Won't Start

[Maconexplorer]

Help! My 96 explorer is a great ride but now won't start at all...All systems are powered when I open the door and put the key in...but as soon as key is turned all power disappears (goes black) and does not come back for about 30 seconds (when the weather is warm) to 5 minutes plus (when the weather is cold). I checked the battery and it is fine....

Interesting other symptom is that if I pull the fuse box (the whole fuse box under the hood) and move it around power is restored but the car still goes completely dark as soon as the key is moved to start position.

This whole problem came on overnight (literally) on a rainy day. No previous symptoms or hints of a problem. It sounds like a connection problem to me but I don't know where to find it....

Any help? Thanks

 

[Cobraguy]

You almost certainly have a bad battery or connection. You didn't say how you tested the battery. But I would clean both battery terminals, check the battery cable connections. Pay particular attention to the ground. I think you'll find this will fix your problem.

 

[marragtop]

Keep in mind that battery cables can corrode on the inside, so they may look fine externally.

 

[Maconexplorer]

Checked the battery out of the car on a standard battery tester that looks at load. Built to have 571 CCA and had 534...a little low but nothing a short charge would not solve.

I will check the battery cables and ground but what astounds me here is the suddenness with which this came on. Had an older car before in which the battery lead corroded inside and as a result did not carry enough current to the starter until switch was on for a while so that cable warmed up and resistance dropped.

This seems to be only mildly affected by temperature but drops all power when the switch is switched on. Could this be a short in the switch or even in the transmission sensor that is not telling it is in park?

Thanks...will report back when I get a reading on the ground (any idea what kind of resistance I should measure in the leads?

 

[Maconexplorer]

Tested ground and all OK here. Minimal resistance 3 ohms so I don't think this is the issue.

I wonder if this is a theft switch issue? Anybody have any experience with that mechanism?

 

[budwich]

well... you probably don't have to go any further than turning your key to on.... then get out your meter and start checking for voltage around the key area. You should be seeing 12 volts in on yellow and in run, and 12 volts out on at least GY/Y. You don't have to go much further than that.

 

[Maconexplorer]

Thanks...well it wasn't the switch so I went back to the battery connections...what else could it be?

Battery connections all tested OK but I noticed when I wiggled them at the connection I would loose the light under the hood. At first thought the ground had corrosion around the wire to terminal end connection under the cloth sheathing....but after cutting that off it was fine. More wiggling though and looking for what was moving sent me to a secondary lead off of the battery ground. It was connected to the front cross member (to which you mount the radiator) and though lead was showing full continuity and no resistance in the cable the nut on the end of the wire was loose. (Could it be this simple?) Cleaned lead and tightened it down and presto bamo it was fixed. The old car started right back up. Have to see if this continues but as of right now it is fixed.

Funny, ground to the block was fine and but must not have had ground to the chassis (is this the total ground to the chassis with this thin wire?).

Anyway I hope this helps someone else find the problem.

Thanks for those who helped me through this...