1998 Mercury Sable battery drain

Tiny
MB327
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 MERCURY SABLE
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 149,000 MILES
Brand New battery drained out twice overnight, last night and tonight.
Don't think I left a door open or a light on. Almost started this morning, but power was even lower when I tried it this afternoon. Is there a common problem in sable/taurus that causes the battery drain?
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 AT 2:30 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
BMRFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 19,053 POSTS
Need to have BATTERY DRAIN TEST
NOTE: Amperage draw will vary from vehicle to vehicle depending on equipment package.
No production vehicle should have more than a 50 mA (0.050 amp) draw.
BATTERY DRAIN TEST
1. Ensure junction box/fuse panels are accessible without turning on interior and hood lights. Drive vehicle over 30 MPH for at least 5 minutes. Park vehicle and allow to sit with ignition off for at least 40 minutes to allow electronic modules to power down.

2. Connect a fused jumper wire between negative battery cable and negative battery post. Disconnect negative battery cable from negative battery post, without breaking the jumper wire connection to prevent modules from resetting.

NOTE: It is very important that continuity is not broken between negative battery post and negative battery cable when disconnecting battery cable or connecting ammeter. If continuity is broken, go to step 1.
3. Ensure ammeter is set to read milliamps with at least a 10 amp capability. Connect ammeter between negative battery cable and negative battery post. Remove fused jumper wire.

4. If excessive current draw is present (50 mA or more), pull fuses from battery/central junction box one at a time and note any current drop when each fuse is removed. DO NOT reinstall fuses until test is complete.

5. Check wiring diagrams for any circuits that run from battery without passing through battery/central junction box. Disconnect these circuits if current draw still exists. Repair appropriate circuits as necessary.
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Friday, March 13th, 2009 AT 1:47 PM
Tiny
GROWNUPLADY
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I had a 1998, Mercury Sable 6 cyl overhead valve, with around 107,000 miles. I had to keep replacing the battery, alternator, four times, and the starter twice. Finally, I took it to the Ford dealership after having it to a local mechanic who could not find the problem and had checked all the fuses. Well, it was a fuse, the one outside the fuse-box, and the battery terminals had to be replaced as they were not tight enough on the battery. That's it. Prior to that, earlier in the year it needed a transmission replacement and springs. After the fuse problem solved the constant battery drain problem, the O2 sensors went, and the dealership said the car was not safe as the rocker panels were rusting. I did love that car though. One other problem I remember many years ago having was the coolant reservoir would heat up underneath and the coolant would drain out, so I had to replace the reservoir two or three times. The car was sitting at a place for repair, and the guy mowing the lawn saw the coolant leak under the car, so they took out the reservoir to find it had a leak underneath where you might not think to look. The next time that happened, I knew to tell the repair shop to look underneath the reservoir. I also had a diverter valve cause the service engine light to go on. At the time, many years ago, it cost me a lot to fix that, mostly because of the diagnosis time. I had to spray inside the door hinge at times, or the inside light wanted to stay on. The window panel buttons in the door had to be replaced or the window would not go up. There was corrosion they said, and maybe a fuse too. The heater did not work well at all, and I never had it fixed as they would have had to rip out the dash board to get up under for the heater core. The air worked fine always. Other than those problems, I loved driving this car. It was a comfortable car with a smooth ride and some oomph. I miss the comfort. Safety is a comfort currently in a newer car.
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Saturday, December 16th, 2017 AT 3:39 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,916 POSTS
Wow. I'd never love a car that caused so much trouble. My 1980 Plymouth Volare cost me $90.00 in its first 32,000 miles. That was for oil changes and air filters. I stopped keeping track because it currently has 45,000 miles and all I've done is throw a set of used tires on it, and a few more oil changes. My '88 Dodge Grand Caravan has 420,000 miles with one transmission fluid and filter change in its life, and I'll never admit I didn't change the oil in over 14 years and 150,000 miles. I only stopped driving it because it got so rusty, the carpet was the only thing holding the front and rear together! (I'm still looking for a rust-free replacement like it).

I've owned a couple of Fords and a Chevy, but I was spending more on repair parts than for gas. If it's comfort and zip you value, as I do, I ordered a '93 Dodge Dynasty the last month they made them. It was by far the most comfortable model Chrysler offered that year. Trouble is I don't want to wear it out, so it has just under 5,000 miles.

If you like your Fords, not all of them develop as many problems as you listed. I think you deserve to "upgrade" to something else, but to me, that doesn't mean newer. Of all of my vehicles, the older they are, the fewer problems they develop. Look at this as an exciting opportunity to find something you like when your current model develops an expensive problem. Hopefully that won't be for a while.
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Sunday, December 17th, 2017 AT 12:28 AM

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