So this happened to me twice yesterday, and hasn't happened again since (approx 75 miles of driving). Yesterday after getting my tires balanced about a mile down the road I come to a red light and slow down, before I come to a stop my radio shuts off for a second and my truck is dead. It didn't have an abrupt stop (like one would feel when a car stalls out), it just felt like I turned off the ignition (no feeling at all). So there I was with a dead truck. I put it in park, and turned the key and it started back up with no problem. This happened twice yesterday, both under similar circumstances. Anybody have any reason why this could happen???

I have an 03 3.0 V6 with the flex fuel engine and automatic transmission, btw.

Did you have power to anything else, like the lights or anything? Loose battery cable, maybe?

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02 Ranger XLT 4x4 Off Road, 4.0L SOHC, Automatic, 8.8 4.10 LS, Super-Cab, 3" Body Lift, 33x12.5x15 BFG All Terrains on 15x8 M/T Classic IIs, 5K 55w Heads, 5K 35w fogs, custom front skid plate, various other goodies.

Well, all the lights in the instrument cluster were on. And like I said, the stereo cut out for a second and turned itself back on. At first I thought the radio station had a little problem and then I noticed my truck was off. It really does seam like the battery cable was taken off for a second and put back on. But the time and radio presets were still there, and I checked the battery cables, they are nice and tight.

Update:

Hasn't happened since... however yesterday night I went to start the truck, turned the key and nothing but instrument cluster lights. My electric guage was up a quarter of the way, which is what I'd expect my battery to be at. I tried to start it a few times and nothing. I went back inside and came out a couple hours later. I had done some research on the inertia switch (I know it has to do with the fuel pump and not so much the electrical system), I just checked the connections to it and pressed down on the (already down) button. Figured I would try to start the truck again, and sure enough it started right up. Whats going on with this thing?

cheap & free- clean your battery posts, if that dont work. have it checked for fault codes. It kinda sounds like the battery. I had a side post in a Chevy pickup (company truck) that gave me fits. there was a short inside the battery. Keep us posted

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04 Ford Ranger Edge
3.0 V6 Auto SuperChips Programer
air box and blinker mods

Mine did the same thing 3 times on me. Hasn't done it in a few months. The funny thing is, it started doing it right after I had it at the dealer for the cruise control recall.

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2003 Ranger FX4 level II. 3" BL, 33x12.50 GT Radial Mud Claws, Custom front and rear bumpers with winch hookups, custom flatbed, with hi-lift, and full size spare mount, 12,000 lb winch mounted under bed, Electric fan, and of course a flowmaster.

Its not the battery. You can start the truck and unhookthe battery and it wont affect a thing. You can even drive them with the battery out of the truck altogether. HOWEVER!!!!!!!! IF you unhook the battery and the truck dies, you either have a wiring problem or a charging problem, meaning that your alterator is bad or about to go bad. Unhook the alt and have it tested. If it checks out, track down the wiring issue.
But, let me say it again: You Dont need the battery after the truck is running. power comes from the alternator. Batteries in vehicles are just to turn the starter. The alt charges it as the engine runs. If you had lights, but no start, prolly had a battery strong enough to light little lightbulbs but not strong enough to turn the starter over.

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2004 XLT 4.0 4x4, 3" PA body lift, 32" BFG M/Ts, Dick Cepek DC-2 wheels, Euro tailights, self-painted headlight mod, NAV/DVD/XM/iPod stereo (Pioneer AVIC-D3), Line-X, Westin step bars, AVS bug shield and window vents

Right, but a wasted battery presents a drain on your charging system that it cannot fill, thus causing any number of anomalous gremlins. Have seen many old batterys in my time.

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Oh no! I have a K&N airfilter, I guess my truck doesn't run!

So a good quick and safe test would to be start the truck up and remove the negative battery terminal and see if it stays running?

I have a 1989 4x4 2.9 auto. Each time I started the engine I would have to reset radio and clock. Put in a new battery and it fixed that problem but now my truck does the same as yours. It's like you turn the key off. it always starts back up and does not do it all the timeNeed help also.

I had a similar situation with my hyundai and it took a month to figure it out. Turns out my fuel pump relay plug got so corroded it was shutting my truck off here and there. sometimes it would run fine then just die out. Not sure if that is your problem but check just in case

Thanks Clinton, I will give this a try.

LetOet me know (us know) how that works out for you. I'd do it myself now but am out of town on business.

Okay will probably a few days. Too hot here for my sissy self to stay outside long.