No power from the battery to the car..

Check tighten and clean all battery connections.

Right on. and if battery is 5+ years old it's likely near the end of it's reasonable expected life span Voltage is one thing, but cranking amps is what you need to start the car,,the voltage can be fine but not delivering CCA's. G'Morning dandy welcome back

Morning fordnut. Been working a new project vehicle and to busy to get on here.

Has your wife said "get this transmission out of here, I want to take a bath?' if so, you might be... (Foxworthy)

The battery is 3 weeks old...

Have you checked the frame and motor negative battery connections. Also check voltage on battery while placing negative tester lead on metal of the motor.

Also has it been acting up in any way before? any warning lights on?

You will like this one fordnut. 1990 Ranger xlt

No there were no signs... Car was running like a pro...it looks like the bolt that the negative wire goes to on the motor is all gummed up..and rusted..

Also check battery voltage positive lead on large bolt back of alternator. If no power here then follow this wire back to battery. There is a fuseable link in this wire. If it's blown then you will have no power to rest of car.

I checked the negative on motor like u said it was reading 12.80

Might want to try and clean that connection. Hook jumper cable to negative of battery and the other end of negative jumper cable to metal of the motor. Did you get power to rest of car. If so bad negative connection. Can do same thing with positive side. Hook positive jumper cable to positive of battery and the other positive jumper cable to large nut back of alternator. Did you get power back to rest of car? If so either loose/bad battery connection or blown fuseable link.

From the back of the alternator it was reading 13..

Ok then ground good. Test the positive from the large bolt on back of alternator to negative of battery.

And you have no power inside of car? No radio or lights?

No power doing that

No power at all.. No dome light no radio my motor for my headlights won't even go on..

I'm so lost on this... Like I said it was running perfectly fine yesterday... I hooked a battery charger to the battery and it sounds like the battery was gurgling

Ok. From your battery you should have one large positive wire and one smaller positive wire. Follow the smaller one about a foot and you should see the fuseable link. Carefully probe the wire behind the link and test voltage to negative of battery. If none then it's probably blown.

No fusible link on that wire it is just astraight wire.. Runs to a box on the side of the radiator with a bunch of other wires and there are fusible link wires there.. Looks like its running tothe fan

And you had no power on large bolt back of alternator?

Is this like yours? I am trying to find schematic ..click to full screen

In junction box models one should be going to the fans.

No fordnut

I have volatage coming from alternator

I just took the batt to parts store.. Its tested 100% charged

Ok. Tighten and clean the negative battery cable on the frame and motor. Also if side post connections on battery might want to trim some of the rubber from around the connection area. Have seen where this rubber on older model cars gets in the way of a good connection. Specially around the bolt area.

If power to the alternator then it's probably not the positive side that's giving you the issue. Do same test on alternator with negative lead of tester touching metal of the motor. If no power then it's a negative connection issue.

I did what u said to the alternator.. And it said 000 just gave me a minus sign.. So that means its a ground prob??

Yes. If you go from alternator to battery and get voltage. But when go alternator to motor and get no voltage then you have a negative battery connection issue. Either at the battery or on the motor/frame.

Thank u.. I'm cleaning the negative to the frame as we speak... Its rusted all to hell...

I wish I knee how to post pics on here from my phone so I can show pics

email them to yourself, save (on desktop is easiest) then click 'add photo' (you must have some text first even one character)..browse, right click on the image and "select" ..if that is not possible with your phone there are other ways

I cleaned that ground to the block and I still have nothing..

I don't know I can't figure out the picture thing

Use your meter and check continuity between the negative battery terminal and the metal case of the alternator.

This picture is of my positive post but note that all the rubber is gone where the bolt goes thru it. This will give you an idea of what I talking about you doing to your negative one.

I hhooked a jumper fromgg the bhhig bolt on the alternator to the two wire and got power.. Whatx does that mmean...

Sorry Not sure how you hooked up jumper. Jumper from where to where?

Jumper from negative battery terminal to big mounting bolt on alternator? If so and got power then it's still a negative battery connection issue. Either battery frame or motor connection.

I hooked up a jumper from the big bolt on the alternator and to the two wire connector on the alternator... Got power.. Then I went under the car to the starter grabbed the wires and got power car started up.. Not sire what that means.. But car is running..

By doing that you are by passing some fuses. Did you check for blown fuses?

Yes I did I pulled every fuse they were all good.... Still don't know what happened but like I said I pulled on the wires at the starter and the car started up and is still starting up...

Well its starts up fine Now... After I got it started it was acting up for a few days like as I was breaking.. U could hear it swaying from all most during to running good.. occasionally it would shut off but now it seems fine.. Just the batt voltage jumps around... Do u think the positive wire had something to do with it...