Doesn't even click!

[CDW6212R]

check battery connections at cables
Check MEGA fuse at power junction box, it could have blown
98 has a starter relay in the PJB that is the next suspect in the starter circuit, easy enough to test the signals going too and from it

Changing battery cables is not too difficult once you know what you are looking at, Ford just wrapped a bunch of wires together

What are the best battery cables you have used for both the power and grounds? Have you found an OEM style cable at all? I prefer that OEM terminal clamp style.

 

[410Fortune]

I make cables using copper lugs and hydraulic crimp tool

All of our trucks have been converted to copper
Lugs with studs on the battery posts
It is the best way to retain factory cables as long as possible. Also best way to add accessories, disconnect them quickly when needed etc etc

 

[CDW6212R]

I have a hydraulic crimping tool also that I used to install better ends on my last 98, the prior owner had the cheap bolt on type.

I have had big cables made here from a local shop, but the last two both had some corrosion issues, one inside the wiring itself. So I'm not as thrilled at custom made cables as I used to be, I don't know what was wrong with those last two. One used battery cable wire, and the one before used welding wire which was my preference. They didn't carry as many sizes of welding wire the last time, I settled for 0ga battery cable I think it was.

 

[HarryN]

I build most of the cables for the power systems that I build for conversion vans. Mostly 14 and 10 awg, a little bit of 6 awg.

When I need a a lot of 6 awg or any heavier cables I have them built by this outfit. The owner is a great guy, virtually all US content and the quality is excellent. The price of wire and components is very volume based, so it is actually cheaper for me to buy them than to build - even if I don't count my time as having any value.

You want to have a connector that is crimped on to the wire. The ones that have set screws from the side are not that great.

To get the length, just take a piece of inexpensive wire or rope and route it around to get the length needed. They try to be precise but I add a little bit extra.

The extreme cable has an extra thick jacket that is rated for (-49 C). The marine cable is not rated for as low of temperature ( I don't remember the number) but the individual strands are tin plated if you are having corrosion problems.

Quality Copper Battery Cables Made in the USA! - BatteryCablesUSA

www.batterycablesusa.com

 

[HarryN]

As far as the voltage on your starter battery, if the charger is attached it might be just holding it at 14 volts. Some do that, some will bring it down to ~ 13 volts in sort of a standby voltage.

The more expensive ones are temperature compensated and charge using an increasing voltage for each stage as the temperature declines.

I would not spend too much time thinking about that aspect right now.

What you can try is to touch your meter probes together and see if there is an offset from 0 volts. If the battery is low or if the meter has been in the sun / hot, it can be off. They also just drift sometimes from age or getting dropped.

 

[DintDobbs]

@joney As I always say, some more info would be nice. Just the windows not working doesn't tell us anything about the starter, even if it isn't a bad switch. Notwithstanding everybody else's wiring recommendations (which will be helpful to refer to, IF that is the problem), let's break it down and cover what you haven't told us - what electrical functions do and don't work? Try the headlamps with the key off, then turn the key to Key-On-Engine-Off but don't crank. Will the windows work with the new switch? Does the radio work? Cabin lights? Electric mirror adjustment?

If it's the battery connector or cable, when one thing doesn't work, every thing shouldn't work. If it's a relay, things on the same circuit would be affected (source wiring diagram on EF or refer to owner's manual, if you have one), but things on other circuits would be unaffected.

To help you understand wiring, electricity is exactly the same as plumbing. If you shut off the water to the bathroom, the sink and the shower won't work. If the water is on and the sink works but the shower doesn't, you've isolated the problem. So, if for example your headlamps work but your fog lamps don't, since they're both run on the same circuit, you know the problem is with the foggies. The wiring diagrams will tell you which devices run on which circuits.

Before you go looking up wiring diagrams, a good look at your fuse panel and relay box for any loose or blown fuses would be a good start. Even if they all look good, replace your starter fuse with an other of the same color - a bad fuse may not appear to be blown.

Incidentally, if it is a burned out or disconnected starter, that's an easy fix (assuming you have a ride to a parts store). You can replace it without jacking up a stock model (done it once). I do know that some others have had issues with the starter wires coming loose or breaking; it's not hard to access, but BE SURE you disconnect the battery before you go and mess with it. I don't always, but you should.

 

[joney]

Well, as the neg. terminal clamp was in lousy condition, I was working on putting a different one on, of course missing tools to do the job. Same neighbor who helped me before, came over with a battery tester/analyzer, tested the battery under load and it dropped to the "weak" range ! Cool tool! He also brought 2 terminal ends, and put them on for me! Next, when it's light out, going to unscrew neg. clamp and put the battery chassis ground back in there, ground it to the chassis bolt with the other grounds it came off of, and charge the battery for a few hours. Before all this started, I was simply going to charge battery preventively as it's been parked/short trips a LOT this summer. Put in the new OEM switch also, was able to roll windows up, no worries about the thunderstorms coming tonight! Great neighbors and great working class neighborhood here! This sort of terminal, grey lead not gold. Then, if it doesn't click or start, on with the next testing procedures. Thanks everyone for your helpful input!

 

[DintDobbs]

@joney Nice! Not every wiring story has a happy ending like this one!

