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Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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  • dilbertzzzdilbertzzz Member Posts: 190
    Thank you for the tip. I'll keep an eye/ear on it through this tank of gas and the next. One more shudder/surge and I'll definitely head for the service department early. In any case, I will be sure to mention it when I go in for my first oil change.
  • 307web307web Member Posts: 1,033
    When do you know if it is a problem that needs repair or just some dust on the disc that will go away on it's own?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Right after you lift the car, remove the wheels, and inspect the brakes.
  • rpricerprice Member Posts: 1
    Have a 2002 Sable. The Factory door code was on a sticker located on the passenger side of the fuse block, had to fold it down to view, but the correct 5 digit number was visible without removing the fuse panel from the firewall. looks like during assembly they are supposed to attach the sticker and 'fold it down so it can be seen, but neglected to do so. Thanks for the original post ... I was looking everywhere!
  • felixc1976felixc1976 Member Posts: 31
    I've got 97 Taurus GL with 88k mi. It's been running pretty much trouble free with regular maintance. My extended warranty paid for itself for some minor stuff (rusted oil pan, dead window motor and dead heater core). I live in the sunny midwest and park outside during the day. Over the years the instrument panel cover is coming off slowly. Now, there is a visible 0.5" gap all over the place. I try to tuck it in, but after a couple of days the gap appears again.
    Do you have any suggestions? Do you think a double-side tape will work? Or should I use some kind of super-glue to seal it?
    Thanks
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    DO you mean the molded dash pad surrounding the instrument panel? If that's what you're talking about, I used some permatex high-heat engine gasket sealant between the housing and pad, then taped it down and let it cure over night. That was two years ago and it hasn't pulled up since.
  • terminator69terminator69 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 97 Taurus GL wagon. I went for a trip this weekend and discovered some trouble in the electrical system affecting the power windows, Intermittent wipers ,and power steering. It all works great for the first 15-20 minutes of operation each day. After the initial 15 - 20 minutes the windows will not work, the wipers only work on the on and fast setting no delay settings work. The power steering becomes quite heavy. When I change the gear selector to neutral or park all the problems dissapear. I can hear what sounds like a relay under the dash clicking off and on and the seatbelt indicator light in the instrument panel flashes, when the problem occurs.

       I think it must all be tied together some where and am wondering if anybody else has expiernced this problem.

      Any help would be great
  • terminator69terminator69 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 97 Taurus GL wagon. I went for a trip this weekend and discovered some trouble in the electrical system affecting the power windows, Intermittent wipers ,and power steering. It all works great for the first 15-20 minutes of operation each day. After the initial 15 - 20 minutes the windows will not work, the wipers only work on the on and fast setting no delay settings work. The power steering becomes quite heavy. When I change the gear selector to neutral or park all the problems dissapear. I can hear what sounds like a relay under the dash clicking off and on and the seatbelt indicator light in the instrument panel flashes, when the problem occurs.

       I think it must all be tied together some where and am wondering if anybody else has expiernced this problem.

      Any help would be great
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Could be a lever postion sensor. They get corroded and fail. I think Ford called it an "MLP" around that time.
  • askdeanaskdean Member Posts: 1
    I inherited a front end bashed 93 SHO that my brother's insurance company totaled ( due to obsolete OEM parts ). Through the SHO community,
    the front end has been replaced, power windows & moon roof now operate, power antenna functions and I even " cleaned " that pesky stop lamp switch that kept this car locked in park, blocking 2 other vehicles in my driveway. Now I have shifting problems, basically 3000 rpm revs before #1, drive or reverse engages from a dead stop. Fluid is clean and up to level. 2nd works fine, and I can shift into D or #1 once the vehicle is @ 5 mph. From my Chiltons diagnosis I am hoping this is either the Throttle valve control linkage or the transaxle control lever adjustments, but the manual describes the procedure BUT NOT their location. I thought I did find the TV linkage and adjusted it with no result, but with all the "spaghetti" under the hood, I'm second guessing myself. Help
  • terminator69terminator69 Member Posts: 3
    Where is the lever position sensor located? I did have some trouble with the column shifter sensor (the arm bushing gave up). Thanks in advance
  • alexkuvalexkuv Member Posts: 1
    Dear sirs!
    I'll be happy see your answer for my question.
    Can I found rear taillamp assembly for my Taurus 88'year, right and left.
    Please, write me here, or mail: syntoco@online.ru
    Alexander
    Siberia
    Russia
    Krasnoyarsk
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Buy them on eBay.com Alexander! You might even find someone that will ship from the United Kingdom or Europe.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Just about anywhere. Try Googling wrecking yards in the US. You can buy that taillamp set very cheap, shipping will cost more than the lamps. I agree check out eBay, just make sure the seller is willing to ship to Russia first.
  • gtyatesgtyates Member Posts: 14
    How do I replace the front turn signal bulb on a 1996 Taurus? Do I have to remove the entire headlight assembly?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Yes.
  • murp117murp117 Member Posts: 1
    I am Having the same problem with my 99 taurus.

