I disconnected the negative cable on the battery and installed a new relay on the fender well, after doing that I reconnected the cable and now now nothing,not even headlites, the battery is new and showing 12 volts, have I unwittingly blown a fuse or screwed up a power relay inside the fuse box? Have any of you guys ever had this problem? Thanks in advance

 

Welcome to the forum

What year Ranger?
I assume a 4.0l engine

If there are no dash lights when you turn on the key then battery is not connected to the system
Remove BOTH battery cables and clean terminals and cable ends, reinstall

If still no lights follow Positive battery cable to ???................. depends on the YEAR of the Ranger

 

Thanks for you're reply, it's a 94 Ranger and a 4.0L, there wasn't a problem befor I put the new relay in but will give your suggestion a try. Will let u know if it works. Mark

 

I cleaned both battery terminals thoroughly and still the same thing, the positive battery cable connects to one side of the relay. There are 5 fuses that go from 20 to 60 amps and are larger, different than the small ones, not sure how to read them to tell in any are blown or not.

 

OK I see the problem

There should be TWO battery positive cables
Larger one runs directly to Starter motor on the engine

Smaller one is the MAIN POWER for the truck, this Battery positive cable is connected to Starter Relay, and that post on that relay is the Power Distribution point for all power in the truck.
So all those other wire connect to that same post, NOT the other larger post

There should be 1 BLACK wire on the other larger post in the starter relay and it runs to starter motors smaller post, maybe
If there is then there will be a smaller Red/blue stripe wire connected to smaller post on starter relay

1994 was a transition year, so no black wire and red/blue wire can run directly to starter motor

But ALL the other wires connect to SAME POST AS BATTERY POSITIVE

 

Hello RonD, follow up, the wiring is pretty much as u described it in your last post, I tried a new EEC Power relay and no results, also the fuses checked out ok. I connected a remote power button to the relay, the engine turns over normal but no start, no lighting. Could a bad ignition coil cause a problem like this?

 

No on the ignition coil, it could cause no spark but starter motor would still turn engine over by using the key

Check for 12volts in Engine fuse box, pull out the larger AMP fuses, 60amp, 50amp and 40amp fuses, make sure they have 12volts on one side, use volt meter or test light

They all get 12v from battery via 1 wire, smaller of the two Positive wires from the battery, or from 1 wire coming from Starter Relay post

If that 1 wire doesn't have a good connection then no power anywhere in the truck, so find that wire

 

Including what I mentioned in my last post, I clamped 2 flat terminals to a short piece of 10ga wire and plugged them in to those spaces that those large AMP fuses were in with the ignition on and there was no response, wouldn't this tell me if a fuse was bad?

 

??? don't care about any fuses at this time

Just test if Engine fuse box has 12volts on the main bus, i.e. pull out any of the higher amp fuses and check that one leg where that fuse plugged into has full battery voltage

Inside the engine fuse box there is a Main Bus bar, it is connected to Battery Positive
Each "full time fuse" connects to that Main Bus so it has Power 24/7(all the time)

You reported no dash lights and no cranking when key is turned to START(no power at ignition switch), and No Headlights(no power at head light switch), each uses a separate fuse in engine fuse box.
So what those 2 fuses have in common are the main bus, and no power at the main bus means that 1 wire from battery positive is not working, not connected.

Since this all started when you changed Starter Relay I am guessing that either this engine fuse box wire got left off or damaged in some way

 

Thanks for all of your replys RonD, the problem has been solved, turned out to be wiring problem. Have a good day.

 

Good work

Any "fix" info for the next person with this issue?