# 1990 Ford Ranger will not start, and out of ideas! HELP! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford, ranger\ **Created:** [March 28, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116 "2011-03-28T22:37:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/1 "2011-03-28T22:37:49Z")
199o Ford Ranger will turn over but isn’t firing. We’ve replaced the battery, positive battery cable, distributer, distributer wires, the cylinoid inside the distributer, starter cylonoid. I’m out of ideas and it’s driving me nuts! Any ideas?? ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/2 "2011-03-28T22:43:45Z")
Give it a shot of starting fluid, if you get a kick you have a fuel problem. ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/3 "2011-03-28T22:58:01Z")
I’ll go tell the guys. They are still working on it as we speak. ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/4 "2011-03-28T23:00:50Z")
Okay… We’re still not getting a kick. Any other ideas?? There isn’t any spark. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![EllyEllis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@EllyEllis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EllyEllis)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/5 "2011-03-29T00:55:21Z")
Has the timing belt broken? ---
**Author:** ![Gary123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@Gary123](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Gary123)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/6 "2011-03-29T01:10:27Z")
If you can’t hear the fuel pump prime when you turn the key to ON, check the following … Constant control relay module Fuel shutoff switch Fuel pump Power flows from the constant control relay module to the fuel shut off switch and on to the fuel pump(did you try resetting the fuel shutoff?). Try putting 12 volts directly on the pink/black fuel pump wire. ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/7 "2011-03-29T02:36:50Z")
No, it’s still good… ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/8 "2011-03-29T02:38:09Z")
Fuel pump is working and priming. We’re not getting any spark from the coil… but the coil is brand new… ---
**Author:** ![EllyEllis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@EllyEllis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EllyEllis)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/9 "2011-03-29T03:01:23Z")
I repeat, has the timing belt broken\>\> ---
**Author:** ![teenchanic09](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/teenchanic09/32/1210_2.png) [@teenchanic09](https://community.cartalk.com/u/teenchanic09)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/10 "2011-03-29T03:30:22Z")
or has it jumped time? get it to TDC and check ---
**Author:** ![motorking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@motorking](https://community.cartalk.com/u/motorking)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/11 "2011-03-29T14:05:05Z")
remember three things, you need fuel, spark and compression to start. It would be very unlikely to loose all compression unless you have a four cylinder with a broken timing belt. Spray starting fluid, fires? You have no fuel, doesnt fire? You have no spark! ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/12 "2011-03-29T16:22:44Z")
You can check the timing belt by pulling the distributor cap and see if the rotor rotates while the engine is being cranked. If it is, the timing belt is not broken. Next, stop the engine at TDC. You can use the timing marks to determine this. Then look at the vanes on the distributor shaft and see if one of them is almost directly across from the pickup. It should be just a little past the center line on the pickup. If that is OK, then the belt has not jumped a tooth. If that checks out, pull the coil cable from the top of the distributor cap and put it near a ground and see if you get a spark from there. If you do, then replace the rotor. If you don’t, then you have one of the following, a distributor with a worn out center shaft, a bad pickup (may be called an ignitor) or a bad computer. Try pulling codes from the computer. These older vehicles don’t use a code reader, there are instruction for getting the MIL light to flash the codes if the check engine light is on. Another check of the computer is to turn the ignition switch to the on position without starting the engine to see if the light comes on for about 2 seconds and then goes off. If it doesn’t do this, then the computer is bad. ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/13 "2011-03-29T17:00:55Z")
No, the timing belt is not broken. ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/14 "2011-03-29T17:15:31Z")
Thank you, I’m having them check for TDC…and looking at the engine light to see if it’s the computer. the Coil, distributer, and pickup are all brand new. Seems like we have half the town working on this thing and nothing is working. I know it’s something simple, but it’s aggravating that it isn’t working. My husband and I had to leave it where it’s parked 4 hours away from home (at my brothers) and dumped almost $700 into it this weekend on new parts. So I am relaying all this information to my brother… I appreciate everyones input and help more than you know!! ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/15 "2011-03-29T18:09:43Z")
Here’s A Link To “Car Won’t Start ?” Tips. [http://www.aa1car.com/library/car\_wont\_start.htm](http://www.aa1car.com/library/car_wont_start.htm) CSA ---
**Author:** ![cnltip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@cnltip](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cnltip)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/16 "2011-03-29T18:16:28Z")
Thank you!! I’ll check it out and relay the info to the boys! ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/17 "2011-03-30T00:23:30Z")
Did the new distributor come with a new rotor. I once had one of these fail even though it looked perfect. Did you get a new cap? If your coil is mounted on the distributor, then the high tension wire (coil wire) is built into the cap. Use an ohm meter to see if the conductor is broken. Should be about 1k ohms from the output of the coil to the center post in the cap. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/18 "2011-03-30T02:00:14Z")
Ignition switch? Check for power at the red/green wire at the ignition coil when the key is in both the RUN and the START positions. You replaced the distributor. This is a TFI model Ford so did the new distributor come with a new ignition module attached to it or did this involve reusing the old module? If it’s the latter then you should consider a faulty ignition module. (very common problem with TFI-IV Ford vehicles.) You know that you’re probabaly going to feel pretty sheepish when the cause is discovered don’t you? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![7LVicki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/22d042/32.png) [@7LVicki](https://community.cartalk.com/u/7LVicki)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1990-ford-ranger-will-not-start-and-out-of-ideas-help/63116/19 "2011-04-17T18:03:14Z")
mass air flow sensor, have you tried replacing it?