Vehicle would not start. Vehicle was taken to the dealer, and dealer indicated that battery was leaking acid.
1998 Ford Explorer: won't start
8 of the 1,958 complaints about the 1998 Ford Explorer describe won't start.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 0%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 84 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Won't start by model year
What owners say
Anti theft indicator illuminates, vehicle will not start. This has happened 3 times. Dealer stated computer showed no error code, cannot remedy the problem.
Vehicle would not start and was towed to dealer. Dealer determined crankshaft had broken and needed to be replaced.*ak.
Multiple severe hesitations on acceleration from stop. Close calls from oncoming traffic 2 times, most recently 8/17/01. When parked in front of home, would not start for 2 days.towed to a dealer-atchley ford in omaha. They said could find no problem and started for them ok. Has hesitated twice since then but not stalled. Told by atchley mechanic explorer does not have ignition problem. Claimed to be no error codes in processor.
After driving for 3hours and pulling over to rest, vehicle shut off for a period of time, vehicle would not start back up even after wating 2hrs. Vehicle had to be towed. Dealer has not been contacted.
When vehicle is parked on an incline and fuel tank has less than 9 gallons of fuel, vehicle will not crank.
Because of minor damage to the computer chip in the ignition key, the explorer will not start. Manufacturer or dealer not willing to remove feature at owner's expense.
When vehicle has less than 8 gallons of fuel and is parked on an decline, it will not start until the vehicle is rolled to a level grade.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Rattle/buzz sound from under the vehicle on 4.0L single overhead cam (SOHC) engines
- Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (CMP) installation...
- Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (CMP) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge,...
- Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant...
- Some vehicles including 1997 through 1999 explorer sport trac equipped with a 4.0L sohc engine may exhibit...
- Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure
- Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing...
- Some vehicles equipped with the 4.0L ohv engine may exhibit an engine noise which may be perceived by the...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1998 Ford Explorer won't start
Is won't start a common problem on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
8 of 1,958 owner complaints about the 1998 Ford Explorer (0%) mention won't start. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
There are 0 recalls and 84 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Ford Explorer
Tire blowout 238Stalling 100Fire or smoke 85Adaptive cruise 57Wipers 56Door locks 41Hesitation 33Sudden acceleration 28Grinding brakes 24Ball joint 23Loss of power 22Pulling 22ABS 21No deployment 20Engine failure 20Seat belt 19Headlights 16Jerking 16Brake failure 15Overheating 13Check engine light 12Power steering loss 12Fuel pump 8Airbag light 7Transmission failure 7Knocking 6Fuel leak 6Fuel smell 5Harsh shifting 5Premature wear 5Slipping 5
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