1999 Mercury Sable Cruise and ABS Lights

1999 MERCURY SABLE
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SUPILRAINA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Dear Bob and Ken,

I have a 1999 Mercury Sable GS,V6, 24 Valve DOHC, 111,800 miles. I have the following queries:

1. I was able to change the front 3 spark plugs but the rear 3 are inaccessible. An ASE mechanic estimated about $150-$200 for the job. Is it possible to do it on my own?

2. Once I press ON for cruise and try to set or resume, only the green CRUISE light in the display flashes when I press the buttons. It does not stay lit and the car doesnt get into cruise :(.

3. The ABS light in the dash/display stays lit most of the time, even though the brake fluid level is alright and the brakes engage properly.

I would greatly appreciate if you could give me some pointers.

Thanks,
Supil
May 28, 2006 at 6:58 AM
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TAURUSWHEEL
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 718 POSTS
The speed control light is flashing because there's a fault in the system, it's givinh you a specific flash code to pinpoint the issue within, there's a specific procedure you need to get the speed control system to tell you what the problem is,,, for the abs light, there's also a fault in the braking system, abs is not functioning, however, depending on the problem, normal braking shouldn't be a problem.. rear sparkplugs are accessible, but takes some work to move some items out of the way, then you can feel your way in the back if the engine, it will take time... I suggest if you're planning on keeping your car, i would invest some dollars and get an obdII reader that has manufacturer specific code reading, they're not a lot of money, it'll pay for itself the first time you use it... not a cure-all, but certainly points you in the right direction...
May 28, 2006 at 9:56 AM
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Suggested Repair

Use a manufacturer-specific OBD-II reader to retrieve cruise-control and ABS fault codes. The flashing cruise light indicates a speed-control fault, and the ABS light indicates an ABS fault even if normal braking still works. Rear spark plugs are reachable after moving components aside, but the job takes time.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 1999 Mercury Sable asked about accessing the rear spark plugs, a cruise-control light that flashes without engaging cruise, and an ABS light that stays on despite normal fluid level and braking. The expert said the rear plugs can be reached by moving items out of the way, the flashing cruise light is a fault code, and the ABS light indicates an ABS fault. A manufacturer-specific code reader was recommended to identify the problems.

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