99 Expedition Will not turn over

[macleod409]

Hi, first off thanks in advance for any advice any one can offer me on this. I have been searching your site all day and have not found the answer. Its probably there, I am just bad a finding things.

I have a 99 Expedition that has ran great since we bought it brand new in 98. It has just over 100k on it. Recently it started giving us trouble. It started with it not starting. You would turn the key and hear one click from the starter solenoid but nothing after that. If you tried over and over by turning the key on and off, it would finally start. First it was only a few tries and it started. After a few days it was down to twenty tries before it would turn over. But once it did, it fired right up and ran normal until the next time it was shut off. I replaced the solenoid on the fire wall and it changed nothing. I replaced the starter and it fired right up. Then I shut it off and went to get the wife to show her my proud work and it did it again. Finally it started and that starter would not disengage. You could here it going a million miles an hour, a very loud wine noise. You could also smell something burning, but I don't know what, it was electrical. Maybe the alternator went out? All of a sudden it stopped and every thing was fine. I took the car around the block to see what was going on. About half way around the block the dash shut off and the windows would not roll down. It was dead on power but running just fine. I took it straight home and shut it off in the drive way. I cant get it to start at all now. I notice the battery is not charged now, so its not getting any thing from the alternator? If you turn the key on and off, about every fourth or fifth turn the locks go up and down on all the doors and the gauges go full on to full off. It very weird.
I put a screw driver across the solenoid today and it does nothing. I am lost as to what to do next. I refuse to take it in, I am a do it yourself-er. Is it the starter? Did I get a bad one? It was not to hard to put in and take out, but not my fav job to do.

 

[ELVATO]

When was the last time the battery was replaced? Sounds like a bad battery, especially since your gauges are doing full sweeps. Take it out, and have it tested.

 

[trippn01]

definately check the battery,but sounds like a bad ground to me....and if it still takes a hundred times to get it to fire,maybe a bad connection in the steering colum?...idk just a thought...

 

[macleod409]

I changed the battery with a new one and replaced the starter again. It fired up first turn. Then I shut it off to clean up. Tried it again and same thing. Tonight I am goin to test cables. I think I have narrowed it down to the cables.

 

[walnuts4x4]

Yeah I would def check cables and all connections look for rust/corrosion as well as tight connections... just my .02 good luck

 

[macleod409]

Here is where I am now. If I jump the connectors on the solenoid it clicks once. Then nothing. I need some one to turn ignition while I measure voltage down on the starter. The solenoid is working. So next step is cable to the starter. Is it possible I have the starter backwards? Any one want to take a pic of the starter solenoid with wires hooked up? I want to make sure it's done right.

 

[billzilla]

Try jiggling the shifter column. Mine was not starting and it turned out to be a sensor that wasn't quite working and when I pull UP on the shift column (while in Park) it fired right up! Takes two hands to try it.

 

[macleod409]

its got to be a ground. The light under the hood turns off when i jump the solenoid. now i have to figure out how to find it.

 

[Latinowarrior]

Same Here

Sounds like the same thing on my 99 Expy, had the starter replaced and the safety shift link in the steering collum. The battery indicator shows very low battery voltage, when I turn the key to the on position. The battery is about four years old and will have it checked. I would like to know how it turned out for you, keep us posted...

 

[macleod409]

Sounds like the same thing on my 99 Expy, had the starter replaced and the safety shift link in the steering collum. The battery indicator shows very low battery voltage, when I turn the key to the on position. The battery is about four years old and will have it checked. I would like to know how it turned out for you, keep us posted...

Well mine turned out to be my own problem. It was the solenoid to begin with, but I moved the alternator wire to the same post as the starter, so when the car started the starter would spin loudly until it burned up. I replaced it three times before I had a professional look at it. It took him two minutes to notice I had the wire back wards. I suspected it from the beginning and even in one of my posts above I asked if some one would photograph theirs so i could compare to mine.

End the end it cost me the time it took to replace three starters, luckily my friend is the manager at our local Car Quest and he just swapped me out every time. he laughed pretty hard when he found out what I had done.

Lesson learned, photograph wires before taking them off, i have an iphone its always in my pocket and should have been a no brainier.

 

[Latinowarrior]

Alright, well I hope my issue is only the battery, after all, the dealer did all the work on the replacement of the starter and steering collum so my wires are not crossed. The Exp ran for about two months and then just sat in the driveway for about three weeks before trying to start it up again. the battery is about 4 yrs old and I live in a hot climate area. Any Ideas out there....

 

[dgray69]

wow, this is catchy, now i have the issue, i checked connections, and changed silenoid. and still have same issue, so now i need to look for the starter relay, any one know where these relays are located, I know where all the relays are, but dont know whats what, and do not yet have a manual to get this under control,dont generaly need to look things up, but this has me baffled