Basket case or simple fix?

[OneOver99]

Hey guys!

Thanks for viewing my thread.

Let me begin by saying my 2000 Ranger 4x4 had been acting weird in the last 3 months. When I would turn the truck off, and remove the keys to exit the truck, the chime would ring a couple times as if I left the keys in the cylinder...
Yesterday, I got in the truck to take my son to get MW3, and when I put the key in and turned the switch, it chimed as usual, and then nothing happened. Honestly, it acts as if the anti-theft prevented the engine from turning over. The battery has full charge; the dome light works; the headlights work, and the headlights 'left on' chime works; the anti theft light blinks normal.
Here's the weird stuff... The engine doesn't crank (obviously), the radio doesn't play, the fan motor doesn't blow, the 'key in ignition' chime doesn't work and the oil pressure and charging gauges are pegged to the right.

Pertinent info: my truck has a remote start, and that doesn't even work. Normally, that would start the vehicle even without the keys, and you'd have 15min to get the key in and turned to the on position before it would die.

I don't know where to begin. I tried all three keys I have, of which one is the thick programmed key and the other two are thin.

This is a 2000 2.3 Ranger 4x4 and it has 275,000 miles. Other than this and one other problem, it runs like a top. The other problem is that it has gone through coil packs a lot. I finally got tired of replacing them and allow it to run a little rough/sluggish. Seriously though, other than that, its a perfect truck. I'm giving it to my son for his first truck in March.

So is this a basket case or a simple fix? I don't know where to begin. ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated. Don't leave out saying the obvious, because I am NOT worth a flip when it comes to electric. I can barely make a test light work between the negative and positive posts of a fully charged battery.
Please help!
Thanks in advance.

From the narrow path,
Len
OneOver99

 

[OneOver99]

Update: Found something.

I found that most of the fuses did not have power to them... Further investigating I looked at the fuse/relay box under the hood and found the #5 50A fuse (ignition switch/starter relay) was blown. When I replaced it, everything came on and was working. When I turned the key again, it blew the 50A fuse again.

Any ideas?

 

[exbass94]

A little off topic, but how can you possibly have a 2000 Ranger with a 2.3 and 4x4? The only 4 cylinder available in Rangers from 1998-01 was a 2.5L, not a 2.3. And it was only available in 2wd.

 

[OneOver99]

You are correct about two things... It is a V6 3.0 and I am a dork.

Not sure why I said it was 2.3. I guess because my step son has a 2.3

So with that being said, any suggestions on what to test or how to trace the problem? Would this be a short or a bad ground, or ??

 

[naford]

When you replaced the fuse things like the lights worked. You turned the key to on not start and the fuse was ok. Then when you turned the key to start the fuse went poofff? If this is the case I would suspect the starter.

 

[OneOver99]

You got it. Everything was great even with the key on. Then when I turned it to start it (the last position) poof!
I had a neighbor say that it was a short somewhere. I don't even know how to find a short, much less fix one.

 

[colby450xc]

I would suspect the remote start is causing the issue.I don't know much about them besides having an Eclipse at our shop that had one. We had locksmiths trying to program new keys for it for about 6 hours until they figured out the remote start was a big pos and was causing the whole problem of the newly programmed keys not working.

 

[OneOver99]

Just got back with yet another 50A fuse and put it in. This time, I didn't turn the key at all and used the remote start. Everything worked great for a second; chime was ringing, power to everything, and then when the starter tried to engage, POOF! The fuse blew again!

Any ideas?

 

[adsm08]

So everything works fine and normally until the starter tries to engage?

I would unhook the starter electrically. Pull bots wires off of it, wrap the ends in electrical tape to keep them from grounding, and then hit the key again. If the fuse doesn't blow, you need a new starter.

 

[OneOver99]

Nice! I will try that one tomorrow morning.

Grace to you.

 

[adsm08]

Oh, and as for the blowing coil packs, have you tried changing your plugs and wires?

An inability to discharge the high voltage charge from the secondary windings is the most common cause of blown coils.

 

[OneOver99]

Wow. I did not know that either. Thanks again brotherman.

 

[Out of my mind CJ5]

sounds like a starter safety switch to me. Not exactly sure where it is on that truck but most 5 speeds it's on the side of the tranny and auto's can have it there or in the steering colum i believe. take a voltmeter when you try to crank the engine and put one lead on the positive battery terminal and the other on the m' terminal of the solenoid and see if it's getting power should tell you if the solenoid went bad but i would check the starter safety switch first.

My bad didn't see the part about the fuse, in that case i bet you have a shorted winding in the starter

 

[OneOver99]

Update: It was easy fix

I took the starter out and tried the key again with the wires wrapped up. Nothing happened. The fuse didn't blow. So I took the starter to AZ and had them test it. He said it was okay. He also said that the starter relay on the firewall would do two things if it malfunctioned; either continue to run the starter or not work and blow the fuse. He said I should hook the starter up and try to jump the relay to see if the starter would engage. I bought the best relay he had ($23) just in case. When I jumped it over, it didn't work. When I installed the new one the truck fired right up with and without the remote start.
In hind sight, this all makes sense because before, when I tried the remote start, to eliminate the key cylinder, it still blew the fuse. It makes sense because the remote start is hooked to the relay switch, and that is how it starts the truck an bypasses the key.
So, lesson learned. I may have made a basket case out of a simple fix because my electrical skills are lacking. One thing's for sure. I could not have fixed it without this web site (forum) and all of your input. Thanks very much gentlemen. Outstanding job, I hope this helps any future seekers with similar problems. Like the other guy who had an issue with his remote start.
Grace to you.
From the narrow path,
Len
OneOver99

 

[adsm08]

Don't beat yourself up too much. The starter relay was pretty low on my list of suspects. If I'd had the truck in front of me I'd have found it eventually. On the other hand, if it was my truck I would probably have replaced the starter before I found the bad relay.