2002 Ford Explorer won't start!!!

[young804]

It was driving fine went fishing tried to start up and it wouldnt do anything.Lights windows radio all work but when you turn the key it does nothing.. You can hear relays or something but doesnt crank.. First replaced the battery ($110) that didnt work.. Next replaced starter ($165) didnt work..Purchased code reader($100) NO CODES. Then someone got it started by rigging up something I dont kno lol Im kno mechanic lol But anyway he told me I needed a Neutral Saftey Switch ($52) put it on and NOTHING.......$427 and still my truck will not start...Now im hearing about my anti theft system needs to be reset.... Any advice will help!!!! Thanks

 

[hoss_hanna]

did he do a jump across on the celeinoid to get it started? if so try replacing that

 

[1Aauto]

Welcome to the site.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 2002-2005 section. Do you have another PATS key? Did you check the fuses?

 

[young804]

@ Hoss Hanna yeah I think thats what its called... @ BrooklynBay Yes I tried another key and that didnt work.. Does anyone kno how much it cost to reset anti theft????? Thanks for the help....

 

[hoss_hanna]

if it jumped across the Solenoid then it is probably just a bad Solenoid, might have em check the one on the new starter ive seen new parts be bad before, and ill look into how to reset the anti theft, but im no pro at that so wish me luck....

 

[hoss_hanna]

a friend i called about it just now said to put into "learn key mode" or something like that, im not up on alot of the new stuff. he said he thought it should still crank evan if it wont start....

 

[xTOM153x]

The same exact thing happened to me. Check the alternator

 

[leapyear]

me too

i've had the same problem. i checked the battery and starter, both of which tested good. how would i check the alternator? i've read about a security chip in the key and "pats", but i'm not sure how to check those.

 

[jluv]

Same issue here. It was working fine all day, then suddenly won't start. Has plenty of power. Checked the fuel shutoff switch (passenger side kick panel) and starter/ignition relay (spot 12 in the under-hood fuse box), it was fine.

I don't want to replace the starter if that's not the issue.

Anyone???

 

[MikePf]

Same as the first persons post. My son was driving and then it just died in the intersection. Had it towed home. Power to lights radio etc. You could hear relays but, would not start. Found the PCM relay was not energized. Checked the PCM diode and it was fine. However, there was no power at the diode. Power comes from the ignition switch. Schematics did not list the fuse that was between the ignition switch and the diode. Found the 15 amp fuse F41 blown. Replaced the fuse and everything worked.

 

[MikePf]

Follow up

Problem occurred again. F41 feeds the PCM relay, 4 02 sensors and 3 EVAP units. I found that one of the wires on the 02 sensors dropped down and came in contact with the drive shaft. I repaired the damaged wires and replaced the fuse. Hope this helps everyone.

Just following up after a week. No further problems.

 

[D Hook]

Thanks for posting the two follow ups. Very helpful!

 

[Marlon65]

I just want to share my experience as related to this same problem. My 2004 Explorer sunddenly won't start during a weekend at home. I remember its battery is about a year and a half old, i said maybe it's about time to replace it. That late Saturday afternoon, I tried to jump start it with my 2nd car. But to my surprise, it won't start. I tried several times, reving up the 2nd car to around 3000 RPM just to ensure a stronger battery source, still no use. I decided to call it a day, and i'll check the Internet for any help anyway.
I tried checking all the fuses after seeing the F41 fuse to be ok. But all fuses were ok. I said i'll call my friend mechanic in the morning since it might be a starter solenoid problem. When my mechanic came, he noticed the negative round connector to the terminal to be corroded, full of mold and damp. He said starters and solenoid does not give a problem easily. He detached the negative connector, cleaned it with a steel brush in all sides, and cleaned the terminals too. He also cleaned the positive side anyway, connector and terminal. He was done in 10 minutes. When he started my 7-yr-old car at 101,000 kms, it cranked and started in just one try. After some friendly talk, i started it myself too after around 5 minutes, again it worked.
Lessons learnt, even if the battery connections seems to be ok since all lights were working, the starter needs a very strong connection for starting, so check the connection between connectors and terminals first before even replacing the battery.

 

[BDawson1234]

2004 Expl. AWD. When I diag. a "no crank" I start small. Check all fuses and relays. Horn relay was the same as the starter relay and is on most apps. so if the horn honks you can pull it and test the starter relay by replacing it with a "known good relay". If all fuses and relays are good, put a volt meter on the solinoid and see if you get voltage when key is turned. If not, then the passave anti-theft system is probly to blame. I keep reading horr storys about the PCM droping codes after batt dies. It's 120 bucks at the dealer to recoad it. A lock smith came and tryed but got a error code "no key found" so if I ever change a batt on a ford again I'll put a charger on the connections to keep the PCM hot durning the swap.

 

[Pontisteve]

You should read this thread first...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287097

If that's not your problem, get under the truck with a voltmeter and test to see if there is any power at the small wire going to the starter. That's the wire that signals the solenoid to connect the battery cable with the starter, providing the power.

Here's the electrical path for the starter relay wire:

There is a fuse (F2.29) in the central junction box that is hot when the ignition switch is in the start position. This power source then goes to the Digital Transmission Range sensor (which acts as a neutral safety switch). If it passes thru this switch, it then goes to the starter relay to power it up. The PCM provides the ground for this starter relay.

