Starter or neutral safety switch? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Starter or neutral safety switch?

KA3NXN

It's HER truck
Joined
October 28, 2008
Messages
83
Reaction score
11
City, State
Arvoinia, VA
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 Explorer XLT, 4.6L
Callsign
KA3NXN
This morning I went to start the truck and it started but when I went to put it in the gear it shut right off now the starter won’t engage I checked all the fuses and they are fine any ideas what could be going on is it the neutral safety switch possibly or the starter? I have a 2002 Ford explore with a 4.6 L engine all wheel drive
 



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The battery is brand new
 






It’s not the starter. I just tested it and it’s ok
 






I know you said that the fuses all checked ok, but it sounds very similar to an issue I had where an O2 sensor wire was rubbing on my frond drive shaft and shorted out the PCM fuse. You might check Fuse 41 in the power distribution box under the hood again just to be sure.

When you say that you know that the starter is good, how did you test it? Jumping across the Solenoid? If so, with the key on, did the vehicle start? Mine wouldn't, which was how I determined that it wasn't getting fuel in addition to the starter not engaging.

Good luck!
Jake
 






Do you get dash lights?
Try starting it in N and see if it lets you
 






I know you said that the fuses all checked ok, but it sounds very similar to an issue I had where an O2 sensor wire was rubbing on my frond drive shaft and shorted out the PCM fuse. You might check Fuse 41 in the power distribution box under the hood again just to be sure.

When you say that you know that the starter is good, how did you test it? Jumping across the Solenoid? If so, with the key on, did the vehicle start? Mine wouldn't, which was how I determined that it wasn't getting fuel in addition to the starter not engaging.

Good luck!
Jake


so far you’ve been 100% correct fuse 41 was blown. But when I try to crank the car it still will not crank so I’m suspecting it’s the neutral safety switch and I’m also going to check to see if anything is rubbing up against the front driveshaft. I do have lights on the dash but when I put the key in the start position the lights go out and I hear a relay clicking under the hood but the starter won’t crank I put a test light on the starter solenoid and had somebody crank the key and I get no power coming to the starter solenoid but if I put power directly to the starter from the battery it cranks but it won’t start obviously because of the blown fuse
 






I assume that you verified that it didn't immediately blow the fuse again?
 






Look what I found
838B8300-FE95-4F78-9AA8-2AAE72CD1F4F.jpeg
 












Thank you so much for the assistance
 






When mine quit I found a thread here that told me to check the fuse and O2 sensor, so I'm more than happy to pass the information along!
 






well done! HEGO sensors are heated exhaust gas, they get lots of voltage at start up to pre heat.... those wires carry alot of power. If they get melted or caught up in drivelines, you will have some serious power issues until it fixed!
Way to find the problem! Visual inspection with a camera is always step one
 






I found the gray wire on The O2 sensor was completely cut through one of the white wires the insulation was worn out and also in the black wire. I tried putting a new neutral safety switch in place but I did not fix it. Will the gray wire on the O2 sensor being completely cut not allow the truck to crank?
 






I just repaired the wires on the O2 sensor. She still won’t crank, I hope it didn’t take out the computer. Any other ideas? Fuse 41 is still good after I replaced it.
 






Never mind PROBLEM SOLVED!!!
I did something dumb. When I was checking the 50 amp starter fuse under the hood I plugged it back into the wrong spot and I just realized what I had done because I went back to check it again and noticed a spot that I had it in only had one prong which means it was an unused spot so I found a spot that had two prongs plug the fuse in and she fired right up. Thank you to everybody for all the assistance
 






WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 






Yes, great job! This is a good thread to remember, especially that picture.
 






Thank you
 






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