93 ex sport/pop/no start

[xplorernewb]

so my problems started on a long road trip when the alternator died out of nowhere and left me stranded. went to the nearest parts store and bought an alternator ($130 + core) and it fixed the problem. no problems at all, stereo on, lights the whole 500 miles home etc etc.

when i got home and drove it around town a couple of times, it decided to not start after i went to the store real quick one day. i was inside for about 10 mins or so. everything was normal until the key was turned, there was a pop and all my dash lights went off and thats all i could do. called someone and they came and gave me a jump, started no problem. so i noticed the battery cable had some green on it, i replaced it and the connector. fixed it i thought.. same issue, except this time i played with the battery cables for a sec, checked the grounds, turned the key a couple times and BAM started. got it home, same problem. now the battery isnt registering at all. i noticed before it died completely, i could hear clicking in the starter relay.

battery is about a year old. tests good, and powers my truck just fine.. any suggestions????

 

[Wolfie_85]

I would be looking at my battery cables. End to end. They can corrode from the inside, too. If you get it going again, check the alternator out, too. Maybe you got a bad one that partially works.

 

[natenkiki2004]

I'm a big advocate of proper electrical maintenance. You don't just replace the connector and call it good. If it's that old or causing that much problem from corrosion, it's much worse further down. If the cables are original, they NEED to be replaced. It doesn't really matter how many miles are on the vehicle. What matters is the style of battery. These ones with the terminals on top will always corrode. It's not just an Explorer issue, it's the fact that the battery is venting right next to the cables and that acid creeps down the cable and corrodes it internally.

Take a look at my cables:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3309529&postcount=75

I'm picky to the point where I check my connections often and wipe the top of the battery down. You'll also get problems from voltage leaking across the terminals due to the acid and crud that starts accumulating on the top of the battery.



As far as specific information to help you, I'd look at the battery and alternator cables and with those out of the way, check the fusebox and power distribution box for blown fuses and burn marks on relays. My guess is a nasty short or intermittent connection. Smell anything burning?

 

[xplorernewb]

well the cable is fine, the terminal connector deal (dont know what its called) thats connected to the battery cable was all fudged up and saw some of the wiring started to untwist itself and breaking strands, which is why i replaced it. ill be replacing the entire thick cable when i can find one but it looks ok.

no burning smells although i noticed after trying to crank it several times, i think i could smell the battery and the positive post was getting hotter than the negative post. and it made my trucks battery make some funny sounds. battery probably isnt interchageable anyway (chuckles)

i went out today to look at it and noticed the starter solenoid on the starter had worked its way loose. one of the bolts had came almost all the way out and i could wiggle the solenoid just by tugging on the wires. could that be the problem? ive never felt one loose like that so this may be a dumb question/easy fix, eh

i do drive down on a lot of bumpy dirt roads.. and go figure, this all started the last time i was on the bumpy dirt road so maybe it just rattled itself loose?

not sure how old the starter is but ive never messed with the solenoid.. only time ive ever even touched it was to remove it to get to the clutch.. anyway thanks

 

[natenkiki2004]

If you have a loose connection, like at the starter, that means increased resistance and probably overloading of an already weak cable. I wouldn't be surprised if that fried the cable entirely. The cables should not get warm. You can see in my pictures, they got so hot the negative had burned and turned black.

Corrosion = resistance which means more current has to flow in order to get the required amount at the other end, then there's voltage drop as well. Corrosion & resistance also means heat which makes for more resistance. None of this is good for the battery or starter. Or even the alternator for that matter.

 

[xplorernewb]

gotcha thanks, ill be replacing the cables entirely with brand new ones from ford i suppose and work my way to the starter. maybe just tighten the solenoid back up and see what happens.. hopefully it doesnt fly apart or something (orrrr i could just buy a new one, ugh)

 

[mr cribb]

Step one:

Replace both battery cables. It can be done for less than $50 for them all.

My link for the negative cable fix:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3397215

Step two:

While at the parts store pick up some 12 or 14 gauge wire, and the yellow terminal ends. I forget which one.

Step three:

Look at the battery tray for a round plug, one end goes to the wiring harness and the other is a ground into the factory negative cable.

Rebuild the wiring from the plug to the battery terminal.

These two wires are your computer ground.

 

[mr cribb]

As soon as you said positive post was hotter than the negative along with no CEL, I knew your issue.

I had to fix this exact problem almost a year ago.

By the way, I bought a new positive cable for less than 20 dollars. You use the splice provided to the extra wire the factory positive cable has.

 

[xplorernewb]

right on thanks, i just took the wiring completely off and realized it was easier than it seems. i was just about to ask if it'd be a good idea to just get the wires from the store but you beat me to it thanks again, ill be back

 

[xplorernewb]

it worked. it worked real good until one day it stopped starting again. i then realized the bolt holding the terminal onto the post was broken. not sure why since it was new but i returned it and got a new one and now its charging better than ever