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Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Wagons
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My Keyless entry for a 2001 Mercury Sable Wagon LS is not working. I have replaced the battery and the unit is not responding. Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.
-Geoff
Thanks and I hoped I helped and willing to hel many more..!
Gerald
Trouble shooting switch is pretty easy.
Broken wires in the rubber boot of the lift gate is pretty common. The only wire that would force a recall will be the one for the third brake light. Speakers, tag light, etc will not force a recall as quickly as the brake light being out. If the insulation of the wire also breaks allowing a short, then possibly a fire hazard or at least a blown fuse in the lighting or other circuits. And so with the brake light as well. I know I had a blown fuse from such but don't remember which lighting circuit it was. So check fuses as well.
Transmission shops seem to have a new rule when it comes to this family of transmissions. If you have high milage, like maybe 100K and fluid has never been serviced, do nothing. Apparently the anti-oxidants in the fluid wear out way before this point. Consequently burning of clutch surfaces. New fluid tries to remove it, resulting in slippage. It is my understanding they've gone this way because of the ensuing trouble, they've ended up paying for rebuilds. I personally did AX4-S about 2 years ago with 100K. The S is and updated AXOD-E. In fact, the pans are the same and may have that stamped into them. I did it as soon as we got the vehicle, total flush. Later, I noticed it was wanting to do early TCC lock and late release. 2 years later I'm getting P1744 code, intermittantly, which indicates slippage. Shop announces new tranny. Think it was sloppy troubleshooting. Maybe the fluid wasn't up to snuff? Decided to try the flush again. While getting it and filter, I noticed that lubeguard has a flush product. The transmission rebuilders of america recommend the lubeguard in all rebuilds. Also developed many of the improvements, not Ford. I give the flush a try. I'm shocked at how dirty the fluid seems after 35K. Not sure of specifications on the Coastal brand from Autozone used last time. Used Walmart Mercon this time. (Make sure you use what your tranny call for) Disconnected lower cooler line and pumped old from converter as new was added. (16 1/2 quarts for me) No code reset yet. The lubeguard flush may have removed residues that weren't previously gotten. (cut engine the moment it seems to be near pumped empty from pan, each time) I will not add Lubeguard this time because it isn't a rebuild. Part of its function is friction modifier, less wear on metal parts too. Prevents harsh shifts also. But with wear and age on this tranny, it may induce to much slippage.
Thanks!
I have a 1999 Taurus Wagon, this afternoon while driving, I realized that when increasing speed up to 60mph on the freeway there is this rattling from the engine that sounds almost like a diesel, a kind of intense knocking.( I drive about 70 miles a day.)
I went to my local mechanic (very nice guy) where the problem didnt show up till the car was in gear and you rev it. (ie if its in park and you rev it, you dont hear the diesel like sound.)
The mechanic says its a motor problem (by the way he isolated the sound, by listening through a hose...touching it to different parts of the engine to find where the sound was oroiginating, which felt kind of unscientific for me.) I figured I'd go get a second opinion tomorrow, but wanted to ask here, just incase there are some suggestions.He says motor repair will cost about $2,000+ . He suggested trading it in and not repairing it as it could develop other problems, so I dont think he was just trying to make some money off me by misdiagnosing the problem.
At this age and mileage (130,000miles) I dont want to spend too much on the car as it may not be worth that much more.And there could be further problems , whereby I might end up spending say $5000 or more ....you get my drift
If I could get it to last for about 5 more months, I'd be ready to get a new vehicle around then.
I will take it to a dealer as a last resort, but they will probably charge $100 - 200 just to diagnose the problem (just guessing at the moment).
2. Has any of you dealt with companies like firestone etc for jobs of this type
Any recommendations of any sort will be appreciated.
thanks
Myxo
Pinging can also be harmful to the life of the engine, depending on how severe it is. That makes the higher cost of the premium gas worth it, even if you didn't get better gas mileage.
Before selling it, or putting a lot of money into it, I would suggest first trying a tank of premium gas along with a good fuel system cleaner. If it disappears, that was your problem. You may still have to run premium, but as I said earlier, you prolong the life of the engine, you enjoy more power, and you can get better gas mileage if you want it.
I plan on driving mine to 225,000 before giving it to my daughter for her first car. It has been a fantastic car, but then I'm a nut on maintenance. When it comes time to replace, I hope to get a new Ford 500 or Freestyle.
Let me know what happens.
I appreciate you taking the time to share this tip. I will definetely try it in a couple of days when its time to fill up.
I have been driving it "slowly and evenly" , hoping it keeps going to end of the year when car deals may be sweeter.
Incidentally, I only get about 16-18mpg. Been that way for a while.
