After driving aroun paked the 85 ford ranger, would'nt start

Check the fire to the spark plugs , take a spark plug wire off and hold it in your hand and while you touch the car and some one turns it over if it bites you its getting fire , just kidding thats not a good idea , hold the spark plug wire close to the motor block and see if a spark jumps form as some one turns it over, if its getting a spark it must not be getting gas , fuel pump . or fuel filter bad , if no spark could be the coil or something in the distributor , or a blowed ignition fuse

If starter doesen't turn have someone bang on it with a wrench while you try to start it
that's what we had to do with my friends until she could afford to replace the starter

If it has electronic ignition it could be that. I had a camoro that did the same thing. When it does not start remove a spark plug and connect the wire back to it, lay the metal of the plug agenst the metal of the motor and if it does not spark when the engine is turned over it is a good sign it is the electronic ignition.

Have you pulled and had the ignition module tested? If you have air, no spark, and fuel, it's the most likely culprit.

Also, pull the wires off the coil, and perform a resistance test on the windings.

This answer was edited by the_mekanic 206 days ago.

Reason: details