Not starting

[Aaron285]

I have a 91 ranger auto 4.0 motor and engine wiring in my 89 ranger with manual trans. I’m not getting power to the starter. I was told the harness I have needs to be jumped at the neutral safety switch plug due to the fact it was an auto trans. Can someone please tell me where this plu/wires are located and how to bypass this?

 

[97RangerXLT]

well since the wiring is now out of the truck.... might be harder to pin point, but the switch should have been in the column on the automatic. so if you know what part of the harness went to the column. that is where I would look. if you have access to an actual switch, or can get one cheap, look on hte harness for a place to plug it in and then close it and see if you get your power to the starter back.

AJ

 

[RonD]

Its not technically part of the engine wiring harness, so you may not have pulled it out of the 4.0l donor

The 1989 manual trans cab harness should have the clutch switch wiring in place
There should be 2 Pink wires going into the clutch switch, one comes from the ignition switch and the other goes to the firewall where it changes to a Red/light blue stripe wire in the engine bay

The red/light blue wire runs to the starter relay(solenoid) on the inner fender, it might have been taped inside the 2.9l wiring harness, so cut or removed when that harness was pulled out

The 1991 automatic would have had an NSS switch on the drivers side of the transmission, its wiring harness would have the same 2 Pink wires, one changing to red/light blue in the engine bay
It would also have the Backup Light wiring, purple/orange and black/pink

The computer wiring is not involved with starter motor activation

 

[97RangerXLT]

disregard my advice, I was thinking that the Ranger was similar to a former coworker's 79 caprice that he entered into a demo derby. he set the transmission so he could run the linkage directly through the floor instead of on the column and then killed the motor out on the field...and unkbeknownst to him the original column shift collar slid down (disengagin the neutral safety switch and he couldn't restart the car. didn't even think about the column switch as he removed the shift lever so he didn't notice.

AJ

 

[Aaron285]

The dash is from. 91 4.0 auto also.

Its not technically part of the engine wiring harness, so you may not have pulled it out of the 4.0l donor

The 1989 manual trans cab harness should have the clutch switch wiring in place
There should be 2 Pink wires going into the clutch switch, one comes from the ignition switch and the other goes to the firewall where it changes to a Red/light blue stripe wire in the engine bay

The red/light blue wire runs to the starter relay(solenoid) on the inner fender, it might have been taped inside the 2.9l wiring harness, so cut or removed when that harness was pulled out

The 1991 automatic would have had an NSS switch on the drivers side of the transmission, its wiring harness would have the same 2 Pink wires, one changing to red/light blue in the engine bay
It would also have the Backup Light wiring, purple/orange and black/pink

The computer wiring is not involved with starter motor activation

 

[RonD]

Not part of dash(instrument cluster) wiring either

If it was a manual trans Ranger then it will have a clutch switch wiring harness, thats where you will find the starter activation wire, from ignition switch and to starter solenoid

 

[adsm08]

I usually look for the red/blue wire where it comes out of the dash. It should be pink at that point, may change to red/blue at the firewall connector (that changes from year to year) and then follow it to the plug over to the trans. Then I catch the red/blue wire to the starter relay at that same connector, and just wire them together there.

 

[Aaron285]

Where exactly is the red/blue wire out of the dash located? Just to be totally clear. The steering column is 89 manual, motor wiring is 91 auto, dash is 91 auto and main harness is 89 manual.

QUOTE="adsm08, post: 1711135, member: 19892"]
I usually look for the red/blue wire where it comes out of the dash. It should be pink at that point, may change to red/blue at the firewall connector (that changes from year to year) and then follow it to the plug over to the trans. Then I catch the red/blue wire to the starter relay at that same connector, and just wire them together there.
[/QUOTE]

 

[RonD]

Find the clutch pedal switch wiring above clutch pedal

 

[Aaron285]

I see the clutch pedal plug and wire. I thought there was a separate pig tail or wires that need to be jumped or connected for the auto/neutral safety.

QUOTE="RonD, post: 1711156, member: 67350"]
Find the clutch pedal switch wiring above clutch pedal
[/QUOTE]

 

[RonD]

In 1989(and until about 2002/3) all Rangers were wired as manuals with clutch switch wiring

If it was going to be an automatic Ranger then a Jumper wiring harness was plugged into the clutch switch connector under the dash

So if the clutch switch is plugged in then jumper wiring is not there, or active if it is, so focus on the pink wires, one runs thru firewall and changes into the red/blue wire

If 1989 had a 2.9l then there would be 2 red/blue wires in the engine bay, they are just spliced from 1 wire, one went to distributor the other to start solenoid

 

[adsm08]

I see the clutch pedal plug and wire. I thought there was a separate pig tail or wires that need to be jumped or connected for the auto/neutral safety.

Yes and no. There is a set of wires that goes from the column, down past the clutch (and to the clutch switch if it is there) out the firewall, to one of the two round grey plugs near where the 2.9 coil would mount. The circuit in question goes through one of those plugs, down to the transmission range switch, and back up to the same plug, and out to the starter relay. On my Ranger I had the entire harness, all the way down to the transmission plugs, and so I cut the wires at the trans and spliced them together. On my B2 I didn't have that transmission subharness and so I just did it right at the grey plug, removed that other section completely. Either way works. Heck, if you have the wiring complete to the trans you can plug in a trans range switch, leave it in Park, and it will work, all that matters is finding that first wire from the ignition switch out in the engine bay and hooking it to the S post of the starter relay, or the little terminal on the starter. Either will work.

 

[Aaron285]

Thank you guys!!! The motor is turning over and starts with starter fluid but has no fuel psi at the rail. The sending unit is brand new. And when ignition is turned I can hear the fuel pump cycle for 2 sec. what are my steps to fix this issue.

 

[adsm08]

Thank you guys!!! The motor is turning over and starts with starter fluid but has no fuel psi at the rail. The sending unit is brand new. And when ignition is turned I can hear the fuel pump cycle for 2 sec. what are my steps to fix this issue.

I have found, that for whatever reason, the 4.0 fuel rail gets air-bound easier than the 2.9.

First I would make sure that the lines are hooked up correctly. Then I'd unhook the feed from the rail (opposite the pressure regulator) and cycle the key until fuel comes out (have it in a container). Then if you still can't build any pressure at the rail use the bleed off button on your pressure tester to purge the air. Hold the button down while someone cycles the key until fuel comes out. Then try starting.

 

[Aaron285]

I disconnected the fuel line where it turns to braided line before the regulator and it was under pressure. Then I try connected and took the core out of the blender on the rail and turned it over with nothing coming out. I believe my regulator is stuck closed or blocked. All I see to the regulator is a vacuum hose. How can I test the regulator? Or am I missing a plug or power supply to it?