Here's the path for the starter signal wire:

The battery junction box has a 50amp fuse (F1.12) that sends a power source to the starter relay. When the relay is activated (via the system mentioned above), that power comes out of the relay and to the starter solenoid. There, it activates the solenoid, which connects the big battery power to the starter.

The big battery power circuit is like this:

The battery has 2 grounds. One goes to the body near the battery. That grounds pretty much everything but the starter. The big negative battery cable goes to the block, and that provides a ground path for the starter. The positive battery cable goes straight to the starter motor.

In the thread mentioned at the top of this page, the 4.6 engines have this + battery cable, an AC wire, and a few other wires (probably including the starter solenoid wire!) going thru a harness that passes over the plastic oil filter drain spill. The plastic drain cuts thru the protective plastic and eats into the wires. Usually, the first problem people have is their AC quits working. But the starter cable wires can get cut thru, as well as the starter solenoid wire if its in there, which I think it is.

Check this first! Under the car, look upward straight in front of the front differential, and look at the wiring harness that's passing right by the plastic oil drain. See if it's damaged. If it is repair it.

If that's not your problem, start testing at the starter relay. Try a known good relay for a quick check of that, and if not, start testing to see if the power is coming into and going out of that relay as it should.

The DTR sensor (park/neutral switch) is not known to be a big issue in these vehicles, as far as I know. So don't throw parts at this truck. Throw diagnostic time at the electrical system. All you need is a voltmeter and a wiring diagram.

 

[FordProblem2003]

I have a 2003 ford explorer that will not start tried everything I could think of the only problem is, is the starter relay fuse that I can think of cause its not seeming to get enough connection to start it. So I took the starter relay fuse out and tested the prons for it and 4 out of 5 were good so i just started my truck using a wire till I can figure out why its not starting or getting enough power to start it with my key?? I tried explaing best I could if anyone could help pleasee!!

 

[Pontisteve]

Your message doesn't quite make sense. But I'm going to help you anyway. Here's how the starter control circuit works:

The starter motor has a direct large 12v connection to the battery, via the red battery cable. All the starter is waiting for is a low amperage signal from the starter relay to go to the starter solenoid. Once the solenoid gets that low amperage signal, it engages the starter and draws power for the starter from the battery cable.

The starter relay has two sides. The control side, and the load side. The control side is what powers the relay up, and the load side is what passes power thru the relay to the starter solenoid on the starter.

The load side of the relay:

Fuse 1.12 (a large 50 amp fuse in the Battery Junction Box) is hot at all times. So if you use a voltmeter or test light, you should get power on both sides of the fuse. You can test this without removing the fuse, by simply touching your voltmeter or test light to both of the terminals that stick up thru the fuse. This fuse is hot at all times, and sends power through a light green/violet 12 gage wire to the starter relay (pin 30). This is where the relay's load side gets its POWER from.

When the control side of the relay is activated, pin 30 on the starter relay connects to pin 87, which sends that power to the starter solenoid via a 12 gage yellow/light blue wire. This is where the relay's load side sends it's POWER to.

The control side of the relay:

Fuse 2.29 (a 10 amp fuse in the Central Junction Box) sends power when your ignition switch is in the START mode, throughg a 20 gage red/light blue wire to the Digital Transmission Range sensor. Think of this as a neutral safety switch. It's on the side of the transmission. If your transmission is in either Park or Neutral, that power goes thru this switch and comes out as a 20 gage white/pink wire, which goes to the starter relay's control side positive (pin 85 on the relay).

The PCM, if it wants to allow the engine to start, sends a ground signal through a 20 gage orange wire to the starter relay's control side negative (pin 86 on the relay).

So check Fuse 1.12 (50 amp) in the fuse box under the hood, to make sure both sides have power all the time.

Then check fuse 2.29 (10 amp) in the fuse box under the dash, to make sure that while you are holding the key in the START position, that this fuse has power on both sides of it.

Now unplug the starter relay (which is in the fuse box under the hood), and identify (by looking at the diagram on the relay) which terminals are your four relay pins that go to this relay. And remember, if you flip the relay upside down, you'll be backwards in the diagram. So try to hold the relay just as it was when it was plugged in, and identify which of the 4 wires are pins 30, 87, 85, and 86. Make a diagram for yourself.

The wire that would have plugged into pin 30 should be 12v all the time. Pin 87 should have ground all the time (when the relay is not activating the starter anyway). Pin 85 should have power only when you are trying to start the car. Pin 39 should have ground only when you are starting the car.

 

[gzimm01]

no crank issue

I'm trying to diagnose a "no crank" problem. I have referenced the other thread on diagnosing a "no crank" problem also. Bottom line is I don't have voltage to pin 85 on the control side of the starter relay. I have tried a new DTR sensor, problem seems to be no input voltage to the DTR via the red/light blue wire. All fuses and voltages seem to be good. There isn't any reference to other circuits in Hayes starter system wiring diagram. I have tried both keys and I don't have any indication of a "PATS" problem.

History: engine was removed and repaired due to bent connecting rod in #3 similar to other threads on 4.0 (another story). During this time the battery was disconnected for over 1 month. There were not any cranking/PATS issues prior to repair.

P.S. - not a starter motor or engine issue, motor spins freely with starter when I jumper the pins #3 0 to #87 with the relay removed.

 

[Pontisteve]

I have th Ford EVTM manual for an 03 explorer. What do you need to know?