    Did you find out what caused this??
  • atuckeratucker Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2001 Sable LS Premium Wagon, and the owners manual had the wrong keycode in it. I lost count of how many times I looked under the dash for the code. I gave up looking a couple of months ago. I found a post yesterday, and I now have the correct code!! THANKS rprice!!

    (the code sticker for the wagon is on the "passenger side" of the fuseblock, under the dash, just to the left of the brake pedal. The sticker is affixed to the back of the block, and must be folded over to read the code. It has the five digit code, with the word "keycode" on it)
  • peabeespeabees Member Posts: 3
    The car: '94 ford Taurus w/ 3.0L V6 and 150,000 mi.
    The problem: always have a KOER code 332 and same code set while driving maybe 1 in 20 trips and check engine light will stay lighted until the car is restarted.

    I have inserted a tee and vacuum gage in line to egr valve. Vacuum is zero at idle as I expected. When I rev the engine and hold it, the vacuum will go to 8" and then drop to 0 in about 4 seconds. I guessed the vacuum should be steady and higher since I recorded 15" at the inlet to the control valve. I replaced the control valve with a dealer part for $45, but I was wrong.

    I checked the voltage at the valve and got 14 volts always. The vacuum will change as described above but the voltage is constant. I did not expect this. Is the voltage switching on and off faster than my $10 radio shack multi meter can pick up? How is valve designed to work?

    I replaced the EGR pressure sensor with a Wells part from AutoZone for another $45. In this case, the dealer wanted $105 and the parts person said they sold a lot of them. Any idea who makes these for Ford? Pep Boys sells a Borg-Warner part for about $55. This part did not help either.

    Phase 3 included double-checking the hoses and pulling off the EGR valve. The valve opens and closes with a vacuum pump. I get exhaust out of the pipe and the little pipe to the sensor. I guessed I could feel vacuum at the EGR port. Should I get 15" here? I could make a fitting to measure vacuum with the valve fully opened w/ my vacuum pump. I want to verify the intake manifold passages are not blocked.

    Phase 4 had a vac gage on the line from the egr control valve while the egr valve fully opened with 15" of vac from my pump. Now the vac was steady at 8" when I revved the engine unlike before. When I separately disconnected the throttle position sensor and egr pressure sensor I would get no vacuum. I don’t know what all this proved.

    Any ides?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Apply vacuum to the EGR valve with the engine idling. Engine should start running rough, might stall. If not, the intake passages are plugged with carbon.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    I think you checked the supply side of the solenoid, that's why you got a steady 14 V. I believe the signal side grounds through the computer, that's the wire you read fluctuation on. Regardless, like Alcan said, carbon plugging on the EGR intake ports is real common on the 3.0 around your mileage. Any exhaust blockage will stop EGR function, even a plugged catalytic converter. You can probe the EGR port with a coathangar to check for carbon.
    This may help explain the operation of the pressure-feedback controlled EGR:
    http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_u- s/0900823d/80/0b/fb/e6/0900823d800bfbe6.jsp
  • peabeespeabees Member Posts: 3
    How to remove carbon?

    Is this carbon in the throttle body or the intake manifold?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Remove the EGR valve, use a piece of speedo cable or parking brake cable in a variable speed drill as a snake to clean the passage. For additional info go here:

    http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_u- s/0900823d/80/0b/fb/e6/0900823d800bfbe6.jsp#hd1-1-2
  • 10years10years Member Posts: 48
    Greetings fellow Vets.

    I have a 98 Taurus SE with the 12 valve 3.0 Vulcan at 93K miles. It's the wifes car and driving it the other day I noticed it was missing slightly.

    For a tuneup (spark plugs, fuel and air filters) the Ford dealer wanted $250 and the local mechanic about $160.

    I'm somewhat able to turn a wrench and would like advice on things to look out for, do's and dont's when changing plugs myself on this Taurus. Should I change plug wires while I'm at it ? Where is the fuel filter and should I attempt to change it myself ?

    In advance, I thank you.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I replaced plugs myself on my 1990 Taurus Vulcan and it didn't seem too hard, even on the back side three. Don't know how hard the '98 would be, however. I do know my 2000 with Duratech looks very difficult to access the rear plugs, but I won't have to worry about that for another 4-5 years or so. I never changed the plug wires, but then again mine never misfired either.

