Hating my explorer

[devi59]

Bought an explorer this january used. its a 1993 eddie bauer edition. it ran great for awhile. unfortunately ran into a buttload of problems. First was losing heat during a bad blizzard season. replacing the heater core (of course after changing the coolant and having the water pump removed and checked) and it worked like a champ again. then I lost my drivers side window, it wont go up or down unless i move it manually (which is probably that white bushing thing i read about here). 4x4 stopped working (assuming it is stuck between the 2, the computer seems to be clicking but i dont think the motor is working).
All this pales in comparison to what is happening now.
It won't start. it has some aftermarket anti-theft thing on it. tried replacing the battery (walmart said the battery was fine, but its walmart so i didnt believe them and i bought a battery 2 days later). This got it started, i took to the gas station to get it filled up. Tried to start it up, same clicking noise, not starting, alarm going all crazy like its not getting enough juice. tried to jump it but it didn't help any, so now my car is stuck at the gas station and will probably get towed in a day or two. I noticed when replacing the battery that the positive had an extra wire to it (probably to the anti-theft thing) and the entire main wire is really corroded. I cleaned the terminals and figured that would have done it, but nothing worked. im really worried after reading many horror stories here so I really need some help. anyone have a clue what the problem is? i don't know really anything about a vehicle. i know how they work (i took a small motor class in highschool) but I get really nervous under the hood, especially when dealing with electrical. Anyone got ideas? I will note this, I am basically dead broke.

 

[CmdrPopNFresh]

sorry to hear of your troubles. sounds to me like the aftermarket alarm could be causing some troubles...maybe draining the battery...but since it just started doing that its kind of hard to say thats a problem caused by the alarm. heavily corroded battery cables on the other hand will give you hard start/no start concern. its very possible that your cables are corroded inside the insulation...so cleaning the terminals wont help much because the high resistance is inside the cables. this would also explain why a battery might not start your explorer but still test ok. check to see if the cables are swollen or lumpy under the insulation near the teminals....and also down by the starter.....if those both check out ok...make sure all youre connections are tight and if those are all ok....check to see if your starter solenoid (on the fender under the hood) is not burnt looking on the outside or corroded as well.....solenoids can get worn out after aging and cause high resistance inside...enough to engage the starter but not turn the motor....just like corroded cables. hope you get something figured out! good luck!

 

[devi59]

thanks for the info. ill check it out when i get off work and get it towed back to my house.

n00b question - whats a solenoid look like?

 

[konstan]

welcome!!

thanks for the info. ill check it out when i get off work and get it towed back to my house.
n00b question - whats a solenoid look like?

A starter solenoid on fords is a black cylindrical thing, with a square base, and two terminals, one of the terminals is copper (both have wires to them). It is located on the passenger side in the engine bay, real easy to spot, attached to the side wall.

I had a starting problem on my '93 Ex: turn the key, it clicks, all lights go out, wait 60 seconds, all lights come back.

I also had the EXACT SAME problem in my '91 F150.

In both cases, the trucks needed (1) a new negative battery cable (they tend to corrode from the inside), (2) in both cases I attached the new cable right to the body metal, as close to the battery as I could, and (3) it does not hurt to then wire a ground strap (or another battery cable) from there to, for example, the alternator mount.

Clean the battery terminals AND the wire terminals, sounds like you may have already done it.

If it clicks but you do NOT lose the lights and the buzzer, then its the starter or that aftermarket alarm thing... (see my next post)

 

[konstan]

alarm

The aftermarket alarm thing can prevent it from starting too. I bought a truck once that had one, and then all of a sudden (MONTHS after I bought it) it decided to not let me start it.

Quick solution: find the relay where the fuses are that activates the starter. Turn iginition on. Connect a wire from the battery (+) to one of the terminals on the relay and it should start -- that is the equivalent of turning the key to start.

The only thing that the alarm disables is current to that starting relay, so you can try to bypass it.

Better solution: find the control module for the alarm system, should be under the dash, driver side. Disconnect it. Enjoy truck.

 

[devi59]

thanks again everyone. i'll hopefully get this sorted out. I work 45 miles from my house and I can't keep taking my wife's van, she needs it for work and our kid. This sounds like something I can handle so we will see. Changing the wires and stuff sounds easy, but I get scared going under that hood.

 

[nitro71]

devi, you gotta change how you look at your Explorer. ANY older vehicle in this price range is going to need work no matter what the brand or model. Unless you have the $$ to shell out for a newer vehicle you need to come to that realization. Once you get all the initial bugs out of it. Change all fluid, change plugs, put new shocks on ect.. It can be a reliable vehicle. Plan on getting tools for your birthday, christmas and any time possible! Sears makes a nice kit for around $200. G'luck and look at it as a oppurtunity to have a new hobby!

 

[devi59]

@nitro71
I completely understand that. I knew it was going to be something that would need work. Like I said, the rest of it not working to me was typical older age and it was very expected of me. The battery just dying after the first day it was really hot outside was not. It is the only thing that is driving me insane because of how far I need to drive for work. If I didn't have such a drive it would not be that bad. Thanks for the tools ideas. I have some tools but I am a network technician, not a car guy, so my tools work, but definately not ment for a car. Give me a computer chassis anyday and I can do wonders to it. But cars, they scare the crap outta me.

 

[manousos]

once you get her up and running again....

This might fix your 4x4 problem - clicking while trying to engage is one of the symptoms listed
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123542

 

[alohamonte]

Putting 100 miles a day on a "93 - anything - is going to call for a lot of maintenance.

