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The haunted Explorer

DonM

Explorer Addict
Joined
September 4, 2001
Messages
1,056
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0
City, State
Ocean View, NJ
Year, Model & Trim Level
95 XLT
Well, my old explorer is still haunting me. :( I actually sold it to my brother. He knew of the problems I was having but that didnt matter to him. He thought he could fix the starting issues, just like Id thought I could.

Well after some months of being demon free, he calls me and asks me to do more research on this. Ive already done hours of reading here at Serious Explorations looking and asking for anwsers. As originally thought, it was the Apten chip. That was taken out for a few weeks. But still, the starting issues continued.

Ive posting about this problem many times and ive yet to find out what the problem is. My brother has replaced nearly every thing that could cause this. Plus ive done replaced things when I owned it. The only thing we can think of is the starter. That's the last thing we can think of, or somthing in the ignition colume?

Back in the warmer months, spring summer and early fall. The truck would start on the first crank most of the time. Once every week or two it would need two or three cranks to get the engine started. Now that it is cold here in Jersey it does this on nearly every crank, just like it did for me last winter. Cold weather it takes 2-4 cranks of the key to start the engine, nearly every time he goes to start the truck.

Ive searched this site for the anwser numerous times. The starting problems got the best of me and is the second reason I got rid of it. Now it's got the best of my bro.

What on earth would cause this? Could a starter on it's way out cause these symtoms?

BTW, battery is a year old. Cables are in good shape. I put a new FPR on within the last six months or so. A new fuel pump was replaced around the same time. A new Fuel pump relay was put in along with another relay(forgot name)

I noticed the other day when we looked over everything again. When I turned the key in the on posistion, not Start! The fuel pump kept running for longer then the normal three sec. It did that before, so I replaced the relays and that seemed to fix the longer running fuel pump.

Reguardless, the colder air temps sure seems to make things worse. What ever the damn problem is?
 



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You replaced the fuel filter?
 






Yes, back in Feb or March. Then again a few months ago when in for a check up, it didnt need to be replaced, but they did anyway.
 






Are you positive the battery and alternator are good?
 






Yup, alt and batter are fairly new. With in a year, plus Ive tested them.
 






Just an idea but could it be the fuel pump? I know my ranger had simalar issues and it was the fuel pump going bad.
 






Fuel pump was replaced about six months ago, maybe alittle longer?
 






Is it that it doesn't crank

or cranks and doesn't start. Confusing because you talk about wanting to replace the starter and that you have replaced the FPR. Heck, I'll name off components too. How about a crank sensor or starter solenoid.
 






Re: Is it that it doesn't crank

Originally posted by Opera House
or cranks and doesn't start. Confusing because you talk about wanting to replace the starter and that you have replaced the FPR. Heck, I'll name off components too. How about a crank sensor or starter solenoid.

I guess I should have been more clear, my bad.

When I say crank, I mean the turn of the key in order to start the engine. If I turn the key and start the engine and hold the key in the start posistion the engine will try to turn over but nothing. So I turn the key to the off posistion and try again. It tends to start after about 3-4 tries.

Last winter is started doing this out of no where, it never slowing began these symptoms. Just out of nowhere.

Back last winter I had a trusted shop look over the Explorer, they cleaned the battery terminals, and the starter solenoid near the battery. They found nothing wrong.

As for the Crank sensor, Im not sure if I replaced that or not? Id have to look threw reciepts that were given to my bro. Would a crank sensor cause hard starts and more importantly cause even harder starts in the colder weather?
 






If it the starter engages and tries to turn the engine over then it is most likely not the main electrical or starting system.

FPR, filter, pump, relays are all fairly new so lets argue that it's not fuel.

That leaves ignition system or sensor gremlins.

How does the truck run once it's started? How does it idle (warm and cool)?
 






Seems to run fine Alec.

I did notice after we had let the engine warm up for about five min the other day. I had got in and put in drive. Pulled out of the drive way and came to the end of the street(stop sign) When I came to a complete stop the rpms came down to around 400 or 500 and the engine kinda stumbled a little and went back up to around 800ish. After driving around for a bit and stopping here and there it didnt do that again. My brother told me it does this every morning. But seems normal once the engine is complety warm. When the rpms dropped around 500ish the engine gave a slight hint of stalling, very slight hint.

As for the temp guage it allways runs in the lower end of normal.
 






Alec, my bad left out that last part.

After the truck sits over night and started in the morning the RPMs are around 1200 then slowly goes down to 800-900 after the engine has warmed up. When warm and in gear the rpms run around 800 at a light or stop sign ect...

Could the Crank shaft position sensor cause these problems?
 






Originally posted by DonM
My brother told me it does this every morning. But seems normal once the engine is complety warm. When the rpms dropped around 500ish the engine gave a slight hint of stalling, very slight hint.

