Help Guys!

[JMadge]

I have a 2005 Ford Ranger Fx4 Ext. Cab 4.0L and the thing died on me today right after I hit a pothole. This happened less than a year ago and I spent about $300 to have a mechanic fix a "bad ground." I called them up today and asked them the where-abouts of this ground issue and they said it was a bad ground on the Front-Left fender side of the truck from the "Main Harness" that runs into the cab.

The problem is... I can't find this mystery ground (or better yet, which one it is). When i was looking under the hood on the side of the fender right by the Fuse box, I see 3-4 bundles of wires and noticed one of the Green w/ a red stripe wires in one of the bundles was nicked and did a quick fix thinking that might have been grounding out on the metal causing my truck to not start. That didn't work. Also, right in that same area, there are about 3-4 ground wires coming out of one of the bundles and they are grounded right there on the front left fender, right between the fuse box and the 4x4. I checked out the ring connectors and everything looked fine and in place, no nicks or corrosion.

Other than that, I couldn't find any other grounds, except ones that seemed like they were obviously not from the "Main Harness" (wherever that is, somewhere on the driver-side-center area of the firewall maybe??). So anyways, can anyone here help me out? I found 1 bundle of wires tracing back down the fender, through the wheelwell, almost along-side the drivers door, then back towards the oil pan, then up, maybe that's where i need to look? I have no clue.

Oh and by the way. Symptoms: The engine will turn over, but wont start, died on pot-hole impact (exactly like the time before, hence why i'm assuming it's the same problem in the same exact spot).

If anyone has any ideas and knows where this "Main Harness" and "Ground" is (supposedly somewhere near the driver-side front fender? [according to mechanic]), please tell me where to look and what I may have to do in order to fix it, Thanks!

 

[Jay FX4]

This is extremely rare, but I remember a couple members here recently report that hitting a pothole tripped the fuel cutoff switch. This should not happen though, and might not have anything to do with your problem, but you might want to double check to rule it out.
The fact that this happened at the exact moment you hit the pothole, in addition to the fact that the truck does still turn over (maybe just not getting fuel) makes it a possibility......

 

[Rifleman]

This is extremely rare, but I remember a couple members here recently report that hitting a pothole tripped the fuel cutoff switch. This should not happen though, and might not have anything to do with your problem, but you might want to double check to rule it out.
The fact that this happened at the exact moment you hit the pothole, in addition to the fact that the truck does still turn over (maybe just not getting fuel) makes it a possibility......

+1 agreed

 

[Earl43P]

Look for the fuel pump inertia switch right about where the passenger's toes rest.
Pull the carpet back.

I've read that Ford had relocated that item to reduce its sensitivity, adding a bracket and relocating to a different but nearby location, maybe onto a dashboard surface? That's all I can recall.

Anyway, when you find it, push the reset button on its top, then turn the key to Run (don't crank it over) and listen for the fuel pump to run for 2 seconds. Do this two or three times then start it up.

 

[Fast Doc]

Very good thought, gentlemen. I think the 'bad ground' mechanic may have been FOS and charged $300 to push a switch...

 

[Jay FX4]

Yeah I was going to add that is it is indeed the fuel switch, you should go back and do $300 worth of damage to that "mechanics" face.

 

[Jay FX4]

Also, if your '05 is like my '04, the switch should be located at the passenger side kick panel, which was already mentioned, but on mine at least you don't have pull up the carpet....

 

[Fast Doc]

Yeah I was going to add that is it is indeed the fuel switch, you should go back and do $300 worth of damage to that "mechanics" face.

As a Christian I can't go along with that recommendation, BUT a guy could understand.....

 

[AllanD]

This is extremely rare, but I remember a couple members here recently report that hitting a pothole tripped the fuel cutoff switch. This should not happen though, and might not have anything to do with your problem, but you might want to double check to rule it out.
The fact that this happened at the exact moment you hit the pothole, in addition to the fact that the truck does still turn over (maybe just not getting fuel) makes it a possibility......

will agree to everything in this post except one item:

"Rare"?

