93 Ford Explorer BATTERY QUESTION

[MyrtleBeachFord]

I have a 1993 Ford Explorer. I recently went to start my truck and noticed it seemed like it was dead, but then it cranked up. The next day it started up fine, but when I went to the store and was only gone for 10 minutes, I came outside and my truck wouldn't start. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and then it cranked up. It's been doing the same thing, once it goes dead it takes like 5-10 minutes, and then it'll crank up.

I notice that even the slightest bit of juice I use (i.e., if I leave the door open for a few minutes, it won't start).

Is this a case of a bad battery or alternator or maybe something else?

Also, I was thinking this could be the problem... I have several auxillary lights wired directly to the battery and noticed there is a LARGE amount of corrosion on both terminals. Could the corroision be causing a bad connection and causing my vehicle not to start at times?

PLEASE ADVISE.

Jeff

 

[chrisis]

i would suggest before you throw any money go to autozone and have it check your battery and alternator for free.

it could be eitherway, but when you alternator is not working properly then is going to destroy your battery.

 

[Jason94sport]

It's either your battery, or the cables are corroded. Do as suggested & test your battery. Autozone, pepboys & other auto stores should check you battery for free.

 

[Phager]

If there's a lot of oxidation on the terminals, it can certainly lead to starting issues. The corrision leads to increased resistance and excessive voltage drop before it even gets to any thing else in the circuit. I'd start with cleaning those terminals and see if that helps the problem. I agree with the recommendation of taking the truck to Auto Zone for a test, but if there's excessive corrison it can lead to inaccurate results and possibly buying a battery when you don't need to.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Anime]

Most likely it is the battery starting to go dead. Cleaning the corrosion off and getting it tested would be a good idea to be sure before buying a new one, but if it tests ok and the terminal connections are clean and tight and it still has starting issues, just get a new battery. If the battery is pretty old, and especially if it's never been replaced, getting a new one might just be a good idea anyway.

 

[Tony H]

Just clean your terminals . Fast, easy, free. then see what happens. When it does start, is your AVolt Meter reading in the middle? That will tell you that your Alternator is trying to charge the battery.

 

[StillKicken]

Definitely clean terminals! Mix baking soda and water and pour on it, then use a wire brush to shine them up (or battery terminal cleaner)

More than likely battery. Mine did the same thing several months ago. First thing in the morning, or after was in a store for a while...no problems. Truck running for a good minute. Get to gas station, go in and buy cigarettes, come out...nothing.

Go by any auto parts place and they can test it in 5 minutes...Free!

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do things in this order: Clean terminals, apply anti-oxidant to prevent future corrosion, connect a voltmeter across the terminals, test voltage, start truck, turn everything on for a minute, test voltage, shut everything off, test voltage, turn truck off, test voltage, open door, test voltage again. If you get the proper reading, then it was only the corrosion. If the voltage was low with the engine running, then it was probably the alternator. If the voltage drops immediately when the engine is off, then it might be a bad battery, or a drain coming from something like a light which was left on.

 

[pooll]

ok i have a question my altinator guage runs alittle below 17 i just put a new battery in her it seems to run fine but the tester shows when its running that it changes from 15.86 to 16.02 volts when its running if i turn everything on it drops to the bottom left to about the eigth if ur sitting still when ur driving it goes to about halfway is this normal or is there something going wrong .ty

 

[CDW6212R]

The terminals are very common causes of these issues, especially the replacement of battery terminals, never do that. The bolt on type are for temporary use only, they will cause a no start problem.

The running voltage should never see 15.86 volts, you have a bad voltage regulator. The voltage should be around 12.5-14.5 volts. Good luck,

 

[mikeinri]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this, EXPECT to be replacing the cables. Cleaning the visible corrosion is only half the battle. The Gen 1 Explorers are notorious for having the cables corrode from the inside out, and you can't see it until it's too late.

There are other potential issues you could be having to cause starting issues. The terminal on the starter may also be corroded, which requires the starter to be replaced. The solenoid could also be on its way out.

So, if your battery is more than 3 years old, and you don't know the age of the cables, I would start with replacing the battery and cables, then have the charing test done as the others have mentioned. This will tell you if the alternator is good or not. If you have a good alternator, new battery and cables, next thing I would replace is the solenoid (they're very cheap and easy) and finally the starter.

Good luck!

Mike

 

[Gadget X]

Myself, I would lean more towards thinking that it was the voltage regulator or the terminals. I would definitely check those next.

 

[mikeinri]

Voltage regulator is integral to the alternator.

 

[greyboxer]

And right down to basics, is the battery secure? Every time an unsecured battery takes a bad jolt it shortens the life of the battery. If you're going to keep it- clean it up (posts etc...) and like Mike said, get those cables replaced but when you put it all back together make sure the battery is secured and immobile. Also, in case you are taking the alternator in to be tested, be forewarned that the testing will not always show an existing problem. I once had an alternator go, I took it to be tested 3 different times at 2 different places before I gave up and just swapped it out with one I got from a wrecker and away went the problem. I'm not sure why, but it turned out that the alternator stopped working after it warmed up but showed no problem when cold. Just my 2 cents.