Sounds like you have a problem with your IAC too. Replace that.
 






could be your dpfe sensor, mine did that, it would run real rough til it got warm...sometimes roughness can be caused by bad injectors also...
 






Originally posted by '96explorereddiebauer
Sounds like you have a problem with your IAC too. Replace that.

Ive actually have had two new IAC's in the last 3 years. Just before I sold the explorer I had it in Cottman tranmissions for a rebuild. When they ran codes only one was found and it had to do with the IAC, the tech pointed to the IAC and made sure the harness was connected properly. He never said what the code was. He also asked me if I had it replaced recently and I said yes.

I have no Idea why the IACS on this explorer go bad so quickly? After I brought the explorer home from Cottman I popped off the iac and cleaned it. I still looked brand new and isnt that old!
 






Does the CEL come on now?

Have the codes been checked lately? (and cleared)
 






OkaY let me get this straight.

You turn the key to the start position and nothing happens right?

Meaning the starter is not turning the engine over.
The starter is doing little or nothing correct?

There are 2 starter solenoids on your truck. 1 is built into the starter.
An old starter can cause this.

First thing to do is check, that when the key is turned to start the signal wire at the starter solenoid is powered.
If you have power here and it is a known good solenoid, then the problem is either in the wiring to the starter or in the starter itself.

If you dont have power then the problem is the ignition switch.
 






Originally posted by Positive Vibes
Does the CEL come on now?

Have the codes been checked lately? (and cleared)

Nope, never a cell. I havnt had the codes checked in over a month.

I thought about taking the IAC off again and clean it, but it doesnt make much cents cleaning a fairly new IAC.
 






WOW, I'm still confused on the cranking thing.

OK, you turn the key to the start posision and you hear a "Click"... or nothing happens... or the engine turns over very sowly.

If this is the case then lets start with the Starter circuit.
Open the hood and with a multimeter check battery voltage. It should be between 10 and 12 volts + -. Locate the starter relay and unplug the small red/black wire(this is the "jump" wire from the ignision). Have some one turn and hold the key to the "start" posision. Do this several times since this is a "intermitant problem". Do you have battery voltage every time? If so then the circuit is good from the battery to the "jump wire".

Reconcet the "jump wire" to the relay.

There are 2 large red wires going to this relay. Trace the one back to the battery. With the multimeter place the positive lead to the relay post conected to the battery and the negative lead to ground. Do you have battey voltage? Wiggle the wire. Do you have battery voltage and is it constant. If "yes" then the wire is ok. If not then that wire has a short, repair or replace.

Place the positive lead of the multimeter to the other large red wire/lead of the starter relay and negative to ground. Have some one turn and hold the key to the "start" posision. Again do this several times since this is an intermitant problem. Do you have battery voltage every time? If "yes" then your relay is ok. If not then the relay is faulty and needs replaced.

Go under the truck and remove the red wire/lead from the starter. Place the positive lead of the multimeter into the red wire. Place the negative lead to ground. Have some one turn and hold the key to the "start" posision. And again do this several time as its a intermitant fault. Wiggle the wire. Do you have battery voltage every time? If yes then the wire is good and the starter is the problem. If not then the wire is shorting and needs repaired/replace.

This is just my 2 cents. If this is the fault your having then its been my experiance the relay is faulty, but this is the trouble shooting steps to take.

NOW YOU HAVE AN INTERMITANT FAULT!! It comes and goes so make sure the problem is ACTIVE when you run this trouble shooting steps.

Good luck. I hope I've been able to help you get started in the right direction for the starting circiut.
 



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Originally posted by 410Fortune
OkaY let me get this straight.

You turn the key to the start position and nothing happens right?

Meaning the starter is not turning the engine over.
The starter is doing little or nothing correct?

There are 2 starter solenoids on your truck. 1 is built into the starter.
An old starter can cause this.

First thing to do is check, that when the key is turned to start the signal wire at the starter solenoid is powered.
If you have power here and it is a known good solenoid, then the problem is either in the wiring to the starter or in the starter itself.

If you dont have power then the problem is the ignition switch.

410, no it cranks but does not start. It take 3-4 turns of the key to start the engine. After the engine sits over night in the cold, it almost allways never starts on the first turn of the key. I have power and everything seems fine once the truck is running. It just has a HARD START after it sits for hours...

Sorry guys, I thought i had been clear as day. I'll explain once more.

Mostly in the mornings after the Ex sits over night we experiance "hard starts". Sometimes it even acts up after the truck has only sat for an hour or less. I mentioned the starter in my first post, but now that I think about it, the starter seems to be turning fine. The engine just doesnt seem to want to start on the first turn of the key like it used to. The problem just starting happening one day. There were no signs of this coming. Before last winter my ex would allways start on the first try.
 






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