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Not every wiring story has a happy ending like this one!

some end with just cutting something out cause it just doesnt work! or just leaving them

 

[joney]

some end with just cutting something out cause it just doesnt work! or just leaving them

Love the helpful input! Thanks, folks! Now onto part 2: Battery fully charged, results still the same! Thought I heard a whirring noise, maybe the fuel pump. Not sure how to confirm this. Now to check the fuses and then the starter. Haven't found it yet! -

 

[joney]

some end with just cutting something out cause it just doesnt work! or just leaving them

Yeah, he was encouraging me to leave out the battery ground and proceed with the diagnostics. Wasn't going there. You remember where the starter is located? I know there are diagrams here on the forum with the fuse/relay locations, just have to find them. Wish it wasn't high 80s and humid here this week, just brutal weather to me. (Of course, you prob. deal with it all the time!)

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Yeah, he was encouraging me to leave out the battery ground and proceed with the diagnostics. Wasn't going there. You remember where the starter is located? I know there are diagrams here on the forum with the fuse/relay locations, just have to find them. Wish it wasn't high 80s and humid here this week, just brutal weather to me. (Of course, you prob. deal with it all the time!)

1996-2001 ford explorer / mountaineer workshop manual (5567 pages!) heres the diagram!

iirc my starter was on the driver side behind the bellhousing

here we have dry heat! wet heat, cant deal with it!! today its a hundred probably but low humidity. i was planning to go to adelanto for some froading... but i heard its above 110!!!!

 

[joney]

1996-2001 ford explorer / mountaineer workshop manual (5567 pages!) heres the diagram!

iirc my starter was on the driver side behind the bellhousing

here we have dry heat! wet heat, cant deal with it!! today its a hundred probably but low humidity. i was planning to go to adelanto for some froading... but i heard its above 110!!!!

Brutal on you, for sure! Probably brutal on your Ex also! Wouldn't it be hard for any truck/car systems not to overheat when the outside temp is so high? But they do have vehicles over in the Middle East desert though.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Brutal on you, for sure! Probably brutal on your Ex also! Wouldn't it be hard for any truck/car systems not to overheat when the outside temp is so high? But they do have vehicles over in the Middle East desert though.

not sure, mine is alright! i took it yesterday froading when it was 100, a few times over 110 and it still doesnt overheat, these things have great cooling systems. even going up long hills at like 3 mph doing 1500-2000 it still doesnt heat up much if at all! engineering marvels!

 

[joney]

not sure, mine is alright! i took it yesterday froading when it was 100, a few times over 110 and it still doesnt overheat, these things have great cooling systems. even going up long hills at like 3 mph doing 1500-2000 it still doesnt heat up much if at all! engineering marvels!

And thanks so much for the manual link!

 

[joney]

But wait! there's More!
After charging the battery fully, one last test of turning the key...Somehow, I LEFT the key in the On position and....
Hours later, I noticed it. Battery FULLY discharged this time...and the charger reads both 'bad battery' AND 'charging' --in fact, just like BEFORE I got this battery back in October last year!
Now to test how good O'Reilly's Roadside Service is, that they included as a benefit of buying the battery from them....
Guess the heat and humidity here addled my brain

 

[joney]

Now for the rest of the story (remember Paul Harvey?)*** My wonderful neighbor came along as I was watering the plants. He asked and I told him I'd charged the battery 6 hrs. after my previous gaffe, and still wouldn't start even with the charger. He had a battery just gotten from a trashed car. He lifted mine out, and put it in. Still no start - THEN he wiggled the Shift Lever and it started next try! He put the battery in the back and it's going to O'Reilly's tomorrow for a replacement. Neighbor only wants a case of Leinie's Original, what a gem. BTW, every other time the shift lever has been a little off, it did NOT allow me to turn the ignition key! Relieved beyond belief!

*** For those who weren't born yet, here's an impressive narrative of his. (A little late for July 4th)

 

[Mbrooks420]

Now for the rest of the story (remember Paul Harvey?) My wonderful neighbor came along as I was watering the plants. He asked and I told him I'd charged the battery 6 hrs. after my previous gaffe, and still wouldn't start even with the charger. He had a battery just gotten from a trashed car. He lifted mine out, and put it in. Still no start - THEN he wiggled the Shift Lever and it started next try! He put the battery in the back and it's going to O'Reilly's tomorrow for a replacement. Neighbor only wants a case of Leinie's Original, what a gem. BTW, every other time the shift lever has been a little off, it did NOT allow me to turn the ignition key! Relieved beyond belief!

Your shifter bolts are probably loose. They are a large torx, and are golden. You have to lay on the floor and look up at the column. Often one will fall out, and you’ll find it on the floor. Super common problem.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Loose gear shifter... and what is this bolt?

Quick story: I was driving home last night with my stereo up loud (it shakes the dash a lot) and a bolt fell from under the dash onto my foot. Today the shift lever for the transmission has a lot of free play and doesn't want to go all the way into "Park" and the needle doesn't line up with any...

www.explorerforum.com

Here’s a pic. It’s Tough to picture up in there. You’ll need a torx 30. If you have trouble locating them, I can crawl in the Mounty and take a video. If you look up in there and jiggle the shifter you should see where the play is.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Loose gear shifter... and what is this bolt?

Quick story: I was driving home last night with my stereo up loud (it shakes the dash a lot) and a bolt fell from under the dash onto my foot. Today the shift lever for the transmission has a lot of free play and doesn't want to go all the way into "Park" and the needle doesn't line up with any...

www.explorerforum.com

Here’s a pic. It’s Tough to picture up in there. You’ll need a torx 30. If you have trouble locating them, I can crawl in the Mounty and take a video. If you look up in there and jiggle the shifter you should see where the play is.

good video on it in general, some things may change with the X, but will get you close.