ChrisXLT94
New Member
- Joined
- September 17, 2001
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Chicago, IL
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1994 XLT
Hi all,
I was driving my parent's 97 XLT 5.0 Explorer the other day and I stopped by the supermarket to pick up some things. When I came out and tried to start the car, it wouldn't start. There was a faint clicking sound, but that was it. I assumed a dead battery, so I called the motor club, they sent out a car to jump the Explorer, but with no luck-it still wouldn't start. So I figured the heck with it, I'll get a cab and come back tommorrow morning with the towing company.
So I get to the car the next morning, cleaned off the connectors, and tried to jump it with a booster pack - and it started. Great, I thought, problem solved, must be a dirty connection. But when I came back home and tried to start it again, it wouldn't start-not even with the booster pack.
So today, I tried to figure out what was wrong with it using a multimeter. I tested across the battery terminals, and it read 10 volts. I thought it might be a bad battery, but no. I tried using another booster pack to jump it, and it still wouldn't start.
One thing I noticed, though, was that when I turned the key to the IGNITION position, the car would make a rapid clicking sound (with the booster pack on). BUT, when I released the key (now in the ON position), the clicking would continue, only now it was very faint. When I read the multimeter, it read 4 volts. When the faint clicking stopped (after about 7 or 8 seconds later), the voltage returned to 10 volts and the instrument lights, and underhood lights became bright again.
Can you guys please give me any tips or advice as to what is wrong with my Explorer? I don't think it would be the battery cables, because it wouldn't even start with the booster pack. I'm not so sure that it would be the starter, because it started up the first time with the booster pack. I'm really confused about what would be wrong with it.
Thanks for your help!!
Chris
I was driving my parent's 97 XLT 5.0 Explorer the other day and I stopped by the supermarket to pick up some things. When I came out and tried to start the car, it wouldn't start. There was a faint clicking sound, but that was it. I assumed a dead battery, so I called the motor club, they sent out a car to jump the Explorer, but with no luck-it still wouldn't start. So I figured the heck with it, I'll get a cab and come back tommorrow morning with the towing company.
So I get to the car the next morning, cleaned off the connectors, and tried to jump it with a booster pack - and it started. Great, I thought, problem solved, must be a dirty connection. But when I came back home and tried to start it again, it wouldn't start-not even with the booster pack.
So today, I tried to figure out what was wrong with it using a multimeter. I tested across the battery terminals, and it read 10 volts. I thought it might be a bad battery, but no. I tried using another booster pack to jump it, and it still wouldn't start.
One thing I noticed, though, was that when I turned the key to the IGNITION position, the car would make a rapid clicking sound (with the booster pack on). BUT, when I released the key (now in the ON position), the clicking would continue, only now it was very faint. When I read the multimeter, it read 4 volts. When the faint clicking stopped (after about 7 or 8 seconds later), the voltage returned to 10 volts and the instrument lights, and underhood lights became bright again.
Can you guys please give me any tips or advice as to what is wrong with my Explorer? I don't think it would be the battery cables, because it wouldn't even start with the booster pack. I'm not so sure that it would be the starter, because it started up the first time with the booster pack. I'm really confused about what would be wrong with it.
Thanks for your help!!
Chris
