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Taurus/Sable Electrical Problems

24

Comments

  • jocean60jocean60 Member Posts: 1
    HOW DO I ROMOVE THE REAR DECK LIGHT HOUSING TO REPLACE THE BULBS??? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED...
  • coachtroxcoachtrox Member Posts: 2
    99 SE- This has been going on for 3-4 weeks:
    1-Battery light began coming on periodically
    2-Began to blink on and off, seemed to do so with acceleration and braking
    3-Airbag and ABS lights infrequently came on, then would go off after a minute or two.
    4-Flickering became more frequent last several days, heater blower would cut out (and it was icy!), sometimes come back when I stopped.
    5-Did not drive for over 24 hours, then no crank at all.
    6-Replaced battery today, light still on as I drove home and no heater blower.
    Any ideas??
  • tbear2278tbear2278 Member Posts: 2
    Just wandering if you have gotten this problem fixed. I also have a 2000 sable with the same problem with the headlights. I have replaced the headlight swich with no avail. thanks in advance.
  • spenser2spenser2 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I hope maybe someone can shed some light on this problem. I have a nice 1993 Ford Taurus, which I had an engine replaced in last year.
    Recently, something is draining the battery while the car is TURNED off. It is not the alternator or the starter and my friend's can not figure out where the electrical drain is coming from. I do not want to take it to a shop as at 60 bucks an hour it could take hours to find some random drain and I am trying to sell the car. It would take up most of my profit if it took a garage 6 or 7 hours to find it.
    Maybe no one here can help as it may not have happened to you, but if by chance someone has had the same issue, maybe you could advise.
    I put a new battery in it and within a week (no driving just being in my parking lot) the new battery was drained. I have a second battery in it now, but I have to unhook the battery when not in use or it will drain that one also.
    The only remote clue I might have to this drain is that the air bags do not work and I am not sure if this is connected to the air bags but every now and then, in fact quite often, even if car is OFF you will hear a loud BEEP BEEP BEEP coming from near the glove box. It will do that for about five minutes even if car is off. It also does it when you drive the car and will start at random several times while driving. It was doing it one day and my friend's even took out the glove box and could not tell where it was coming from. I wonder if that is the drain on the electrical system/battery. It is not a regular warning buzzer of any kind.
    Something is a constant pull/drain on the battery. I am trying to sell this car and I do not want to sell it to anyone until I know what this is and get it fixed.
    For now, I have to unhook the battery everytime I am not using the car or within days it will be drained. Othe then this issue, it runs great. My friends tested the starter and the alternator and it is not that, plus it drains brand new batteries even when not used at all.
    Thanks to anyone who might be able to shed any light on this. I appreciate it greatly.
  • cmillls45cmillls45 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Sable with a factory alarm. It goes off randomly (headlights blink and horn sounds) while it is parked. It doesn’t matter if it is in the garage or outside, as well as the weather conditions (I live in MN).

    I have read that you can splice the factory alarm disarm wire and ground it out. Is this the best option or do you have another opinion on why this keeps happening?

    Thanks
    Chris
  • cmillls45cmillls45 Member Posts: 2
  • faustfaust Member Posts: 4
  • faustfaust Member Posts: 4
    I'm looking at a '98 Sable wagon. It is not expected to be a DD but still I worry about the transmission. The dealer tells me that the OD light flashes on an off. Does this indicate a problem, or just a loose wire?
  • dejaydejay Member Posts: 1
    I am 77 years old and working part time as I just had to down size as I lost half my income when my wife died last May. I purchased a 89 Sable with a 3.0 4 door. It is running hot and the radiator fan does not work. I am afraid to use the A/C as I have some Start-Stop traffic on the way to work. Once I get up to speed the needle stays around 1/2 way.

