Hello all,

Just last week, as the title suggests I have lost ALL electrical power in the truck! However, the horn still works.. (No dash lights, mileage counter, lights, radio or hazards)



I suspect that whilst a friend was jumpstarting me from his 19’ plate wildtrack, he has connected to my positive post and then let the other end of the jumplead short out on my engine or body.



Dashboard power was there but not enough for the starter and then suddenly it was not.


In the past few days I have replaced the battery terminal clamps and the first earth strap from the battery to the body. I have checked the 4 fuses I have in the engine bay and they are all good. I have checked all fuses in the cabin and they are also good.



Multi meter readings are showing power on the battery, between the battery and the body, through the fusebox, ignition switch and there IS power into the clocks from the loom.


I suspected that the clocks had burnt out as there was short-circuit odour within the clocks, this has not solved the problem.



From what I understand, this is the last model to not have an ‘ECU’? This was my first assumption of the problem but have been told it cannot be as one is not present? Though there are multiple relays/boxes in both the driver/passenger footwells, could it be one of these?



I have bridged the starter motor and it fires up, proving that it is receiving power.



Would anyone have an idea what it could be? What steps I could take to rule things out/find the cause?

Myself and a few other that have looked it over with me are utterly confused at the situation!

Any help or input would be greatly appreciated!

I have attached a photo of my model as well as the electrical relays/modules in the footwells.


Thanks in advance,

James

 

Welcome to the North American Ranger forum

You have a South American Ranger which we could never get here

ECUs use power but they don't control power

Ignition switch under steering column controls power for dash lights coming on, Key ON sends power to dash and engine systems

Do head lights, brake lights, 4-way flashers and Horn work?
These all have direct power from battery, key doesn't need to be on
If these work then you have power, 12volts and good grounds

 

I replaced the ignition switch this morning and nothing has changed.

The ONLY electrical function I have is a working horn

 

I don't have access to electrical system diagrams for your vehicle

Most vehicles have a 12volt "Power post" in the engine bay
Battery Positive will be connected to this post, so will alternator and Engine Bay Fuse box, ALL vehicle 12volts passes thru this one connection

Battery positive terminal will usually have 2 cables coming off of it, one to starter motor the other to this 12v distribution post, but it can run directly to engine fuse box, or to a MEGA fuse on outside of engine fuse box

Battery voltage should be 12.3v to 12.8v, 12.2v or under is a failing battery

The larger fuses in the fuse box, 40-60amps should show exactly the same voltage as the battery
Turn head lights ON, and 4-way flashers, even through they don't work, and test voltage in engine fuse box

 

The battery and all other locations I tested are showing 12.7v, a brand new battery has also been used and still nothing changes.

It has me utterly puzzled that there is voltage within the cabin of the vehicle yet NOTHING but the horn will work..

I’m not a mechanic by any stretch but I have a fair amount of mechanical knowledge, this however, is honestly beating me. I have no idea where to look, what to replace or how to solve.

If there was NO power anywhere then I feel it would be more straightforward, but the fact that there is power, I do not understand whats wrong.

For example, the 4 way blinker (hazard lights), there is voltage across the fuse, yet when I press the button they do not come on.. I’m here like ERRMMM WHAT HOW!?

 

Follow the positive battery cables

Also the negative if there is more than one

So there is no Engine fuse box?

In our Rangers ALL 12v power comes from/thru engine fuse box, even cab fuse box gets 12v from engine fuse box

 

This is the engine fuse box, sorry for the confusion, there is also one in the cab.



This one is off the internet as I didn’t have a picture of mine saved. However, just like this one I do not have a PTC 30A fuse, unsure of its purpose, the truck has run fine despite its absence.

All of these fuses are in tact and the voltage through is reading the same as across the battery, between the battery and body and between the battery and engine (12.7v)

Changing the battery and/or connecting to another running truck has no impact either. As earlier mentioned, when the starter motor poles are bridged, it works as it should (proving that is IS getting power)

 

So nothing like our Rangers over here

Try this forum: https://www.fordownersclub.com/forum...d-ranger-club/

Looks like they have similar Rangers to yours

 

Hello... just joined this forum about 10mins ago while searching for my pickups symptoms. It is a 2001 Mk1 4x4 (Scotland), with the exact same problems. I also had a feeling my problems started with a bad jump start. The windows started working very slow, the pick up was dropping power and then stalled and has not started since (aprox 2 months ago). No power the solenoid on started. Solenoid and starter work when removed and bench tested. The only electrics I have now is headlights, horn and the wee green back light that illuminates the mileage counter on dash. I replaced the ignition switch, checked all fuses, new battery, tried a secondhand ECU (WL93) that I bought on eBay. None of these has fixed the issue. I would love it if you managed to find out the fault in yours and let me know what it was. It would make me a very happy man! 🤞🙏 it sounds like a have the exact same problem that you had..., Thanks

 

Hello... just joined this forum about 10mins ago while searching for my pickups symptoms. It is a 2001 Mk1 4x4 (Scotland), with the exact same problems. I also had a feeling my problems started with a bad jump start. The windows started working very slow, the pick up was dropping power and then stalled and has not started since (aprox 2 months ago). No power the solenoid on started. Solenoid and starter work when removed and bench tested. The only electrics I have now is headlights, horn and the wee green back light that illuminates the mileage counter on dash. I replaced the ignition switch, checked all fuses, new battery, tried a secondhand ECU (WL93) that I bought on eBay. None of these has fixed the issue. I would love it if you managed to find out the fault in yours and let me know what it was. It would make me a very happy man! 🤞🙏 it sounds like a have the exact same problem that you had..., Thanks