Fortunately, this is a great site with loads of information. Happy wrenching.

 

[devi59]

once you get her up and running again....

This might fix your 4x4 problem - clicking while trying to engage is one of the symptoms listed
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123542

Yea thanks, I looked at that thread many times but the thought of pulling something off like that without my trusty mechanic friends there scared me too much. i kept thinking i could handle it, but i kept chickening out. i did try to hit it with a hammer but i dont know how "hard" a "light" tap is. I felt like I was hitting pretty decent but it didnt seem to help much.

 

[Robrt32]

My alarm gave me trouble.... FIRST I found the racket maker under the hood and disconnected that aggravating joker.... I then found the little hidden button under the dash , cut the wires and tied them together... no more problems YET

 

[fixxxer]

Mine too has an after-market alarm already installed, no real problems with it other than a bad connection sometimes at one of the wire splices where the installer cut into the ignition circuit. Really, the entire vehicle has an analogy to a desktop or server, you have the frame, a power supply, cooling system, CPU and peripherals (lights/hazards etc.)
What is really great about this website is the willingness for the members to help each other out, that and the accumulated knowledge of thousands of members and over 10 years of people posting questions and answers and how they arrived at their particular resolution. A whole archive of helpdesk answers for you to help yourself become more comfortable with working on your own vehicle and many of those answers come complete with a teardown/buildup with pictures of the process along the way. For your alarm issue, I'm sure that if you take a good look at the wiring under the dash, you will be able to see where the installer hooked into the trucks power for the alarm, pull one fuse or pwr relay and that alarm should be disabled and allow you to start your truck. The 4x4 issue you mentioned is actually a very simple fix, I think you will surprise yourself once you get over the fear of learning something unfamiliar. Welcome to the forum!

 

[devi59]

well i got my uncle to help me tow my explorer back to the house (that was... interesting. basically looked like some yellow loop from an old seat belt or something that he looped into his rear bumper and then attached it to my main frame and used a (*SHRIEK*)crowbar to hold the loop together) I then looked up under the dash attached to the steering column with a zip tie a little black box, with about 7 or 8 wires on it. It had a red light and a little dial i could turn but that was all. whenever i would hit my unlock on the remote the light would turn off, unlock the doors, and then turn on and flash. definitely is part of the system. I also looked under the hood and found the solenoid easily there. it had tons of wires on it including a very thin (12-14 gauge) red wire that was held onto the main positive cable to the battery but then went underneath the engine somewhere. On the opposite side of the engine the black canister deal had been moved down and remounted right below some metal tubes and in its place is that annoying sounding car alarm speaker. The red wire on it is definitely the same gauge as the one attached to the solenoid, so I would assume its a snip of that red wire and my problems should be solved. I didn't do it yet because I was only 10 feet from a major road and my 3 year old son wouldn't stay still while I was looking at it. Hopefully I can take a look at that thing tomorrow. I would love to get some pictures, but my wife's cellphone is the only thing we have anymore that just takes pictures (i have my wonderful sony handycam but i don't like the picture stills) but since she is working late every night, I don't know if I can get them on here or not.

 

[BrianDye]

I bought my 92, has a Directed alarm on it, remote for it was pretty thrashed, looked like the alarm was 4+ years old, works like a champ though, I put a DIY remote start in, so I had to disable the alarm, the remote would start it, then the alarm would take over, and kill it til I pressed the button, but my remote for the alarm was so shot, i had to shake the hell outta it everytime to lock/unlock (arm) it. on occasion i bump the switch when im driving w/o the remote so when I get out the alarm would go off, and w/o the remote id just turn the key on, w/o starting it, and flip the switch and its all good...

 

[BrianDye]

If you can find the actual black box under the steering column, on one side it should tell you what each wire is by color codes...


Mine did, my remote start has it in the booklet, if not, try to find the model # and search for diagrams online, or goto the manufacturers website and check it out, even email them, bulldog security was a big help when I had questions about my rem. start

 

[devi59]

like I said, I found that black box but I was pressed for time (didnt want a run over child) but it seemed to not really have anything on it that I could see. I could be wrong though. Just so people understand this box made it so i could remotely unlock my doors and it had a wonderfully annoying alarm, but no remote start. I don't know if that makes a difference and I should cut the wire or not.

 

[BrianDye]

Well try and get a light down there, and see for any model numbers, then if you want, get on the site and email the people about it, and tell them your problem...

Also, does yours have keyless entry? (Is it the stock ford keyfob, or is it the one for the alarm that unlocks/locks it)

 

[zjrog]

As hard as it is to apply, patience is a virtue with an older rig, and putting lots of miles under them.

Since the purchase of my 94 for CHEAP, and rebuilding the A4LD, I've been very pleased with the results so far. We have had to gut the cat which improved performance and mileage. During the work I've put into the truck getting it back on the road, I found the brakes to have been replaced in front before the trans died (rotors and pads), and the rear drums were in great shape and lots of shoe material. Needs shocks, could use new radius arm bushings (waiting to decide on lift or not). Because I gave the truck to my son, I'm hoping the truck lasts another 30,000 miles. 2 years or so. FOr the price, we're all way ahead.

But yes, it is easy for these things to nickle and dime us. (I could tell a tale of the 90 XJ my daughter drives...)

 

[devi59]

well the keyfob says FORD on it and it has 2 buttons, a picture of a lock locked and unlocked. on the back it sorta says made in the usa and FCC: goh-m24 but it is barely visable. there is also a light i noticed that looks like it was drilled and put into the bottom section of the dash that flashes red when the car is sitting there.