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need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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randyval
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Apr 24, 2006, 7:34 PM
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need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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i am having electrical problems, my battery is not getting charged, alternator is fine, starter is fine, all fuses look good, the problem starts after a few minutes of driving the battery light goes on and the the battery starts to drain .
im thinking it might have started when i was backing out of my driveway and a telephone pole hit my car (very slight damage) but it dented my front fender on the left side.
but it was fine for two weeks with no problem till now (so i am still not 100% sure the problem is behind the fender
so im hoping it might just be a pinched wire . though everything looks normal from what i can see.
any ideas?
or, where would i go to find info on what exactly is behind the left fender of my car?
PS. yes i'm stupid for hitting a pole, especially when its the same pole at the end of my driveway i drove around for 3 years living in this house,
(This post was edited by randyval on Apr 24, 2006, 7:37 PM)
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way2old
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/ Moderator
Apr 25, 2006, 4:26 AM
Post #2 of 10
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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Have you checked to see if the alternator is charging the battery before the light comes on? If it is charging and then stops, I would suspect a regulator that fails after it gets hot. I will look at the diagrams when I have a little more time and see where the wires run for the charging system. Find out if it is charging on initial start up. Get back to ya as soon as I can.
Being way2old is why I need help from younger minds
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randyval
Novice
Apr 25, 2006, 5:48 AM
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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it is not the regulator, we tried a new altenator, and regulator, still with the same probem.
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way2old
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Apr 25, 2006, 7:38 AM
Post #4 of 10
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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I just looked at a 97 Taurus, basically same car. All the wiring is inside the wheel wells. You may want to look at the fuses in the underhood fuse box. There is a 30 amp that controls the charging system. It is possible there is a bad connection at the fuse. It is fuse 26 in the underhood fuse box. Just guessing here without seeing the vehicle.
Being way2old is why I need help from younger minds
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Attachments:
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sable charging fuse.gif
(10.6 KB)
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randyval
Novice
Apr 25, 2006, 11:51 AM
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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thanks i will have a look
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randyval
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Apr 25, 2006, 3:31 PM
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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thank you
after checking out the under hood fuse box i found this.
so i guess now i just have to find the short.
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way2old
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Apr 25, 2006, 4:30 PM
Post #7 of 10
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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There may not be a short. It could just be the connection is not tight enough and causing an arcing on the relay. If you can remove the box and look under it (kinda hard to do due to the wiring covers) you will see if the wires are burnt or not. If you do not have an owners manual, go to www.fleet.ford.com and click on maintenance---owners manuals---enter information. Then when the manual loads, go to roadside emergencies and it will give the specific relays and what they control. May help you on the search. Good job so far.
Being way2old is why I need help from younger minds
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randyval
Novice
Apr 25, 2006, 6:03 PM
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success
nothing burnt, but the gap in one of the plugs was a little wide so i narowed it so the plug fit more snug and cleaned it with some emmery cloth.
i hope this is the end of it.
thanks for all the help.
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way2old
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Apr 26, 2006, 4:33 AM
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I also hope that is all it was. Good job of hanging in there until you found it. We are here anytime.
Being way2old is why I need help from younger minds
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carjunky
Enthusiast
Apr 26, 2006, 6:27 AM
Post #10 of 10
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Re: need help with 1997 merc sable wagon gs
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Wow... Nice Fix...
Thanks for posting what you did to fix the problem....
Hey there is a bonus to getting older.... you do get wize
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