No Crank No Start - No time to diagnose

[Mr Dubya]

Gents,


Seldom do I post rash threads, but I'm on the first day of my hell-week finals-week for my school (going for B.Arch degree). I hardly have time to type this. My explorer for some reason won't start or crank.

At first it looks like a dead battery - no power when I turn the key, no gauges.

If I slam the battery a few times with my fist, it comes to life - I can turn the power on, get my gauges and message center up, and deduce that the battery is well-charged.

The battery is a Sears Die-Hard Gold, and is less than 90 days old. I'd say 60.

The terminals are tight and spotless.

The second I try to crank, the power cuts with one sharp click. Not repeated clicking like a traditional dead battery.

I can go back, slam the battery, and get power back only to lose it again when I try to crank.

Typically, I would spend the day googling and going through my workshop manual to diagnose this, I typically enjoy that. However I'm too swamped with work, need my car to get to classes (big presentation tonight I'm cashing in on a favor for someone to drive me to), and the explorer is blocking two other cars in the driveway.


My first thought is a bad connection somewhere. I don't have the time right now to go through and check down the lines.

My question is - are there any quick thoughts as to what might be the culprit? If there is no quick-fix anyone can think of, I get it and understand.

Just looking for something to get my mind thinking as I get through the week and find some time to tinker.



Thanks,
-Dubya

 

[D Hook]

Someone posted a similar problem a few days ago. It turned out to be a positive cable had corroded down inside the jacket giving an intermittent start problem. Each time you jar the battery, you might be making a temporary connection to show gauges but not enough to energize the starter. That would be the first place I'd look. I'll try to find the post from earlier.

 

[Mr Dubya]

A good start D Hook. That's just what I need - something to start the trail on my way to and from work and classes. I'll see if I can give it a quick look and feel tomorrow morning.

 

[D Hook]

Still looking for the thread.

Nothing worse than a unreliable vehicle when you have stuff to do.

 

[D Hook]

Found the thread I was thinking of. Check post #11 .

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=397378&highlight=battery

 

[xlt03]

I would check the wire near the oil filter spillway also for wire breakage, the large red one also.


(dead link)

 

[Mr Dubya]

Found the thread I was thinking of. Check post #11 .

That's what I started to suspect. Fortunately, it came to life this morning just long enough for me to wake the house in a mad frenzy so cars could be switched and the explorer put in the back, lest it loses power again. I'll probably go and have the starter tested first, and then take some time to go through the wiring when classes end.

I would check the wire near the oil filter spillway also for wire breakage, the large red one also.

The link 404's on me.





Thanks folks, feel free to keep spitting more ideas out - I'll be sure to report back in when I make progress.


-Dubya

 

[Turdle]

I fixed the link in post #6

 

[2Trux]

After it starts to crank and then seems dead, check the battery voltage with a meter. If it is still ~12V I would guess it's a cable issue. If voltage is way low it could be an internal problem in the battery. (Even new stuff goes bad)

 

[pet575]

Yep that was me with the internally corroded battery cable going to the starter. Worth at least getting another one and giving it a try. They are cheap and if it doesn't solve the problem you've eliminated it without throwing a ton of $$$ at a guess.

 

[Mr Dubya]

Thanks folks. Great replies. I'm going to give it a good combing-through in a week when classes are done. I'll report back in with the update.

-Dubya