Explorer wont start PLEASE HELP

[corry_928]

I have a 99 Explorer Sport 4x4. 4.0 v6. It ran decent then one day it was dead. It was really cold and it started by not starting after turning the engine off. It happened 3 times then started to overheat. I parked it for a little bit to cool down then a few hours later I jumped it again and 10 miles down the road and it over heated and stalled on the side of the road. From there I got it towed and hasnt moved since. I pulled the thermostat and boiled it and i think it was bad so put a new one in and replaced the battery with a used "better" one. I checked both the oil and antifreeze and it appears they havent mixed. All the truck does is turn over very weak then the battery drains. Any ideas to what might be wrong? I need help please thanks in advance.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the alternator & the battery terminals.

 

[corry_928]

did that while changing the battery.

 

[corry_928]

PPPPPPlease Help.

47 views and only one reply? Come on guys i need some help. Should I try and fix it or just junk it? Please help if you have any idea on whats wrong with my truck. Thanks for reading.

 

[budwich]

It "looks" like your "used better" is "used worse". IF you have no "crank speed", its either your battery, your cabling, or your starter. As far as overheating is concerned, what is your coolant mixture rating... hopefully not just water. Pull your thermostat and "run" without it for the "time being" (assuming you get it started). Lot's of "no starts threads"... do the normal checks.... fuel, spark, and compression.

 

[2000StreetRod]

My Helpful Threads

You may want to check out "My Helpful Threads" in my signature.

 

[corry_928]

well i dont think its the head gasket. i put a stronger battery in and it would crank nice for about 2 seconds then it cranks slow again. If i let it sit a lil while then go and try again .. same thing.. strong crank then weak. Could it be my pcm? Im desperate and need to get this truck back on the road any other ideas? anything i can do myself thats inexpensive? what should i check and try? please help thanks.

 

[G-96XLT]

your post doesn't say much for a good diagnosis. is the Check Engine light on , any codes ? .. it could be that the overheating and the power loss are not related. for starting the car use a booster battery, another car or something with a good power source. once you start out you can figure it out why it is overheating. it could be something small like a cable. my 96 ex positive battery cable went bad and it had similar symptoms. I almost changed the battery and other parts before I found the terminal was rusted and barely making contact, I spliced it back 1 inch and put on a new $4 clamp which worked like new.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Not the PCM

The PCM will not slow the cranking speed.

In the orginal post you said it was cold and you started it 3 times and it overheated. Did you have adequate antifreeze in the block? Did it make a racket when you started it? Did you drive it even though the gauge said it was hot and then it quit? Did it get so hot that plastic things mounted on the engine began to melt?

What have you done besides change the battery, clean the cables and try to start it? If the battery is good and it cranks fast for a few seconds then it sounds like either the starter is dragging or there is excessive drag/friction in the engine. Maybe you should pull the starter and have it and the battery tested. That won't cost anything and will provide useful information.

 

[corry_928]

Thanks so much for your replys.
The truck is still sitting on the side of the road

G-96XLT....Yes the check engine lights been on since i owned it (2 years) and i also have come to the conclusion that they arent related. Right now no codes are coming up at all. I have never had that problem before i always got a code in the past with other problems. As far as the thermostat I bypassed it and will check it out if i ever get it started. The cables and other batterys and booster cars were no help.

2000StreetRod .... I tested the pcm and seems to be working fine. Yes i had enough antifreeze in the truck as far as the water antifreeze ratio: ive always topped it off with 100% antifreeze no water but who knows before i owned it. My truck isnt exactly in the best shape and my exhaust from the cats back is gone so yes everytime i started it (even before it died) it made loud noises. But i didnt notice any unusual sounds. Yes i started it cold and drove about 6 miles then overheated and died. I dont believe anything melted just antifreeze everywhere.
Other things i tried are: I switched some relays around and tried but nothing. checked all the fuses inside and out. checked the gas disconnect button in both positions, reset. i checked the gas presure valve under the hood, got gas squirted at me. hooked up a computer to the check engine and no codes came through. I will get the starter and alternator checked. The battery aint worth junk. Thanks so much for your help I really hope to get my baby back on the road.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Overheating

So you started your vehicle on a cold day and drove it only six miles before it overheated so much that it died. You opened the hood and found coolant everywhere. You had adequate antifreeze for the cold temperature so it can be assumed the coolant wasn't frozen. There are several possible reasons for the overheating:

1. The thermostat stuck closed
2. The serpentine belt broke or came loose
3. The water pump seized or the impeller broke
4. The coolant leaked out due to a leaking water pump, busted hose, cracked thermostat housing, leaking radiator

You said antifreeze went everywhere. Can you determine where it came from?

In your original post you said it wouldn't start after shutting off three times then it started and overheated. The OHV V6 has a tendency to blow the head gasket when overheating. A blown head gasket might explain why it cranks fast for a few seconds and then slows. Coolant could be leaking into the combustion chamber increasing the pressure. I suggest that you tow it home where you can work on it and then pull the spark plugs. Check for coolant as well as other abnormal plug indications. Then do a compression test on each cylinder with all of the plugs removed. The engine should crank rapidly with no spark plugs. If it doesn't, then pull the starter and have it tested.

It's very unusual to have the CEL illuminated and no diagnostic codes set. Did you happen to disconnect the battery (clearing the codes) before trying to read them? I suggest that you try to read the codes again just after attempting to start the engine.