1991 Ranger no start

[esrbtwo1]

I was recently gifted a 1991 Ford Ranger from my grandfather. He is about to turn 98 and is no longer driving. He bought the truck new and is 4wd automatic six cylinder however he doesn't remember exactly which six cylinder it is. The truck has been driven very little and has spent most of it's live sitting. It only has a little over 15,000 miles on it. Other than the battery it has pretty much every part it left the dealership with, which are all about 30 years old now. I know about 6 months ago the truck was running fine. Recently when they tried to move it, it wouldn't start. It turns over fine, but no idea why it doesn't start. I was told if I want it I can have it. I am going next week to get the truck and would like to get it started. I have dealt with working on many vehicles over the years but have no experience with this platform. Where he lives is a pretty isolated area in the mountains and the nearest parts store is right at an hour away, and I would like to make as few parts runs as possible. Other than the obvious battery, plugs, wires etc.. what are common parts failures that induce no starts on these trucks that I can pick up before I go? I'd like to have as many reasonable bases covered as I can before I go. I know this is a pretty vague request as I have no idea if the issue is spark, fuel etc..

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Hit it with ether.

If it fires, its fuel. If it dont, its spark.

My guess is fuel pump. Usually the first thing to degrade from sitting. Pull the relays first, look for corriosion in the plug and terminals.

Not sure where they are on a 2nd gen, 1st gens had the relay on the pass side fender under the hood.

Keep us informed!

EDIT....

Id like to add its pretty easy to see which V6 it has, either a 2.9 or 4.0 and either will have it stamped largely right on the upper intake plenium.

 

[Dirtman]

With trucks that sit for long periods, especially out in the middle of no where there's always the chance of rodents causing problems. You may pop the hood to find some wiring chewed up so I'd bring some wire and butt connectors with you...

 

[esrbtwo1]

I found a diagram, and providing I found the correct diagram for the truck, it appears the relays are in the same position on the passenger side under the hood. Looks like my local napa has them in stock so I will probably pick one up just in case. I'd hate to drive that far for a $20 relay lol. I found a few write ups and a couple videos on the fuel pump. While it would be a pain to do solo, I now know how to tackle that if need be. I'll definitely be taking some starting fluid with me. I am hoping this will be a fairly simple fix, however walking into a total mystery there is absolutely no telling.

Popping the hood and finding a mouse has called the engine bay home is actually my worst fear with this truck. Growing up in a rural area I have seen it happen many times, where a vehicle parked during the winter has a new resident in come spring. About 25 years ago my grandfather had an old international dump bed truck that mysteriously wouldn't start. Upon inspection some mice had reeked havoc to the electrics over the winter. To the point the truck was a candidate for a new wiring harness. After tons of soldering and wiring we got it going and as soon as the truck finally started it forcefully evicted a huge mouse nest out the exhaust lol. So that is definitely in the back of mind when I head up there tomorrow. I will be taking some wire, connectors, and a soldering iron and praying I don't need it.

 

[RobbieD]

Welcome, and congratulations on being gifted a Ranger.

Definitely do what rusty ol ranger suggests; that's the quickest way determine fuel or spark causing the no-start. Also, when you first turn on the ignition switch, listen for the fuel pump to faintly buzz for a few seconds.

The fuel pump relay is under the power distribution box on the passenger fender well:

You can find the 1991 power distribution wiring diagrams here on TRS:
https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/ford-ranger-wiring-diagrams/

If it doesn't fire with ether, start with checking all of the fuses inside box (under driver dash) and the outside box.

Good idea to carry wiring repair supplies and tools, including a test light or voltmeter if you have to do electrical troubleshooting. Good idea to carry spare fuses, ATO and Maxi in various amp ratings. Your call on carrying spare relays, or even a spare fuel pump, regulator, etc.

Too bad that a parts store is so far. Your best bet would be to diagnose the start failure before buying parts, but asking for advice about carrying the most likely spares is the next plan.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

P.S.- You posted right before I did. You're on the right track, and I hope it goes well.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Might be worth it to rent a tow dolly, yank the driveshaft and bring it home.

