1988 FORD RANGER Electrical System Problems

I BOUGHT A 1988 FORD RANGER TAN GOLD IN COLOR LOVE THE TRUCK, BUT I WENT TO INDIANA TO PICK MY SON UP EVERYTHING WAS FINE BUT ON THE WAY BACK THAT'S WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED TO FALL APART HERE. OK, STARTER WOULDN'T RESTART HAD TO POP CLUTCH IT, AN THEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL ITSELF GAVE AWAY FROM THE FIRE WALL ON THE WAY HOME TO SAVANNA IL. OK, IT WAS DARK OUT SO THE NEXT DAY WENT TO LOOK AND MY SON AND I SAW THERE WAS A CRACK THERE SO WE TRIED TO FIX THIS AN SEE WHY IT WASN'T STARTING UP. I CALLED MIDAS TO SEE IF THEY WOULD WELD THIS UP FOR ME. WE HAVE TRIED CARPENTER TAPE TO TRY AND PULL THE FIRE WALL BACK IN TO RELEASE THE CLUTCH TO GET THIS TRUCK SOMEWHERE TO BE FIXED AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN FREEPORT IL , BUT I HAVE CALLED ON FORD TO DO SOMETHING AND NOT WAIT ON AN ACCIDENT OR RECALL. THE FLUID THAT LEAKED OUT HIT THE MOTOR GOING DOWN THE ROAD. UPDATED 5/12/10 *CN UPDATED IVOQ 05/26/10 ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE INVOICE. THE FIRE WALL COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE CONDITION IT WAS IN. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A NEW CAB. UPDATED IVOQ 07/13/10 UPDATED 07/15/10.8JB *TR

Mileage: 51,000

FAILURE IN THE IGNITION SYSTEM (THIRD TIME WITH THIS VEHICLE) 2-12-97 WAS THE FIRST TIME I REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE, THEN ON 10-01-01 THE IGNITION MODULE NEEDED TO REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THIS IS QUITE A CONCERN TO ME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLS OUT. I LOSE ALL POWER, INCLUDING STEERING. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE 55 FREEWAY DOING ABOUT 60 MPH. THIS FAILURE ALSO DAMAGED THE DISTRIBUTOR WHICH ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED*AK.

Mileage: 257,662

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY HEADLIGHTS STARTED FLICKING ON AND OFF. CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. *AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE IGNITION SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE, VEHICLE WAS PULL OUT THE ROAD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD. NLM

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, KEY WAS NOT IN IGNITION AND IT WAS IN GEAR , IT CAUGHT FIRE AND ROLLED ABOUT 50 FT WHERE IT HIT A BUILDING. $ AMOUNT OF DAMGE NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME. *AK

THIS PROBLEM OF THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPING FIRST OCCURRED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1990. I WAS ON INTERSTATE 70 DRIVING TO IN THE MOUNTAINS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THIS WAS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF ENGINE SHUTDOWNS THAT HAVE OCCURREDS CONTINUALLY SINCE THAT FIRST INCIDENT. THE SHUTDOWNS HAVE OCCURRED AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 25 MPH TO 75 MPH. THE USUALLY HAVE OCCURRED AT THE HIGHER SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY DURING WARMER WEATHER, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO OCCURRED AT LOWER SPEEDS IN THE CITY---ALTHOUGH LESS FREQUENTLY. WHEN I FIRST CHECKED WITH A MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE FUEL FILTER. REPLACING THESE DID NOT SOLVE IT. I ALSO HAD THE VEHICLE TUNED HOPING THAT WOULD SOLVE IT. SEVERAL TUNE UPS HAVE NOT HELPED. FINALLY, IN 1996 I WAS TOLD BY A FORD TRRAINED TECHICIAN WHOM I MET WHILE ON VACATION THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE TFI MODULE. JUST THIS SEPTEMBER I DECIDED TO HAVE THE UNIT REPLACE ( I HAD FOUND A GOOD FORD TRAINED MECHANIC WHOM I HAD BEEN TAKING THE VEHICLE TO FOR SERVICING AND A MINOR REPAIR THE PAST YEAR). HE REPLACED THE ORGINAL TFI MODULE AND THE STATOR ASSEMBLY WITH FORD FACTORY PARTS---TFI MODULE E6SZ-12A297-A AND THE STATOR ASSEMBLY E8PZ-12A112-A). TWO DAYS AFTER REPLACING THESE PARTS THE ENGINE QUITE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER, CO. I DID NOT LEARN THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WAS THE RESULT OF THE TFI MODULE GETTING TOO HOT UNTIL I READ ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN THE NEWSPAPER. THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE SHUTDOWNS IS THAT THE TFI MODULE IS MOUNTED TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT AFTER 1995 FORD MOVED THE UNIT TO UNDERNEATH THE FENDER AWAY FROM ENGINE. I READ ABOUT THE JUDGE IN CALIFORNIA WHO ORDER A RECALL OF ALL FORD VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM (AUG 8, 2000) I WROTE FORD AND ASKED FOR A REFUND OF THE MONEY I SPENT REPLACING THE UNIT. I ALSO REQUESTED THAT IF REPLACING THE UNIT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD MAKE THE NECESSARY MODIFICATIONS TO FIX IT