I also want to change my oil soon at about 2500miles. It just occured to me the other day that this problem could be because I mixed oil grades about 2weeks before this problem began. I mistakenly picked up 10w40 castrol (a whole case from sams). I used about 2 bottles before realizing it, so I ttopped it off with 3.5 more bottles of 5w30of the same brand and SAE, probably a big mistake.
I will give you some feedback soon as I try the premium fuel.Keeping my fingers crossed.
cheers
I have stayed away from the "chain" repair stores and the dealerships. I found a good local mechanic that I have gotten to know very well and have complete faith in. He doesn't have to answer to shareholders or some big corporate office. All I get is honest answers and no high pressure. I have turned all maintenance over to him including brakes, and exhaust work (if and when I need that). His prices may be a little higher if you had the exact same work done elsewhere (and I'm not even sure that's true), but I know he has saved me a ton by not selling me a lot of unnecessary parts & labor. The money I pay him also stays right in the local economy. I finally got my dad convinced to find a local mechanic where he lives after showing him what his maintenance per 1000 miles was costing him compared to mine. Dealer wanted $600 or so to fix an A/C problem. His new mechanic took the time to diagnose the problem and fixed it for about $150. Needless to say, I don't think he'll be going back to his dealership any time soon. Since then, he has had a few other things done. He now enjoys peace of mind when he drops his car off, something he never really had much of before.
Yes it was during an oil change, I had gone out and bought a box of oil, somehow I picked up a 10w40 instead of 5w30 that I normally use. I noticed my error only after I had drained the engine and poured in a couple of bottles, so I added a few bottles of 5w30 that I had around the garage.
I actually dont use any oil between oil changes (as the level seems to be well maintained.)
I have been using the high octane gas for about a week and a half. I would say there is a huge improvement in the performance. (I changed my oil too around the same time even though it wasnt 3000 miles yet(back to 5w30). But I think the improvement is likely due to the unleaded premium. Anyways,I will keep observing the car. The knocking is not totally eliminated, but its not as bad as before. My next move is to use some engine additive( I used Seafaom sometime ago)..I just need to research which brand is ideal.
I agree with you about using local(trusted) mechanics. I actually have developed a freiedship with mine. Interesting thing is that I bought him some gifts at Xmas time, that seemed to have been highly appreciated, as the relationship has solidified. He even shows me how to fix some simple things myself so I dont have to pay any thing (like when my antifreeze reservoir was leaking and he gave me instructions on how to replace it. I bought the reservoir from the dealer and in 10 min had it repaired.)
I will post any change in the performance.. I hope it keeps improving.
Again, thanks for sharing. I think your high octne tip will end up helping my engine last a little longer.
cheers
In addition to the higher octane gas, there was a TSB (Tech Service Bulletin) issued to the dealers re: excessive pinging or knocking. Back at around 30K miles, I had them perform what they called an "Octane adjstmt" while the car was still under warranty. It helped a little (and I was using 89 oct at the time), but I later had to make the switch to 93 octane, and that took care of the rest of the noise. It hasn't made a sound since, and I'm at 165K now. If you've never had it done, it may solve the rest of your problem too. Your dealer may even do that at no charge, or your own mech may be able to do the same thing. I think all it was was a slight reprogramming of the engine's computer.
My mechanic also has a 3 part fuel system cleaner that he performed on my car at around 90K. Cleaned everything including cylinders, injectors, upper and lower intakes, and throttle body. That may be something to look into also. I'm sure it probably does a better, or more thorough job than the "off the shelf" additives, but then it cost quite a bit more. Only had it done that one time, but I thought it was worth it. It may also give you a noticeable boost in gas mileage.
Keep me posted.
Try a different repair shop?
Any tips on making the replacement of said pump easier? Or is it pretty much a straightforward job?
Thanks for any help with this.
MyTools
If you lift up the tailgate, you should see a black tabbed cover.
As to the pump itself, I really don't know.
Good luck.
N Kabak
However, I know where the fill cap for the reservoir is. I'm looking to find out where the actual reservoir is before tearing off panels in the car.
Anyone who can help, please reply.
Thanks,
MyTools
I drive a 00'Sable LS wagon, bought used with 37K three years ago. Now have 79K, drove Xcountry and back without a problem.
The only major(?) problem was that I had to replace a power steering pump at 77K. I will admit that there is a peculiar noise that appears intermittently that has to do with this unit that caused me to bring it in in the first place. I was told that there is a part with a noise dampener on it but as it doesn't affect the drivability of the car, I decided not to replace the unit.
It was a quite simple R & R.
“As far as the reliability of the sable and the Taurus I can say its better than people say. Yes in the 80's the technology was bas but look at all cars in the 80's in the same class. As far as American cars go, their were few mid sized cars worth wild. And Dodge had the worst of all.”