 

[esrbtwo1]

Thank you all so much for the replies. RobbieD the link you provided is way more informative than what I had found. While all vehicles share a lot of commonalities each model and year range tends to have certain failure points that are more common than others. So I figured I'd find a site dedicated to the platform. And I will say I am astonished by the fast response and the wealth of knowledge on this site and the users here. I now have a small shopping list where I will hit up my local napa before I head out. But I'm not going to go crazy on parts until I get some time under the hood and have a better idea of what's going on. While the truck is in amazing condition and has always been very reliable up until this point, it has sat unused for the majority of its life. It was only driven when 4 wheel drive was necessary. And there is a lot that can happen in nearly 30 years of pretty much sitting. And who knows, it could be something as basic as the gas in it has soured to the point it won't fire. While I don't have a multimeter I am quite familiar with using a test light for diagnosis. However I have spent quite a bit of time chasing ghosts on a car before that turned out to be something I should have immediately spotted lol. Worst case scenario, I do have access to a car hauler if need be to get it home. I will be heading up there tomorrow for a couple of days and hope to be able to report good news soon. Thank you all again!

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Thank you all so much for the replies. RobbieD the link you provided is way more informative than what I had found. While all vehicles share a lot of commonalities each model and year range tends to have certain failure points that are more common than others. So I figured I'd find a site dedicated to the platform. And I will say I am astonished by the fast response and the wealth of knowledge on this site and the users here. I now have a small shopping list where I will hit up my local napa before I head out. But I'm not going to go crazy on parts until I get some time under the hood and have a better idea of what's going on. While the truck is in amazing condition and has always been very reliable up until this point, it has sat unused for the majority of its life. It was only driven when 4 wheel drive was necessary. And there is a lot that can happen in nearly 30 years of pretty much sitting. And who knows, it could be something as basic as the gas in it has soured to the point it won't fire. While I don't have a multimeter I am quite familiar with using a test light for diagnosis. However I have spent quite a bit of time chasing ghosts on a car before that turned out to be something I should have immediately spotted lol. Worst case scenario, I do have access to a car hauler if need be to get it home. I will be heading up there tomorrow for a couple of days and hope to be able to report good news soon. Thank you all again!

Been around this site since 2002 and i can safely say its the best one on the web.

Oh, and post pics of it. We love pictures. Lol.

 

[RobbieD]

You're more than welcome, and we're hoping to hear how it goes. We love these trucks, and really love to hear of another one being saved. Be forewarned- once you get a Ranger, you're hooked.

This one sounds special. Bought new by your grandfather, VERY low miles, unmolested. It doesn't get any better than that!

Holler if you have questions, need advice, or need to vent. There are some really sharp people on here.

Good luck; and yes, WE LIKE PICTURES!

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

Didn't see it mentioned so I will say it.............Bring a can of gasoline
The gasoline in the tank should be fine after just 6 months, even a year, IF...................there is gas in the tank, lol
Gas gauges do break, and if it wasn't driven that much people forget how much gas is in the tank and rely solely on the gauge
So the no start could simply be out of gas issue

Also a can of HEET or Octane Boost, both are ethanol which can bond with any water in the tank, which is another issue that can come up when a vehicle sits for long periods
All gasoline has water in it(too much is called "bad gas") and gasoline can not bond with water
Water is also Heavier than gasoline, not much but IS heavier
So when a vehicle sits for longer periods the water WILL settle to the bottom of the tank
And the fuel pump pick up is at the bottom of the tank.............................
So when you try to start the engine it gets a big gulp of WATER with some gasoline so a no start

The ethanol can attach itself to H2O and can be burned in the engine that way


The fuel pump will only run for 2 seconds when key is turned on, its a safety thing
But it will run for those 2 seconds EACH TIME you turn the key off and on
There is also a way to make the fuel pump run full time with key on and engine off if you want

Look here: https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/OBD_I.shtml

1994 and earlier Rangers used EEC-IV computer with an OBD1 port/plugin in engine bay
As seen in diagram, it should be on passenger side of engine bay between fuse box and firewall, if 2.9l V6
May have a cover over it that say EEC

