Instant Death in Kingman

Hello Everyone,
First time posting to this forum. This ranger wont start. Yesterday it was running fine. This morning, turn the key and nothing.
No indication of anything.
It doesnt turn over and sound like its out of gas.
It doesnt click and sound like a low battery.
It doesnt make the cab lights dim when the key is turned.
Total silence.
Those are my clues. No noise no clicking, no anything. I'm stumped. :banghead:
Anyone have any ideas?

Hi, and welcome to the forum. You mentioned that the cab lights work, and I'm assuming that the dash warning lamps illuminate and the gauges come to life when the ignition is switched on. If that's the case, then combined with your other symptoms it seems likely that no voltage is reaching the starter motor solenoid.

I'm not familiar with your vehicle but I had a look at the wiring diagram, and all 2001 models appear to share the same starter circuit, which is fed thus:

Fuse #11 (50A, located in Battery Junction Box) - to ignition switch 'Start' contacts - to Fuse #24 (7.5A, located in Central Junction Box) - to Clutch Pedal Position Switch (if manual) or Digital Transmission Range Sensor (if automatic) - to hot end of Starter Relay coil (located in Battery Junction Box) - then if it's a 2.5L the bottom end of the relay coil connects directly to ground, or for the 2.3L, 3.0L, 4.0L, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) switches the bottom end of the coil to ground.

Ok, so that's the circuit which energises the Starter Relay coil, and then when the switched contacts within the relay close, they complete this circuit:

Fuse #11 (50A, located in Battery Junction Box) - to Starter Relay switched contacts input terminal - to Starter Relay switched contacts output terminal - to Starter Motor Solenoid 'S' terminal (there will be three terminals at the starter motor solenoid - two large, with heavy cables attached, and one small, with a thin wire attached - that small one is the 'S' terminal).

First check would be fuse #11, then fuse #24. If they're ok then listen for a click from the Starter Relay in the battery junction box. If that doesn't click when the ignition is switched to 'Start', then you might have an open-circuit in the ignition switch 'Start' contacts, or the transmission safety switch, or the associated wiring, or you might just have a faulty relay. Look to see if you have an identical relay elsewhere in the junction box and try temporarily swapping them. If you don't have an identical one to swap with, then at least unplug that one and ensure that the pins are clean and free of corrosion, and ensure it is firmly seated.

If you have a multimeter or a 12V test lamp, the voltage will be easy enough to trace through the circuit, and if you go to the link below and follow the instructions in the first post, it will lead you to a wiring diagram. If you're not too familiar with reading wiring diagrams then let me know if you need any help.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=890909

Is this an automatic? If so, try and put it in neutral and start the truck. If it turns on the neutral safety switch is bad. Had this happen with my truck everytime it would not start I put it in neutral and she would come to life. And when it would do this in park you would not hear a damn thing (no clicks or anything). Was a speratic problem.