2 girls 1 truck HELP!!!!

[Derf_the_Mule]

I had an intermittent problem with my '86 Ranger many years ago. Both my positive and negative cables had been replaced several years earlier. I replaced a good starter to find 2 days later the battery terminals should have been cleaned first (rookie mistake, and $2 fix). A month later the same no start problem. Turns out the negative cable corroded between the wire and the clamp. Figured it out when I pulled clamp off the battery and the clamp came apart from the cable.

Moral of the story: check the wire where it connects to the lead clamp. If it is loose replace the whole cable and connector. A similar solution was mentioned earlier. This is a failure point neither I nor my father had ever seen in over 30 years of working on old vehicles.

As well I replaced the PCM in my '98 Ranger last year after I went to the store. Tried to start up to go home and it ran terrible. Threw over 12 codes at once. I ended up paying a good mechanic to check the wiring harness for faults before replacing the PCM. A failed PCM is very difficult to diagnose. Checks your grounds and contacts first. I second the Check engine light comment above. No CEL is bad sign and may have been removed by PO to sell.

 

[SRich]

Try the two relays in the fuse box. Switch them as they are the same. If it starts buy a new one for about 30 at your dealership. Give the part number printed on the top. Sounds exactly like the problem that I had earlier this year.

 

[hellojewby]

well, replaced both + - entire cables/clamps, still nothin'. at this point, she might have to go to a shop. yikes..

 

[IRKillroy]

My truck had the same problem a few times. It's the ground connection. From the solinoid you have a ground cable that connects to the frame/engine/wherever. The connection is bad. You'll see it's the problem by haveing someone hold the key into the crank position and wiggle the ground cable. It'll spark when it get a good ground. So sometimes corrosion creates a bad connection and ends up failing.

Other possibibility would be a loose cable (which would explain the hard start issues of the last year) and would just need to be tightened down. Make sure the connections are cleaned up.

 

[RangerSVT]

Members, I know you're trying to help by offering suggestions, but if you would read the post and not get excited over the title, the OP found the problem....

....... "Everyone who gave me a dope slap and told me it was the cable or connector gets a prize. It was the positive battery terminal"....

SVT

 

[txgocartB3000]

Post number 10 states that problem found...

Post number 18 states still a problem...

Did I read this wrong?

Ray

 

[wildbill23c]

any guess on oil pump or electrical?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzSyxaZ3WAg

found this video but husband said they checked that with a meter.

I can rule out 100% its not the oil pump without even looking. The oil pump has nothing to do with the truck starting or not starting. If the oil pump was clogged or had somehow failed you would have a seized or otherwise seriously damaged engine by now.

Its an electrical issue somewhere in the starting/charging circuit. Or I think someone also mentioned possibly a computer issue.

If its an automatic, shift the transmission to neutral and see if it will start. I've seen cases where the park interlock or whatever its called will fail and it no longer will start in neutral, or if you rattle the gear shift around a bit sometimes it will make it work.

 

[RangerSVT]

Ok, I'm the one having a newb moment, sorry members...

SVT

 

[t_wo.and.t_one]

If its an automatic, shift the transmission to neutral and see if it will start. I've seen cases where the park interlock or whatever its called will fail and it no longer will start in neutral, or if you rattle the gear shift around a bit sometimes it will make it work.

Thats what I was thinking, my truck had similar problems and would not start unless I got under the truck and pushed the lever all the way to park.

 

[hellojewby]

Members, I know you're trying to help by offering suggestions, but if you would read the post and not get excited over the title, the OP found the problem....




SVT

i apologize. i was quoting the man from the youtube video who seemed to have our same problem. trying what he'd suggested didn't work, so we have yet ANOTHER car guy coming out sunday. i'm going to mention what others have said since my last post. i can't thank everyone enough for the help. but mystery truck is a real pain in the rear!!!

 

[Derf_the_Mule]

Did you have the battery tested with a battery tester that loads the battery? The parts stores will have them. The old ones look like a large cheese grater with a needle gauge and toggle switch on the outside, large thin wires on the inside, and jumper cables coming out one end. The new ones are a computer about the same size with an LCD screen and jumper cables coming out one side. I had a battery tested earlier this year at walmart and it printed a report.

I learned this when I had a problem with 6V deep cycle batteries shorting out only under load. The voltage would check good with a multi-meter and they would even hold a charge. But, when loaded one of the cell would short and the voltage would go negative. The battery testers (not multi-meter) will tell you this because they load the battery with a large resistor. To test this with a multi-meter have someone try to crank while checking the voltage on the battery. If it goes negative or drops below about 9V then you have a shorted cell that shows only when loaded. If the voltage drop is questionable have the battery tested with tester to verify.

 

[hassanov]

Seems that there is a bad connection