2003 Ford Ranger with the 3.0 V6 engine (U type) and manual transmission.

One time, several weeks ago, the truck wouldn't start. It didn't even try. None of the warning lights came on, the whole thing was just dead. Like there was no battery installed.

I pushed it out of the garage because I had other things to do in there. An hour later, I tried it again and it was perfectly normal. Started fine, ran fine. I drove it for weeks.

Last week at the gas station, it did it to me again. I put in the key and switched it to the RUN position for a moment before starting, and there were none of the normal warning lights. I stepped on the clutch and turned the key to START and nothing happened. I said a few choice words. Took the key out, and put it back in, and the truck started normally. I drove home.

As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with the battery, and nothing wrong with the starter. It's got to be a switch or relay or something.

The drive home from the gas station was the last time the truck ran without help. It was stuck in my driveway. My neighbor wanted to try jump starting it, and to my surprise we got it started. So I moved the truck from my driveway to the street but the engine stalled while I was turning around, and we ended up pushing it to the curb in front of my house. I took out the battery and took it to the auto parts store to have it tested. They proclaimed it to be completely dead, zero charge (which should have raised my suspicions, but didn't). I bought a new battery and installed it. It made no difference at all. More choice words.

I can put the key in, and turn it backwards to the ACCessory position, and the radio comes on. Then if I turn it to RUN, everything goes dead. No warning lights, no radio, no starting. Even the headlights don't work.

I take the key out, and there is a relay or solenoid behind the dashboard clicking away madly for a while. I don't know what that is.

The truck is basic. No power windows, no power door locks, no remote start, no fancy anything. It does have an immobilizer at the bottom of the dashboard that seems like it could be after-market. (Installed by a previous owner.) Maybe that's part of the problem, maybe not. I don't think it's a full alarm system. Just a chip or plug that you can pull out and stops the engine from running. I never pull it out.

I'm an electrically-minded guy. I am surprised that a solution isn't jumping out at me from the schematics. But I've no idea what causes this symptom.

Help?

 

Try switching off that immobilizer them back on. Maybe there is a contact that needs exercising. I have a "plug in" switch on my house AC and it never gets pulled unless there is maintenance. Twice it had corroded up on me but all it took was to remove the plug and put it back in..

 

Battery cables

First, ACC has almost 0 amp draw vs RUN(on), so not a good indicator or puzzle of why that worked and RUN didn't

If either battery cable end, at the battery, has a poor connection then a few things will happen, random "no power", and "no battery charging" when engine is running(alternator on)
Also if you hook up jumper cables to the outside of the battery cables and you then "have power" the conclusion is a poor connection inside the battery cable ends to the battery terminals

If the other ends of the battery cables had poor connections then Jumping wouldn't have worked, assuming you clamped the Jumper cables to battery cable ends at the battery

Positive and Negative cables/wires both need to pass the same AMPS/power for the system to work
If the dash lights, computer, GEM, injectors, solenoids, ect........... draw say 30amps with key on, but one battery cable can only pass 5amps, then "no power" key on, doesn't matter which cable positive or negative, electricity needs a "circuit", a Circle, for all the amps to flow thru, or no or very little amps flow
A 12volt relay will also "click" repeatedly if it doesn't have enough volts/amps to stay "on", so a sign of limited voltage/amp flow

Could it be the ignition switch?
Sure, BUT...............why the dead battery?


You also need to check the alternator, but because battery was dead, not because of your other symptoms
A failing battery can ruin an alternator, AND a failing alternator can ruin a battery
A chicken and egg thing, but can be tested, lol

 

I don't believe the original battery was really dead. I think the guy at the auto parts store didn't have his tool clipped on it tightly. I think he was more interested in selling me a new battery than in helping troubleshoot my problem.

I accept your premise that the battery cables or connections might be bad. I had previously replaced the positive terminal (but not the actual wire) several years ago.

While jumping, we had the positive clamp on the positive battery terminal, but the negative clamp on the engine bracket that holds the power steering pump.

What puzzles me is why did it get better? Why have a problem once and then not for a period of weeks of daily driving?

 

Thanks Jim. I forgot to mention that I tried that. (not really switching it off, because I don't think there's a switch, but I pulled the "key" plug out and put it back in)

 

"we had the positive clamp on the positive battery terminal, but the negative clamp on the engine bracket that holds the power steering pump."

Clean the Negative terminal at the battery end and the engine end, usually on a starter motor bolt
That's the main ground for engine and cab electrics

Also Positive cable end, but just at battery end, starter wouldn't have worked if the Positive cable was bad

In 2003 there will be a smaller Battery Positive cable that runs to Engine bay fuse box, ALL vehicle 12volt battery power runs thru that one wire, all, not "some" not even "most", ALL 12volt battery power
The larger battery positive cable is only used for starter motor's big AMP draw, but starter motor is activated via this smaller wire 12v passing thru the ignition switch

Alternator's B+ terminal(it's output voltage) is connected in the engine bay fuse box to the same terminal as the smaller battery positive wire, so..........if this terminal was corroded all vehicle voltage would be "iffy",and battery may not re-charge fully


Electrical connections that are not clean and dry are subject to random drop outs, can be temp related or humidity related or just entropy in general(entropy, the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system.)

 

Clean the Negative terminal at the battery end and the engine end

That is brilliant! I will do that. Thank you.

I also thought of an experiment I can do. I could take a jumper cable, and clamp from the battery negative terminal to the engine (basically add a known-good circuit path in parallel to the suspect one) and see if that makes a difference.

 

You guys are genius.

I mentioned that I had previously replaced the positive terminal on the battery, well it seems that terminal was the problem (or maybe the point where the wires were clamped into it).

I measured a difference of more than seven volts lost from the battery positive terminal to the power distribution block in the engine compartment. I bought a new battery terminal and some swage terminals for the two red wires. My swage job is less than pretty, but it is functional. The truck starts and runs and everything. (The power steering is acting weird, but maybe a different thread for that.)

Thank you for your help.