1998 Ford Expedition Engine start

RICHDREW87

MEMBER
1998 FORD EXPEDITION
5.4L
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
217,000 MILES

I disconnected then connected my battery and now it will not start, when I turn the key the lights on the dash turn on like normal but all you here is a click and then everything turns off and if I try it again nothing happens not the lights or the click, it's completely dead. If I move the battery or the cables the same thing happens just once and that's it. I also noticed that there is a clicking sound like something is trying to turn on and if I turn on my emergency lights it gets louder and clicks faster, I felt a little box under the steering wheel where its clicking I have no idea what it is. I was also charging my phone with the cigarette lighter after nothing happened and when I opened the back door it would stop charging, as if it was throwing a short. I have no idea whats going on please help.

4 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

Sounds like you have the typical bad connection on one of the battery cables. Either clean and tighten both of them, or you can figure out which one is causing the problem with a digital voltmeter. Turn the head lights on so some current is trying to flow. That is necessary to make the bad connection show up. Put the voltmeter on one of the lower DC volts ranges. Place one probe on a battery post and the other one on the cable clamp. Since those are the same point in the circuit, you SHOULD measure 0.00 volts. In fact, it's common to find a few hundredths of a volt. What you're looking for in this case is a much higher voltage, typically, ... Oh, ... 2.0 to 10.0 volts. That indicates a lack of a good connection. Do that for both battery posts.

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Monday, May 4th, 2015 AT 7:41 PM

RICHDREW87

MEMBER
8 POSTS

I'm sorry that I haven't answered but the day I got your answer I put the battery charger on it and it started right up. But now its doing it again and it wont start with the charger either it clicks but wont turn over. Yes on the voltage, it did go up on the positive side of the battery when I turned the lights on. I took off the terminal made sure the wires were put right tightened it back up and put the terminal back on the battery and I still get nothing, just a click and that's it.

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Sunday, July 12th, 2015 AT 5:58 PM

RICHDREW87

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8 POSTS

In addition when I turned on the light switch to check the voltage the lights did not turn on the switch was on but lights did not come on.

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Sunday, July 12th, 2015 AT 6:34 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

When you reply, please be real specific to avoid confusion. "Tightened it back up and put the terminal back on the battery and I still get nothing". Nothing in this case means things are not working correctly, (which is bad), but it could be taken that you got nothing for the voltage drop, (which is good). To double-check, you have one meter probe on the battery's positive post, and the other probe on that cable clamp, right? Those probes should be a half inch apart. When things like the head lights are turned on and supposed to be working is when the reading should be taken. If you are indeed finding some voltage that way, that connection still is loose or dirty; no two ways about it.

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Monday, July 13th, 2015 AT 8:14 PM