the terminals were rusty closed and broken and the smoke comes from behind the fire wall
prob from the pax side? theres a plastic cover there that comes off easy then u have main heavy starter cables going thru a solenoid, clean up the connections & have a look
this part means u turn the key & nothing happens, same as your title (97 xlt no crank)
he got out of it and it wouldn't crank again
this part means the starter is cranking (spinning the motor) fine. but not clear
my xlt want crank new battery new terminals after about three or four turns I get a little smok
do you mean 4 engine revolutions or 4 spinning start attempts?
eitherway, excessive cranking with no start can def heat up wires, stuff can melt and you could even have a fire, happens quick where wires are loose, dirty connections etc, plus that takes away juice from either the starter and or ignition system (spark) required for engine start
to start, i'd check to see if there is a spark (plugs) & make sure the engine is getting fuel
try to be as clear as possible in what u describe, what i think is goin on is first there was no crank then you cleaned/fixed up (new) batt wiring so now she cranks fine but engine just spins with no start
