2 girls 1 truck HELP!!!!

my mother is having truck issues for months. 1994 ford ranger. and she needs her truck back ASAP. she is running a business on her own and there is plenty of driving involved that needs to be done.
it is now dead in her driveway and we've deemed it "mystery truck".
we've had numerous people look it over. we've replaced the starter, battery and solenoid. a few times, actually. it is becoming costly!!
we've decided to STOP replacing those 3 things as it must not be the issue.
after replacing said parts, the car would start. but only once then never again.
my husband (who only knows the common repairs) has a guess: electrical.
his friend has another guess: oil pump.

my mother's only clue as to when her truck will NOT start: check engine light does not light up on the dash with all the other lights after the first key turn (not the actual starting of car).
you can hear the fuel pump doing its thing, so i figure it isn't that.
it isn't doing the fast series of clicks like dead battery.
just one sad little click.
we really don't have resources for an auto shop at this time, so we're trying friends as of now. and we are all stumped.

anyone else have any bright ideas??? i hope i've provided enough information.

*back story: her truck had the case of the "sometimes" when starting for about a year. **example: she could drive to work/shut off car/return to car/start/drive to the bank(about a mile), then would be dead in the bank parking lot. sometimes a few hours to restart. sometimes a day. some days it ran no problem. could go weeks without a problem.

Sounds like a bad connection. Either clean and test or replace the main battery cables that run to the starter.

Richard

PS; love the title

Also check the ground cable from battery to block. Could be corroded. If it looks old/insulation cracking/dry rotted, replace it. Same goes for the positive from battery to solenoid and solenoid to starter...

SVT

If the check engine light is not proving out there is an issue with the computer. I would start by replacing the PCM power relay. It is in the block under the hood, should be labeled on the sticker. The biggest reason for starting there is that it should be free to get a replacement to test. I believe the horn relay is the same part, so swap them as see if the problem persists.

Then check your powers and grounds at the computer, if all else checks out, suspect the PCM is at fault and replace it.

*thank you very much, richard! we'll give this a try!

*for both help and compliment

ok according to my husband they've checked all suggested wires and have replaced the relay. sigh.

Is the said truck stick shift or auto?

If stick shift, the clutch switch maybe a dead horse

automatic

any guess on oil pump or electrical?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzSyxaZ3WAg

found this video but husband said they checked that with a meter.

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

at 2:12 is exactly what we're dealing with. that click. "Everyone who gave me a dope slap and told me it was the cable or connector gets a prize. It was the positive battery terminal"

should we buy another new battery??

If the battery takes and holds a charge you need not replace it. Did you replace the whole cable or just use a hoaky cable clamp? If you decide to change the battery putting new cables on at the same time will stand the test of time. Especially in cold weather!

As per the video and the comments, what do the positive cable end and battery terminal look like, exactly?

Are it and the ground cable factory? Or has someone put new (bolt-on) cable ends on one or both at some time? Bolt-on ends are infamous for building up S**t and corruption out of sight, inside the clamping area. The modus operundi is as you described, things start periodically not working, it gets worse, and finally she's a flat no start no turn situation. Test light might even show 12V at the far end of the cable, but trying to pull amps through it for starting is like sucking a real thick shake through a real thin straw.

Lets do some basic no-meters diagnostics to get the info out there. Pull the existing battery off (or disconnect termonals) and charge it up - if necessary take it for a bench test (hopefully free) to eliminate it as a culprit. DONT buy a new battery now; if necessary borrow a known good one for this step.

Pay carefull attention to the cable ends and battery terminals as they're hooked up make sure they are clean and shiny; watch for cracked insulatioon and signs of green corrosion, especially near the cable ends. Tighten the battery terminals and make sure the far ends of both cables are connected tight at the solenoid/engine block. May want to pull off the ground cable at the block, shin 'er up and reconnect tight.

Turn on the headlights. Do they come on? Now turn the key to the ON position. Do your warning lights go through their test cycle and does your heater fan kick in (turn on the heater fan if necessary). Now turn the key to start. If nothing else, the headlights should dim as the starter tries to draw power. If not, your problem is between the battery and the starter. If it should happen to fire right up, you found/possibly fixed your problem in the initial steps above.

Turn off the key, possibly disconnect the battery, and post the results for group mastication and rumination.

Edit: Just re-read your first post. Do you mean that the other dash lights come on when you first turn the key, EXCEPT the check engine light, or NONE of the dash lights come on? If its just the CEL, there's a chance some turkey disconnected it in the past to hide a different problem, and it has nothing to do with the current situation.

kimcrwbr1 said:

If the battery takes and holds a charge you need not replace it. Did you replace the whole cable or just use a hoaky cable clamp? If you decide to change the battery putting new cables on at the same time will stand the test of time. Especially in cold weather!

Click to expand...

yeah the battery is good. i think this will be the route we take next. probably entire new cables if cost efficient. we wanna FIX it.

thanks soo much for all the help everyone!

Cables are not expensive, but dont cheap out and get the most cost efficient cables at your local parts store either. Get the largest size cable you can get for both the positive and negative, this includes both positive cables (battery to solenoid and solenoid to starter). The reason for this is larger cables carry more current. This will help in faster starts as well as help your battery, starter, solenoid, and alternator laster longer...

SVT

I hope you replaced the entire cable and not just the terminal. Those clamp on terminals are, IMO, a short term fix. They just don't provide enough wire contact to ensure a long lasting repair and they allow moisture into the joint that will cause problems later.

Some folks are lucky and they work forever; however, most are not that lucky!