As shown in diagram above, there is a Fuel Pump Slot in this connector, this is the GROUND for the fuel pump relay
If you insert a jumper wire into this slot and Ground that wire then when key is ON fuel pump will run full time not just 2 seconds, key OFF and it will turn off

 

[andremajic]

Does your truck have a 5 digit odometer like mine had? If it does, as soon as it gets past 100,000 it rolls over back to 0 miles again. That might not be 15,000 original miles. After rebuilding the engine, I went to a pick n pull and found an cable driven odometer in the 6 digit range that I pulled from a ford explorer. It has the exact same part number printed on it as my original, so I mechanically reset it to 0 miles so I have a REAL odometer reading in my truck. Since it's 6 digit, I'm not going to have to worry about it rolling over at 100,000 again!

Over the years, some of the things that have caused my truck to crank with no start. Bad coil pack on ignition side. Loose wire leading to coil pack. Loose connection on spark plug wire. And one time the ignition control module went bad. (figured that out after a fresh coil pack installed didn't fix it. You can tell if your coil pack is working or not by pulling each wire where it connects to the spark plug so there is a gap and having someone crank the engine. If you have spark, plug it back in and pull the next wire.

A quick shot from a can of ether into the intake manifold will help to tell if it's a fuel issue or not.


Andy

 

[esrbtwo1]

Well I have everything I hope I need. There was a sale on starting fluid here 2 for 3 bucks so I got 4 cans. Some wiring equipment, a fuel pump relay, 10 gallons of gas, a couple bottles of heet, test light, assortment of fuses, plugs and wires, and my tool box. I am also bringing some brake fluid as I plan on bleeding the brakes while I am at it since I don't know the situation on that. I thought about picking up a fuel pump, but I decided I'll wait to find out if that's the actual problem before I grab one. I hate replacing parts unless I have to. It's been my experience that factory equipment tends to be better than anything I can get at the parts store and no sense in swapping it out unless that proves to be the problem.

I am not actually sure how many digits are on the odometer, but I know the mileage is correct. I am very familiar with the history on this particular truck. It has spent the majority of it's life parked under an old shed, and unless it snowed it sat except to come out for a yearly oil change. I am actually quite excited to be the new owner of this truck. I remember the day he bought it and brought it home. He was very proud of that truck. He had just retired and it was a present to himself. The last new vehicle he had purchased before that was a ford galaxie lol. I am very happy to be able to give this truck a second life, and it is going to see a lot more use than it ever has lol.

As for the gas I'd be amazed if what's sitting in it is less than a year old. It's been close to a year since he's driven anything and even then the truck wasn't what he was driving. So there is a better than decent chance the gas is at least part of the issue. Where on the truck is the ignition module if that turns out to be something I need to find? Once I get up there I am pretty much on my own. No internet and it's a good 20 minute drive to a spot that I have cell service.

 

[esrbtwo1]

Also I tried finding a code reader for an OBD 1 vehicle and you wouldn't believe how hard those are to find in stock, at least in my area. Everything I could find said it was for a 1996 and newer. So I will be doing this the old fashioned way, a test light, educated guesses and trial and error lol

 

[Dirtman]

Also I tried finding a code reader for an OBD 1 vehicle and you wouldn't believe how hard those are to find in stock, at least in my area. Everything I could find said it was for a 1996 and newer. So I will be doing this the old fashioned way, a test light, educated guesses and trial and error lol

Absolutely no need for a scanner on a obd1 computer.

Testing EEC-IV Equipped Engines - The Ranger Station

The EEC-IV equipped engines use an older diagnostic system to monitor and report engine related malfunctions. This system is known as On Board Diagnostics (OBD-I). The Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC’s) are two or three digit numbers and can be … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

 

[RobbieD]

You're not sure of which engine except that it's a V6, of which three were offered in 1991.
2.9 (came in 4WD), and the 3.0 will have a Thick Film Ignition (TFI) module. 2.9- on the distributor.
3.0 will also have a TFI, but on the radiator support, LH front of engine compartment.
The 4.0 will have an Electronic Distributorless Ignition System (EDIS) module on the RH front of the engine compartment.
Locations:

and

Good luck. Even if you don't drive it home, you will know more of what you're dealing with.