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All Rangers, and most other vehicles, will have a safety switch that prevents starter motor from working unless transmission is in Park or Neutral.

Ford truck column shifters had a problem of getting loose, this could cause safety switch to not detect PARK, so try shifting trans to Neutral and starting the engine.

On the transmission drivers side is the shift linkage and the DTR sensor, Digital Transmission Range sensor, this is the Park/Neutral safety switch

Make sure it is not damaged and wires are good.

In the engine fuse box there may be a Starter Relay, some 4cyl Rangers had them some didn't.

Starter solenoid is ON the starter motor, not on the inner fender(that's a relay).
So you are "jumping" the solenoid ON the starter motor?

 

I had to make a new account for some reason I couldn't access that one. But you are correct I can jump the fender mounted relay to start the truck not the solenoid. using the key it will not start at all no matter the position of the shifter. How can I check the DTR sensor without replacing it and could it cause the transmission to act up at all.

 

Check Fuse #24 in cab fuse box, it powers starter relay activation from key

You would get a CEL(check engine light) if DTR sensor was the problem, yes transmission shifts would be hard not smooth

 

 

CEL should come on with the key and then go out after engine starts

Key on
Put transmission in Reverse
See if the Reverse lights are on
That is part of the DTR sensor


First pull out Fuse #24
Put volt meter(test light) on one of the fuses contacts
Ground the meter/light
Turn key to START
You should see 12volt/light
Try the other contact for that fuse if it doesn't have 12v, only one will have the voltage

If you get the 12v then ignition switch is working, put fuse #24 back in.

From that fuse the 12volt goes to the Clutch switch by-pass, it is just a connector above the brake pedal where clutch pedal would be on manual trans truck, it needs to plugged in.

From there a PINK wire runs to the DTR sensor, that PINK wire at the DTR should have 12v when key is turn to START
Out of the DTR is a RED/blue stripe wire, this wire should have 12v when key is turned to START......IF, trans is in PARK or NEUTRAL.

So you could remove the DTR wire connector, and put a Jumper wire between the PINK and RED/blue stripe wire, bypassing the DTR and then see if starter motor works

From the DTR the RED/blue stripe wire goes to the Starter Relay


Just occurred to me, do you have keyless entry or an alarm system, these can have starter interrupt relays, and these can fail over time

 

 

1996 Ranger will have a GEM(generic electronics module), it controls all cab electrics, and has the chime.

GEM stays powered on for about 15-20min after key is off and doors are closed, then it shuts off Battery Saver Relay and goes to sleep.
GEM has inputs from all the lights it doesn't control, like head lights, parking lights and brake lights, so if you leave lights on it warns you.

So if your brake pedal switch broke in the ON position it would warn you that "lights are on" after key was off

Could be a fault in the GEM but can say for sure

 

 

Good work

Thanks for the update and fix