I recently did a timing chain job on my 2.3L 2003 5 speed manual Ranger which obviously involved removing alot of parts harnesses and connectors. After getting everything put back together I went to fire it up, turned the lock cylinder and lights, beeps but no click from the starter relay and no starter motor rotation. Plugged up my basic scan tool to the OBD2 port and just got 'error' out of it, no codes. So I had accidentally removed a ground strap from it's other terminal in another location between the engine and the firewall with my 200lb gorilla torque hammer-ator. This is the ground strap that bolts up to the left of the wiper motor, and the other end of where it is supposed to go is a mystery I can't even get my hands on to find. I know this was a careless mistake on my part.

So given this I have two questions -- Can this be the cause of my no start and OBD2 error condition, and where does this terminate so I can make a new cable to repair it?

?

 

You likely wont be able to reach where that is supposed to attach to, but it goes to the back side of the head

 

Welcome to the forum

+1 ^^^ to above post

That's the main ground for the cab electrics
Yes, there was a bolt on the back of the head where it would attach, bolt usually didn't hold anything else just for that ground strap, and other end was bolted to wiper motor bolt

For now find an engine bolt near by
or
Run a new ground for cab to battery negative



Vehicles are assembled with already painted body parts and frame, so there are no "good grounds" between these parts
Engine and transmission sit on RUBBER mounts, again no good ground to frame or body

Engine is grounded directly to Battery negative, usually by starter motor bolt or bell housing bolt, and this grounds alternator as well
But there needs to be a few more grounds to make things work
Engine to cab is a main one, that you are missing, all cab electrics
Engine to frame is another, fuel pump and tail lights
Battery negative to Rad support and inner fender, usually 1 or 2 smaller wires with the larger battery cable negative wire, front lights and horn ground

Yes, could be the issue with starting, the computer is grounded to cab, so no ground and no computer and no OBD2 reader

And computer has PATS which allows starter motor to work if transponder key passes the "test"..........................and computer is not on