Nothing when I turn the key

[.50ae]

So today I was doing a little bit of offroading in my 01 Explorer Sport 4x4 4.0 and it just shut off. No weird noises no nothing and it would not start back up. When I turn the key literally nothing. No clicking, no cranking, nothing. The theft light is not blinking so it's not pats. I tried tapping on the starter but nothing happened. Battery is good and has charge. Anyone have any ideas? I would try to jump the starter from the battery and test it like that but access to the starter is very poor with the 4x4 system. I would probably have to take the front driveshaft off to take the starter out.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Check your cables.

 

[.50ae]

Check your cables.

Which ones? Ones going to the starter all look good. The positive from the battery had some oil on it but I cleaned it and still the same issue.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Do you have any power? Lights work?

 

[.50ae]

Do you have any power? Lights work?

Yes lights work and they don't dim at all when I try to start it

 

[mutlyi4]

possibly the starter relay???

 

[.50ae]

possibly the starter relay???

Tried swapping relays, didn't help

 

[mutlyi4]

if someone can help you with a wiring diagram you can jump the starter at the relay to test that side of the circuit but could be ignition switch took a crap

 

[.50ae]

Ok so I was looking in that "no start no crank procedure" thread by streetrod2000 and it seems my transmission range sensor is bad. I have a small voltage (.025 volts) at pin 85 on the starter relay when the key is in the on position but turns to 0 when I turn the key to start and try to start the car. Curious if maybe a rock kicked up and hit the sensor. Does this sound right to you guys? Or do you think it would be an ignition switch?

 

[J_C]

So long as you have the tranny in park or neutral when you try to start it (obvious but I'll state it anyway), you should be able to jumper around that range sensor to see if it's the problem. Are there only two wires going to it?

On a diagram I see pink and tan/red which if connected together, should bypass that sensor. Easier access to jumper around it would be at fuse 24 in the interior fuse box (which comes right after the ignition switch, so if the ignition switch is bad you won't have 12V at fuse 24 with it in Start position), to the tan/red starter motor relay coil pin (85, AFAIK).

Then again I could have the wrong diagram, lol.

 

[.50ae]

So long as you have the tranny in park or neutral when you try to start it (obvious but I'll state it anyway), you should be able to jumper around that range sensor to see if it's the problem. Are there only two wires going to it?

On a diagram I see pink and tan/red which if connected together, should bypass that sensor. Easier access to jumper around it would be at fuse 24 in the interior fuse box (which comes right after the ignition switch, so if the ignition switch is bad you won't have 12V at fuse 24 with it in Start position), to the tan/red starter motor relay coil pin (85, AFAIK).

Then again I could have the wrong diagram, lol.

Checked voltage at fuse 24. I am getting 12 volts when I turn the key to start. I will try splicing the pink and red/tan wires together a little later when it cools down. I'm guessing the sensor got hit with something. Hopefully it doesn't cause shifting issues. Anyone ever replace one of these sensors? If it's not hard I'd rather just buy a sensor and put it in.

 

[Turdle]

I have some little things to try.
try reseating the pcm connector on the firewall, passenger side. also the transmission harness connector which is in the middle of the firewall.

Also, you might check the connection on the starter. Just because it makes good current to the power box, does not mean you didn;t knock the starter connection loose and it just doesn't have a good enough connection to run the starter motor.

 

[.50ae]

I have some little things to try.
try reseating the pcm connector on the firewall, passenger side. also the transmission harness connector which is in the middle of the firewall.

Also, you might check the connection on the starter. Just because it makes good current to the power box, does not mean you didn;t knock the starter connection loose and it just doesn't have a good enough connection to run the starter motor.

Reseat as in disconnecting and reconnecting or just pushing it in more? Checked connections at the starter and all is well

 

[.50ae]

Ok good thing I didn't splice those cables together because it was literally just a loose connector like Turdle said. Thanks to everybody that helped out. The loose connector was a large one that sits right on top of the drivers side valve cover that I'm assuming when a shop was fixing my front timing chain guide failed to plug in correctly.

 

[Turdle]

Yep, that's the transmission harness. Glad you got it fixed!

 

[J_C]

Ok good thing I didn't splice those cables together because it was literally just a loose connector like Turdle said. Thanks to everybody that helped out. The loose connector was a large one that sits right on top of the drivers side valve cover that I'm assuming when a shop was fixing my front timing chain guide failed to plug in correctly.

Glad you got it fixed but you didn't need to "splice" those. If you were to crawl under the vehicle to get at the sensor connector, a piece of paperclip or wire in the connector contacts would work, or (for lack of other material) take a fuse, break the tabs off and solder them to a piece of wire to insert in fuse 24 blade contact to jumper to the relay coil contact, though twisted bare wire can work too.

I may not make that clear enough, that I never advise anything that requires cutting factory wires... unless the word cut is involved.