yup. it was dead yesterday morning. rolled it out to jump it in the driveway. got the explorer next to it. connected up the jumper cables just like the tag says. under hood light comes on, thats a good sign its got power. dash looks nice and bright. hmmm, ok, go baby go!

i turn the key. click.!!!! nothing. how is it not working!? this cant be happening to me. after some thought, i decide to try it again..

turn key, again. click.... tick tick tick (very fast) almost like gears meshing.
AHHHH! thats not good i think. but it sounds just like the explorers solenoid that went out last week. :boxing !!

head down to store. get new solenoid. omg, i think. i have to pull the started to get this in. i pull out the manuals. take out the exhaust they say. nope, i think. thats not happening. it will take too long.!! long story shorter... get starter out. back in. try it again.

hook jumpers back up. get cars running. turn key. nada. !!! crap i think that means it must be the starter! $#@! another trip to the store. another fun time pulling the starter out. and putting it back in was real fun. :skep:

last time. common.! cross you fingers! turn key, click tick click tick tick. (very fast) sonofa$@!# !!!!!! why me, i scream in my head. i sit around a bit, moping.

ah, it wont hurt anything. lets try again. once more i try. and it starts... nope. hmm i think. this is dumb. but it seems to get better each start. i let it sit 5 mins. and try again.

not quite. Ive got the hood up and the belt has tried to spin now. a few more times like this and that belt moves more and more every time i try to start.

i leave the car alone for 10 mins. come back and it roars to life. YAY. i start closing up shop. and then.. @$!@$#!$#!$! theres heck of coolant leaking from under the car!. hour later i tracked down the tube responsible for that.

well i guess the technical question would be: why did the engine seem to be frozen? and WHY did i spend a whole day pulling out and putting back in a starter (twice, once solenoid, once new starter ($65 :eek: ) when it would have started if i just had given it time? it was only in the garage for at most 2 weeks sense the last time running.

sorry for the story if your not into story time. :yesnod: :lol: :crazy: :smash:

 

If a battery is very dead just hooking up the jumpers is not going to start it right away no matter what. You have to let the Explorer sit there and run for a while to charge the battery before trying to start it. Also for some reason I think that very fast ticking might be the starter relay and not the solenoid. I've heard it before many times with dead batteries. :)

 

:iagree:

Also, clean the battery terminals ( even if they don't need it.).

 

The connection resistance with jumper cables is too high to provide full cranking current. Charge the battery, clean the cable lugs and battery posts and re-install battery cables.

 

Hey Scorp--Where is starter relay located on my 89? :confused:

 

It's in the relay center inside your dash, right behind the warning lights.