Electrical issue

1998 MERCURY MARQUIS
120,000 MILES
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BMAGGERT
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
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?
Aug 19, 2016 at 2:09 PM
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CARADIODOC
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 34,321 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
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.
Aug 19, 2016 at 8:24 PM
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