My 97 Explorer can't start. The battery keeps going dead. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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My 97 Explorer can't start. The battery keeps going dead.

ibsmashing

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August 12, 2009
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Year, Model & Trim Level
Explorer 97
hi i'm new and my car just broke down. need some help...
explorer 97 died on me other night in front of house. so i recharged battery. my suv then started and i used it to get to work. on way home it died. battery was dead again. so i went to get it charged and brought it back. after one use to get the suv home. the battery was dead once again. my battery is fairly new. I was wondering what could cause this problem. could it be my alternator?
i dont know much about cars so need some help.
 



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also when i attempt to start car. i get a clicking sound. some of the electronics work in car. battery has a little juice but not enough to start i guess.
 












Yep, sounds like the alternator to me. My 99 Explorer has a gauge showing whether the alternator is charging in the bottom right corner of the dash. Did you happen to notice? If not, get someone to jump you off and then notice whether you're getting a charge.

If it is the alternator, you can sometimes find em in a junkyard for $10-20 vs probably around $100 at Autozone or Napa. If you're comfortable replacing a drive belt, changing out the alternator is usually a pretty easy endeavor.
 






Start your truck,disconnect the negative cable from the battery. If it dies,it's your alt.
 






ok thanks for replies. im most likely gonna just get a new alternator and change the battery cables. hopefully it works. also i do have the gauge in bottom right. i just didn't know what it was for exactly.
 






might wanna have em test it before you buy a new one. if it's bad you'll get your core charge right back anf if not you've saved about $200
 






I suggest not disconnecting the battery with the engine running. In todays world of electronic components, you can do some serious damage. I agree with having the old alternator bench tested before buying the new one. Most auto stores will do this for free.
 






If its the ALT you can change it in like 10 minutes I did mine in the parking lot at the autozone. My sport was doing the same thing, I think it was $120.00 for a rebuilt one I cant remember but the only slightly difficult part is getting the belt off not alot of room with the plastic shroud in the way. Is your charging meter working (gauge bottom right) it should be about halfway while running. if its lower/droping its not charging.
 


















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