1996 Ford Ranger help needed

[Swamplion]

It is common for Lights come on even when the truck is started up momentarily on most vehicles as they go through their checks/startup processes

Solid advice to know because my son (as well as nephews/nieces) enjoyed my truck. My father and I took them to the woods to learn how to hunt, fish, forage and track in the woods with it.
Hoping to pass it down to him so he has a good truck to rely on like my father did and I did.

 

[Swamplion]

The clicking your hearing is the starter solenoid not having enough power to turn the starter motor. You either have a bad battery or corrosion on the cables

It gives a singular click with each try of the Start.

I thought it was the truck having a possible parasitic drain, so I would unhook them from the truck and move them to inside the cab or in my garage away from the cold and weather.

 

[C'mon man!]

Every so often the corrosion on my battery terminals make my Tundra do a similar thing, acts like the battery is dead. I take my dead blow mallet and smack the battery clamp, and we're back in business. Yours doesn't sound so simple, but it's worth a shot. Maybe tap on the grounds as well.

 

[lostchild]

Be nice to start over from scratch with a known good, fully charged battery. And clean those battery cable connections, too.

 

[41mag]

If you were closer , I could come look (well, my current condition is not great at the moment either) but you are going to have to find out if it has a short or a drain on the battery. It is possible that you have a faulty starter, a drain from any number of things, etc. it will need to be diagnosed by someone who knows.
I would start with a fresh/known good battery and a volt meter on the cables to see if there is a parasitic drain of some sort.
If you get a known good battery in it and it does not start….you need to begin with cables then starter. There is also a few thing that will keep one from starting…bad ign switch, solenoid on starter, cables, neutral safety switch…..
It is very hard to diagnose one without seeing it.

Is it a manual or auto trans ?

 

[Swamplion]

Every so often the corrosion on my battery terminals make my Tundra do a similar thing, acts like the battery is dead. I take my dead blow mallet and smack the battery clamp, and we're back in business. Yours doesn't sound so simple, but it's worth a shot. Maybe tap on the grounds as well.

Interesting, I will give let you know if that works.

 

[streetroc]

Interesting, I will give let you know if that works.

What do the battery terminals look like where the cables attach? If you see any kind of white powdery buildup you need to take the cables off and clean the contact points with a wire brush.

 

[Swamplion]

Be nice to start over from scratch with a known good, fully charged battery. And clean those battery cable connections, too.

WILCO, lostchild

 

[Swamplion]

What do the battery terminals look like where the cables attach? If you see any kind of white powdery buildup you need to take the cables off and clean the contact points with a wire brush.

Everything is clean on and around the battery terminals

 

[streetroc]

Everything is clean on and around the battery terminals

Next step is to check for a dead battery. Do you have a charger or any jumper cables?