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Faint Spark At Battery Conection       #: 844
 Moderated by: NoPower, Mike69, MaDMaXX,
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 Posted: Sun May 6th, 2018 07:55 pm
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Waterlooboy2hp
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I have had my new battery drain after the truck has sat unused for 2-5 weeks. I am getting a faint spark at the battery connection when nothing on the truck is turned on. Is this normal, due to the anti-theft light, doing it`s thing??

I have pulled all of the small and large fuses, one at a time and the faint spark is still there. Only time it goes away, is when I pull the 50 amp I/P panel fuse. Anything else I should check ?? --- John



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 Posted: Sun May 6th, 2018 09:56 pm
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JAMMAN

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If you mean a faint spark when you put the cable back on the battery yes perfectly normal. There is a lot more going on there than just the anti theft light, there is the radio (even off it draws a little for the memory), the GEM constantly monitors things under its control not just anti theft so yes the battery is never truly disconnected from the system and will spark when you connect the last cable be it positive or negative.



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01 XLT 2WD RC Steppie 3.0 auto Silver
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 Posted: Sun May 6th, 2018 11:47 pm
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Scrambler82
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How old is the battery ?

When batteries get old they will not handle setting for too long without running or recharge !

Alternative is a Battery Minder type of charger.



____________________
Ltr,
2003 EDGE, Std Cab, Steppie, E4 Red, 5sp, 4x
5" SuperLift, 33" x 12.50 x 15"
Hurst Shifter
Mod'd Backrack to fit Steppie
Front and Rear Bumpers by Custom 4x4 Fabrication, OK; now Mike's Welding and Fabrication.
Working on more Mods, just need more time, longer days would work !
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 Posted: Mon May 7th, 2018 09:34 am
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Waterlooboy2hp
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Thanks for the info about the faint spark. Let me back up a bit. I had installed an aftermarket tachometer with a shift light, late last summer. In late fall, I found the 5+ year old battery was all but dead. I swapped in a bad lawnmower for a new battery for the truck. Installed the new battery and started the truck, but glanced at the wrong gauge on the dash and thought it was not being charged. I installed a new alternator and looked at the right gauge this time.

After 6 weeks, the new battery was dead. Took it back and they said it had a dead cell. They gave me a replacement. Several weeks later, I happened to glance through the window of the truck and the red shift light was on and the battery was near dead. If I turned the parking, or headlights on, the shift light on the tachometer went out. I unplugged the sensor wire from the tachometer on both ends and recharged the battery. ---- A few days later, I plugged the sensor wire back in and the shift light did not come on. I checked every day for the light and nothing. Went to start the truck and the battery was near dead. If I turn on the headlights, the shift light comes on. I unhooked all 4 wires on the tachometer and recharge the battery.

I am now thinking that the circuit in the tachometer is  somehow  causing the problem. I`ll wait and see now if the battery stays charged. ----- John



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================================================
"If You Ain`t The Lead Dog, The Scenery Never Changes"
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 Posted: Mon May 7th, 2018 11:25 am
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Waterlooboy2hp wrote:
....... Anything else I should check ?? --- John

Maximum current draw on the battery after the vehicle is fully powered down (depending on the vehicle, current draw when powered down does NOT automatically mean, current draw right after the key is turned off) should not exceed 50mA. Without a signature I have no idea what you are driving and what that 50A fuse is protecting, but you could look at the schematics for the vehicle over on bbbind.com, identify what circuits are downstream from that fuse, and continue troubleshooting them.



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 Posted: Mon May 7th, 2018 12:00 pm
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Waterlooboy2hp wrote:
Thanks for the info about the faint spark. Let me back up a bit. I had installed an aftermarket tachometer with a shift light, late last summer. In late fall, I found the 5+ year old battery was all but dead. I swapped in a bad lawnmower for a new battery for the truck. Installed the new battery and started the truck, but glanced at the wrong gauge on the dash and thought it was not being charged. I installed a new alternator and looked at the right gauge this time.

After 6 weeks, the new battery was dead. Took it back and they said it had a dead cell. They gave me a replacement. Several weeks later, I happened to glance through the window of the truck and the red shift light was on and the battery was near dead. If I turned the parking, or headlights on, the shift light on the tachometer went out. I unplugged the sensor wire from the tachometer on both ends and recharged the battery. ---- A few days later, I plugged the sensor wire back in and the shift light did not come on. I checked every day for the light and nothing. Went to start the truck and the battery was near dead. If I turn on the headlights, the shift light comes on. I unhooked all 4 wires on the tachometer and recharge the battery.

I am now thinking that the circuit in the tachometer is  somehow  causing the problem. I`ll wait and see now if the battery stays charged. ----- John

OK... so my first step is disconnect the Tach with Shift Light.
Leave it for a month or so to determine if the New Battery is up to the task.
Does your Ranger have an in dash Tachometer ?

