4.0 swap 90% done need help

Hey guys, my buddy and me did a 4.0 swap on his ranger (Had a 2.9) all the wiring, engine, trans, ect... is in. when I turn the key I get lights on the dash and ect... when I turn the key to start nothing happens, I can hear it click up near the battery. if I jump it at the starter solenoid or the solenoid on the fender it will fire right up no problems. I am getting as far as we can tell 12 volts at the starter, but it will not engage. Really need to get this as fixed as fast as we can, not sure what we might be overlooking.


More info: 1989 Ranger and 1990 4.0 ranger Donor.
Have a manual computer and wiring needed.
All connectors and grounds look good.
We have tried 2-3 NSS that goes on the clutch.
tried a second ignition switch that goes on the top of the Colum still not effect.
Tried multiple solenoids that go on the fender.
Have tried a different starter.


I believe the power path goes; Battery --> Ignition switch ----> NSS ----> Starter solenoid?

Follow this and report back. There may be minor variations, but it should be close. Also, make sure that your start signal wire goes to both solenoids in parallel.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1527608

I read the part from the page you linked. That was for a 2.8 ranger the wires seem to be different then the 1990 4.0 wiring. For the NSS we have Two pinks, Green, White/black stripe and black with white stripe; we get 12 volts at one of the pink wires. Can we jump the 12 volt pink wire with one of the others to see if it is the NSS that is making the truck not turn over? What would be your first guess?

If hitting the posts with a screw driver makes it crank I would suspect an issue with the contact inside the starter relay.

going to have the starter checked tomorrow, but we cant get 12 volts to go down the smaller Red wire that goes to the starter solenoid.

Your original statement that, "when I turn the key to start...I can hear it click up near the battery", seems to indicate that everything is good up to the input of the fender solenoid, so your clutch pedal switch is good. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You should have a red wire running from the + battery terminal to one large lug on the fender solenoid; it's a very large wire if you're using the '89 wiring, or possibly a medium wire if you're using the '90 wiring. There is also one or more small wires connected to that same large solenoid lug, but they don't concern us.

You should have a black wire running from the other large lug on the fender solenoid to the small signal terminal on the starter solenoid, it should not run to the big main lug on the starter solenoid. It may be a very large wire if you're using the '89 wiring, or possibly a small wire if you're using the '90 wiring.

There should be a very large red wire running from the + battery terminal directly to the large lug on the starter solenoid, the lug on the side away from the motor.

Finally, there should be some heavy ground wires running from the engine to the frame, from the frame to the battery, and possibly from the starter to the battery. Also from the engine to the cab and from the cab to ground. You need all of these to be attached tightly to clean bare metal spots for things to work properly.

If those are all wired correctly, then test for 12V (measured to ground) on the large lug with the black wire on the fender solenoid, when the key is turned to "Start" and the clutch pedal is down hard. (The fender solenoid should click when you do this.) If there's no 12V there, and the lugs are tight and clean, then the fender solenoid is bad (but it doesn't make sense that it would work before the swap, and not after.)

If there is 12V on that lug, but it still doesn't start, then check for 12V (and a clean tight connection) at the other end of that same black wire, at the small lug on the starter solenoid, with the key turned to start and the pedal down. The starter solenoid should click, too. If there's no 12V there, then your black wire is damaged. If there is 12V there but it still doesn't start, then test for 12V on the other large lug of the starter solenoid, the lug that's connected to the starter motor (with the pedal down and the key turned to "Start"). If there's 12V there, then your starter motor is bad. If there's no 12V there, then the starter solenoid is bad.

Let me know what you find. There may be ways to work around some of these problems, depending on what is bad.

this is a two solenoid setup in basis. generally you want a real good ground on the body of the fenderwell solonoid. its a retarded setup and running crank power right to the starter solonoid may be a better way to go.

when you say you jumped the solonoid i assume it was from the small start pin the red and blue stripe wire runs to, and the battery side of the solonoid. if your just putting the screwdriver between the two big terminals, your not testing the solonoid at all.

Hey guys, Have not had the time to do the work needed but I still need it done ASAP. I plan to use the time tomorrow to try to chase down the electrical problem. I got the truck to idle, by jumping the solenoid with a screwdriver, the check engine lights comes on. I suck at reading these OBD I codes can I get a hand to try to read these codes? I will post a video below, maybe one of you guys can make head or tells of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmrh46nPHP4

That video almost looks like it's reading 2 and 3 digit codes....

I think it is, I cant make heads or tells of what it reading.

Did you do KOEO then KOER or what?

Cause I looked again and in the second half of the video I got this:

11572111572

Which is 2 digit codes.. 11 57 21 11 57 21 That's the standard repeat.

11 System checks OK
(Which is good)

57 Intermittent in Park/Neutral/ Switch or Neutral Pressure switch circuit - PNP or Transmissions
(The computer didn't see the transmission in Neutral or the clutch pressed consistently. Depending on how your wiring is.)

21 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor out of range - ECT
(Which is correct if the engine wasn't at operating temperature.)

The check engine light stays when cranked, so could the 57 code be the one that makes it stay on? the engine temp code seems it should turn off once the engine at normal temperatures. How could I track down the 57 code?

I don't know about keeping the light on. It's certainly plausible.

Double check the circuits on the PNP switch and clean all of the contacts along the way...

You're getting 3 digit codes. The first section is the KOEO (key on, engine off) set:
159 MAF out of range
565 Canister Purge 1 solenoid/circuit failure

Then it's displaying the stored (continuous) codes:
157 Mass Air Flow signal is/was low or grounded
211 Ignition PIP signal was erratic or missing

Each set of codes is repeated, then there's a separator pulse before the next set. What's flashing is:
159
565
159
565
Separator code (about 1:20 into the video)
157
211
157
211