How to Know If a Starter Is Going Bad in a 2001 Ford Ranger?
- 1). Listen to your 2001 Ford Ranger. If you hear a whirling sound and a "click," after which nothing else happens, that is the sound of your starter rotating and not engaging with the flywheel properly. However, that does not necessarily mean that you will never be able to start your Ranger again with the same starter in place. If the starter is just beginning to go bad, then you will most likely be able to get a couple more starts out of it. Simply keep trying to turn it off and on again.
- 2). Jump your car with a set of jumper cables. Another car should be running and you should have the jumper cables attached to your battery once they are attached to the other vehicle. Turn the Ranger ignition key switch to "On." If nothing happens, you will know that it is not your battery that is malfunctioning. As a result, you can use the process of elimination to rule out your battery, and most likely your alternator as well. Be sure to wriggle the wires on your 2001 Ford Ranger battery cables to make sure that your cables are not too loose or there is a short somewhere in the system. If your Ranger still does not turn on, that is even more evidence that the starter is the problem.
- 3). Tap your starter lightly with a hammer. Although some may believe this to be an old wives' tale, if you tap your starter with a hammer a couple of times and then try to start your Ranger, you may be able to get it to start. If that does work, you should know that the starter is going bad for sure.
- 4). Take your Ranger to a parts store. They will be able to hook up your starter to a machine to test it. They will also be able to test your electrical system, alternator, and car battery. This will not only remove any doubts about what the problem is, but also give you a peace of mind about whether or not the other parts need replacing also.
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