1984 Ford Ranger, Name that part?!

[RobbieD]

Does anyone have any recommendations to check if this doesn't fix my battery draw issue? its a major draw to pull a whole battery to nothing in 3-4 days.

Terminals and battery cables all new, haven't found any shorts in wires. Brand new voltage regulator and starter solenoid. Fuses shouldn't pull that much off a battery in such a small amount of time right?

Big draw? Disconnect the battery ground cable. Put a 12V test light between the battery post and the cable terminal. A large draw will light the test light (could be real dim, or bright). Start pulling fuses, one at a time, and look for the test light to go out. Trace that circuit from the fuse cold side through to all of its components to narrow down the problem.

If it's a small draw, as in parasitic current draw; use a DMM (digital multimeter) set on your highest DC amps scale in place of the test light as described above, and use the same troubleshooting steps.

It will help your troubleshooting, if you can see your battery draw (as in with the light or meter), and also knowing how big the draw is. Then it's simply a matter of disconnecting circuits (as in pulling fuses, or disconnecting components) to isolate the problem. I have an '84, too, so I'm kinda partial to that vintage. What motor does yours have?

 

[bizeeb]

Big draw? Disconnect the battery ground cable. Put a 12V test light between the battery post and the cable terminal. A large draw will light the test light (could be real dim, or bright). Start pulling fuses, one at a time, and look for the test light to go out. Trace that circuit from the fuse cold side through to all of its components to narrow down the problem.

If it's a small draw, as in parasitic current draw; use a DMM (digital multimeter) set on your highest DC amps scale in place of the test light as described above, and use the same troubleshooting steps.

It will help your troubleshooting, if you can see your battery draw (as in with the light or meter), and also knowing how big the draw is. Then it's simply a matter of disconnecting circuits (as in pulling fuses, or disconnecting components) to isolate the problem. I have an '84, too, so I'm kinda partial to that vintage. What motor does yours have?

So the battery has been hooked up for about 4 full days now, after the first day hooked up read at 12.3, then went to 12.2 then to 12 and then 11.8. So has only been dropping about .2 amps per day. Taking off that sensor seemed to have fixed a big draw to a small draw. Gonna go through the fuses and see what happens.

its a stock 2.8L v6 with rebuild driveshaft and transmission and obviously most wear parts replaced. Wishing it was a straight 6.

 

[RobbieD]

Cool; it sounds like you're making progress.

Old straight sixes were good motors, both Ford and Chevy. The 2.8L is not a bad engine at all. Best thing you can do on one of these is the Duraspark conversion.

 

[Josh B]

Cool; it sounds like you're making progress.

Old straight sixes were good motors, both Ford and Chevy. The 2.8L is not a bad engine at all. Best thing you can do on one of these is the Duraspark conversion.

Chryslers too