Need another quick fix/tip

[DesertLight]

You guys always have advice and I'm happy that you guys are around.

I gotta another one for you.
Last Saturday my 1998 Ford Explorer would not start, just clacking, Starter right? well I'm a college student so I'm gonna take it back to my parents house so I can get it fixed (Approx 160 mile away). Any trick to get her turned over this last time so I cant get her home and replace the starter.
Many thanks

 

[R1dd1cK]

Hit it with a hammer

 

[dkcase]

Do you know it's not the battery, or loose cable/ground ?

 

[masospaghetti]

Explorers often have bad positive battery cables. They are a little bit too short and will fatigue over time. Try "adjusting" the positive battery cable when you try and crank it.

 

[rs2k]

Hit it with a hammer

R1dd1ck's right. Tap the solenoid/starter with a hammer if all you get is clicking. The starter might be on a dead spot or the solenoid might be dying and the vibrations from hitting it with a hammer will often do the trick to get the thing starting again.

I've used this trick several times with great success over the years.

 

[deweyville65]

R1dd1ck's right. Tap the solenoid/starter with a hammer if all you get is clicking. The starter might be on a dead spot or the solenoid might be dying and the vibrations from hitting it with a hammer will often do the trick to get the thing starting again.

I've used this trick several times with great success over the years.

The old hammer trick has served me well a number of times. Have you ever taken the starter off a Cat or Cummins? Then you know why you try everything else first. Another thing you can try is, jump the battery with a running vehicle. SOMETIMES this will help, until you can find and correct the real problem. Just a suggestion.

 

[DesertLight]

Do you know it's not the battery, or loose cable/ground ?

I checked my battery and we tried to jump it. No luck when it first broke down, my cousin was hitting the starter with a wrench no luck. However a few minutes later e put it in neutral and she fired up.

 

[rs2k]

That sounds more like the neutral safety switch is going bad.

 

[DesertLight]

The old hammer trick has served me well a number of times. Have you ever taken the starter off a Cat or Cummins? Then you know why you try everything else first. Another thing you can try is, jump the battery with a running vehicle. SOMETIMES this will help, until you can find and correct the real problem. Just a suggestion.

When it first broke down, we tried jumping it and no luck.

 

[DesertLight]

That sounds more like the neutral safety switch is going bad.

So if I put it in neutral should it start everytime?

 

[DesertLight]

Got an update for y'all after an hour of try to get it started I almost gave up, only when a police officer showed up with a friend and we used jump cables to my battery and then the guy gave me a pipe to hit the starter with, she fired up. Now I will be replacing it later today!

Thank you for all the suggestions and help guys!

 

[rs2k]

So the solution was hit it with a bigger hammer.