# 2000 Ford Explorer won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** explorer, starting, ford\ **Created:** [May 6, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486 "2010-05-06T20:57:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jrod04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jrod04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jrod04)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/1 "2010-05-06T20:57:09Z")
2000 Ford Explorer won’t start. Has been hard to start for last 6 months plus, but always turned over (occassionally would take a try or 2). Now won’t turn over. Just spins. Tested starter and that is fine. Tried jumping, still just spins. Fuses look good. Can hear the fuel pump engage. Any thoughts on what the issue would be? Starting to think it is a fuel issue, but not positive. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/2 "2010-05-06T21:05:12Z")
Well, your 2 choices are pretty much fuel or spark. Get a spare plug or spark tester & check for spark as someone cranks it over for you. If you get spark, blow some starter fluid into the intake and see if it fires at all then. This will at least tell you which system to work on. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/3 "2010-05-06T22:28:17Z")
Clarification please. . Now won’t turn over. Just spins. By turn over do you mean the engine cranks. By just spins do you mean the starter motor spins but the engine does not turn over? If so you may have broken teeth on your flywheel. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/4 "2010-05-06T22:29:12Z")
Good point. jrod? ---
**Author:** ![jrod04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jrod04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jrod04)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/5 "2010-05-06T22:54:04Z")
Sorry. The engine cranks but will not kick over and start. In the past, it would take a few seconds of turning, then would start. Now nothing. I have removed the starter and the teeth are all good. The bit of the fly wheel I could see the teeth were all present and appeared in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/6 "2010-05-06T23:15:03Z")
Ok - so you need either fuel or spark. (Or compression - but that’s an extreme assumption to start with). ---
**Author:** ![jrod04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jrod04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jrod04)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/7 "2010-05-06T23:23:53Z")
Used an old method of a screwdriver in the spark plug wire trying to look for a spark. Does not appear to be any. The engine was replaced almost 2 years ago. Spark plugs, wires, distributor, etc all replaced then. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/8 "2010-05-06T23:49:57Z")
Are you sure it has a distributor? Specify the engine and someone might know the specifics on the ignition system (I don’t). Basically, though, if it is a distributorless system that uses a coil pack the first thing would be to check for voltage at the coil pack. If it has a distributor it still has an ignition coil and that would need to be checked. (Of course, I might be wrong so I hope that none of the other posters yells at me 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jrod04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jrod04](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jrod04)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-ford-explorer-wont-start/48486/9 "2010-05-07T13:14:03Z")
Sorry. No distributor. It’s the coil pack like you said (I am not real good with the names of the parts on the newer vehicles - i still think of them as what they are on the older ones as I have an older truck myself). The enginge is a 4.0 liter V6 SOHC. The basic engine in the ford explorers.