Can anyone tell me what could possibly be the problem with my 1990 Bronco II? I bought it about a month ago and haven't yet driven it anywhere, but I do start it up on occasion. Anyway, I am about ready to get it into gear and I started it today, or tried to start it rather, and it wouldn't turn over! At first the engine sounded like it was trying to start, and as I tried more and more times it got less and less powerful until finally there was hardly any noise at all. Then a clicking sound in the right side of the vehicle started going off when I tried to start it and it vibrated the entire car. Does this sound familar to anyone? Also, is there anything I can do on my own to repair it or do I have to bring it to a shop? If so, how much do you think it will cost? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated, as it would ge great to be able to at least appear as though I know what I am talking about when and if I have to go to the mechanics, as not to get ripped off. I have heard too many horror stories, haha.
Thanks a lot!
Sarah E. Turner

 

hi welcome to FTE that clicking sound is your starter solenoid located on your passanger side fender next to the battery. first thing you need to do is check on the bronco 2 forum and check out ken00's technical information thread.

learn to pull codes from the self test outputs inside the engine compartment also in ken00's article.

i would start with that . if you want to skip that i would start with checking battery cables and connections battery itself,starter solenoid, alternator, check for ignition system TFI module which is on your distributor which is located behind your upper intake ( says 2.9L fuel injection ) on the top. check distributor cap and rotor which is inside the cap for any cracks, check wire set for any cracks or lose connections at the cap and at the spark plugs just follow the lines and you'll find the plugs, check igntion coil which is located on your driver side wheel well next to the windshield wiper fluid tank/reserve rad tank from the distributor in the middle of the cap you have a wire connection that is your ignition wire. check your FPR (feul pressure regulator) which is mounted on your fuel rail should be underneath your upper intake has a small vaccum line connected to it. check to see if you have coolant in your radiator. no leaks,check thermostat if you haven't changed it yet i would do so ,someone else might say otherwise but whenever i buy a used truck/car i replace the simple things first just to be on the safe side. example oil change with filter. air filter,fuel filter,pcv, etc... this is just my two cents of what to look for i know there are many other people that have more information on this . ok hope some of this info helps you out .

Monty06

 

sounds to me like a dead battery. i get this alot cus i cant drive mine yet and i keep starting it but it dosent run long enough to get a good charge. so with every start it sucks down the battery untill it finally dies.
before slapping a charger on it overnight, i suggest first turning on a light or something so that there is draw on the battery, then get a bettery tester and check the voltage of the battery. it should be around 12ish, if not, charge it

 

The problem can be many things; battery, starter, alternator and/or regulator, etc.
Batteries tend to last only about 5 years. The capacity gets low as the battery gets old. Therefor if the engine doesn't fire right away you'll need to recharge the battery. If the starter is pulling excessive current it will drain even a good battery fast. Thick engine oil (like some-one put in my Bronco2 when I bought it) will make the starter pull more juice in the cold of winter. An alternator that's not charging the battery properly will allow the battery charge to drop. Lots of possibilities...

I know my Bronco2 has a week battery, but it still fires ok after I put in 5w-50 synthetic. I know that this is a temporary fix for a new battery, but it's lasted for over a year.

One important note. Don't leave your battery sit very long uncharged, and never take your battery down to 0 Volts. It will last longer if you keep a charge on it. Don't cook your battery either. If you are not going to run the car for extended periods you may want to put a trickle charger on the battery.

 

Thanks a lot you guys. The guy who sold it to me actually replaced the battery the day that I bought it, so I am wondering if it is the starter. ANyway, thanks a lot for your help.

Sar

 

Sounds like you ran the battery down trying to start it, charge the battery, check for spark, pull the codes and test the fuel pressure to start.

 

in that case, it is going to be a dead battery. The stores only put like a quick surface charge on a battery to give just enough juice to start a vehicle a couple times. when you install a new battery, you should go joy riding for awhile to charge it but if it is kept in a garage your gunna need to put it on a charger.

 

Sounds to me like it's not charging and that's why he threw in a new batt. It will start several times but, if it don't charge, it just gets weaker.

 

Will a jump start charge it enough to start it now?

 

Why do you think it isn't charging?

 

Oh, never mind, now I see what you are saying. I needed to charge the battery but I didn't so now it isn't working. So, the sound of the starter is normal if the battery is dead? But I am still getting an inside light, although it is dim and whenever I move the key in the ignition it goes from lighter to dimmer to lighter to dimmer.

 

Another quick question- when I am charging the battery do I take the battery out and charge it or can I keep it in the car? Also, what does checking for sparks mean?

 

yes, you can jump start it. but remember to turn off your stereo etc to protect it from a power surge. and with a dead battery, your light will still work but dimmer and dimmer as you said, and when you try to start the engine, there will be a clicking noise.
you can leave the battery connected to charge it, but make shure the vehicle is turned off as well as acessories etc like the stereo to prevent possible damage. and if it is really cold outside, i suggest removing the battery and charging it indoors. NEVER NEVER NEVER let a dead battery sit out in the cold and never leave a battery dead or not on concrete.

 

You have no idea how happy you have made me!! I thought I was going to have to pay a bunch of money to get it fixed and now I just need to get a jump start or buy a charger!! Thanks so much!! I am so glad you said something beforeI paid money to tow it to a mechanic, haha. Oh yea, if I jump start the car do I run the risk of it not starting again ie. am I better off just buying a charger and charging it up? Thanks again soooooooooo MUCH for your help. It has proved invaluable.
Sarah

 

also, the reason it didnt charge when you started it is i assume it didnt run long enough and probably didnt run at high enough RPM as you didnt drive it. with mine, it idles at 6-800 RPM and the lights, stereo back light etc are a little dimm but if it is revved to 1000, they look normal, they get even brighter with 2000RPM. the faster your engine spins, the high the charge. and obviously, it dosent charge in a second, it has to run for awhile.