91 Explorer Starts Sometimes
Kates712
02-22-2005, 07:55 AM
I'm having car problem with a 1991 4 Door 4x4 Exlporer
On Friday when I got out of the library my car wouldn't start. The fan, radio and all those thing came on just fine. And when I turned the key to turn it on it just clicked, and doesn't try to roll over at all. I called and jgot my car jumped. After that my car was fine. We drove to Houghton on Saturday for the hockey game and that is 2 hours away, my car started fine on the way there and the way home. Sunday morning, my boyfriend started my car to warm it up for me and pulled it into the driveway. After I took his key out to give it back to him, i tried to turn back on the car with my keys and it wouldn't start again. It did the same thing, the electrical worked and made a click sound when turning the key over. The only thing that was still on when i shut off and turned back on the car were the headlights. Then about 5 min later I tried starting it again and it started. So my boyfriend took the battery out and check the voltage, and the voltage read normal. So he cleaned the connectors thoroughly. Since Sunday my car has been fine and starting. Today I warmed up my car and had the heat going. When I got back to my house, I turned it off and tried starting it again and it wouldn't start. Is it the alternator, starter, battery, what?
any ideas? thanks!!!
On Friday when I got out of the library my car wouldn't start. The fan, radio and all those thing came on just fine. And when I turned the key to turn it on it just clicked, and doesn't try to roll over at all. I called and jgot my car jumped. After that my car was fine. We drove to Houghton on Saturday for the hockey game and that is 2 hours away, my car started fine on the way there and the way home. Sunday morning, my boyfriend started my car to warm it up for me and pulled it into the driveway. After I took his key out to give it back to him, i tried to turn back on the car with my keys and it wouldn't start again. It did the same thing, the electrical worked and made a click sound when turning the key over. The only thing that was still on when i shut off and turned back on the car were the headlights. Then about 5 min later I tried starting it again and it started. So my boyfriend took the battery out and check the voltage, and the voltage read normal. So he cleaned the connectors thoroughly. Since Sunday my car has been fine and starting. Today I warmed up my car and had the heat going. When I got back to my house, I turned it off and tried starting it again and it wouldn't start. Is it the alternator, starter, battery, what?
any ideas? thanks!!!
secobra
02-22-2005, 09:08 PM
A quick (and free) test for the alternator is to pull off one of the battery cables while the car is running. If it stalls then the alternator is bad, if it doesn't the alternator is good. It sounds like your battery may just be going. A voltage test is not really sufficient unless the battery is totally gone. You can go to a local auto parts store and they can do a load test on the battery, this measures how the battery performs under a load, not just how many volts it has.
BTW, if either of you have a volt meter you can check the voltage at the battery in the car. If it's running it should be around 14 volts, indicating the alternator is charging as it should.
A few other problems that you can't totally rule out would bne poor connections at the starter, if your in a salt filled winter environment like we are here in NE Ohio, it's a good possability that there is corrosion at the starter connections. If your boyfriend can't get to them you can always pour a mixture of warm water and baking soda on the connectionsfor a temporary fix. Make sure the battery is disconnected when and if your boyfriend cleans the connections at the starter. If you don't your going to see some unwanted fireworks!
BTW, if either of you have a volt meter you can check the voltage at the battery in the car. If it's running it should be around 14 volts, indicating the alternator is charging as it should.
A few other problems that you can't totally rule out would bne poor connections at the starter, if your in a salt filled winter environment like we are here in NE Ohio, it's a good possability that there is corrosion at the starter connections. If your boyfriend can't get to them you can always pour a mixture of warm water and baking soda on the connectionsfor a temporary fix. Make sure the battery is disconnected when and if your boyfriend cleans the connections at the starter. If you don't your going to see some unwanted fireworks!
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