Hey....

Brooklyn '07 Ranger owner here...


all of the sudden a couple of weeks ago, after turning the truck off (at a delivery) and turning it back on, I had no dashlights, headlights (was daylight at the time), cigarette lighter power (I run an inverter to power external music/studio monitors)....all turn signals and hazards work.... in fact, my door ajar signal has been dysfunctional for a while now. It always stays on... the dash lights are off, but that indicator remains on. truck starts up fine, blower/heater works, power windows work, windshield wipers work...

and THEN...all of the sudden, sometimes after a time driving it will all come back on again...everything working fine. It hasn't turned off while the truck is running, but the problem is now a tossup as to whether I will be able to drive (at night, or during rain) until I start it up,. Sometimes I start it up and everything works fine.

I'm going to do some research, but if someone can help guide me toward trying to figure out the solution, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I've seen a lot about fuses, but don't fuses just blow when it's their time? and then not work again? what type of problem would hinder the power to all these functions at once and be finnicky and just work all of the sudden sometimes?

also, the cigarette lighter in my truck will run power even while the truck is off generally (I've run the battery down by accident before doing so), so it makes me think there is some fault from the battery to the main power console? (or whatever it may be called) to which the headlights, radio, cigarette, etc. are then connected...

thanks in advance for any responses...

 

Welcome to the forum

I would say its the Main light switch if dash lights are also effected, if it was just head lights, low beams, then multi-function switch maybe

So I would replace the Main light switch first and see if that solves the problem

Yes, Cigar lighter and AUX ports have power all the time so you can run down battery using these, I don't think this would be related to Head light issues, although...................

Fuse #1 in engine fuse box powers both cigar lighter port and main light switch fuses in the cab fuse panel, only connection I see, but wouldn't be intermittent if it blows

 

sorry if I was unclear.... the headlights, dashlights, cigarette lighter, radio... ALL go out at the same time.... so, just as the cigarette lighter is ALWAYS ON (when the vehicle is working)... I know if the problem is occuring before even starting the vehicle...same as the headlights...I can usually turn those on without the truck even being on... all of these functions DO NOT WORK at the same time...

 

OK, then that makes more sense

Below is a 2008 Power diagram, 2006 is exactly the same so I assume 2007 will be as well, in 2006 it was a Dark Green wire not RED

Fuse #1 powers all those devices via that RED wire to the SJB(smart junction box), which is the Body Computer and Cab fuse panel

Diagram here of which connector is C2280A: https://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.co...ox-3_0-4_0.jpg

So pull that connector and check that wire, pin 1 so should be easy to find

If it seem OK then you will need to take a guess on the next step, or hook up a test light to that red wire in the cab, and start moving wiring harness in the engine bay around to see if you can cut power on that red wire, i.e. a problem in engine bay and fuse #1

You can pull out the SJB and check the backside BUS that powers those fuses

Read here: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...horn_mod.shtml

Tells you how to get at the back side to check connectors
It will be the main connection since all lose power at the same time
So can be in the engine fuse box or SJB

 

thanks very much for the reply... I'm not familiar with any of this electrical stuff, so this will be a task for me to tackle I did pull the plug on buying a multi-meter some time ago, so if I can find it and figure out how to use it, maybe I'll learn a bunch from trying to tackle this project...

 

Vehicles use 12volt DC power, so set meter to vDC(volts DC), some meters have 20vDC which is fine to use, or just vDC, but not 5vDC or 9vDC range is too low

And its not exactly 12volts, new batteries are 12.8volts
When engine is running alternators do 13.5 to 14.8volts, which is normal

You can't have 12volt unless you also have 0 volts, 0 volts is called Ground in vehicles, Battery negative is 0 volts, this not an absence of volts its a measurable voltage just 0

So if you put red probe on Battery Positive you will see no voltage, you also need to put Black probe on Battery Negative, you are measuring the difference between the two, 12.5volts
Or reverse the probes and you get -12.5volts
Doesn't hurt the meter to reverse polarity, just FYI

Battery negative is connected to the body, frame, and engine of the vehicle, so almost any bare metal point can be used as the Ground(0 volt) connection for the volt meter
"Almost" is the key word in that sentence

 

so...excuse me for not taking the time to thank those who responded....

your input was helpful...

I ended up going to a shop that specializes in sound systems since they know their way around electric...

they charged me I think 175 for the diagnostic... I suppose I could have figured it out myself, but this was keeping me from driving and doing work with the truck, so I went with the pro solution...

anyways...as some stated, it was the smart junction box...there was corrosion on some of the connectors there... the guy said that it needed to be replaced and that only shops that specialize in reprogramming computers or something could do it...so, the part is going bad...

what he did do is clean all the connections up with some sort of spray electrical cleaner (he said NOT to use dialectric grease, cause it would not help, although I'm not sure that makes sense)... and after he did that...it worked fine, and has continued to work fine since....

when it happens again, at least I know what the culprit is...

 

Dielectric grease is used to water proof a connection, it is used because it DOES NOT conduct electricity, so won't cause a short between wires in the same connector

Because it DOES NOT conduct electricity you DO NOT want to get it on the metal conductors/contacts inside a connector

Glad you got it sorted out
Yes, the SJB is option specific for the model of vehicle, its the Body Computer, BCM, body control module