2004 Eddie Bauer Explorer - won't start/battery seems OK

[southside_bruce]

We have a 2004 Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer with about 26,000 miles on it. We shipped it from Washington State to Bangkok, Thailand where we currently live in May (we work for the American Embassy). When it arrived (after about 90 days) the car worked fine, started up OK, no problems. We tanked it up with gas on the drive home (since when you ship a vehicle you have to drain almost all the gas from the tank). We hardly ever drive it (we are driven back and forth to work, and most stuff we do is convenient/nearby our apartment - no need to drive, and driving is pretty nutty in this BIG CITY), but we do take it for a cruise around the blocks - about 10 miles at a pop, or so - on Sundays when the traffic isn't bad/etc.

At any rate, this morning when we were heading out for our weekly cruise, at first the car cranked abit when I turned the ignition. But the next time, and after that, there is no cranking action.

When I checked around, I noticed that the battery cables were loose. I am not sure, but they might have removed them for the shipment over here - and if that is what happened, they didn't retighten them. For whatever, reason, I ended up tightening up the cables (and there was no noticible corrosion on the terminals). But it still won't crank. I got another guy in my apartment building to help try to jump the car, thinking the battery might be low/dead/etc - but that didn't work.

I read somewhere on the forum that I should try the lights and see if they are bright/etc - and they are. All the other functions appear to be OK.

I have very limited auto mechanic skills. I did check the fuse box inside the car, noticing that the manual had a few that were starter/ignition related.

At any rate, when we turn the key we can hear clicking sounds near the fuse box and somewhere in the engine (I am thinking the starter - if it has a starter - not sure with the newer engines and all).

Would appreciate any ideas for things I can check out that don't require too much intense mechanical knowledge, etc.

Alternatively tomorrow I can call a guy that most folks in the embassy use for car repair, etc. He is a local guy who lived in Texas for several years and got his auto mechanic training there. He is supposed to be reliable and not very expensive - and his shop makes house calls.

thanks in advance for any assistance you can lend/etc,
southside_bruce, living in Bangkok, Thailand

 

[Charlie]

When you say the clicking noise, I believe is the starter, but not getting enough power to start. It is most likely just a little shy of having enough power to start the car. I would try jumping it first.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Try recharging the battery on an electric battery charger. A jump start might not be sufficient. Any auto parts store could charge, and test the battery for you.

 

[05MONTY]

While holding the key to the start position tap the starter lightly witha hammer if it starts then its usually your starter or a connection at it..Don't hit hard...


Dick

 

[southside_bruce]

thanks TONs for the info...

I like the idea that it might be due to not enough juice in the battery - would be a relatively cheap, easy to fix solution. I am looking at various battery chargers on AMAZON.com - are there any brands/models you would recommend to purchase. Note that the power here is 220V 50Hz, and we have step down transformers in our apartment (Embassy provides them). A charger you can charge up and take out to the car (which is in a parking structure in our apartment building) would be best for our purposes. Alternatively I can take the battery out/up to the apartment, and charge it up there. Customers on AMAZON really liked this model charger (one that isn't portable):

Deltran 021-0128 SuperSmart Battery Tender Plus 12-Volt 1.25 AMP Charger

if it is the starter, and the check is to tap it - where is the starter on my Explorer - 4.0 L V6 (2004)?

the fact that the cables were loose and I was starting it up/driving it around (tightened the cables up yesterday) - would that cause/lead to problems? if so, what sort of problems?

on another note, right before we left for here, took the Explorer into a Firestone shop as it was running rough. Turned out that one of the plugs had its gap almost closed down... They think that maybe when the car was manufactured, that one of the plugs might have been dropped before sticking it into the car, and/or it was just a defective plug installed when we bought it, and/or due to heat the gap on that plug closed down, etc, etc... Lottsa possibilities - but an interesting problem that turned out to be a relatively inexpensive solution compared to some problems they at first thought it might be...

thanks for all the help/advice/etc.

 

[BrooklynBay]

That charger is only good for maintaining a battery. If you had to recharge a battery at such a low current, it would take several hours, or possibly even over night if it's completely drained. Have an auto parts store try to charge it up for you. You could leave it there for an hour or two, then have them load test it.

 

[GSP]

Just buy a new battery

 

[southside_bruce]

I know that mileage will vary, etc - but how long in general do stock batteries in Ford Explorers last? mine would be close to 4 years old (2004 Explorer) - we picked it up in Seattle, Wa. in June 2004... I would think that in the Eddie Bauer (aka, deluxe) Explorer model, that the battery would be a relatively good one... would appreciate recommendations on models/types batteries, places to buy batteries, etc. Not sure, but I might be able to have a battery shipped here to our APO address (although they might not allow that type of potentially explosive stuff to be shipped via APO)...

thanks in advance!,
southside_bruce

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do they Optima batteries where you live?

 

[YamahaDrtRdr]

I dont know if this is the same thing that is happening to you or not but...last spring my family and i went to colorado for spring break. On our way back home we stopped at a gas station and filled up. Went to start the car but it wouldnt turn over. We were stuck in the middle of Kansas on a Sunday. We called a local tow shop and some kid showed up and checked it out. It turned out that a terminal on the starter broke off. All we had to do was get under the car hold the wire to the terminal and have someone crank over the engine untill we could get it fixed.

I hope this might have helped a little.

 

[southside_bruce]

Not sure if they have OPTIMA batteries here in Bangkok...

Where is the starter located on the 4.0L V6 (version that can burn ethanol mixture, not sure if it is really the FLEXFUEL model) - 2004 model? does anybody have an engine diagram online that you can point me to?

thanks!,
southside_bruce