Ford Ranger - Before you buy a Battery Alternator - for your Pick-up Watch this Youtube first 

Unbelievable!! HEY, I HAVE THE EXACT SAME TRUCK,ENGINE,YEAR,ALL OF IT, INCLUDING THE BATTERY ISSUE.. AND I JUST HAPPENED TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO BEFORE GOING TO GET NEW BATTERY,ALTERNATOR, AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF. BUT I DID THE THINGS YOU DID AND WALLAH !! My truck is perfect again, thnx so much

I had the same problem with my 98 Ranger. It wont start out the blue and then later or the next day it will start again. The fist time it happened, I cleaned up the battery terminals and the cables showing corrosion. It worked for a while. This week it happened again and the truck died completely. After watching your video, I followed your advise and checked the ground contact with the truck frame. Sure enough, after cleaning the rust and putting things back, it worked! Your video has probably solved to troubleshoot the problem to many people. Thank you for a well explained solution.

Thank you!! This fixed my wifes truck in 20 minutes after a morning of headaches.

Thank you for the nickles worth of free advice! Poor boy wants to drive again! You did me a solid!

Glad all i bought was a new battery. Mine was mfg. 2017 so it might have been time. My gauges don't jerk around anymore. Thank you .

This SAVED me while stranded at a gas station. After no success jumping the truck (which had the clicking under the dash with no interior light on and barely any dash lights, symptoms of a truly dead battery) and then spending 4 hrs driving to 3 Walmart’s to find a battery to exchange for my supposedly dead one (COVID created battery manufacturing supply chain issues for my local Walmarts), I returned to the gas station to install new battery. Welp same issue continued despite new battery! Disheartened I searched YT and found this video. My truck had 200k miles with the factory barrel connectors still. I purchased a bottle of Diet Coke (eats corrosion off connectors) and after a short 5 min soak I washed connectors with some water, dried, reconnected the battery to the truck. I did the Diet Coke soak with the terminals disconnected from the battery btw. Fired up immediately like it never even happened. Got me home and I’ll be replacing the factory terminals with the style shown in your video. THANK YOU!!!

Having the exact same issue. Gonna do what you advised today. Thank you for making this video. 🙏🏻👍

I got an 87 ranger I’ve been through the entire wiring harness when I switched the totaled body out and yes the battery connects you have will collect moisture and cause Battery corrosion and if you let it get bad enough you’ll have to rewire everything from the alternator through the solenoid almost to the starter so yes replace those open ended tables with the proper Crimped battery cables will help prevent future problems hopefully my advice helps but I promise I used non water tight crimps on the entire swap job and I’m here 10 years later reworking all the wiring with proper shrink connects

Excellent video. Can't go wrong when you check out all the possibilities. Thanks a lot.

I've replaced the starter, and the battery. My first thought was the solenoid. But I will try this first

Same problem...cleaned battery terminals and ground wires. Now it is charging ok!

I have a 2003 Ranger 2.3 L and it did not have the jumpy gauge needle symptom as reported in the video, but I was having battery/alternator problem symptoms. As it turned out, my problem was a loose negative terminal connection on the battery. This video saved me a lot of time and money! Thanks!

I have had this same exact issue with my ranger. I got really lucky and diagnosed it first thing. I never get that lucky with working on cars.

First gas gauge did not work and out of the blue is fixed its self. Then it would not start / thought old battery replace it done. Now after some time battery starts going dead after few days driving. So I brought it to a parts place to check it out . The alternator was bad they said. So I replaced the alternator - next day battery dead after using the truck. Brought it to a mechanic and he said new alternator bad. WENT TO RETURN ALTERNATOR AND store checked out new and old alternator by a bench test. Answer both are good? Reason said must be wiring in truck.Bench testing eliminates any wiring in the truck.and tests only the alternator.This ground problem seems to be my problem also. Next day i will find the ground to frame and make sure it is clean and good. Thanks for the help Lane

Negative terminals are among the parts of a vehicle where corrosion loves to form. Whether it be at the battery or the body, or even accessories, the combination of water, salt, dirt, etc wreak havoc by causing anodic/galvonic corrosion. It happens at sites where you have dissimilar metals joined and its the more reactive metal that always corrodes. This is why we have lead posts AND lead terminals for battery connections. It's also why we get the green scale where copper wire joins the lead terminals. A periodic checkup of as many ground connections throughout the engine bay is most definitely a good practice especially on an older or high miler vehicle.

I had my check engine light on for, oh about 80xxx miles. One day I decided to give the engine bay a very good detailing. It never came back on after that. The error code it was putting out was a "random misfire". Although I never did find out what exactly caused it, a good cleaning, and some inspection can save you a lot of money. Currently having an issue with my voltage gauge diving, and the battery indicator light flashing. What you explained in the video is exactly what I will be doing tonight. Thanks.