So there it is spelled out for you, in my opinion the Taurus is one of the better cars from the 80s-90s but all cars had problems. The main reason cars had a problem is due to the fact that American cars were built on the concept of carburetion well injection was kind of new so they had problems. Everyone had problems the main problem was the introduction of emissions on a carbureted car, they don’t like the EGR much. But here is the thing about your car. It’s only a guess but they both had the 3.8l V6. The major problem with that was the head gasket. Now I don’t know all of your problems but their were most likely recalls and you forgot to follow up on them. But as far as your 2 cars go the 87 was a gen1 car and the 92 was a gen2. They made the gen2 in 1991 only modifications were cosmetic. The hood, fenders, and headlights can not be interchanged between the 2 due to the design. But you should know that.
can anyone recommend a either OEM of aftermarket on the changer itself. Looks like some used OEM's are available e-bay.
Now I wonder, will they rename the Mercury Montego back to the Sable as well? And will they bother to come out with a Wagon model on this line, considering they are trying to launch the "Edge" model?
I have a '98 Sable Wagon with about 60K miles on it, my 3rd Sable Wagon. :shades:
What Are Your Thoughts on the Return of the Taurus/Sable?
But a Taurus X? I'm sorry, no interest here...
My Sable/Taurus history?? My ex-wife and I had bought a 1989 Sable Wagon to replace a totalled Bronco II. Loved it, so we bought a matching 1989 Sable Sedan. I drove the heck out of that '89 Sedan with no major problems, all over the country on business. Then she got ownership of the '89 wagon during a divorce, and I leased a '94 Sable Wagon. Mostly a lease so she couldn't touch it during the divorce proceedings.
After the '94 lease was up, I leased a 1996 Sable Sedan in '96. Decided I hated it, because I needed all that loading space in the back to move stuff around.
So then I got the '98 Sable Wagon. Now it's still under 60,000 miles, sure I've had some problems, but for the most part, it's been great. I did buy a 2003 Sable Sedan at the end of 2003, (0% interest for six years, why not?). It's running just fine, but I still prefer the road "feel" and handling of the 1998 better. I think in the 2003 they added some sort of "power-assisted" steering which makes it feel much more mushier, in my opinion. Rides decent, I just prefer the '98 flavor.
Anyway, nothing I've seen hints any indication of bringing back a Sable or Taurus Wagon, other than the so-called Taurus X. (Not interested, frankly!)
I guess the "X" stands for Cross as in Cross-over? No thanks, but I still would like to find a decent "wagon", as I'm just NOT an SUV kind of guy.
We still have it, don't ask why.
HOWEVER, we have since purchased a Mazda CX-7 and am surprised at the technological advances which makes for safety and drivability improvements beyond that which your cars may have. It also makes driving much more pleasurable .
Actually, yeah, when Ford first announced they were discontinuing the Sable/Taurus wagon (the topic of this thread, after all...) I did start looking around at my choices, and the Mazda-6 Wagon looked like a nice replacement for the Sable Wagon, actually. :shades:
Not sure how much I'm interested in the CX-7 (again, X for that "cross-over" designation...?)
Now are they getting rid of the Mazda-6 Sport Wagon and forcing people to go with the CX-7??? :confuse:
What I read sounds like a fun car as well.
All the best
I was only about 2 more miles from where I work, driving along by myself on the interstate when suddenly, one of those concrete median dividers just jumped up and ran out in front of my car!!
Yes, I was driving the wagon, and yes, it's injured, and was just towed off to the repair shop... :sick:
Think I might have more than just front end damage. The brake pedal now has no play to it and the engine was running damn rough, but hey... the airbags didn't even deploy, I wasn't hurt, didn't hit or hurt anyone else, so all in all count my blessings...
My poor wagon, though.... ::sniff sniff::
I just wish those darn concrete median dividers would stay where they are supposed to! :mad:
The answer is in message # 448
For anyone elses future reference, the rear washer fluid reservoir is behind the rear passenger panel in the back of the wagon. It is just underneath where the CD changer would be if you have one with the vehicle.
Thank MyTools
I was looking around this weekend in case I need to replace mine. I just don't like at all where Ford has gone. I don't like the "Freestyle" (soon to be Taurus X), I don't like the Edge, I certainly don't like the Focus Wagon, I don't want a Mariner/Escape, as I don't like SUV's.
I think I'm about to buy my first Subaru. Looking at the Outback, it has the loading floor platform with fold down seats that I came to love from the Mercury Sable.
Is it just me or is the Ford Motor styling just hideous to most people? I looked at the Mercury Mariner and it just makes me want to puke.
Anyway, I'll find out this week if my '98 Sable Wagon is totalled or not... I suspect it will be worth a lot more to them in parts.
Body Shop has estimated over $1500 in body work alone in the front, and that doesn't even include any mechanical systems. :sick:
Oh -well-... it almost made 9 years old...