No crank or start with Multiple warning lights

[zelius92]

Hello all, I’m new here and came across an intermittent problem I cannot figure out. Hoping to find some solutions.

About 2 weeks ago, I entered my car and it wouldn’t crank. I tried pressing the button 3 or 4 times. Immediately, I thought it’s probably a bad battery. So I replaced it with another OEM battery, and it turned over with no issue. So I thought, problem solved. Two or so days passed, and it happened again. No crank. I turned it completely off, waited a few minutes, and tried again. It started. And no warning lights came on the whole drive. This is when I realized the battery I replaced was only 2 years old, so perhaps there was nothing wrong with it. I didn’t have a DMM so i never checked its static voltage. Since then up to now two issues happen intermittently……

1. No crank and then multiple warning lights come on. (ABS, traction control, low engine oil pressure, etc.) I turn it off, wait a few minutes, and the car starts fine. No warning lights come on during the whole drive.

2. The engine starts immediately then 20 or so seconds after it starts, the same multiple warnings as mentioned above come on. I turn it off, wait a few minutes, start it again and the warning dont come back.

3. And sometimes, the car just starts completely fine on first push, no warnings, as if nothing is wrong.

I think this could typically be a charging system issue where the whole system experiences low current or voltage and electronics go haywire. But I’m really not sure.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
As for #1, I would think that would be normal since without starting you are then in accessory mode in which those warning lights would appear.
In #2, have you ever let the vehicle run after the warnings came ON to see if they would go out by themselves after a while instead of turning the Explorer OFF/ON?
Is that the original mileage? Seems very, very low for an almost 10 year old vehicle.

Peter