I just wanted to quickly tell you guys about an experience I had with my Explorer, just in case it happens to any of you. Not a big deal, and I'm sure most of you would know what's going on immediately, but for a mechanical rookie like myself, it might save some time and money.
About seven months ago, while buying groceries, I came out to my '93 Limited and was hurt to discover that it wouldn't start - no engine turning, no dimmed lights, nothing - just a click from under the hood. The lights and radio worked beautifully, which left me more confused than ever. A kind soul in the parking lot suggested I give the starter a whack or two with something like a wrench, which I did, and voila.
As a testament to Ford quality, that method has been getting my truck starting until this past Sunday, when I finally had to have it towed to a local garage to have a new starter put in. Why did I wait seven months? In part because I was a complete idiot, and partly because the Ford dealership quoted me $740 CAD for the job (my new mechanic charged me $399 CAD including the tow.)
So, just a heads up...if you turn the key, and only get a click in response, that just might be your problem.
As a sidenote, the purple beast as I like to call it has been running without fail through all these years, and 320,000km - and is still going strong. I have an '03 sport, but I can't bring myself to get rid of the '93. I'm thinking of slowly converting her into a more robust off-road solution - maybe raise her and toss on some mudkickers.
BTW, has anyone had success finding an aftermarket solution to mount the spare tire on the back of the Explorer, Jeep style?