I’ve got a 2001 Ford Ranger. It seemed to be running fine. I turned the key to start it,realized the dash lights were very dim, and the engine wouldn’t crank…dead silence, no clicks or any other noise. I cleaned the battery terminals, then we tried to jump start it, but still nothing. I replaced the battery, but the dash lights are still very dim, and still no attempt to turn the engine, clicks etc. One odd thing I noticed is this: if the key is in the ignition, and the door is open, the bell will ding several times, then pause and a click will sound under the dash board, then that sequence will repeat. The click comes from a black plastic ‘box’ thats located in the middle under the dash. I don’t know if that matters or not. Any help appreciated!
Have You Check The Other Ends Of The Battery Cables?
The new battery is fully charged, right? Try inspecting and /or cleaning the cable end connections that aren’t the battery ends. Did you try jumping from your negative battery terminal to a clean spot on the engine? Next try grounding to the truck’s body (unpainted, under-hood spot). Maybe a ground wire or ground strap has gone south. Your jumper cable will act as a temporary replacement cable.
Thanks for the tips, Common Sense. We’ll give them a try. I didn’t think to check the new battery charge and wouldn’t have thought about using the jumper cable as a temp. Could it be a stuck solenoid or starter motor? Just looking for other things to check once we get out there. Thanks.