Hampton Roads VA Area Electrical Shop?

[smithae]

Can anyone recommend a good shop for electrical work on my Ranger in the Virginia Beach (Hampton Roads) area of Virginia? Been having issues for months and a wiring issue somewhere is what it's come down to, now I need someone good to find it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

Can anyone recommend a good shop for electrical work on my Ranger in the Virginia Beach (Hampton Roads) area of Virginia? Been having issues for months and a wiring issue somewhere is what it's come down to, now I need someone good to find it.

Thanks in advance.

the best thing would to be post up whats going on and try to do it yourself!!!!

 

[smithae]

the best thing would to be post up whats going on and try to do it yourself!!!!

Heh, already have. I've posted twice here over the past three months, have had two friends who are mechanics working with me, and then a trusted guy at a dealership looked at it for me. All have said it's an electrical issue and to take it to a shop. Not having to go to a shop would be nice, but I don't know anyone with electrical experience and I'd rather not fry myself or my computer with all the inexperience

 

[rangerdude91]

this may be a little of a drive and there kinda expensive. try Lamb and Robinsons off of taylor road by the chesapeake square mall. you have to get to 664 and then like its the 3rd exit called pughsville if you know where that is. im like a minute from the mall and lamb and robinsons if you need directions getting there or help

NW

 

[Earl43P]

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57520

I don't see a continuation of a problem in that recent thread. What seems to be the problem now? http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55547 Still doing this?

Feel free to PM me and I'll give you my cellphone #.

I've got a 93 EVTM which should be at least CLOSE to your 92, electrical-wise.

I'll be wrenching this weekend at the house, just some PM on the neighbor's taurus, nothing big (belt, pulleys, brake inspection, etc.). If your truck is drivable and you want to come down, I'll look at it. Not claiming to be any kind of expert, but I am an electrician and haven't had many auto electrical problems stump me for very long. I've got a meter and know how to use it. Let me know!

 

[88_Eddie]

it's gonna be wicked expensive for a shop to chase down an electrical issue. my headlights wires were messed up and it cost $450 (ALL labor) for them to chase down the problem. they used $3 worth of supplies (but charged me $20 for them....damn markup).

 

[smithae]

At this point I know it will be expensive, but when this isn't happening it's a good truck and I'm willing to put money into it. I rebuilt the tranny a few years ago and I've got a lot of new parts in her and the engine still seems strong. I'd rather keep this than save money and buy a new used truck and have no history on it. I even went and bought the official electrical shop manual for it on eBay in case the shop I end up going to needs it, heh. Like I said I don't off-road and I'm in no way a serious mechanic, I just learn what I need to to get by.

I never continued the thread, it seemed I had stumped everyone. But, current symptoms are:

When it's running it's great. Yesterday it started up second try after I left it sitting for two days. Have driven it four times since, no issues yet. I doubt it'll make it the weekend though :\

Sometimes it'll do what I call a "crap start." It'll be rough and sound horrible, the engine shakes like crazy and the check engine light stays on (no code still). Sometimes it'll stay on after a crap start until I shut it off, sometimes after a few seconds it shuts itself off.

When it won't start at all it will crank and it sounds like it's trying real hard, but just can't. Also when it just won't start if I turn the key in the ignition just to give it power the fuel pump clicks on then I hear a another click like it's going off except I still hear the fuel shooting and then lately on top of that there have been loud random clicks coming from my fuse box (or I think more specifically the relays under it) at the same time. My check engine light flicks on and off in time with these clicks. I'm guessing my wiring issue is somewhere near there? Maybe I should try replacing the fuel pump relay harness?

I appreciate the offer to come down, but I honestly don't trust it to drive long distances as it has shut off while I was driving in the past. The random reliability of it is driving me crazy. I had to take it on the interstate a week ago and was sacred to death it was going to die on me in rush hour, God that would have been fun.

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

Does the truck just shut off randomly and then starts up after like a half of an hour of sitting???? Also does your coolant go down or does it stay the same level??

 

[Earl43P]

Now we're getting somewhere.

The CEL is normally on, but yours clicks and flickers off. Got it.

You have an EEC relay (PCM), which needs current flow through the PCM Power diode (together plus the ground, they light the CEL - BIG clue). Check both of those items' security and integrity in the fusebox (under the hood). You may literally have to dismount the fusebox to access the underside. You may find that the terminal spades have worn out making intermittent contact with the relay spades, or same issue with the PCM Power Diode, simply loose contact.

The final part of that circuit is that when the PCM relay is energized, it routes power to energize the Fuel Pump relay, making it intermittent as well.

Lastly, Ford locates grounds in places you may not look. DS fenderwell, radiator support, etc. Verify the grounds are tight and clean, particularly those I mentioned and any coming off the Bat- to wherever it goes.

My approach would entail a guy in the seat watching for the CEL to flicker while I wiggled wires, relays, diode, grounds (key in Run, engine off). Bet you find it!

Could be as simple as a bad PCM relay itself.

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

i might be wrong but i think the flashing cel is mot malfunction it is just saying there is something severely wrong and this will not throw up a code because it is flashing saying there is a problem mechanically not related to sensors other wise if it was it would throw a code unless you just cleared the codes and the computer is not ready to read the system and this mean you must run the motor until the computer is ready!!!

 

[newbietrucker]

I think I have this issue...

Today, the engine quit cold; I couldn't get it to start on the fly and coasted into a handy driveway. Plugged the scanner in (OBD2) and got "link failure" or something (it couldn't connect).

After awhile of turning over but not catching (half an hour or so), it started up and I continued, but every once-in-awhile the engine would just stop for a second then rev back up. Finally halfway home it quit without resuming and I pulled into yet another handy driveway.

This time I noticed that the CEL was flickering (not pulsing on/off but flickering like a bad light bulb). Again the scanner couldn't connect.

Eventually it could be started again and I made it home.

So tomorrow (when it's light out) I'm gonna be in the driveway freezing my arse off trying to debug this.

Hopeful thanks in advance to Earl.

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

check out the connector to the computer and make sure it is tight and corrosion free and check every connector to make it making contact because it sound like something is loose

 

[newbietrucker]

Well, I basically detailed the chunks of the electrical system that relate to OBD, engine management and fuel delivery... that seemed to take care of it: just put a hundred miles on it with no problem. If it crops up again I'll start diving behind the fuse panel and electrics box to look for grounding issues.