i need help with my 1993 ford explorer not starting

On my '93 2WD XLT, my fuel shutoff switch wiggles loose every now and then. My symptoms aren't exactly like yours; I can crank, but it won't start. My switch is under the carpet on the firewall on the passenger side. Peel back the carpet & pad, and it's next to the transmission hump. I push it tight, and usually starts up instantly. Worth a try.

If not the shutoff switch, it's your ignition switch or a loose wire. Don't know about the clutch relay, mine's an automatic. You should be able to bypass the clutch relay (unplug it and put a jumper wire in the connector) to test it.

Chuck

Green_Eye_Gurl28 wrote:

All of my Explorers have automatics but I think it's safe to assume that there is a switch that won't allow the starter to run unless the clutch is depressed. You may need to buy a Chilton's or Hayne's manual to locate it (less than $20 at most auto parts stores). You might also want to check the ignition switch.

How, exactly, were you able to get the starter to turn under the hood? Did you bypass the starter relay and the selenoid or just the relay? The relay is usually on the fenderwall on the battery side and the selenoid is on the starter motor (at least on mine).

This happened to me just 2 weeks ago, though mine is an automatic.

The positive battery cable has 2 cables, one cable is bigger than the other. On mine, the smaller cable lost electrical connection (split in two). I get power to all windows, radio, etc, but won't start. Once I splice the cable, it started. This is the second time it happened now.

I don't have a Ford manual but I'm guessing the small cable goes to some kind of controller that controls a parameter to enable the engine to start.