    Is there any help??
    :( :mad:
    Thanks Frustrated Don
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    Ford 2001 taurus sedan - I turn on the headlights but the dashboard does not illuminate. All other night illuminations work, and the headlights are on ok. This exact same thing happened with my 99 taurus. Anybody know what's wrong, or have any references to other sites or info?
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    here's another one...The car is locked, but the red "theft" light is flashing inside. No amount of using the car key, or the remote key, makes it go away. The car starts just fine. The theft light blinks all the time (ecept maybe when car is running?) No after-market stuff is installed -- this is the Ford security system. And yes, I have the same key I've had for years, without this problem. However, I believe that a service guy has disconnected the power (at the battery) a few months ago. Any answers or references to other places (specifically)?
  • moonraven24moonraven24 Member Posts: 4
    Its supposed to flash to let you know that its working. One flash about every 5-10 seconds or so I think. If itw asn't flashing I would think that your security system is not working
  • moonraven24moonraven24 Member Posts: 4
    Well, just an update.. turned out our problem was none of the things we thought it was. The sputtering and electrical problems were because one of the spark plugs was malfunctioning. Unfortunately we found out too late because it blew itself right out of the cylinder and my car had major malfunctions while driving - had to take it in to the shop. They put a helicoil in it for the spark plug and suddenly everything was fine. Unfortunately something else went wrong and the rolling lifters needed adjustment as well at that point and a nice little tick tick tick began to ruin our day. The mechanic said I might as well get a new engine and have it put in... no thanks. Bought a new car and said goodbye to this one. I sold the car this past weekend to a nice couple with more kids than I for $850 cash ....Even if they spend 1000 or more on fixing it they will have a great car for a more than decent price.
  • brandonj1979brandonj1979 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Ford Taurus SES. I purchased it in January and it has recently been stalling when I stop. I hear a whining noise and then the theft light starts blinking, then the speedometer goes hay wire, then it stalls. Sometimes it just stalls when I stop without those indications. It also almost stalls while driving at highway speeds, only sometimes though, when I brake, use cruise control, or signal but it doesn't completely die, and resets the radio from on to off. It's like a power outage for 2 seconds then everything comes back online. The odd thing is that these things only happen once in awhile, but they are occurring more frequent lately. I have read that many people have had this problem but no one has been able to isolate the problem. Has anyone found out what the problem really is? Thanks for your help in advance.
  • patelskipatelski Member Posts: 1
    YES THERE IS A PROBLEM!!! My 96 Taurus OD light flashes on. the car won't shift into overdrive. I have a manual that said to replace the # 3 solonoid. We did and it did not fix it. will be working on it today for another answer.
    please ask dealer what it takes to fix it and let me know?
    steve :lemon:
  • rhollerrholler Member Posts: 1
    My 02 Ford Taurus acts like it is going to stall and the theft like comes on ? It actually did stall at a red light once and the theft light came on ? Some times the key pad will not unlock my car, I thought the key pad battery was dead but it wasn't. Does anyone know anything about this ?
  • pointerboydpointerboyd Member Posts: 2
    Hi,

    We have the same problem with the dashboard lights.

    Did you get an answer to your problem or get it fixed?

    Please advise.

