2000 Ford Ranger 2.5L will not start

If you obtain a chain store re-man, test it before installation. Some question whether they are tested before they are boxed for shipment. Or they allow the installer to test...
You can purchase the parts necessary for 99% of the repairs online.
I can post a link to at least one site if desired.
tom

I will have the shop do the testing before I take part home. Yes please post a link.
One more thing I watched a youtube video for replacing an alternator and the video mentioned the battery light that I would normally get when the alternator is not charging, I didn't have that. Does the battery light come on when the battery voltage drops below a certain voltage?

Another piece of information that I will share that gave me a serious worry - before the voltmeter took a dive driving home -
While I was in the parking lot at the store I started the Ranger no problem put in gear (reverse) to pull out of the parking lot and it almost felt like the emergency brake was on so I pulled the release and it wasn't on so I put it on and released it and then was able to back out without this dragging feeling. Does this or could this have anything to do with the alternator?

https://www.dbelectrical.com/alternator-parts/


http://www.discountstarterandalternator.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqbitg6O71QIVDjNpCh3vawPhEAMYAyAAEgJUfPD_BwE


https://www.aspwholesale.com/alternator-rebuild-kits.html

http://www.alternator-parts.com/

http://shop.phoenix-mfg.com/

Some offer all the parts you need except a good case & field winding to do your own work. I have bought from none.
tom

added...
If you have a voltage regulator, it can cause the alternator to produce low or no voltage. It can also cause the alternator to go full-field, and produce its full amperage even if it is not desired nor needed. Some have separate regulators, some have built-in. Beware of buying a re-man that has the original regulator built-in, as in the old part is still there, rather than a new, never ever worked, untested part... Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chance... unless you do it yourself.
Many 're-builders' have a good pressure washing system, and a source of new brushes, and some even have emery cloth to clean up the slip rings.
tom

I had a similar issue, click no start. Removed and cleaned all of the ground connections. Put new battery terminals on, the beefy ones from AutoZone. Haven't had a problem since. Just something to try if you ever get the click again.

On one occasion I had a customer buy a new starter, and I told him to check his ground connections before he went about removing the old one. He brought the new starter back an hour later.

I think I found the cause. I just removed the alternator for the bench test and I only had to disconnect 2 wires, that's right I said 2 wire because the red wire was corroded to the point of not connected anymore. See attached pictures - does this wire go directly to the battery or does it go multiple places and can I get one of these cables? Let me know your thoughts? The alternator I pulled from the Ranger was bench tested and it was tested SAT, so I did not get another alternator. Trying to figure out the specifications on the cable.

Unable to load picture. The red cable (looks like the power from the battery) is the one that was corroded and separated.

Your local autoparts chain most likely carries a variety of battery cables. I know AZ does. It's probably a 2 or 4awg cable right?

icetherice said:

Your local autoparts chain most likely carries a variety of battery cables. I know AZ does. It's probably a 2 or 4awg cable right?

Click to expand...

Does the cable that separated from the alternator come directly from the battery? It looks like a 4awg I don't think it is as big as a 2awg. I will stop in at a AZ and see what they got?

I'm trying to remember..I know that each terminal has two wires crimped into it. I forget which connection goes to the alternator. I think red goes to the starter.

B+ wire is on the back of the alternator, uses a stud and nut, and yes it is a big gauge wire, sometimes two smaller wires.
B+ wire runs to the MEGA Fuse on outside of the engine fuse box, other side of the MEGA Fuse is connected to Battery Positive

OR

B+ wire runs to a POST on inner fender, used to be Starter Relay Post, and on that same post will be a Battery Positive Cable.
B+ wire will have a Fusible link in this setup, usually two of them, on that post

RonD said:

B+ wire is on the back of the alternator, uses a stud and nut, and yes it is a big gauge wire, sometimes two smaller wires.
B+ wire runs to the MEGA Fuse on outside of the engine fuse box, other side of the MEGA Fuse is connected to Battery Positive

OR

B+ wire runs to a POST on inner fender, used to be Starter Relay Post, and on that same post will be a Battery Positive Cable.
B+ wire will have a Fusible link in this setup, usually two of them, on that post

Click to expand...

