Weird electrical ignition issue
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From: Chicago, IL
Weird electrical ignition issue
Hello friends!
Ive got a 2003 Ranger Edge with 180k miles on it, and today it developed a weird electrical problem. I could use some help!
The dome light, hazards, headlights, and dashboard lights all work normally until I turn the key to start the car. With no sound at all from the starter, the power goes out and will not come back. No lights, no radio, nothing.
Ive got a brand new battery, a good alternator, and replaced the ignition switch this afternoon. It didn’t change the problem.
Disconnecting and then reconnecting the battery “resets” the system, and the door light, headlights, etc work normally. (Until I turn the key.)
Is it a short on the way to the starter? A ghost of some kind?
Ive got a 2003 Ranger Edge with 180k miles on it, and today it developed a weird electrical problem. I could use some help!
The dome light, hazards, headlights, and dashboard lights all work normally until I turn the key to start the car. With no sound at all from the starter, the power goes out and will not come back. No lights, no radio, nothing.
Ive got a brand new battery, a good alternator, and replaced the ignition switch this afternoon. It didn’t change the problem.
Disconnecting and then reconnecting the battery “resets” the system, and the door light, headlights, etc work normally. (Until I turn the key.)
Is it a short on the way to the starter? A ghost of some kind?
Welcome to the forum
Not weird, you have a bad connection and when you draw too many amps it heats up and stops passing power, so positive or negative power is not flowing, yes negative is power as well, need both to complete a circuit
So you have a bad battery cable or bad battery cable connection
On the Positive battery cable there will be a smaller cable that runs to engine Fuse box, check that connection, clean it
Also check Fuse 11 in engine fuse box, pull it out and look at the connections/pins, check other fuses in this fuse box as well, looking for corrosion on the pins, not blown fuses
Do forget Negative cable, check where it Bolts to engine, usually near starter motor
Not weird, you have a bad connection and when you draw too many amps it heats up and stops passing power, so positive or negative power is not flowing, yes negative is power as well, need both to complete a circuit
So you have a bad battery cable or bad battery cable connection
On the Positive battery cable there will be a smaller cable that runs to engine Fuse box, check that connection, clean it
Also check Fuse 11 in engine fuse box, pull it out and look at the connections/pins, check other fuses in this fuse box as well, looking for corrosion on the pins, not blown fuses
Do forget Negative cable, check where it Bolts to engine, usually near starter motor
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Joined: Dec 2018
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From: Chicago, IL
It worked!!
THANK YOU!
The ground wire from the negative battery terminal was completely rusted to the body. I cleaned the connections with baking soda and hot water, scrubbed them a little with a crumpled up piece of aluminum foil in lieu of a real abrasive, and it started right up!
The ground wire from the negative battery terminal was completely rusted to the body. I cleaned the connections with baking soda and hot water, scrubbed them a little with a crumpled up piece of aluminum foil in lieu of a real abrasive, and it started right up!
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL
More issues
The truck worked fine this morning, but now the starter isn’t doing anything when I turn the key. Electricity stays on now.
Maybe the starter was going bad, drawing extra power or something? Seems unlikely that the two problems are unrelated.
looking into it!
Maybe the starter was going bad, drawing extra power or something? Seems unlikely that the two problems are unrelated.
looking into it!
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