    The fuel filter is located under the car in front of the passenger side rear wheel. There is a big hose clamp holding it to the car and two plastic clips holding the gas lines to the filter. The new filter will have new clips in the box as the old ones break when you remove them. Make sure your car has sat a while to allow the gas lines to de-pressurize, and you will also spill some fuel, so be careful. I put a pan underneath the car to catch spilt fuel, and maybe a couple of golf tees could be used to plug them off temporarily, though I did not think of doing that myself at the time. It is a simple job, except for dealing with some fuel spillage.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Yes, change the plug wires. It just doesn't make sense not to at that mileage. Stick with Motorcraft platinum plugs (not Bosch or Champion), pay for good quality wires. Considering bad secondary ignition parts burn up coil packs, and considering the price of replacements, it's smart $$$ spent.
  • hotwheelsman20hotwheelsman20 Member Posts: 1
    i have every thing new but the body on it when i dont use my heater in the car it over heats in the resavor bottle but when i use my heter it dont over heat but it go's on hot i dont under stand why its doing it
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    If it's a 3.8 it probably has a head gasket leak.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Are you saying the car actually overheats or the bottle just boils over?
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    It is a little hard to understand your post, but it sure sounds like you have one or more of the following problems:

    Bad thermostat, which is stuck closed and limiting coolant flow, thus overheating the engine.

    Plugged radiator core.

    Electric cooling fan behind the radiator not operating properly.

    The reason your car does not overheat as much when you are running the heater is that the heater core and heater fan is acting as a small radiator, which might just keep your coolant from boiling, but the engine still will run too hot.

    Bottom line is you need overall cooling system inspection and maintenance.
  • susysusy Member Posts: 1
    Help!!!
    I bought a 96 ford taurus a month ago. Today when I was driving back home I experienced the same things you described. The power steering thing freaked me out!!! did you solve the problem?
  • dilbertzzzdilbertzzz Member Posts: 190
    The rough idle I reported back at the end of September has not re-occurred. It was almost certainly moisture in the gas tank from the car sitting before being sold and also possibly a bad tank of gas at an independent station in rural Texas (no slur intended to rural Texans!). I just had the first-for-me oil change and tire rotation at 24,000 miles with the car behaving very nicely even through highly variable North Texas weather (warm, cool, near-cold, humid, dry, in various combinations and changing daily).
  • willis3willis3 Member Posts: 76
    The ABS on my car seems not to be working, as I skidded through an intersection and the ABS did not activate.

    I have noticed recently that the ABS light doesn't turn on when you first put the key in the ignition. I also know that if there is an ABS malfunction that the light should either blink or be constantly illuminated (per Owner's manual).

    Any ideas as to what/where you think the problem lies?

    Thanks.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Extremely odd. When the fuse is pulled on the system, the ABS light is activated. No dash light during key-on is bizarre, it must be a blown bulb? Ford electrical systems are [non-permissible content removed]-backward sometimes and a burned bulb on the dash can cause sytem failure, but that's just speculation here. I would check for power at the fuse box in the cabin and go from there.
  • willis3willis3 Member Posts: 76
    Pulled the fuse expecting this should cause a fault in the system. Still no indication that there is a malfunction in the ABS from the dummy lights.
  • fa18blueangelsfa18blueangels Member Posts: 2
    I hit a piece of debris on the way home friday night. Prior to hitting the debris, I just filled up the tank: $23.00 at QT. Right after I hit the debris , I notice that the fuel needle immediately went down to a little over half a tank level.

    I pulled over and looked underneath the carriage and found nothing suspicious. PUt the car on the ramp and checked it, nothing major damage found.

    Since I drove for about 300 miles and put another tank already. The needle never reaches to the top any longer. Please help. The people at Pep boys said could be the fuel pump. I can hear the fuel pump kicks in when I turn the car, however..

    Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    The debris must have broke or knocked loose the wiring or connectors leading from the fuel tank sending unit to the dash. Try to get it up on a lift and inspect every wire leading from the fuel tank to the front of the car. It must have got damaged somewhere. If your fuel pump was damaged the car wouldn't run!
  • trainmantrainman Member Posts: 7
    I have a 95 Mercury Sable with 3.8 liter engine. for 7-8 yrs when comming to a stop the transmission wants to go to neutral, you either wait for trans to go into 1st gear or give it a little gas so it goes into 1st gear right away. wouldn't do this when taken back to dealer. now i understand there is a tsb on this. Has anyone eles's ford/mercury done this or heard of this tsb?
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Sounds like classic forward piston failure. A rebuilt transmission is usually the only fix. Sorry.
  • bigdan1bigdan1 Member Posts: 23
    On Wednesday, my check engine light went on and car ran rough. It was a short ride in bitter cold. Same thing going short distance to work next day, Thursday. I called Ford dealer and a good local mechanic. Both said is was probably a "misfire" that threw computer out of whack. Needs to be taken in and fixed. Later Thursday, light went out and car runs fine. Same thing all day today, Friday. Anybody have a similar experience? Anybody know what they mean by "misfire"? Think I should still bring it in even if it seems just fine now? I have been driving 40 years. Engine light on other cars only came on once or twice in my life. One time, low on oil. Other time, massive coolant leak. No engine light for me in last 20 years. Thanks.
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    Spark plug misfire. Minor, probably not constant or light would have started flashing to indicate a major malf. If light stays off you should be okay. Extreme cold can also make one of your sensors confuse the computer into thinking something is wrong.

    I know it uses more gas but a warm up idle cannot hurt when it is really cold. All my cars run a minimum of five minutes in the winter before I start out. Then drive moderately until fully up to temp.

    Take your car out and give it a good long run. Then if the light comes on get the fault codes checked.

    All this presumes you have decent/recent ignition parts.

    MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

    Don't tell me this kept you up till 2:00 am. Hope not.
  • bigdan1bigdan1 Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for the info and advice. I will do what you suggest. I get up 4:30AM every morning. On Friday, I had a vacation day. I crashed and took a nap for 2 hours. Never do that. So, I could not sleep, and thought it might be faster getting on internet at that time of night. Feel a little embarrassed now that you bring it to my attention that I was asking questions on this site on Christmas Eve. Anyway, thanks again for some good advice. I respect this site for car advice more than any other.
  • bigdan1bigdan1 Member Posts: 23
    I have a 2000 Taurus and a 2002 Taurus. I used to have a 1993 Taurus and a 1995 Taurus. On the old ones, I used to have to replace the headlight bulb or tail light bulb about every 6 months. So far, on the new ones, I have not had to replace any headlight bulbs. However, it is not apparent to me how to replace a headlight bulb on my 2000 or 2002 Taurus. Can anybody walk me thru the procedure or show me where I can go to see a picture or written instructions for replacing the headlight bulb? Thanks.
  • bharatpbharatp Member Posts: 5
    Well, Pal I owned Taurus Wagon87, Most of the time I repaired my car and had good mechanic friend so I was able to keep this car relatively major trouble free! But I will never recomend anyone to buy FORD made car! This company must be bankrupt long time ago! Thier service stincks! Ford dealers are typical American dealers (like any other politicians who lie in broad day light!). They love you as long as you pay them but the day their car has problem than forget it!

     

    I used to recomend Mazda Protege, I own two but now I will not recomend that either because I have seen their new cars too, which is completly integrated into FORD US management! Hey, Ford management is loyal to their share holders but not their customers!

    Stay away from any Ford!
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    Always seems that if anyone tries to defend a make against another things get out of hand and really negative on this forum. But....

    I own two Fords now and have owned several in the past. I really cannot say I have had any more problems with any of then compared to any other make. I honestly feel that domestic sedans regardless of make are the most cost effective choices available for anyone who intends to keep a car for any length of time. Especially if bought one or two years old.

    Friends of mine who swear by their Toyotas and Hondas keep real quiet when I give them a ride to their dealerships to pick up their cars....
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    Haynes manual is very informative.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    Take your car to Auto Zone and get your computer scanned. Even though the light was gone, the code is still recorded in PCM. Auto Zone does this free, dealer charges $80 - $90 for that.
  • duckiedduckied Member Posts: 52
    Hello, on my 2000 Taurus with 81,700 miles, I have noticed that the engine sometimes surges while idling at a traffic light. The car feels as if it is going to stall out, never does. When I begin driving, the feeling goes away. Is there a problem with the car? Thanks.
  • dilbertzzzdilbertzzz Member Posts: 190
    I had exactly those symptoms in my 2003 SES bought used in August. Happened a couple times right after I bought it and after a tank of gas bought in rural Texas. After the next tank of gas it went away. So, I'm guessing that the first instance was due to condensation in the tank from sitting out with a partial tank of gas on the dealer lot. I think the second instance was bad gas or some with water mixed in.

     

    So, try running your tank down low and refilling at a trustworthy gas station. You might also try some of the gas treatments made for the purpose.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    I may be wrong as I do not have the operator manual that comes with the car in front of me, but I think my 2000 Taurus has fairly detailed instructions for headlight and tailight replacement right in the manual.
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