solenoid and that wire is not broke.
That's the first place to look. If that's all good and your truck still will not start the the fun begins.
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Hey all thanks for the replies. Excuse my lack of clarification. It will turn over(crank), but it wont fire. As said above I checked all connections and all seem ok. Can't hear the fuel pump, although I can hear the relays clicking. I have no gas at the fuel rail.
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
You probably got a break in the wiring going to the fuel pump, I had it happen the harness was rubbing just barely in the altenator bracket. It wore a hole in the wire it was a pain. You.ll need to find the fuel pump wire and start checking it with your multimeter with the key on and a charged battery, Find a good ground and clamp your Vom negative there then take a push pin(on vom positive)and put it through the insulation about every 12" until you find voltage or no voltage. When you find where theres no voltage look on that section of wire for a break or bad wire spot! Seal the holes you made in the insulation with little dapbs of RTV so it doesn't corrode in the future!
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Well... I have spark now. I still dont have fuel. I have checked wiring harness for obvious voids, checked the relay and fuses. Pulled the box containing relays and fuses and all wiring is connected with no corrosion. Short of pulling the bed is there anything else I can look for that could be dislodged or malfunctioned due to a jar from a bump. Also could the inertia switch just have gone bad? Thanks again for your help.
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From: Connecticut
If you put 12V on the PK/BK wire at the inertia switch than the pump should run. So it sounds like either the circuit from the intertia switch to the pump is damaged, there's a bad ground, or the pump is dead.
From the inertia switch back to the pump there are a couple of harness connectors, one looks to be a square 16 pin located "LH underside of vehicle" which I think means underneath the driver's side area. Another connector is for the pump assembly itself on top of the tank. If you can find these connectors you can try jumping 12V to the pump side of the circuit, just like you did with the inertia switch. It's all the same PK/BK wire.
The ground (BK) for the pump looks like it splices into the rear license plate lamp harness, and from there runs back up front to "Behind LH cowl panel" which I think means behind the driver's side kick panel.
From the inertia switch back to the pump there are a couple of harness connectors, one looks to be a square 16 pin located "LH underside of vehicle" which I think means underneath the driver's side area. Another connector is for the pump assembly itself on top of the tank. If you can find these connectors you can try jumping 12V to the pump side of the circuit, just like you did with the inertia switch. It's all the same PK/BK wire.
The ground (BK) for the pump looks like it splices into the rear license plate lamp harness, and from there runs back up front to "Behind LH cowl panel" which I think means behind the driver's side kick panel.
Last edited by Rockledge; Sep 5, 2007 at 04:59 PM.
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
Yep, Suction out the tank and get rid of any sediments that are in there, you should be able to get a lot of it. If its rusty put a magnet on a stick and run it around in there it should pick up some of the metal that can get past the filter and tear up your fuel pump internals
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From: Connecticut
12V at the pump harness connector means the circuit up to that point is good. You might still have a bad ground though. Do your rear license plate lamps work? As I said, it looks like the pump ground splices into the lamp harness and then runs back up front behind the driver's side kick panel.
Since you know you have 12V at the pump now, it would be beneficial to check the integrity of ground. If you don't feel like finding the ground screw behind the driver's kick panel, then maybe you can try running a wire all the way from the negative battery post back to the pump harness connector, and then check for continuity between that wire and the black ground wire at the pump's harness connector.
Other than a bad ground, it sounds like a failed pump.
Since you know you have 12V at the pump now, it would be beneficial to check the integrity of ground. If you don't feel like finding the ground screw behind the driver's kick panel, then maybe you can try running a wire all the way from the negative battery post back to the pump harness connector, and then check for continuity between that wire and the black ground wire at the pump's harness connector.
Other than a bad ground, it sounds like a failed pump.
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Guys, outstanding advice. Ran a ground wire from neg bat cable and check continuity through the wire harness at the pump and it was good. Could the pump of been jarred by the bumpy tracks or just its time to go? Again thanks.