[Yahwehdo]

Much appreciated! Thanks for the quick response.

The biggest issue I am having with my Taurus is on start-up. It will crank just fine, but won't turn over easily. It started off occurring rarely, but now it is every time I try to start the engine. I, as a complete newbie to any kind of car repair, started teaching myself through these forums and masses of on-line videos. After browsing for what seemed like an eternity, I had been convinced it was a fuel issue. However, once I got the car started, it would run just fine, with the exception of what I perceive is high fuel usage and a lack of acceleration. I even went so far as to try starter fluid to see if that fixed the startup issue, however it did not seem to change much.

After finding a few people with similar problems, I found one who said it was just his battery; it was giving enough power to turn the starter, but not always enough to get the motor going. It was then I realized that my biggest problems starting tended to be after I would drive to the grocery store, then when I tried to start the car after I was done: it would not turn over at all. I would usually have to wait like 5-10 minutes or so, then give it another few tries. It would eventually start. It clicked for me finally that it must have been the battery drain from having the doors open (interior lights) while loading in the groceries/3 year old (not sure which takes longer to load). Also started to dawn on me that while rolling up with power windows, I would see the interior lights dim a bit. I started killing all power (making sure the headlights were off and air wasn't blowing) before trying to start it, and I've had much better results. I'll have the money for a new battery tomorrow, so God willing that should solve my issues with startup.

Mostly writing all this so other people with this same problem can find some answers. Nearly beat my head on a wall trying to figure this out and find some answers. Many thanks for your expertise!