1992 Ranger--Possible electrical

Before I start tearing things apart and testing everything or taking it into the garage and having my mechanic connect it to a machine to track a electrical problem, charge me whether he finds it or not, figured I'd ask.

The problem started with the wipers; don't work when first turned on, mess with the switch and they usually come on. Headhights will sometime turn off while driving, just headlights, parking on others stay on, turn off headlight switch and then back on and they work. Now it clicks once(solenoid) and with enough tries it then turns over engine starts, but its like the battery was disconnected--clock reset to 00:00

If anyone has any ideas where I can start looking, I'd appreciate them. Same me some of my weekend time.

Reply to
MKing98978
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Sounds like three different problems. Wiper switch (multifunction switch), fairly common, headlamp switch has a built in circuit breaker. Do you lose marker lights too, or just headlamps. If all, them try the multifunction switch, see how it goes, if not, also the headlamp switch. For your no start, your battery or cable(s) need inspection if your clock was reset.

Reply to
Pygoscelis Papua

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1992 Ranger--Possible electrical Group: alt.trucks.ford Date: Wed, Oct 8, 2003, 12:32am (CDT+5) From: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (MKing98978) Before I start tearing things apart and testing everything or taking it into the garage and having my mechanic connect it to a machine to track a electrical problem, charge me whether he finds it or not, figured I'd ask.

The problem started with the wipers; don't work when first turned on, mess with the switch and they usually come on.

Headhights will sometime turn off while driving, just headlights, parking on others stay on, turn off headlight switch and then back on and they work.

Now it clicks once(solenoid) and with enough tries it then turns over engine starts, but its like the battery was disconnected--clock reset to

00:00 If anyone has any ideas where I can start looking, I'd appreciate them. Same me some of my weekend time. ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Check your battery terminals first, then check the connectors at the solenoid.

Sounds like your having a ground connection going out on you, loose or corrosion.

Clean or replace as needed, and see if that doesn't cure the symptom before you go throwing money at it.

Basic "Flow Chart" diagnostics........ a terrible thing to waste.

let us know,

Scrib Abell ~

Reply to
Scribb Abell

I once had my 78 Bronco do that, it turned out to be the the circuit breaker within the headlight switch that was causing it. The headlights just kicked off and on as the breaker overloaded and cooled off, and I actually managed to make a few people pull off the road while following them down the highway because they thought I was signalling morse code at them or something. If your headlight switch has the same self-contained circuit breaker as my 78 Bronco did, just replace the switch and traffic ahead of you at night will resume normal behavior.

Reply to
kenb

Sounds like starter solenoid on the fender has a bad contact. The head light problem sounds like a bad HL switch, as far as the wipers go check the big black plug down on the steering column. I had a stereo and alarm installed on one of my vehicles and the tech cut a wire and spliced it back together without a crimp on connector and it got wrapped around the brake pedal which disconnected the tach...It some thoughts...Point is to look around under the dash for unplugged or bare wires that don't belong.....

Reply to
Butzin

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