Help me, I'm lost!!

[misterhales]

I have a 99 ford ranger, 2.5l, 5 spd, 86,000 miles. It's been sitting for a year, maybe more, maybe less. I bought it for cheap, plans to turn into a gnarley low rider.

Previous owner says it was drove regularly, before it was parked. We tried to start it, and the fuel pump wouldn't come on. Sprayed starter fluid in the intake, and it fired right up, so I bought it.

Got it home, did new batt, and new fuel pump. Now when I turn the key on, the fuel pump still doesn't come on. This is where I get confessed. With the key on, the starter just spins (not crank), windshield wipers go full blast, washer fluid sprays on its own.

Please help

 

[adsm08]

Starter issue may be a failed solenoid not kicking the armature out.

The wiper/washer issue is probably a bad multifunction switch.

The fuel pump, i dunno. Check the power and ground, check the inertia switch, and check to see if it will still start and run on starting fluid. It may be a switch issue.

 

[misterhales]

Inertia switch isn't tripped.

 

[v8nick]

It could very well be the ignition switch is having a problem. I'm not talking about the key switch, the actual ignition switch. Sometimes the contacts go bad inside of them, and causes all kinds of problems.

 

[misterhales]

UPDATE
plugged up the code reader and it didn't turn on, just smells like burnt electric (pretty sure that's $70 down the drain). radio fuse is blowing with ignition off.

 

[misterhales]

........ Help

 

[Mark_88]

If fuses are blowing with ignition off you have a live (hot) feed to some circuits. Did the previous owner hot wire the radio? Could be they tapped into something and mistakenly hot wired it (meaning they put it on a "always live" circuit)...

Check the wiring schematic for wires that are hot all times...or simply remove the radio and look at the wiring mess in the dash...look for the power line and find out what color wire it is connected to...

If you don't have a wiring schematic then you may need to either borrow, buy or find one on-line...the On-Line repair manual might have schematics...but there could also be some available...I will find the link to the repair manual...and post it for you if possible...

EDIT: for your reference...the on-line manual can be found here...

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=319

Password and user name are both tech...

EDIT II: OK, there are complete wiring diagrams in the on-line repair manual for the 99 2.5...

When you log in you need to scroll down and click on the Auto Repair Reference Center and then select the year, make, and model of your truck...then the engine size...and then select the Diagrams link...once in there you can navigate the links...start with the Engine Controls and you will find the hot all time wire on the right...

It gives you the wire colors and you may need to do a bit of tracing through wires, but with a bit of patience you can figure this out...may need to go through the whole whack of them and even print/enlarge them as needed...but it is actually not that hard to figure out wiring...just take your time and don't cut anything...lol

 

[one1]

Remove any wiring that is not stock and start new.

 

[misterhales]

The truck is all stock. All the issues came over night. Or from transporting the truck. I got it to run on starter fluid (bought it) got it home, installed new fuel pump, and batt. Turned the ignition on, and I got what I listed above. Fuel pump wires appear good.

 

[zekew64]

I'd say to check your ground connections. IIRC, there should be a list of ground connections where you find your wiring diagrams.

Second, I'd also tear into the steering column. Sounds to me like a wire corroded and shorted out, causing your circuits to remain hot even if no power is technically going to them, or there was a wear in wiring insulation somewhere that caused circuits to be completed (i.e., "turned on" or hot) after both the ignition switch (not the lock cylinder, the actual electrical ignition switch) and the multifunction switch.

Finally, check the wiring for your headlight switch. I'm not sure if or when Ford stopped routing power through the headlight switch, but I know on my '92 it was wired like that. Could simply be a bad ground for the headlight switch; again, however, I don't know or have any kind of certainty as to what exactly is causing the problem.