Go up this morning an my explorer started up kinda slow. I figured because it was a cold start. After driving around for a while and stopping a few places i get to one place and try to start my truck and all i could here is the silinoid clicking. After messing around with the wires on the posotive side of the battery it started up. I get to my work thinking i just have to clean the wires off that connect to the battery and then it wouldnt start anymore. I tried to clean the wires with acetone but that didnt help. I tried to jump it but that did not work either. Eveything else works and has power. Volt meter showing 12 volts coming from my batter. Also i read somewhere in the forums a that going over a large bump can short out the cells in the battery. Well yesturday i ran over a vary large curb and it bounce me around bad and scraped my suspension arm thing in the rear next to the wheel. And now this happens. Is there a way a battery can have enough power to have my truck electronics working fine, have 12 volts but not be able to start my truck. Like i said the only sound it makes is the silinoad click.

Thanks

Then you probably need new wires.

Either that or you need a new starter.

Where do the wires connect from the posotive...i see a thick one and a smaller one but im not sure where the go after the battery.

One wire goes to the starter,one goes to the solinoid:D

Try to jump the solenoid....

Maybe battery, sometimes batteries can read 12 V, but not have enough amps to start the car. Disconnect battery terminals and try to connect jumper dirrectly to wires. Use heavy guage jumpers, it has been my experince that sometimes a jump will not work just because someone is using those cheap emergency side jumpers that won't carry the current.

Try to connect good battery out of another car.

The clicknig solenoid leads me to believe battery or bad connection.

which wires do i connect the jumpers to? to jump the silenoid.

You should see the solenoid on the fender. It will have two large studs with large wires connected, one goes to battery, one goes to the starter, and a small signal wire that goes to the ignition.

What you want to do is put the ignition in run and jump the two large studs on the solenoid with a screwdriver.

While your doing this, watch the lights and see if the lights dim quite a bit.

ok thanks,ill try that, and i disconnect the battery while doing this.

Nope, you have to leave the battery connected, or the starter will get no power.

Unless you are disconnecting them to coneect them to jumpers, or another battery.

If it won't start with good battery and by jumping the solenoid, it may be the starter. My dad had one crap out him suddeny in a parking lot. Fortunately, with a stick you can push start it.

how do i jump start it with a stick? I tried to jump the silenoid but it just sparked a littlbit on the bolt tops.

Alec, if my wires are going bad, and there are 2 wires going from my posotive post of my battery, one to starter, one to silenoid as 88vert said, then how does everything else in my truck get power?

Thanks

stick, manual, 5 speed, push it and pop clutch to turn it over.

In order to jump solenoid you gotta make sure you have a strong battery source. Like I say, it might be a starter, but the clicking solenoids usually mean weak battery.

If it is just a weak battery source how would jumping the silenoid versus turning the key make it start?

It wouldn't, just checknig to make sure it wasn't a bad solenoid.

Little sparks on the bolt tops, did any of the lights dim, or did the starter sound like it tried to engage. I'm still thinking battery.

no other sound just the click of the silenoid. I didnt turn on the lights to see if they dimmed.

when my girlfriend gets here im going to put her battery in my car to see if it works.

any luck, that should tell you if is the battery

She might get upset when she has to reprogram her radio and clock, LOL.

just saw your PM, is this what you jumped

http://imagescommerce.bcentral.com/merchantfiles/4811255/SOLENOID1.jpg

yea, that was what i was trying to jump. Its like the it will start every once it a while, for some reason it started again so i packed up and drove it home from my work, im at home now. It wasnt the battery, mine worked fine in her car but hers didnt work in mine.

Then you need new cables or it's the starter.

Didn't I say that before? LOL

is there a way i can test the wires and see if thats the problem?

Could be bad wires, connection, starter, ignition or neutral safety switch. there really is not that much to it, you just have to track down weak link.

Try to jump directly from pos. battery to starter side of the relay on the fender with a jumper cable. This basically jumps 12V directly to the starter. If the starter seems to turn over fine then the starter is fine.

I just took the start out and jumped it to see if wheel tooth came out, and it didnt, so it was the starter. Thanks for all ya'lls help.

Justin