Electrical issue

Tiny
BMAGGERT
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 MERCURY MARQUIS
  • 120,000 MILES
Hello, I went to start the car and my power locks, radio, and lights would not work. I figured my battery was dead so I left the car for a week until I had time to find someone to jump it. I went to jump the car and she started up fine. The only thing I could think of was the battery being bad (cells). I did a load test and cell test that both checked out fine. I am thinking now it might be a fuse? What do you think?
Friday, August 19th, 2016 AT 2:09 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,752 POSTS
Definitely not a fuse. Except for the extremely rare corrosion on their terminals, fuses are never intermittent. When they blow, they're done and will never work again. You can have a stretched terminal in the fuse box cause intermittent problems. That results from someone shoving a wire or test probe into one and stretching it.

The most common cause of what you described is a loose battery wire connection. Be sure both battery terminals are clean and tight, then follow the smaller positive battery wire to the under-hood fuse box and be sure that connection is tight. Also follow the smaller negative wire to the body and be sure that one isn't rusty.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, August 19th, 2016 AT 8:24 PM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Sponsored links