Was having problems with engine codes appearing, but no apparent solutions on my 96 Ranger. I looked at my battery clamps and decided to replace them as the wire leads were frayed and worn - a fairly obvious and cheap repair. I put on some brass clamps, cleaned the terminal posts and wow what a difference! With a better voltage from the battery my ODBI error codes disappeared and so did some other quirky problems departed as well. My emergency flash relay stopped clicking (as it had been doing for some time with the switch in the off position). So, much like what Notsofast explained don't just look at the seemingly obvious and expensive solutions, but look for other possible issues such as he ultimately did. You can save some money by not automatically assuming that the most obvious problem or error code is the issue. Thanks for the problem and solution video.

I was experiencing all kinds of weird symptoms and it turns out this was also a culprit.

This helped me alot , and I saved MONEY!!

Also the fuse for dash and parking lights can drain your battery and its will die when it's cold idk why those fuse boxes are so bad

Well that's my problem.. the ground wire.. its wired into the middle of the negative wire... but I'm also dealing with a lot of corrosion from the battery cables themselves

This just happened to me! Saved me lots of money

This is the same exact issue I'm having as far as the black wire on the battery. Battery light keeps flashing, etc. Changing it here soon. Thanks for the video 👍

Best way to fix the ground wire is to strip it and SOLDER a terminal end onto it and use the bolt on the battery clamp so it is held on tight there. That terminal is aftermarket and replacing the battery cables today are a major job I hate those style clamps but if you keep them clean they work for years. The other thing to do is spray the terminals with anti corrosion spray to keep them from getting corroded and causing a problem

I had some problems with my 94 ranger and there was at least 4 wires going to the ground , you only want 1 ground ,1 wire going to the ground post, the others go back 4" make a cut on the ground cable connect them with a hose clamp seal It, you only need one wire going to your battery post the others hook together 4" away, it's just more wires to corrode and cause issues.

Thanks for the info

I'm hoping my 'battery warning' light means the same as yours did!!! Thanks.

I had a similar problem with my 1989 Ford Ranger. Sometimes it would start-up; other times nothing. I couldn’t figure out why there was an intermittent start and no-start so I took it to my mechanic. The diagnosis computer couldn’t identify the problem and the mechanic couldn’t duplicate the non-start. The mechanic said the battery was low so I had him replace it. I thought this solved the problem since I had no issues for a week; then the start and no-start happened again. This time, however, it was a total no-start so I had it towed to the mechanic. The mechanic was mystified until he pulled back the positive battery cable insulation and found the wire corroded. This was something that I would never have considered causing the problem. The mechanic replaced the battery wire free of charge since I had already paid for a new battery.

Great information

THANK YOU I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM

I had a no start, no power. No lights no horn nothing electrical worked. It was a bad ground at the other end of that wire, where the wire connects to body. 6” away from battery.

U could of done the alternator simple stuff;) awesome video bro

A scan tool would never detect this problem but a wiring diagram will get you pointed in the right direction. Always do a visual and wiggle test.

Today I was going up a hill my truck was puttering a lil then had loss of power gas pedal floored going like 20-30 mph when I pulled over battery light came on turned it off and back on ran fine but when I would slow down or be at a stop light or parked the truck would shake having a rough idle

On my mazda b4000 2007 (almost the same truck) there also a fuse in the negative cable, yes yes, between alternator and battery.

Thanks!

I am at the alternator solution. Hopefully this works.

Mine was the ground wire under the fuel pump relay prong in the fuse box if that makes sense

Oh shit I bought an alternator lol . I'm gonna check my ground and if its that thanks for saving me money. My brand new battery died as well I had to jump it 2 times to get home. I bought an alternator because I'm a doer and I work hard I do not have time to mess around and most the time (mind you I have no mechanic schooling) I am right on my diagnostic no plug in pure common knowledge. I will comment my update but I hope its this wire I paid 177 for my alternator so you'll save me 100 bucks

Hmmm wonder if thays the issue with my 89 ford ranger xlt. Oil pressure guage goes down at idle when i turn the heater on lights etc. Changed the alternator helped but still batter voltage needle goes down when lights and heater etc not as bad as before im going to check all the grounds.

The black wire is not the ground is the negative.

My car died few days ago and I replaced the battery. Now my car is running but I’m here this noise coming from the alternator. So I bought a multimeter and this is my reading Car off = 12.6V Engine on = 13.8V Engine on and pressing the gas = 14.02V and up Any advice ??? Do I also need to change my alternator?

Hi, while I was driving it randomly shut off mid drive. So I stopped and put the gear back on park and started it over again. It worked but only for a little while. Then it happened again. I later jump started and let the battery charge it for 15min and drove it again and worked fine. Until it happened again. What could be the problem? Took it to the mechanic and the battery and the alternator are fine? Just kinda stuck on what’s wrong with it.

