I just installed my explorer dome light yesterday night, and everything works great. Thing turns out, all that. This morning, i go to start my truck, it won't start. When i turn the key, it goes "eeergh" then stops. Then the anti-theft keeps on flashing (and clicking). The battery's good (all the lights and everythign works).

In my other post, i asked rwenzing where this one wire is.. etc. Anyways, i went to the Passenger Side kick panel, and moved one of the clips of the bundle of wire. (will post pictures later), but i don't think that did anythign though..

So..

-I might've blew a fuse. If so, which one is it probably?
-um.. i have no idea.

Any other ideas? I've disconnected the battery terminals and re-attached them. Still no go.

Thanks in advance.

 

Have you tried to jump it? That sound exactly like the battery is low but not dead...

 

not yet, hope to not have to resort to that yet. If I do, i have to go get some jumper cables and all that... yet

Any other ideas?

 

did you keep the door open and stuff a long time yuesterday you probly just drained the battery. also did you hook up the VSS wire it? if you ddi using griggs install the wire might have moved in a 2004 idk would have to check.

 

I'd start with the simplest things first. Jump it.

 

sounds like a dead battery to me too if it tries at first then clicks

 

door was open, but battery was disconnected, so no power drain.

VSS meaning.. the module that turns off the lights after 10 min. right? Yes i did, that's connected.

I'll jump the truck right after this final i have at 12, hah (it's 10:11).

Ummm... damn.. we'll just see. Keep the ideas coming, i don't know.

Oh, after i jump the battery, does it mean I have to change the battery? no right?

 

check to make sure the harness connectors at the passenger kick plate are all fully seated
still not sure why you wanted to fool with any of the factory wires and not just run a seperate power line up there

 

ditto...

 

Once it's jumped, let it run for awhile or drive it around to charge the battery back up. Unless there is a blown cell or it's drained beyond recovery, which it doesn't sound like, you'll be fine.

 

I'll check the "seated-ness" of the harness, but i am 80% sure it is.

I didn't mess with the factory wire. I ran a seperate power line (we 2004 need to supply a constant power). I ran a seperate line up from behind teh VSS up to the dome light. This is all in the how-to.

Anyways, i was at the passenger side because i wanted to check for this other wire that i'm gonna need for something else that i was going to do tonight. (we'll see what it is )

Anyways, thanks everyone, for all the input. Hopefully, i get more ideas.

Like i said, when i get home, i'll try to jump it.

I don't know, it feels like, it's the anti-theft. Is there anyway to reset it? This happened to me before when i was installing my auto up/down modules, but after disconnecting the battery terminals and cleaning the connections, it worked great. But didn't work this time, so i don't know.

 

OK - I have a 2004 and probably was the first to discover the lack of constant power in the headliner
what I meant was, why not hook the light into the factory wire for the OEM dome (lights on and off with door opening or dash switch)
then run some seperate constant power for the map light?
fused, but straight from a live wire no change or tampering with factory wire

 

I installed my Mustang dome light and didn't have to rewire anything at all. Are the Exploder lights different?

 

do you have a 2004 or newer Ranger?

 

'04.

 

well either it is a very early build with an old left over harness,
or the map lights do not work in your dome light unless the doors are open or the dash switch thrown and you cross wired it to use the switched power
2004+ Rangers have a totally different wiring system and the thrifting of constant power to the cab liner is one aspect

 

All of the lights will turn on, doors closed or open, doesn't matter.

 

old style harness......
must be a very early production 2004

 

The VSS wire should not have been involved in a domelight installation - that is used for the overhead console mod.

The THEFT light is probably just responding to the low battery situation. I doubt that it is the root cause.



Here are a couple of possibilities:

1) You drained the battery sometime yesterday. This could have been from leaving lights on somewhere or by using the sound system, especially if you have an external amp. Obviously, this could not have happened while the battery cables were disconnected.

2) You have the new dome/map light incorrectly wired.

 

I have it all spelled out here:
https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ead.php?t=8212

Did you do something differently?

 

i did.

 

Michael, he printed out and followed your how-to exactly. The draining of the battery seems very unlikely...he had the lights on for a max of 5 minutes...no stereo or anything else drawing current, just the domelight. I just got home from work so im gonna take a look at it now and see if we can get it running again.

 

as i've suspected, it's the connections on the battery terminals. I have a lot of calcium build up on them (why?!?!?) and it messes up with the connections.

I actually just had cleaned these about 2 months ago, when i was installing my auto ups/downs. Is there anyway to get rid of this? Any ideas?

Thanks

Oh, and thanks to everyone for helping out on my problem. Much appreciated.

 

Congrats on finding the problem, bonus is it didnt cost you any more money.

 

battery terminal sealer .... and make sure your battery cables are connected tightly to the battery ... a loose connection will cause that ...