RonD I believe it is the first option - "B+ wire is on the back of the alternator, uses a stud and nut"

Get a length of proper gauge wire, some ring terminals(proper size) and make up a new cable. Or, remove the corroded portion, strip back the insulation, and add a new terminal.
I may be confused, but the wire to the alternator is not the same gauge as the wires from the battery terminal to ground and the starter(via relay or ???). The alternator wires are significantly smaller gauge. There should be at least one larger gauge wire from the alternator that leads to the + terminal AND to electrical consumers. Maxi fuse makes sense, as any and all accessories that need power will get fed from the alternator output when the engine is running. The 2AWG and 4AWG seem to be rather large for the 'load' supply function to me. I could see 10AWG, perhaps 8AWG, being more likely, and would bet my old truck has 12AWG from the alternator, though I have not looked for marks and have no reference. The conductor is still small enough to be readily flexible by hand. It is also black with orange stripe, which I thought was FoMoCo common standard color code.
tom

I removed the corroded portion, and stripped back the insulation on the black with orange stripe 8awg wire, and added a new ring terminal. I spliced in a 4 in new portion. I used heat shrink tubing and hooked alternator back up and it worked read 14.75 VDC across batt terminal. so it was working for a while at least but after driving around for about 30 minutes the battery indicator started to flash intermittently. Looks like after all of the repairs the voltage regulator failed?

When you say spliced...how did you do it..with a butt connector or did you weave the cables together and solder them?

Battery light circuit is the ON/OFF switch for the alternator
When you turn on the key the battery light in the dash gets 12volts on one wire
The other wire from that bulb runs to alternators voltage regulator, the Light Green wire.
Alternator is not spinning so is technically a Ground
With 12v on one wire and 0volt(ground) on the other wire the Battery Light comes on

And this power flowing thru the light bulb gives the voltage regulator "startup voltage", it applies this voltage to the alternators brushes.

You can spin an alternator all day long and as fast as you want and it won't generate any power at all, not 1 volt.
But if you give it Start Up voltage, then it can start generating power and will be self sufficient, as long as it is kept spinning.

So Battery Light circuit is the ON/OFF for alternator.

After alternator starts generating power, say 14volts, then Battery Light has 14volts on one wire and 14volts on the other wire, voltage regulator wire, light green wire
If a light bulb has the same voltage on both wires, no power can flow so bulb is OFF
Light bulbs work by heating up when voltage flows thru them, no flow is no heat up and no light up.

If Battery light starts to flicker or come on when alternator is spinning then voltage on one wire is BELOW voltage on the other wire, power is flowing thru the bulb.
Since the battery(12volts) is part of the system then Light Green wire's voltage would have to drop below 12volts(battery voltage) for the battery light to come on

So get volt meter out and test battery voltage when battery light is flickering.
Alternator would be drawing power not generating power at that time, so 12volts at battery not 13.5volt or higher with working alternator.


Yes, could be voltage regulator, or if it only happens at lower RPMs it could be alternators Fields are/have failed



One wire alternators
They only have the one B+ wire connected to battery
These use an RPM switch inside
When alternator starts to spin the RPM switch closes and internal voltage regulator is connected to the B+ wire, and that's the startup voltage

Why do alternators even need an OFF switch?
Because they can act as an electric motor, if you leave them connected to power, the rotor part, they will try to spin the fan belt, and of course they can't, lol, and this will drain the battery pretty fast.
So there needs to be a way to disconnect the rotor from power, since voltage regulator powers the rotor, it is shut off, either with Battery Light circuit or RPM switch

icetherice - i weaved together and used 2 crimps no solder