Does anybody know the guage (AWG) of this wire? I need a replacement. But am an electrician and have an abundance of stranded copper. Looks like # 8 to me... but will need automotive rated wire. Turns out the conector snapped off the bolt to frame and the wire came loose from my battery terminal and is lost on the road somewhere. When i first opened the hood i had a gut feeling there used to be two wires connected to that terminal... been dealing with parasitic drain for 2 weeks, tracing it to my battery saver relay that was hot to the touch. Replaced it and same problem... but if i leave it un plugged i have no dome light and obdII port wont work. Solved the parasitic drain but would like to keep it in. Wasnt untill i serched the GEM module that this video popped up. I will replace the wire and give an update once i do.

I have a 2001 Mazda truck which is a rebadged ford ranger. The battery gauge ,is way down near L so I replaced the battery. No change on the gauge. Took back battery, got another one. No change. Tested the alternator and it read out of normal range. I'm about to buy a new alternator . I've had no problems starting the truck. The wipers are slow, but I've noticed nothing else out of the ordinary. Any thoughts?

This is what I found out? What did you find out ? This is what I found out

Did the abs turn on wen ur battery died because on my truck my battery started going low and low and then the abs turn on then the battery died

My 1999 Ranger V6 only works if the Radio is turned ON.

What my issues are is with 2,brand new batteries my battery does over night every night I checked the alternator and its reading good I even pulled the hot wire off the battery while it was running and it stayed running I dont have the black wire to the body could this be my issue? My ranger is a 1996 4.0l 4x4

Any time it sits more than 3 days it growls like it doesn't want to start. Today it didn't start. Clicking only. It's got new terminal connectors. Could the battery be old? I bought it about 8 weeks ago. It had lots of problems but the engine is solid and it's stick shift.

similar issue, ill have to try this tomorrow morning, thanks 👍

Cut the soundtrack.... please

My 2000 3.0l V6 is having a ground issue I believe to be, going down a gravel road the battery light would flicker on and off and the rate of battery charge would drop and cease to conduct until the battery light went off then went straight back to normal. How many ground cables are there on this model, I have only found 6, 4 up under the hood, and 2 more underneath the body onto the frame

Man, My batt. indicator light stays on when I start the truck. The Charging Gauge is not centered like yours, it is below the battery picture when I turn the key to accessory without starting the engine. I tested the battery with both a multi-meter and a electronic battery charger both with the truck running and off and the Alt. is charging at the Battery 14.6 volts when running and 12.75 volts at 100%. When everything is off but the battery indicator is still on and the battery needle is not shaking but shows not in the middle like yours. When I turn the the key to the Accessory the Oil Pressure Needle gets Pinned at the bottom and the battery needle goes up to below the middle then when I start it the oil pressure needle goes up to normal and the Battery needle points to the right button on the battery picture slightly below the middle. I know the oil pressure needle should go up like yours when I turn the key to accessory but it goes down and gets pinned. Also when I shut her down the oil pressure needle should slowly go down to the pin but it goes down and stops at about the L.

"master mechanic" couldn't figure this out? 🤨

I disconnected my negative cable and positive cable and my car was still running, the car starts up find soon as I shut the engine off my car stalls my battery light is still on do you think it's the terminal because my negative cable is not clamping on like it should I even charged my battery for 13 hours

Thank you I’ll see if it’ll work

It was my contact it was my alternator corrosion

Battery light doesn't go out when started

Would this be the same case in a 4.0 SOHC 1998 2dr Explorer Sport 4x4. I have roughly same milage and my truck is flickering and feels like it wants to stall out and my battery, belts ect are new. The guy at Autozone was saying alternator and I priced those not cheap! So hoping it's not that. My battery gauge goes low and back and forth same with the old gauge

Fords have to have a,good ground

grease your wires with dielectric grease

This is the exact problem I'm having... Exactly. I replaced the battery also. I'm going to look at the ground in the morning. Is there still a chance it could be the alternator?

Great video has not helped If you dont mind me asking what is the music in the backround called its catchy

OK That top gauge looks like a water temp gauge

Can it be The gauge cluster

Are you ever going to tell us what's the problem is

Ran across this video late, but still gotta say that the people who said those terminals were not correct, well they aren't ford parts but did it fix your problem? Yes? That makes them correct. Just trying to sell you something for 20$ that you can get at o'Reilly auto for 8$(pair). If it conducts electricity, it is fine. I would recommend to put some grease or some other form of protection on the terminals to keep acid buildup from forming, just saying... Scott the car guy

the problem I hate with this Video Is if you look at the battery ends there not a factory. You have Copper end wires that are exposed to the Air water and Battery acid. Just one more thing that you people don't keep an eye on your trucks. Plus in colder area's you get more acid Build up on your wire connectors do to the water or moisture getting to that Copper wires. Put bare copper wires strands in water add a little salt see what happens to the wires over time. Never use them cheap wire connectors For quick fixes is ok But in cold or really hot states or states with a lot of rain Them wires get electrolysis the Green and wite build up on the wires them selfs.

easy to use a voltmeter to test alternator. Mine just gave uo the ghost after 260,000 miles (1999 XLT 4.0)

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You wasted my time