Starting Problems

[CodePoet]

Hey all, i've been having problems starting my explorer. When I turn the key to the start position all I get is a clicking sound (like the battery is dead). I've recently replaced the battery, and the starter relay, so i'm pretty confident those aren't the problem. I've been consulting my Haynes manuel and it says that the problem is probably in the starter soleniod contacts or the starter motor connections. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you fix it? Is the Haynes diagonsis correct, or did you have to replace your solenoid/starter? Any help will be greatly appreciated. I've been dealing with this problem off and on for about four months. Thanks!


Later
CP

 

[brendan]

I had that happen once and the actual problem was some dumb fuel pump emergency shutoff button or something like that. No idea what it was for or why it went off, but I was driving down the highway and it just died. Tried to restart with key, tried to restart w/screwdriver jump, even had a Toyota mechanic (yeah, real useful) look at it and he had no idea. But then I think I towed it out to the garage I always go to and they found a fuel pump shutoff or something strange like that.

Hopefully someone else can chime in about my problem, or possibly another way to fix yours if it's not the same as mine.

BTW, that was on my 95 sport.

 

[ld50]

Exact problem here a while back.
I even took the starter out and had it bench tested. They said it was fine.
Finally I figured that it HAD to be a starter problem after all and simply bought a new one.
The problem went away instatntly and has never returned.

Also, we have the same year and share a problem.
The emissions from a battery in years 91-94 tend to corrode your battery cables prematurely because of a dead spot around the battery where air tends to be stagnant. If you don`t think it is your cables, then it has to be starter, IMO.

I have the story of my starter woes in my mod thread you can get to in my sig. There is also a quote from the starter company that sold the starter explaining the problem with the battery`s "dead spot"

-good luck

 

[CodePoet]

I'm really leaning that way. I've replaced every thing else after all. My cables do suck (neg is just about to break in two) but it's tight, that was the first thing I though of. I think i'll probably end up having to replace the starter. I'm going to explore that route. Do you think that it would be more productive to replace the soleniod, or go ahead and replace the starter as well? Thanks for all the help!

Kinda pisses me off though I was going to goto taco bell...I had the hankering for some nachos bell grande!

Later
CP

 

[PROTEUS]

I have some knowledge on electrical matters... I have that problem sometimes, and MY solution is very very simple and easy ...
First the reason:
The connectors to the battery terminals can be loosed or dirty, creating some resistance for the high current of the start, enough to avoid it. Another reason can be the wires, can be broken inside.

My emergency simple solution:

HIT THE CONNECTORS !!! jejeje, it works !, believe it or not !.

 

[alphabets13]

i had a problem like this. after replacing everything under the sun(solenoid, relay,etc.) it turned out to be the neutral safety switch on the tranny. it came loose somehow and just had to be tightened. turned out to be the simplest thing. good luck.

 

[ld50]

I couldn`t easily get parts for my starter, and I thought it was simpler to replace the whole thing.

If you are in need of battery cables soon it might not hurt to replace yours first, before putting out the cash for the starter.
The cables aren`t cheap either, and they are kind of specialized, you most likely would have to hit the ford dealer for those unless you want to try making up your own.