Electrical issue

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

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
34,330 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.

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Friday, August 19th, 2016 AT 8:24 PM