1997 Explorer - Starter Issues

[wcsd106]

Hello,

I picked up a 1997 Ford Explorer XLT yesterday for $500 because the seller said it needed a new starter. I had looked at it on Sunday and tried to see if it would start. I even gave the starter a few good taps with a socket extension (All I had in the car) to see if it would give me one last start. I came back with a truck, trailer, and friend to trailer it home on Monday and the thing started right up so I drove it the 20 or so miles back to my driveway.
When I got it home, I got it parked in the driveway, shut it off, and tried to restart it a few minutes later. It would not start.

Now for the symptoms...

• When I attempt to start the vehicle, I can hear a clunk sound like the starter tries to kick in. This happens ONE time only.
  
• After the starter tries to kick in, I lose all electrical function. Headlights, radio, interior lights, blower motor, EVERYTHING.
• If I remove the negative battery cable, wait a few seconds, and reconnect it, I get my headlights and all other electrical circuits to come back on
• If I attempt to start the vehicle, it kicks everything back on again.

Troubleshooting Attempts I have already Done...

• I removed the starter this evening and took it to Advance Auto Parts for testing. When connected to their machine, the starter spins and the bendix moves forward into position
• The battery is new and was purchased a couple of days prior by the previous owner. It was installed by Walmart and is a 750CA battery.
  
• I just put the battery on charge to make sure it has a full charge when testing tomorrow.

It's almost as if attempting to start the vehicle is tripping a main circuit breaker somewhere. This is my first explorer, and my first Ford in over a decade, so I'm wandering blind on this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Josh

 

[RandomNerd2000]

Out of curiosity, how do the battery terminals look?

 

[wcsd106]

Battery Terminals look great. Solenoid terminal looked great. Can't really tell about the small wire that engages the solenoid, but the spade lug that it connects to was nice and shiny as well.

Also an update to my previous post, I put the battery on charge right before I made the original post. I checked it while on the phone with my father-in-law and the battery is back to full charge, so it wasn't discharged much at all. I'll stick a meter on it tomorrow and get my voltage and let y'all know the voltage at the battery terminals.

Now, on a side note, when Advance tests the starter on their machine, the starter is not put under any kind of load, it is just free-spinning. If the starter has an armature winding failing, would the load of trying to turn the engine over cause these issues or should I be looking at something other than the starter at this point.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I find it strange that when you try starting it, it kills the entire vehicle, generally that's been an issue with the battery terminals if it happened to me. It's probably something simple, someone else will chime in shortly as the thread gains views.

 

[wcsd106]

I find it strange that when you try starting it, it kills the entire vehicle, generally that's been an issue with the battery terminals if it happened to me. It's probably something simple, someone else will chime in shortly as the thread gains views.

Thank you. That's what I was thinking also. It has gotten too dark to mess with it this evening and my wife and daughter just got back home from out of town so I'm going to spend some time with them instead of trying to mess with a 20 year old vehicle. I'll attack it tomorrow and see what I can find out.

As I'm thinking about this, the negative terminal has been replaced with a new terminal.. when I have some light and some time, I'm going to check the wires going onto that terminal in case they were corroded.. I'll probably give both terminals a good cleaning just for good measure. The negative terminal is an aftermarket one that looks like the black terminal below.

The positive terminal looks similar to this one:

 

[toypaseo]

Sounds like the click and dead issue I had. I had replacement terminals on both positive and negative. Corrosion and battery acid buildup on the positive wire where the terminal clamped onto it was my problem. Tightening the clamping area for the positive wire, and/or wiggling the actual positive wiring by the battery terminal, would make it "back to normal" starting.

I recently replaced both terminals with solid brass terminals and used the treated felt battery washers hoping to reduce/eliminate buildup.

 

[1991 sploder]

Check the wires going to the starter for rubbing on metal going through the insulation causing it to ground out or spark when you turn the key. Maybe have somebody click it over while you look under the vehicle for sparks.,, Use a voltmeter also leading to starter.

 

[SoHK_alumni]

Def time to check both ends of all the battery and solenoid cables.

 

[david4451]

Had this with my 2001 ST, my problem was with the connection from the battery to the solenoid ie at the solenoid. This connection must be very clean and tight.

 

[wcsd106]

Thanks for the replies. I really appreciate it. I'll go through the connections later this afternoon and see what I can come up with. Even if I had to replace the cables it'd be cheaper than a starter.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

Those cheap color coded aftermarket ones suck, mine has both aftermarket, I've debated getting cables with stock connections because they're a pain. IDK anything about the 2nd one, it potentially OEM? I'd check that, take the plate off, I've found the wire will get up underneath it. I've heard about liquid electrical tape to seal these cheapo ones? Anyone know anything about that?

 

[1991 sploder]

yea I prefer plasti dip or maybe some flex seal

 

[wcsd106]

You guys are great and absolutely correct. I got up this morning and removed the wires from underneath the clamp on the negative terminal... They were corroded as hell and were also loose enough that when I moved the wire back and forth it I think it would have pulled out if I'd tried hard enough. I cleaned them up and brushed all the connections with a brash brush.. made them nice and shiny. Cleaned the starter up and got everything mounted back in good and tight. Explorer has fired up without issue 10 out of 10 times in the past hour.

I've got a few more issues I've noticed, but for the sake of organization I will create new threads for each issue if I can't find my answer using the search button.

I wanted to thank all of you who replied and were so willing to help me out with my issues. I greatly appreciate it. And you saved me from buying a hundred dollar starter I ended up not needing.