1998 Mercury Sable Battery keeps dying

SUICIDALADY

MEMBER
1998 MERCURY SABLE
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

Sorry, but this is a long story:

#1. Bought car a few years ago. All was fine for
several months. #2. Alarm was draining the battery with constant blinking. Needed constant jump starts. #3. Son took out what he thought was the major problem with the alarm system. #4. Car began starting all the time for many more months. #5. Car suddenly began not starting again for at least several more months. #6. Called AAA and had battery replaced with a brand new one. #7. Car was starting up again all the time. #8. After several more months, more problems with starting. #9. Brought it in for oil change, tune up, etc. Car was working fine after that for another month or so. #10. Car not starting up, again, for at least another week. #11. Brought car back to mechanic with the complaint. #12. Mechanic eventually uninstalled the entire alarm system, as far as he knew. #13. Car was once again starting up all the time. #14. After a month or 2, failures were occurring yet again. #15. Had AAA come out again to test warrantied battery. Tested A-. Also, no battery drainage was showing.

So please, please, please. Tell me why I need to jump start every day, and need to recharge battery charger every night! I need some serious help on this!

2 Replies

OBXAUTOMEDIC

MECHANIC
3,711 POSTS

Hello,

Your story is not near as long as some on this forum.

Ok, here is something to take a look at.

All the Ground Straps including the Negative Battery Cable. I have seen this many many times. A broken ground strap somewhere or just a bad connection or battery negative cable.

Here is something to try.

Next time it won't start take a pair of Jumper Cables, connect one end to the battery negative terminal and the other to a good ground on the engine block. Try starting if starts then it is a ground problem. And it will be a matter of finding the bad ground. If original Negative Cable you may won't to go ahead and replace it.

Identifying Ground Straps.

Ground straps are braided steel flat cables some may be 1/2" wide some wider.

Ground Strap Locations.

Ground straps can be located in several different places. Check them all.

They can be on the drivers side ging from hood the firewall and/or passenger side. The can also go from the Frame to the engine block on either ther drivers side or passenger side at the wheel well. Another place is from the firewall to the engine block.

There can and usually are more than one or two.

.