    Thanks,
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    pointerboyd,
    Its not fixed. I asked a mechanic, who speculated that the cause was in the electronic circuit board in the back of the dashboard display, which would be very expensive to replace. However, I don't believe that's it, and I can't say that he was speaking from "experience".
    I believe that the cause is in the headlight switch, on the dashboard below and to the left of the steering column, along with the dimmer. I believe that the problem is with a lose contact in there. I think the problem depends on the temperature outside; the dash doesn't work in the winter cold, but sometimes works in the summer heat. (It just resumed working temporarily last week.) I think that the temperature shrinks or swells a metal contact (or plug) just enough to break the circuit. (Or else its just loose!!) I haven''t invested in replacing that switch yet. I had the exact same problem with an earlier-model Taurus, and i think they were still using the same switch in manufacturing the 2001.
    If you replace that switch and it works, let me know!
  • tbear2278tbear2278 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Sable with the same issue and I have replaced the headlight switch. It has somewhat fixed the problem. Now only on occassions and very intermittent does it happen when the lights are worked manually. However it still has the same problem when the lights are on automatic. So I just turn my lights on and off and that seems to be fine.
  • cull57cull57 Member Posts: 1
    Purchased in 2004 with 45k miles and now have 165k miles. Love the car - sharp looking, all leather, all the bells and whistles.
    I've has some issues though. Got recalled for coil issue and ended up costing me $600. (sway bar/front end problems). Year later I replaced the ball joints, coils, struts and rotors. (~$1000)
    That being said, the car has been a good soldier - I drive lots of miles and it has been very reliable - I would buy another....
    Few issues currently:
    *Door ajar light on which sort of disables the auto door lock feature and messes with interior lights too - Going to try the WD-40 trick I just read about.
    *Low Coolant light comes on intermittently, but the coolant level is fine?
    *Cruise Control stopped one day? Is there a fuse for this? What fuse?
    *AC blows warm? Going to try loading a can or two of refrigerant?
    These are small nuisance-type problems, but in Massachusetts, I can not get an inspection sticker with a dash warning light on!
  • chemoppchemopp Member Posts: 3
    My daughter drove to my house from work, the car ran fine. When she tried to leave, the car would not start. I pulled the starter, took it down to the shop and had it checked. Starter checked out fine. Put it back in, ran a jumper from the battery to the starter, engine turned over, but would not start. Next changed the starter relay, checked all the fuses; replaced the ignition switch. when the ignition switch is turned, you hear the relay kick in, all lights, radio comes on but the starter is not engaging. Can someone please, let me know what I need to do to get it started?
  • caturlekcaturlek Member Posts: 1
    I have an '01 Taurus with just 32,000 miles on it. The driver's window has a problem opening and closing...some times it does, some times it doesn't. Relay, module, motor, wiring all good. Now they're saying it might be the "gem module" $700 plus labor! Anybody know anything about this?
  • tdeanda_2000tdeanda_2000 Member Posts: 3
    I've been reading the postings & haven't found anyone yet with the same issue as mine. I have a 2003 Mercury Sable GS, about 54,400 or so miles that I purchased used about 4 years ago with around 12,000 miles on it. It has a sporadic problem that I think is an electrical issue. Off & on for the last couple of years, it will turn off for a split second while I'm driving but it comes right back on. I haven't had to pull over or anything yet. It doesn't matter if I'm driving in town or on the interstate - same thing happens. Some lights come on but go off again as fast as they came on so I'm not sure which lights & it has varied. I've tried driving with no radio or air on but that hasn't helped. Also, sometimes after I park the car, turn it off & take the key out, I'll hear a click-click-click noise coming from the steering column & while that is happening, the power windows & locks won't work. It stops after a minute or so. However, today, it was doing that click-click-click noise when I got into my car after it had been sitting all day while I was at work. When I started the car, the airbag light came on & went off again right away. The issues might happen a few times in a week & then not again for 6 months or so but lately, it has been happening frequently. No lights stay on though so when it was hooked up to the computer to check for error codes, none were found. Other than what I've described, the air conditioner doesn't blow as cold as it should & the fan blower is starting to make a little bit of noise (in last week or two) but air still flows fine. The rear window defrost hasn't worked since I bought it & one of the headlights has condensation inside of it. I'm not sure if any of those things are contributing or causing the issue but hopefully, someone can help. I'm a single mom on a very tight budget & I don't have lots of money to let someone poke around & try things, hoping it fixes the issue. I would appreciate any help. Thank you! :)
