94 Ex wont start! Starter? Battery cable?

[94EddieBauerRock]

My 94 Eddie Bauer Explorer decided that it didn't want to start a couple weeks ago. I have another car so I have just been driving it. I miss driving the Ex and want to get it started.
The starter relay clicks and the battery seems to have a full charge (Tried jumping it but the starter relay just clicked, starter motor doesn't engage).
I inspected the battery cable as best I could (it was 7 degrees so that didn't last long). What do you think? Starter? Battery Cable?

 

[wood1]

I suggest that you do some searching on battery cables as they are a known cause of problems like this. They corrode inside of the insulation and may not look bad from the outside. Good luck.

 

[Anime]

Use a multimeter or digital voltmeter and check that the battery is showing as something above 12 volts, preferably 13-14. If it's below 12, you can hook up a charger and see if it holds the charge, but if it drops back to the same voltage, even if it starts the truck a few times, it's time for a new battery.

If you think it's the cables, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pull out the battery, disconnect the cables, and pull them out for a cleaning. Look at the ends and see if theres any corrosion, either white or blue dust. If so you're better off replacing the cables, you can even step up to larger 2 gauge wire and pick out whatever kind of terminals you like. If the cables are fine just clean the connections (especially the ground connectors), reinstall the cables, throw your freshly charged battery in, and it should start. If not, you may want to check your fuses and relays too.

Cold weather is definitely a good excuse to do some battery maintenance the next warm day you get. Nothing sucks more than being stranded.

 

[94Sport5Sp]

Hi:

A quick test is to bypass the vehicle electrical and apply current to the starter. You can do this under the hood (easy) or under the vehicle (hard).

Under the hood you will find a starter solenoid(relay). It is on the passenger fender. It is round and probably black with battery cable(two or more) on one side, starter cable(one) on the other side, and key activating wire (small wire) between the above two cables.

Use a jumper wire to connect 12v to the starter cable. Remember to have vehicle in natural or park. If the starter does not spin then it is probably a bad starter. If the starter spins then the problem could be the solenoid. To test apply 12v to the key activating wire and if it clicks then time to replace solenoid.

PaMnd

 

[94EddieBauerRock]

Thanks for the help guys! I hope to get my Ex into the garage soon so I can get to trouble shooting. Unfortunately I have a very steep driveway so pushing it in there is not an option. I cleaned the battery terminals and cable ends at the last tune up (a few months ago). I will definitely try your suggestions. I appreciate your input.

 

[marragtop]

To get it into your garage, try hot shotting it or jumping from the battery to the starter side of the solenoid as described by 94Sport.

 

[JDraper]

If it is a corrosion issue, you may not be able to see it. They corrode from the inside out, so the best way to diagnose is to check the resistance of the cable. If it's more than a few ohms, it's probably corroded.

 

[DeRocha]

After you confirm the starter is getting power and still doesn't start you can try gently taping the starter with a rubber hammer etc.. As electrical motors age they can develop a flat spot where it just doesn't make good electrical contact. This occurred to two of my starters when they were around 7yrs old.

 

[gsmaclean]

You might want to check your fuel pump relay. I wrote about this problem when I had it with my 94 Limited.

 

[gsmaclean]

Oh, never mind, I just re-read your problem and saw that your starter motor wasn't engaging.

In that case, I agree with a former post: Replace your battery cables. Corroded battery cables are a common problem with 1 gen's, and the symptom is what you are experiencing.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

I recently wrote a thread about replacing my battery cables. I only did the Positive side for now which completely solved my problem, I hope to replace the negative side soon.

If you decide to replace the cables, I know the positive side is not hard at all. 3 wires and that's it, hardest part is getting underneath it to run them correctly, to remove the wires took about 15 minutes (had to remove from teh sheaths they were in), and to run them was about 15 minutes.

If you can remove your starter, take it out and have it tested at an auto store. It might just be the starter, but if you test it you'll know for sure. But I'd still plan on at least replacing the positive battery/starter cables.