Main IndexAuto Repair Home Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS
Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE
Log in LOG
IN









Search Auto Parts

89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened


  Email This Post



firebuild
Novice

Oct 30, 2014, 10:33 AM

Post #1 of 8 (2296 views)
89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

OK, so I need to reopen this thread and take back my kudos from yesterday, sorry, Hammer Time. Battery has been replaced and it did NOT solve the problem. I cut and pasted what I posted yesterday below, but here's the new stuff:

1) New battery installed, it seemed to solve the problem.

2) After driving couple of miles, engine was very hot. Not overheating but this truck runs so cool it coming up to normal is unusual.

3) Discovered a large leak - broken hose. This could have been there before all this, and probably was, but I got distracted by the no-start situation.

4) Fixed the hose, put in water, and found ANOTHER leak.

5) Fixed that one too. That makes 3 leaks including the one that was fixed yesterday.

6) Got in to start the truck - Once again, it won't start. Same situation as before. Lights come on, everything looks normal, then turn the key, and everything goes off. One click on first turn, nothing after that.

7) After a while, lights come back on so obviously something is resetting. But turn the key again, and it all shuts down again.

So my questions are:

1) Is there some sort of breaker that's tripping because of a short somewhere?

2) How can I find the short? The click on the first key turn seems to be coming from below the fuse box under the hood. All fuses look good but were replaced to be sure. No improvement.

3)Could 3 leaks at one time in the cooling system be just a random coincidence, or is something causing these leaks?

I'm assuming the water could have caused the short, but it's all pretty much dry now and the same thing is occurring.

HEEELLLLP!
------------------------
Here's what I posted yesterday:

Two days ago my 89 Ranger started intermittently not starting (no click or crank sound), but if I messed with it enough I could get it started. Now, nothing. The ignition has always taken a lot of playing around with to get it in the right position to accept the key, but of course i have no idea if that has anything to do with anything. Now it's really dead. Here are some facts:

1) Intermittent click sound when key is turned to start. Most times, no sound at all.

2) Yesterday, I was sometimes able to turn on the headlights prior to turning the key. Turning the key would cause a click and then the lights would pop off. Now, the lights do not come on at all. No dash lights either.

3) No spark when the starter is tapped.

3) Starter replaced yesterday. No change.

4) Solenoid replaced yesterday. No change.

5) Radiator overflow was leaking pretty badly on some wiring connectors. Fixed leak, cleaned with contact cleaner, and dried. No change. Some other wiring got soaked but it doesn't have removable connectors.

6) Battery tests fully charged.

7) Crossed over solenoid with screwdriver. No change.

I would like to try jump starting from under the dash. Can anybody walk me through that?

Does anyone have any other ideas?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 30, 2014, 10:54 AM

Post #2 of 8 (2285 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

I'm betting you have a cable connection problem. Remove all the cables and the solenoid and the starter and wire brush them all before reinstalling.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Oct 30, 2014, 11:49 AM

Post #3 of 8 (2274 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

X2 sounds like a connection problem... corroded terminals, bad ground, -
the battery cable ends - crimp or bolt on I would double check.
At the solenoid several wires on one bolt/stud- remove check clean them.
GROUND - gotta be clean.

Suspect #1 the fender mounted relay/solenoid - did you ck, clean, sand also the mounting pad ?




(This post was edited by kev2 on Oct 30, 2014, 11:59 AM)


firebuild
Novice

Oct 30, 2014, 11:59 AM

Post #4 of 8 (2268 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

Fender solenoid replaced. Battery cables are good. I'll take off and clean everything else. Thanks!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 30, 2014, 12:11 PM

Post #5 of 8 (2265 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

No, take them off the solenoid and starter and wire brush them and the posts. Believe me, I have fixed many of these old Fords that way. They look clean but they are not



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Oct 30, 2014, 2:15 PM

Post #6 of 8 (2249 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

So true - looks means nothing - really clean these things up, smear of grease and snug up again. You have such classic symptoms with a "click then nothing" this is a close to certain as it gets a connection is just trying for a click, then just that goes to like it's disconnected - sometimes clock and radio resets and 1,2,3......... a few minutes later everything works.


Very rare is the plunger inside that solenoid shown above. It makes the high amp connection to the starter but any weak link in any of it wins and you get nothing.


Battery cables may just suk. Rare again but sometimes inside a good looking cable it's fried to almost nothing. Those usually respond to a wiggles test and toss that or both battery cables - three on this vehicle because of the fender solenoid.


Side topic: Most of the regulars know I'm a royal pain in the butt and keep my own stuff FOREVER and think nothing of well over 20-30 year old daily user vehicles. Record is in garage now @ 66+ years old and runs new - auto engine on a tractor.


Point is, if you want these things to last you first need luck and the right vehicles. Then make a habit of lubing all those connections, hinges, locks all over the thing. Mark down what you did when or checked as good when by miles and date. Most important is don't beat the heck out of a vehicle. So much can be blamed on how it's driven in general and people give up needing too much stuff to be worth it anymore,


T



firebuild
Novice

Oct 30, 2014, 5:29 PM

Post #7 of 8 (2238 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

OK! Everything taken off, cleaned with wire brush, etc. etc. etc. and she is now running! Thanks, guys. From now on I will pay much closer attention to this stuff.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 30, 2014, 5:36 PM

Post #8 of 8 (2237 views)
Re: 89 Ford Ranger 5spd 2.3L won't start - reopened Sign In

It's not something you would normally suspect but we have been there before.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







  Email This Post
 
 


Feed Button




Search for (options) Privacy Sitemap