Diagnosis needed (Please Help ASAP)

[Ty Webb]

My 1996 Explorer with 166xxx on the clock will no longer start. I haven't used the car much over the past 3 months....maybe a total of about 10 miles have been put on it. The last few times i have tried to start it it has been slow to turn over. Tonight I tried to get it going and it tries to turn over and then all I hear is a clicking sound coming from what I assume is the starter. It also has been loosing my radio stations the past few times I have started it up. My guess is the starter, battery, and/or alternator need to be replaced.


Any advice would be great so I can start ordering some parts. Thanks

 

[dman726749]

since you are loosing the radio stations that is a pretty sure sign that the batter is shot, either charge it up or get a new one and see what how that helps

 

[Ty Webb]

I left out the fact that I tried to jumstart it tonight with no luck. It still made the same old clicking sound. The interior lights didn't seem very dim either. I have not been very good about keeping up with the general maintenance on the car since I really don't use it much....so I'm sure there is a good deal that need to replaced SOON.

thanks again for all suggestions

 

[Cali' Explorer]

Ty, that's definately a dead battery. What you should do with the Jump Starting is hook up the cables with the other car running. Keep all lights and everything off on your X. Let the running car run hooked up to your X for about 2 - 3 minutes, revving the other cars engine some to get the Charge rate up.

After about 2 - 3 minutes, give the X a start, without any lights on at all, including interior lights. This should start the x, once started, keep the x runnning for a while. If you can, drive it about 5 - 10 miles to get the battery charged again.

If your car has been sitting that long, it could be a dead battery, but many times I've had a similar problem and it just required me to go out and start the car once a week for about 15-20 minutes to keep the battery nice and charged.

The clicking sound you hear is the starter solenoid. The starter solenoid is an electromagnet that basically "Connects" the starter to the battery. WHen you get the clicking sound you are hearing, the battery is so dead that it has the power to actuate the electromagnet to connect the starter and battery, but the battery is so dead, when the starter connects, it drains the battery and the Starter Solenoid loses power and releases the magnet. The clicking sound is the electromagnet cycling through this "Connect/Disconnect" cycle.

Good luck, and don't worry, starter should be fine.

 

[agzaretzka]

I would also clean the battery terminals.

 

[Ty Webb]

excellent info...thanks for all the help. The car is up and running again and I will shop around for a new battery tomorrow.

thanks again

 

[Cali' Explorer]

No Problem man. Also, if you are going to keep the X parked, you may want to look at a battery monitor. Don't know the exact name, but, its basically a link that you connect all your car electronics to, everything but the starter. If the battery drops below a certain voltage, it cuts off all electrical except for the starter, this way it will start.

Honestly though, your best bet would be to go to Wal-Mart or somewhere similar and find one of those $5-$10 battery maintainers. You plug it into the wall and it basically just keeps your battery topped off, that way you don't smoke another battery.