I have a 96 explorer, the battery is fine but the car doesnt want to start in the cold?

Question

The battery is fine, the car has never had previous problems, It will turn over, but I have to try about 3-4 before it will start, what is the problem here? thanks.

175,000 miles on this vehicle

Answer 1

It could be several things, possibly sparkplugs with the amount of miles you have on it, or if it's fuel injected it could be a cold start switch, also if its not cranking fast enough it could be a battery with not enough CCA which stands for cold cranking amps in which case you could take to your local auto parts store (the major chains) and they will perform a free battery test usually

Answer 2

Part of the problem is that your car is 14 years old. That means that the parts are starting to wear out, one by one. It's good that you are making sure that there is oil and transmission fluid. If you run out of either one, your car is ruined. Also, you will want to keep an eye on the water/antifreeze. If you live in a cold place, you have to get the car ready for winter by making sure there is antifreeze in the radiator and winter-weight oil in the engine. This is called "winterizing". If you put the car in Park and it did not stay stopped (and you are not on a hill or on really slick ice), then you may have transmission problems. When you stop the car, you should stop with the brakes, put the car in Park and then turn off the engine and set the emergency brake. Then, take your foot off the brake. If you didn't do that, and your engine was still running when you took your foot off the brake, that might have been your problem. All cars roll just a little until the brakes and transmission catch. Your power brakes would have been hard to press if your car was turned off, same with the power steering. If you turn the key and the car does make starting noises or just kind of groans, the first thing to check are the battery connections. You want to make sure that all the wires are good and the battery terminals are clean. Then, see if someone has jumper cables and can help you give your battery a jump and see if your car starts. If it starts, then your problem is either a cold (if it is below 10 degrees) or dead battery. Drive around to recharge the battery. If it does not charge, you have a problem with your alternator or an alternator connection wire or belt. If charges up and starts again but it's dead again after sitting overnight and it's not cold and you checked the battery connections, then it's probably time for a new battery or to make sure that your battery has enough battery fluid. Old batteries don't hold charge very well. If you can't afford a new battery, ask a junkyard or auto shop if they will sell you a used battery that is still good. It won't last forever, but it will keep you on the road for awhile. If you live where the temperature goes below zero and you have no garage, then you will need to buy a battery blanket or an engine block heater and have it put on your car. These are items that you have to plug into an outdoor electric outlet, using a long extension cord. The electricity runs the battery pad or battery blanket or engine headbolt heater, keeping it warm so that your car will start after a cold night. People in Alaska, northern Minnesota, etc. use them every winter. Next time you buy a car, take it to a reliable mechanic and have him or her check out the car before you buy it. They can check the engine, transmission, etc. and tell you if there is anything wrong. That doesn't prevent something from going wrong later, but at least you will know that you are not buying a car that has problems already. If you are afraid that your car will break down somewhere, be sure and carry a set of jumper cables, a cell phone with the number of a tow truck or garage, some shoes you can walk in, and a warm coat. I hope things get better for you soon.

Answer 3

Have You Tried Turning The Ign. Key On And Off About 5 or 6 Times Before Cranking The Engine, If This Helps Start The Engine You Most Likely Have A Fuel Related Problem And Knowing This It Will Lead You In The Right Direction For Repairs.

Answer 4

The battery may check fine, -- however it may not be a big enough battery to begin with. And I don't know what you call cold!

When you get below -30, the oil is a whole lot thicker, and sometimes acts like you are cranking in concrete! So lighter multigrade oil would be helpful! Also when a battery is "real cold" it puts out less cranking amps! I lived in Alaska (in the service), where we were, it got -70 and better. You had to have a "tank heater" on the engine, and plug it in to keep it warm, or it couldn't crank period!

First reccomendation, - is to get the largest battery you can put on the "battery pad". Second thing would be to put a "heater on the engine", -- it will make the heater work as soon as you start the engine too (quite beneficial if it is real cold)! There is a "battery heater" available too!

This modern gas doesn't vaporize very well at very cold temperatures either! Not like the "old fashioned leaded gas" did!!

Answer 5

You didn't say if the engine was turning over normally in the cold. If it's cranking too slowly, the battery might not be fine. They put out less current when they get cold, so if it's half gone, that's when you'd notice. Parts store battery tests are worthless. They don't tell you anything about run time or cold weather performance.
If it does turn over fine when it's cold, it could be a hundred things. Poor fuel pressure, worn plugs, bad O2 sensors, bad lots of sensors, just plain worn out engine.
You might try some 5/30 mobile one. That'll help the engine turn easier in the cold.

Answer 6

hello I'm a ASE and ford master tech i saw your post and thought I'd help seeing its so close to winter i ran your prob on our ford computer and found 96 explorer have a repeat prob with the IAC (intake air control) jamming this part controls how much air may go in the engine when starting if jamed will cause the engine to hard start but note if the engine takes long to crank the crank speed may be to slow to start the engine the battery ma be wore or tarter or wires or battery have to small COLD CRANKING AMP for your engine and may need upgraded. also the 1996 explorer has a pretty good computer system so a ford dealer can run the codes and find the failing part easly and repair your SUV. i hope i have help you!

Answer 7

Try using thinner oil 5 w 20 or 10 w 30 in the winter ..Have the starter solnoid checked for any corrsion make sure you have good electrical contacts cables no sighns of rust ..After that the only other thing is 175000 mile motor a internal bearing rod or main is binding..Good luck

Answer 8

it could be many things 96 is the start of OBD2 so a bad sensor could throw of the fuel/air mixture and cause a hard start problem the best thing to do is to take it to a tech to look at it if not you are throwing money at the problem a good place to go is a name brand store where the have supervisors beathing down there neck and they can't screw you

Answer 9

You probably need an alternator or ignition switch. Take it to your service department for diag/repair. Remember, a wrecker bill on top of repairs is stupid. P.S. Did you have the battery tested at the dealership or a place that is open late at night/weekends...?

Answer 10

Well if you don't want cold , fight cold with hot . Try putting a cup of hot cocoa on the cold part or maybe you've got ice stuck in your car