'88 Ranger 2.9 4x4 turns over but wont start
 

Hi. This is my first posting - but have read many post and they have been very helpful.

I just bought a '88 Ranger 4x4 2.9L that is in good condition body wise, but will not start. I have checked the following

- rotary turns with spark
- has fuel pressure
- has gas ;)

This is all I have checked so far. The man who sold it to me told me that he was driving it one day and it just quit. It hasn't started since and he did not want to put any money into it.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas before I put it in the shop?

With limited information, it sounds like a Blown fuse or a burned fusable link.

Do you have spark at the plugs?

I have spark at the plugs, and I'm checking the fuses, and timing

Well, it might be the battery , my ranger was doin the same it would just roll over agian and agian but wouldnt start , so i took the battery out of my dads truck and it fired right up, is it rolling over slow, or normaly?

Try squirting a little fuel into the throttle body and see if she fires.

it a new battery and it rolls over strong and i have fuel injectors i don't have a throttle body.

Ken means take off your tubes going from your air box into your engine. Where they enter is called a throttle body (just like a carburetor). Spray a little gas in there....just like you do a carburetor on an older vehicle. Good luck.

-Matt :-tap

won't start
 

A few months back I had the same problem with my 87 ranger. I finally nailed it down to a tiny condensor behind the distributor. You can change it without removing the distributor but it is tight. keep a pickup magnet handy. The thing had gas spark and several shops couldn't figure it out. library's have many manuels.

I replaced the ignition module - thanks for the tip - and it was bad. But now no gas at all, and it was strong before I changed that one part. This is the only alteration I have made, is there a reset switch?

To anyone else who can help:

I now have pulled the fuel pump off the chasis and checked the power. There is none to the fuel pump and I have checked all of the fuses. Any suggestions?

Yes, I can help! It's ME to the rescue! :-X04 Chances are somehow your inertia switch was tripped. It is located under your dash on the passengers side of the truck probably under the carpet or rubber cover. It's about 1 foot above the floor. It has wires going into it and has a red switch on top. Press and hold the red switch for a second. Then try to restart the truck. It may take a few cranks to get it going. Also you may have to unhook the switch and check it to make sure it is good. I would HIGHLY recommend that you try to figure out this problem ASAP because if you don't and you keep trying to crank your vehicle over and you don't get gas into your fuel pump it will get fried. I did that to my pump. The fuel is used to cool the pump so if it is not getting fuel then it will get hot and be wrecked. So, good luck!

-Matt :-tap

:'( I have tried to reset the switch, I poped it out and pushed it back in, but it still wont crank. I was hoping that was all that the problem was, but no go... anything else? :confused:

Do you have power to the inertia switch? If you don't then check at the FP relay for power from the fusable link and for power from the ECU replay to activate the FP relay. Remember the ECU will only be for a few seconds since your not starting the truck.

Many Thanks
 

Thank you to all who helped!

This is Ronnie's wife, and I just wanted to acknowledge all those who have helped us get our truck running! We are a younger couple, with a son and bought this truck for a mere $300. It was in excellent condition, and minus the part where it would not start.

The posts on here combined with person to person contact was invaluable in explaining certain parts of the vehicle and their use. I am so glad that there are people out there with the ability to help, and who take their time to do so. If we had taken this truck to the mechanic, god knows how much it would have cost us, and for a mere $42 for a part, plus the cost of a few tools, and priceless advice the Ranger is now running again. You have all saved us money we did not have to spare, as well as the frustration of having to do it alone.

I also have learned that under the hood is not a foreign place. And that even I, a girl who has only pumped her own gas can now locate, and name most of the engine parts, test the electrical system, and use ratchets :) I understand how people can lose their patience, but I encourage all those who are self medicating their vehicles ailments to stay strong, use logic and be thorough.

Thank you again for all your help!