In medicine there's a saying:
"When you hear hoofbeats think horses, Not Zebras"

In this case imagine you are standing fishing on a railroad bridge halfway across a river, suddenly you hear a Large Diesel engine behind you...
It's my advise that you don't start thinking you have a
stationary generator sneaking up on you


Engine cuts off after an impact? the inertia switch is THE FIRST THING you should check.

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[Jay FX4]

LOL, you and your dramatic stories.....

If we're talking about an impact with another vehicle, or a tree, or granny crossing the street, I would expect the switch to get tripped. But not on a pothole. I live in the state with the worlds worst roads, driving a truck with the most bone-jarring ride, and this has not happened to me. Not yet, at least. If it does, I'll be livid.

And cut me some slack....at the time I posted initial reply, I had a large dose of morphine dripping in my IV. Seriously.

 

[AllanD]

Jay,

If not for the fact that tripping it is "Common"

THEN because it follows the dictum: "Check the stupid/cheap stuff first"

If there is ANYTHING cheaper than simply pushing a reset button I'd
really like someone to tell me what it might be...

And yeah, I have a talent for creating a visual image that carries the
message I want to tell...

Tell me you didn't get an "OH Shit!!" image in your head...

as for tripping it? generally it's harder to make my CD changer skip than
it is to make the inertia switch pop.

On a Desert washboard road in wyoming I tripped my switch several times

I have NEVER made my CD changer skip.

If that if that changer ever does skip I know one thing,
I Do Not want to be in the truck with it.

AD

 

[Jay FX4]

It's cool, I agree with you. I've just never known it to be a common problem. And I totally agree about checking the easy stuff first....especially for me, since I don't know a whole hell of a lot more than the easy stuff anyway.....

I thought I recalled a thread here recently where the general consensus was that the switch should not have been tripping as easily as it was for the person who was having a problem with it. I think that was my reasoning for saying that it was a rare problem, but I was pretty drugged up at the time. It would be nice to hear back from the OP to see if that was indeed the problem....

 

[JMadge]

Hey all, here's what the verdict was:

That bundle of wires between the 4x4 and the fuse box by the front left fender under the hood where that green wire was cut was the problem.

The bundle sits under the hood in a way where if you hit a pothole on the left side, the 4x4's metal mount will, over time, cut into the wires in those bundles. The wire that was partially cut must have been a wire powering the fuel pump. When I pieced it back together, the truck didn't start because I forgot to change the blown fuse haha. When I replaced the fuse, the truck started right up, and when I disconnected my wire piece, the truck died/did not start again... so that was the issue. The fuel pump switch never disengaged though.

Now back to those crap mechanics in Chicago. Yeah I must have paid $300 to have these idiots replace a fuse... I remember pushing the fuel pump switch when it happened back then and it was still engaged. Now, they say "bad ground..." these guys must have messed around w/ existing good grounds, then changed the fuse thinking they "fixed" the problem haha. The grounds were always good, and they were too dumb/lazy to locate the fuel pump wire grounding out on the chassis (which I found in about 5-10 mins).

So for all of you who may run into this problem, here's another (rare?) option of where to look and what to do when your pump spontaneously stops working... it's better than spending over $500 on labor/fuel pump when all you need is scissors, a butt-connector, and a crimp tool... a whopping $10 (if even).

Another bit of advice: due to the weird area of these bundles of wires... I suggest getting some of that plastic tubing to help guard the bundles of wires in that particular area... and then get a tie-wrap and try to pull the bundles up to the underside of the fuse box and keep them mounted there tight... my wire was cut in a very awkward spot and I could only get about an inch and a half of the fuel pump wire to piece it back together, so it will save you this aggravating pain. Also, cutting back that electrical-tape fest on the bundles was timely and aggravating as well... so hopefully this will save your time in the future.