1994 electrical starting problem
 

I have replaced the alternator, positve battery cables and tested the
battery, all fine.

When i try to start the car it turns over really hard once, then fires up
within the next 2 cranks.

Its gotta be the wiring since when the car starts the radio clock is reset
and stations gone. Also the charge guage in the dash stays below normal
range for maybee 3 seconds then goes back to normal charging range.

History

About a month ago i thought the battry was dieing so i went to buy a new
one, the battery tested good the guy came outside and tested the polls while
the truck was running, the charge was 12 so i thought ALTERNATOR, replaced
it and the truck worked fine for about 2 weeks. i hunted around the web and
found the positive battery cable to be a common problem and low and behold
the cable was coroded to all hell so i replaced it. My question is did i
fry the alternator again by running it through bad corroded cables?

"Happy Father" > wrote in message
...
> I have replaced the alternator, positve battery cables and tested the
> battery, all fine.
>
> When i try to start the car it turns over really hard once, then fires up
> within the next 2 cranks.
>
> Its gotta be the wiring since when the car starts the radio clock is reset
> and stations gone. Also the charge guage in the dash stays below normal
> range for maybee 3 seconds then goes back to normal charging range.
>
> History
>
> About a month ago i thought the battry was dieing so i went to buy a new
> one, the battery tested good the guy came outside and tested the polls
while
> the truck was running, the charge was 12 so i thought ALTERNATOR, replaced
> it and the truck worked fine for about 2 weeks. i hunted around the web
and
> found the positive battery cable to be a common problem and low and behold
> the cable was coroded to all hell so i replaced it. My question is did i
> fry the alternator again by running it through bad corroded cables?
>
>

12 volts on the battery when the truck is running is on the low side.
Charging voltage should be up around 14 volts.
Try to get a load test done on the battery, not just an unloaded voltage
test. And while your at it, check the negative battery cable. It is not
immune to failure.

Charlie

it turns out the battery was shot because the cables where so bad it had
grounded out and killed it.

thanks for the advise!
"Happy Father" > wrote in message
...
>I have replaced the alternator, positve battery cables and tested the
>battery, all fine.
>
> When i try to start the car it turns over really hard once, then fires up
> within the next 2 cranks.
>
> Its gotta be the wiring since when the car starts the radio clock is reset
> and stations gone. Also the charge guage in the dash stays below normal
> range for maybee 3 seconds then goes back to normal charging range.
>
> History
>
> About a month ago i thought the battry was dieing so i went to buy a new
> one, the battery tested good the guy came outside and tested the polls
> while the truck was running, the charge was 12 so i thought ALTERNATOR,
> replaced it and the truck worked fine for about 2 weeks. i hunted around
> the web and found the positive battery cable to be a common problem and
> low and behold the cable was coroded to all hell so i replaced it. My
> question is did i fry the alternator again by running it through bad
> corroded cables?
>

"Happy Father" > wrote in message
...
> it turns out the battery was shot because the cables where so bad it had
> grounded out and killed it.

Huh? that makes no sense at all.....

I'd like to hear a more detailed description of your cables. I'm trying to
imagine a cable that is covered with red plastic and then enclosed in black
corrugated plastic somehow becoming exposed and coming in contact with
grounded metal. Was something hitting it?

"Happy Father" > wrote in message
...
> it turns out the battery was shot because the cables where so bad it had
> grounded out and killed it.
>
> thanks for the advise!
> "Happy Father" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I have replaced the alternator, positve battery cables and tested the
> >battery, all fine.
> >
> > When i try to start the car it turns over really hard once, then fires
up
> > within the next 2 cranks.
> >
> > Its gotta be the wiring since when the car starts the radio clock is
reset
> > and stations gone. Also the charge guage in the dash stays below normal
> > range for maybee 3 seconds then goes back to normal charging range.
> >
> > History
> >
> > About a month ago i thought the battry was dieing so i went to buy a
new
> > one, the battery tested good the guy came outside and tested the polls
> > while the truck was running, the charge was 12 so i thought ALTERNATOR,
> > replaced it and the truck worked fine for about 2 weeks. i hunted
around
> > the web and found the positive battery cable to be a common problem and
> > low and behold the cable was coroded to all hell so i replaced it. My
> > question is did i fry the alternator again by running it through bad
> > corroded cables?
> >
>
>

ok

as in my original post

I relaced the alternator, then the positive battery cable. the old cable
was completely corroded and exposed in areas not seen until it was off,
therefore it was arching. this in turn fried the battery over time, get it?

I have done a lot of research on this and it turns out that the positve
battery cable is a very common weak spot on the explorer, expecially the
older models. the cables have been known to corode on the inside hardley
showing anything such as wear or buring on the outside. If u see wear on
the outside such as burning, etc. get it fixed since it can cause serious
damage if not a fire within the engine.

Something to keep in mind with an older explorer.

"Happy Father" > wrote in message
...
> it turns out the battery was shot because the cables where so bad it had
> grounded out and killed it.
>
> thanks for the advise!
> "Happy Father" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I have replaced the alternator, positve battery cables and tested the
>>battery, all fine.
>>
>> When i try to start the car it turns over really hard once, then fires up
>> within the next 2 cranks.
>>
>> Its gotta be the wiring since when the car starts the radio clock is
>> reset and stations gone. Also the charge guage in the dash stays below
>> normal range for maybee 3 seconds then goes back to normal charging
>> range.
>>
>> History
>>
>> About a month ago i thought the battry was dieing so i went to buy a new
>> one, the battery tested good the guy came outside and tested the polls
>> while the truck was running, the charge was 12 so i thought ALTERNATOR,
>> replaced it and the truck worked fine for about 2 weeks. i hunted around
>> the web and found the positive battery cable to be a common problem and
>> low and behold the cable was coroded to all hell so i replaced it. My
>> question is did i fry the alternator again by running it through bad
>> corroded cables?
>>
>
>

RikiTikiTavi wrote:

> I read this advice over 3 years ago and went out to look at my battery
> cable. I'd had a little bit of problems before with hard cranking and dim
> lights and stuff.
>
> So I carefully looked and you had to really look, I pulled away some of the
> cable and it was all corroded inside the cable, close by the terminal, like
> power termites been eating on it!
> But there was a lot of the copper wiring left, so I poured baking soda with
> water into the cable assy, let it sit for several hours, flushed it out
> with clean water, dried it out, waited, then lubricated it well with
> Vasoline then tightly wrapped it up airtight with electrical tape and I
> haven't had a problem since.
> I'm a cheap and lazy! :)
>

....and somewhat foolish. The "corroding battery cable syndrome" that
seems to inflict many (or all?) of Ford's products of the 1990's is one
of those things that will leave you (or your SO) standed someplace. For
the low cost of a new posititive cable (it only seems to effect the
positive cables) you can avoid the cost of a tow or emergency service .

YMMV,
-Fred W

On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 07:28:04 GMT, RikiTikiTavi >
wrote:

>-- r


If you lose that final "r" in your signature, it'll work right.

Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"