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2000 Mercury Cougar Base 3dr Coupe I4

2000 Mercury Cougar
Trim Info:
Front Wheel Drive, 3 Door Coupe, Compact
24 mpg city / 34 mpg hwy
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September 21, 2012, 2:14 pm

NORA M A
 

Question: the battery doesn't seem to be recharging

I have put a new battery in my car because the previous owner put a really small one in and it didn't have enough cranking amps. The new battery was charged on a slow charge for over 24 hours and accepted the charge. However, after driving the car for a week I noticed that there was less charge available for starting the car until it finally went dead. What now???


September 30, 2012, 7:52 pm

Ron W
Expert Mechanic

You'll have to test the car's charging systems before you go any further. Your problem may be as simple as a bad alternator.

Or you may have a parasitic draw. You will need to determine which circuit is causing the draw and repair it. Have a shop do a draw test for you, they should be able to figure out where the drain is.


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