Also, have the truck checked out (AGAIN) with the "Disconnected Tach/Shift Light", I would have the charging system tested, even if you did it once when you purchased the new alternator !
Have Auto Zone or another similar Shop check out the system under load.  Load testing is sometimes the only way to determine if the alternator, battery, and even wiring is up to the task !

Also, quick question, "Is the new battery rated for the Ranger" ?  I wouldn't want to think some how the "Lawn Mower" Battery got SIZED in there.

Now what else have you connected as "New Electronics or Electrics" in the Ranger ?

Sometimes it is easier to start with the most recent connected electronics to determine if something is either shorted or the wire color is off in the connections.

Sorry I can't be more specific, I am not an auto Electrican or even a mechanic... I just hunt and peck until I find something !



____________________
Ltr,
2003 EDGE, Std Cab, Steppie, E4 Red, 5sp, 4x
5" SuperLift, 33" x 12.50 x 15"
Hurst Shifter
Mod'd Backrack to fit Steppie
Front and Rear Bumpers by Custom 4x4 Fabrication, OK; now Mike's Welding and Fabrication.
Working on more Mods, just need more time, longer days would work !
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 Posted: Mon May 7th, 2018 04:53 pm
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Waterlooboy2hp
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Sorry, that was a poor choice of words about the mower battery. I turned a mower battery in to the store when i bought the new battery for the ranger. I kept the 5+ year old battery, that I took out of the truck, because it still holds a full charge.

The truck does not have an in dash tachometer. I would have sworn that i had a sig line, with my truck info in it. I also have can no longer post a new subject, or reply to existing posts with Internet Explorer like I have always done before. On IE, the the icon bar is missing. I have to switch to Fire-Fox in order to post, or reply. Maybe my sig line got lost in the shuffle. ----- John



____________________
2000 XLT - 2WD - 5 Speed - 3.0 Flex - Step/Side - AC
================================================
"If You Ain`t The Lead Dog, The Scenery Never Changes"
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 Posted: Mon May 7th, 2018 06:19 pm
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Scrambler82
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Waterlooboy2hp wrote:   The truck does not have an in dash tachometer. I would have sworn that i had a sig line, with my truck info in it. I also have can no longer post a new subject, or reply to existing posts with Internet Explorer like I have always done before. On IE, the the icon bar is missing. I have to switch to Fire-Fox in order to post, or reply. Maybe my sig line got lost in the shuffle. ----- John



Not sure what your "Sig" Line has to do with your problem, it won't answer any of the questions I asked... and in fact it confuses things because it calls out your Model as XLT... so I thinking you should have a Tach in the truck.

So Thanks for responding to your own thread.

I will back off now before I get myself in trouble with another Site !

Good Luck with your problem, I hope you find the problem.

Ltr



____________________
Ltr,
2003 EDGE, Std Cab, Steppie, E4 Red, 5sp, 4x
5" SuperLift, 33" x 12.50 x 15"
Hurst Shifter
Mod'd Backrack to fit Steppie
Front and Rear Bumpers by Custom 4x4 Fabrication, OK; now Mike's Welding and Fabrication.
Working on more Mods, just need more time, longer days would work !
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 Posted: Mon May 7th, 2018 10:52 pm
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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen


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Waterlooboy2hp wrote:
Sorry, that was a poor choice of words about the mower battery. I turned a mower battery in to the store when i bought the new battery for the ranger. I kept the 5+ year old battery, that I took out of the truck, because it still holds a full charge.

The truck does not have an in dash tachometer. I would have sworn that i had a sig line, with my truck info in it. I also have can no longer post a new subject, or reply to existing posts with Internet Explorer like I have always done before. On IE, the the icon bar is missing. I have to switch to Fire-Fox in order to post, or reply. Maybe my sig line got lost in the shuffle. ----- John

I think it isn't the original cluster, I could have sworn the only 2000's that didn't have a tach was the 2.5 automatics, even the 2.5 with a stick had the tach. I'm pretty sure, someone check please.



____________________
00 XLT 4WD RCSB 3.GO! Jalapeño
01 XLT 2WD RC Steppie 3.0 auto Silver
The future belongs to those who show up.
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 Posted: Wed May 9th, 2018 10:09 am
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Waterlooboy2hp
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JAMMAN wrote:
I think it isn't the original cluster, I could have sworn the only 2000's that didn't have a tach was the 2.5 automatics, even the 2.5 with a stick had the tach. I'm pretty sure, someone check please.


================================

My 2000 owners guide shows the tachometer equipped cluster as being optional. ---- John





____________________
2000 XLT - 2WD - 5 Speed - 3.0 Flex - Step/Side - AC
================================================
"If You Ain`t The Lead Dog, The Scenery Never Changes"
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 Posted: Wed May 9th, 2018 03:18 pm
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JAMMAN

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Interesting.



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00 XLT 4WD RCSB 3.GO! Jalapeño
01 XLT 2WD RC Steppie 3.0 auto Silver
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