Hi All

1997 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 180,000 miles

I'm getting a single click no start (no turn) when I engage the clutch and turn the key. It did this at work a few days prior and luckily it started up fine. Luckily I made it home but now I'm looking how to fix it.

Battery and battery terminals are okay.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

How do you know the battery is OK?

 

I put a battery charger on to 80% and it is still just giving me a single click and won't turn over.

 

A bad battery won't hold a charge. You need a resistor load to actually test the output of the battery.

 

Thanks Ranger480 I'll test the battery. Do you think that is why there is only a click noise when I start the ignition switch?

 

It's the starter solenoid pulling in. There's enough power to do that, but not enough to turn the engine.

 

Still looking for help. I was at work and it clicked no turn, and then started up. When I got home it's only doing click no start.

Full charged the battery. The battery is an interstate battery about 3 years old. Maybe a bad relay or starter?

 

Battery good? Alternator good? 14V? Check starter

 

1997 still has a Dual Relay setup

There is a starter relay on the inner fender, smaller Battery positive cable runs to it
Larger battery positive cable runs to the Starter Motor, where the other relay is located

The smaller cylinder on top of starter motor is a relay/solenoid, this relay/solenoid is activated by the starter relay on the inner fender, when activated it pushes out the starter gear to engage the flywheel gear(ring gear) this is the solenoid part, AND it connects the larger battery positive cable to the starter motors brushes to get the motor to spin, this is the relay part

If you hear just the one "click" when key is turned to START, then most likely the inner fender starter relay is working
So lets test the starter motor relay, its easy

If manual trans, put transmission in NEUTRAL!!!!!, block a tire<<<VERY IMPORTANT
KEY OFF
On the inner fender starter relay there will be 2 larger posts with wires attached, they are Battery Positive(more that 1 wire) and OUT to starter relay(just 1 wire)

If you use a jumper wire to touch these 2 posts the starter motor relay should "click" closed and starter motor should start to spin, if not starter is bad, replace it
If you hear the "click" but starter doesn't spin it could be bad starter OR bad larger battery cable

You can tap the starter motor with a hammer or ??, and then retest, if it now works then its for sure a bad starter motor


Just for FYI
The inner fender starter relay also has a smaller post, called the "S" post, the wire attached comes from ignition switch, the wire will only have 12volts when key is turned to START, this wire activates the inner fender starter relay, the "click" you hear
When activated the relay connects the 2 larger posts together(like the jumper wire did), the OUT to starter wire now has 12volts, so starter relay/solenoid should also activate starter motor

Starter motor relay also has a smaller "S" post, it is connected to the OUT to starter on the inner fender relay
On later years the inner fender relay was dropped, and a smaller relay was put inside the newly designed engine fuse box, this was used for anti-theft purposes

For clarification
Solenoid is a device that causes movement, like opening and closing a valve or moving the starter motors gear in and out

Relay makes and breaks electrical connections, doesn't move anything

The term "solenoid" was first, because that's what these devices did, in cars there was a foot pedal you pushed down and that would mechanically move the starter gear out to engage the flywheel, and at the very bottom of pedal travel was an electrical contact that would close and power up the starter motor
Even though it was actually a Relay, the word had not been invented yet, lol
So it was called a starter solenoid
And the name stuck, which is why the inner fender starter "relay" was/is called the starter "solenoid" even to this day

 

Thanks RonD,

Super helpful! I will try these tips out and let you know what happens.

 

Replaced the starter and she fired right up! Now on the the O2 sensors.

Thanks RodD!

 

Gas mileage has gone up with the O2 sensor replacements! Imagine that! No I've got my fingers crossed that she will pass DEQ (I live in Oregon - $200 for tags sheesh)