IGNITION SWITCH IS VERY WARM TO THE TOUCH AFTER OPERATION. I UNDERSTAND SOME FORDS WITH THIS SWITCH HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT NOT MINE. WHY? *AK

WHILE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME AUTOMOBILE BEGAN TO ACT UP. AFTER DRIVING APPROX 2 MILES SHE SMELLED SMOKE, AND SHE STOPPED AND OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE ENGINE ON FIRE. IT SPREAD TO THE DASH, AND BURNED THE SEATS INSIDE. *AK

THE EEC-IV COMPUTER SYSTEM FAILED.

OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING WITNESSES TOLD HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, OWNER THEN PULLED OVER TO FIND REAR OF VEHICLE ON FIRE. HE NOTES THAT HE AND HIS DOG HAD TO CLIMB OUT OF DRIVER'S SIDE TO ESCAPE, ENGINE THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

VEHICLE PARKED AND BURST INTO FLAMES. FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH.*AK

NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH WIRING WENT BAD IN HARNESS AND BURNT OUT SOLENOID AND STARTER.*AK

NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH WIRING WENT BAD IN HARNESS AND BURNT OUT SOLENOID AND STARTER.*AK

TRUCK WAS PARKED, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BURNED OUT, CONSUMER SAID THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO THE IGNITION SWITCH , DEALER SAID NOT IN THE RECALL, PURCHASED TRUCK USED . PLEASE DESCRIBE.*AK

STARTED TO STAY ON WITH KEY OUT OF IGNITION. THIS CAUSED THE BATTERY CABLE INSTALLATION TO MELT.*AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE WIRE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH BURNED OUT, GOT HOT . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK

UPON STARTING RADIO/WINDSHIELD WIPER/DASH INSTRUMENTS WORKED, BUT WHEN MOTOR STARTS EVERY THING TURNS OFF, REPAIR WIRING AT IGNITION SWITCH AND REPLACED SWITCH.

IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE.

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE WIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE DASH TO MELT, WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *AK

THE STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE UP IN THE MORNING, AND STARTED TO DRIVE TO WORK, HE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN AND THEN A FLAME OF FIRE APPEARED.*JB

RANGER WAS SITTING IN A PARKING LOT WHEN CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE PASSENGER SIDE (ELECTRICAL SHORT). PLEASE GIVE MORE INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, FROM THE BATTERY. *AK

ARRIVED HOME, PARKED VEHICLE AND WENT INSIDE OF HOME, NOTICED ABOUT 5 MINS LATER SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD, WITHIN MINS FIRE ENGULFED VEHICLE. *AK

ARRIVED HOME, PARKED VEHICLE AND WENT INSIDE OF HOME, NOTICED ABOUT 5 MINS LATER SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD, WITHIN MINS FIRE ENGULFED VEHICLE. *AK

HORN INOPERATIVE. *SD

BATTERY REPLACED. *SD

ALTERNATOR REPLACED. *SD

EXPERIENCING SHORTS IN IGNITION, HAVE TO JIGGLE TO MAKE IT OPERATE PROPERLY. *AK

EXPERIENCING SHORTS IN IGNITION, HAVE TO JIGGLE TO MAKE IT OPERATE PROPERLY. *AK

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION IS CAUSING THE COMPUTER TO GO DOWN IN THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

IGNITION SWITCH SEPARATED INTO 2 PARTS, CAUSING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES FAILING. *DSH

THE STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM IGNITION SWITCH, NO FIRE. *AK

THE WIRES IN THE CAR ARE BURNING AND THERE IS A BURNING SMELL PRESENT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

THE FIRE STARTED IN THE STEERING AND DASH FOR NO REASON THE CAR WAS PARKED. THE FIRE WAS ON 2/9/96. *AK

THE FIRE STARTED IN THE STEERING AND DASH FOR NO REASON THE CAR WAS PARKED. THE FIRE WAS ON 2/9/96. *AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AFTER DRIVEN AND PARKED. TRUCK BEGAN SMOKING UNTIL FIRE STARTED DUE POSSIBLE WIRING FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FIRE. *AK