I got home turned my car off for just a second to run inside and grab something came back out tried to start the car it turned over clicked a few times and then nothing. My dash board lights still come on so do my head lights. I tried cranking a few more times no clicks or anything. We tried to boost it off that didn't work either. My brother said one of my battery cables not sure if it was the negative or positive cable was extremely hot when we were trying to start it. My brother tried tapping on the starter no luck. We have checked the fuses, and my brother even replaced the starter still nothing. Any idea what else it could be?
RepairPal Certified shops can diagnose and repair your 2002 Ford Escape. They provide transparent pricing with a minimum 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on repairs and services.
Hi - I am Dave, contributing to RepairPal and providing expert advice since 2010.
My first impression is: have you had the battery tested to see if it is fully charged and able to sustain a load on it? That is the first step of any starting in charging problem testing. Then you get into cables, ensuring no corrosion is present, and that the connection is secure on both sides of each cable. Once you get past that, you can perform a starter draw test, to see if the starter is requiring too many amps to turn. Yes, tapping on the starter when cranking is another clue to determining if there is a starter problem -- but you can't skip to that without testing all the other prerequisites first.
There's not much more to it. Yes, anti-theft keys must be programmed and in use but it didn't seem that was in question. The shift lever (automatic) must be securely in park or neutral positions.
Pretty sure all the above will yield results; make sure to see a shop near you with any questions or diagnostic assistance.
