mrau92me
Active Member
- Joined
- January 26, 2010
- Messages
- 99
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Decatur, AL
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '02 Mountaineer
Hi. Need some electrical expertise. My pop-in-law has a problem with his 98 4.0L SOHC Explorer w/ AT. On Tues, the starter dragged a couple of times, then later it wouldn't turn over at all, no clicking or anything. Battery is practically new, but pulled it & had Adv Auto check it & was good. So, he towed it home & replaced the starter today (new one). Afterward, still no cranking with no audible clicking, but now the dash lights (such as CEL, alternator, etc.), radio, power windows, reverse lights, wipers aren't working with ignition in the On position. Things that do work are the head/tail lights, cluster illumination, locks, ant-theft light blinks (ign switch off), cig lighter, brake lights, which are all items that usually work even without the key in the ignition.
Here's what may be the key...when he reconnected the wires to the solenoid at the starter motor, he connected the large black wire (I think it comes from the battery's neg terminal) to the solenoid's terminal that the bare copper braided wire from the starter motor housing also connects to. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been connected to the starter motor's mounting stud.
Did something get fried? He had corrected the black wire's connection by the time I got there, but nothing changed. We've checked fuses and all are good. I think he also tried switching the starter relay in the pwr dist box with the blower relay but nothing changed.
Here's what may be the key...when he reconnected the wires to the solenoid at the starter motor, he connected the large black wire (I think it comes from the battery's neg terminal) to the solenoid's terminal that the bare copper braided wire from the starter motor housing also connects to. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been connected to the starter motor's mounting stud.
Did something get fried? He had corrected the black wire's connection by the time I got there, but nothing changed. We've checked fuses and all are good. I think he also tried switching the starter relay in the pwr dist box with the blower relay but nothing changed.