1999 Mercury Sable Battery won't hold a charge after sub ze

MICRNDY

MEMBER
1999 MERCURY SABLE
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
60,000 MILES

It has recently been 10-20 degrees below zero in my area. The 99 Mercury Sable my son drives, had been starting fine, however since the cold weather, we are needing to jumpstart it if it sits without running for more then a couple of hours. My assumption is the battery needs to be replaced since it is losing it's charge, but able to be jumped.

Do you think its just the battery or could it be the charging system?

1 Reply

BRAVESTAR1

MECHANIC
234 POSTS

Generally Car Batteries older than 2 years are not capable of handling the ultra-cold that Snow-belt weather brings to the U.S. Especially if you got a Never-start from Wal-mart. Those batteries tend to be unable to hold a charge below 32 degrees.

Assuming you have a good battery that is less than 2 years old, you may have a drain in the system. Have an auto parts place do a battery check on the battery. Most Autozone's have a free battery device that you can hook up the battery to, and it will run tests to check it's condition. Likewise they also offer free charging services to see if it's just under-charged, then test it again under load to see if it's in good condition. If not (and this isn't an ad) get a Duralast Gold. If you have a nicer car, an Optima battery is ideal for ultra-cold climates. I like the red one myself. It's pricey as heck, but saves you having to do alot of work, or miss work.

If the battery checks out okay, and even if it doesn't, there is another thing to consider. You may have a drain in the car. Check for lights on in the glovebox, the trunk light, the hood light (if equipped), and any add-on sound or lights that might be on. Have an electrical expert check your car's main bus for larger than 1 amp of power draw, while the car is off. If there is, then there is a good chance there is a product on, or a short somewhere drawing power from the battery continuously.