wont start hot

[Phearless Phil]

My 98 Explorer sport has to cool of for an hour or more before it will start. Everything works, all the noise makers and lights, when I turn the key nothing happens. The fuse and relay are both good. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[koda2000]

bad starter?

 

[Phearless Phil]

I am thinking bad starter, looking for some confirmation before spending the $$

 

[2000StreetRod]

engine cranks?

I deleted your duplicate post in the Under The Hood subforum since this thread had a response.

So your starter doesn't crank the engine when the ignition key is switched to start? Is your battery fully charged?

 

[Phearless Phil]

Thanks for taking care of that for me, I'm new toe these forums and don;t know what I'm doing yet.

There is no battery problem. If I try to start the truck while it is hot, I get complete silence when I turn the key, except for the buzzer. All the lights work, the horn works, so that battery is fine.

Thanks for the input

 

[Phearless Phil]

by the way, I'm not an Explorer enthusiast, I just happen to own one. It does come in handy when it snows. My preferred vehicle is my 86 F150

 

[2000StreetRod]

auto or manual transmission?

Do you have an automatic or manual transmission? If you have an automatic transmission have you tried selecting Neutral to see if the symptoms are the same?

 

[Phearless Phil]

Yes I have done that and shook the steering wheel, tapped on the fuses and relays... swapped relays.... but doing some of that has caused my airbag light to come on.

 

[2000StreetRod]

swapping relays

OK, I assume that you have an automatic. Did you swap the blower motor relay with the starter motor relay in the battery junction box?

 

[Phearless Phil]

Yes it is automatic. I swapped relays 4 & 6 which is PCM Power relay and starter relay

 

[Phearless Phil]

I just swapped the starter relay with the blower motor relay and no change.

 

[2000StreetRod]

clean connections?

The starting system is fairly simple since there are not many components involved. There is a solenoid in the starter that allows current from the battery to flow to the starter. The high current make/break connection results in pitting of the solenoid contacts. It is possible that heat from the engine is adversely affecting the solenoid. But since it is a pain to remove the starter I suggest eliminating other possibilities.

Have you cleaned the battery terminals and checked the battery negative connection to chassis ground? If your 1998 is like my 2000 the fuse for the ignition and starter relay is fuse 5 (50 amps). I suggest replacing it with a new one.

You can eliminate most of the components as possible problem sources by removing the starter motor relay and with a wire jumping between the contacts that mate with pins marked 30 and 87A on the relay. Use a large gauge wire that will fit the contacts since the current flow may be as much as 15 amps. The starter solenoid should energize independent of the ignition switch. When the starter solenoid energizes the starter motor should crank the engine. If the ignition switch is on the engine should start. If the starter doesn't crank then either the wire connections/wiring from the starter relay to the solenoid is bad, the battery connection to the starter motor is bad, the ground connection/wire from the starter motor to the chassis is bad, or there is an internal fault in the starter/solenoid assembly. A heat related internal fault will be hard to detect since by the time the starter is removed and taken to a place to test it will no longer be hot.

 

[Phearless Phil]

I will look into all of that tomorrow since it's dark here now. Thanks very much for all your input. I won't be able to remove the start myself due to a heart condition so it might end up in a shop. I'll reply with results when I have them. Thanks again...

 

[koda2000]

the fact that the problem only occurs when it's hot make me think bad starter. can you try hitting the starter with a hammer the next time it wont start? sometimes that will wake up a bad starter.

 

[Phearless Phil]

normally I would do that but there is so much stuff under this truck being AWD it's hard to get to the starter... without raising the truck...

 

[Millertime1987]

Is it a 5.0 could be the fuel pressure regulator. There is no new parts for that to replace them at least on the 99's and 00's

 

[N2bnfunn]

My 98 Explorer sport has to cool of for an hour or more before it will start. Everything works, all the noise makers and lights, when I turn the key nothing happens. The fuse and relay are both good. Any help will be appreciated.

I had this same problem on my 95 Ford Explorer turns out it was, the crank sensor under the bottom of the truck in the front.

 

[koda2000]

Thanks for taking care of that for me, I'm new toe these forums and don;t know what I'm doing yet.

There is no battery problem. If I try to start the truck while it is hot, I get complete silence when I turn the key, except for the buzzer. All the lights work, the horn works, so that battery is fine.

Thanks for the input

crank sensors? fuel pressure regulators? did you even read the original post?

 

[JimMadsen]

Also make sure you check the starter wire for continuty from the starter relay and the bigger wire from the battery. Simple ohm test will work.

My 5.0 had intermittant starts then dead. No "dead battery whir" or anything. Turned out the starter relay wire was corroded on the last inch. All I had to do was trim it back and wire in an extension since they don't give any slack. Course, found this after removing the starter!

 

[Phearless Phil]

I spent a day in the hospital with my heart condition so I gave up on the Explorer. It's in a shop and we will see what they come up with. Had to get rid of the stress. Thanks for all the input... I'll post the results when it's fixed.