98 Taurus electrical problem

[steve617]

I have a 98 Taurus with the 3.0L and yesterday drove about 10 miles stopped for about 45 mins and picked a friend up. We drove about 4 miles stoped at a store for about 5 mins and went back out and the car would not start. Did not even try to start. My friend called his wife to see if we could boost us off. What was strange I loss radio memory and the headlights would not work. She arrived in about 3 to 5 mins and it boosted right off. She drove it back to her house and she turned it off and tried starting it and it would not start. We got back about 4 hrs later and it started fine. The AM it also started right up. I took it to autozone were I bought the battery a year ago and they checked it and said the battery was fine and so was the alternator. The only other strange thing I can think of when it first occured I could hear something ticking kind of like a clock while we were trying to start it. Thanks for any suggestions.

[shorod]

Sounds like a low voltage condition. You probably have a bad connection at the battery, fuse block, or ground to the block. The clicking you heard was likely the starter relay/solenoid attempting to engage but not having enough current or voltage to do so.

-Rod

[steve617]

One thing to make things clear I was setting in the driver seat and even had the key out when I heard the noise. Sounded like coming from the dash did not hear it in the motor area.