2000 Explorer is dead in the water

[swashbuckler]

I hate only showing up when I need help, but I need help.

I've got a 2000 Explorer, auto with the 4.0 v6, with no power at all. Nothing. The trouble was originally a bad connection on the positive battery stud, but in the process of correcting that I appear to have shorted something out, and now I've got zero juice at the key. I've got 12.4 volts across the battery. All fuses appear to be intact, tho I haven't pulled and tested them all. When I go to the two L-shaped connectors just outside the power dist box under the hood, I have no power to ground at either. My Haynes thinks there's supposed to be a fusible link there, but I don't see it.

I'm lost, and over my head. Any help much appreciated!

 

[my98nnj]

Follow the positive battery cable making sure you have power along the way.

 

[budwich]

most likely place... bad cable... rotted out... lots of posts. As suggested follow the cable and test at its termination point. Most people just replace their cables to solve the problem and do an "autopsy" on the old one thereafter.

 

[swashbuckler]

Started messing with cables at first light. This harness doesn't make it easy, but near as I can tell I've got one positive cable going to the alternator and another going to the power dist box, and neither of them make any stops along the way, right?

And near as I can tell, there's no fusible link in-line, right? I can't find one, anyway - if there is one, some pointers on it's location would be great, seems like that'd be my prime suspect. I found the 175 amp fuse outside the fuse box, looks like it fuses between those two L shaped connectors, but with no power on either side of it I'm guessing my trouble is earlier. Is that the only fuse between the battery and the box?

Thanks for any help - I'm used to working on my '86 4Runner, I've generally left Splodey for the dealership mechanics and subsequently am now lost, lol.

 

[swashbuckler]

As many times as I've been taught the lesson, you'd think I'd have learned by now, it's always the simple things.

It wasn't any fuse or wiring, it was the terminal on the positive battery cable not making a solid connection on the post. New terminal, truck starts.

I'm gonna go hide in a hole now...

 

[shadowless127]

As many times as I've been taught the lesson, you'd think I'd have learned by now, it's always the simple things.

It wasn't any fuse or wiring, it was the terminal on the positive battery cable not making a solid connection on the post. New terminal, truck starts.

I'm gonna go hide in a hole now...

We've all had those moments.

 

[imp]

As many times as I've been taught the lesson, you'd think I'd have learned by now, it's always the simple things.

It wasn't any fuse or wiring, it was the terminal on the positive battery cable not making a solid connection on the post. New terminal, truck starts.

I'm gonna go hide in a hole now...

Don't feel so bad! If those of us who've been there as many times as I have went into hiding, the "hole" would have reached clear through to China! Lesson? Any battery connection which is not metal-shiny clean where contact is made, the battery post or the inside of the cable terminal, is suspect. I clean 'em with coarse grit paper on batt. post, rat-tail file inside cable terminal. Grease up the connection before putting together, make sure they're tight. If you can rotate the terminal on the post using your fingers, it ain't tight enough!

Regarding those fuse links: EEC-IV as used on Mustangs (what I'm most familiar with) had 3 or 4 of them, some hidden within the harness, either taped or plastic convolute covering. They were not necessarily high-current links, consisted of a several-inch long length of specific-sized wire crimped in series with 12V. "feeds" to the computer and alternator. Don't know about EEC-V too much, the best info I've found is in Ford Shop Manuals or Wiring Diagrams. imp

 

[swshawaii]

The trouble was originally a bad connection on the positive battery stud

It wasn't any fuse or wiring, it was the terminal on the positive battery cable not making a solid connection on the post.

Over analyzing is very easy. Been there, done ....
Glad you didn't end up tearing the wiring apart.