# Battery or Alternator?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-or-alternator/65833>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mercury, sable\
**Created:** [June 29, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-or-alternator/65833 "2011-06-29T16:58:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NJAsmodeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/65b543/32.png) [@NJAsmodeus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NJAsmodeus)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-or-alternator/65833/1 "2011-06-29T16:58:42Z")

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My 1997 Mercury Sable has been having a rough time starting lately. It will turn over, but 2 out of 3 starts will be labored. It will crank, but hesitate and finally give enough to start. When I start it at night and turn on the headlights they dim and flicker until the engine has been running a bit.

This car was originally my wife’s, and she can’t remember the last time it has had it’s battery replaced.

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**Author:** ![bloody\_knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bloody\_knuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bloody_knuckles)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-or-alternator/65833/2 "2011-06-29T17:36:43Z")

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Take the car to the closest auto parts store and have them load test the battery. If it fails buy a new battery. If it passes then you will need to troubleshoot more but it will likely turn out to be a bad starter.

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-or-alternator/65833/3 "2011-06-29T17:56:43Z")

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Have the battery and the alternator tested. Most auto parts stores will do this for free.

Most batteries have a date sticker on them. You should be able to tell when it was installed.

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-or-alternator/65833/4 "2011-06-29T22:09:40Z")

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“Have the battery and the alternator tested. Most auto parts stores will do this for free.”

Just repeating what mcparadise wrote.