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    Well, this is just an update about this popular and devilish problem of the dashboard lights intermittently NOT turning on when you turn on the headlights manually (they work!) in my Taurus 2001. I think the problem is in the headlight switch, and suggested earlier that it may be an electrical "contact" affected by the weather/temperature. The thing didn't work all winter. In June it worked occasionally. It has now worked everyday, reliably for the last 10 weeks. This is New England, its been hot and rainy. I think that the temperature shrinks or swells a metal contact (or plug) just enough to break the circuit. We'll see, in October.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    I know early model (96+up) Taurus/Sable models had problems with bad wiring in the autolamp circuitry. I don't know of that was updated or not.
  • tribefan2tribefan2 Member Posts: 1
    My daughter got pulled over because of her left headlight was out. I naturally went to local parts store and bought 2 Why, because they were probably put on the same day in the factory and if one goes bad, shortly after the second one will go. i installed a new one and still didn't work. I installed the second one on same side and the second new one doesn't work...HELP :sick:
  • athomas52athomas52 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Mercy Sable GS 63000 miles and you have described the problem perfectly. It is still under warranty but the mercury dealership has been unable to fix the problem... Please let me know if you find a solution.
    Thanks :lemon:
  • tdeanda_2000tdeanda_2000 Member Posts: 3
    I gave up on the car because safety & reliability were key for me - plus I didn't want to spend lots of money trying to figure out the issue & repair it. I drive my children & their friends around & take a lot of long distance weekend trips. I traded it in & bought a GM certified 2007 Chevy Impala. I was skeptical about buying another used car but went ahead since it was a certified vehicle that is still under warranty. I hope I have better luck with this car. If you ever find out what is wrong with your car, please let me know. I'm still curious about the issue.
  • ansynthiaansynthia Member Posts: 1
    my girlfriend has a 1999 sable wagon. she has simular problems. the car shuts off when driving, the lights flicker, whipers go off by them self, and sometimes the auto locks are funny. we reported it under warranty but of course ford found nothing wrong with the car.
    i have a friend that asked me when telling him all of this if her drivers seat was electricly adjustable, which it is. he told me ford/mercury have problems the the electric seats that cause problem (shortage) in other spots on the car. she took it to a garage and the guy said it was pretty much an elecrtical problem that would cost at least a grand to try to fix through a shop he knows that specializes in that. though that doesn't mean it will be fixed. so now she kinda just deals with it. it seemed to happen more in the summer when it was hot out. sounds like a constant problem with this company if you ask me :lemon:
    this is our second car from ford/mercury... it will be our last.
  • tdeanda_2000tdeanda_2000 Member Posts: 3
    I gave up on my car too for the exact same reasons you listed. I also traded it in & bought a GM certified 2007 Chevy Impala. I too was skeptical about buying another used car but since it was certified & also still under warranty, I went ahead with it. So far, I really love my "new" car. I wish I knew what was wrong with the other car & like you, am also curious about the issue. How do you like your "new" car?
  • airbear232airbear232 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, did you ever figure out what the issue is? I've just started getting the same issue with an '02 Taurus.
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    I had the same problem with a 2001 Taurus. At first I thought the door wasn't closing right. It turned out to be a bad electrical connection. The (very good) mechanic checked the circuits carried inbto the door within the flexible wiring harness between the door and the body. This takes a lot of beating with use. He said the "ground" wire was broken, loose, or detached (I forget exactly). He re-attached it. Problem solved, cheap, no replacement parts, just good detective work.
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    I had the same problem with a 2001 Taurus. At first I thought the door wasn't closing right. It turned out to be a bad electrical connection. The (very good) mechanic checked the circuits carried inbto the door within the flexible wiring harness between the door and the body. This takes a lot of beating with use. He said the "ground" wire was broken, loose, or detached (I forget exactly). He re-attached it. Problem solved, cheap, no replacement parts, just good detective work.
  • kdmcgannkdmcgann Member Posts: 7
    Sorry, airbear, misplaced my reply to another problem (windows). No clue.
  • markstacklemarkstackle Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2003 Ford Taurus and noticed that it was taking a long time for the side mirror lights to turn off. I timed it and they seem to turn off after about 30 minutes. Haven't been able to determine if there is a way to adjust the duration or if this is simply how it is designed. Would appreciate any suggestion...
  • 95taurusowne95taurusowne Member Posts: 1
    my 95 ford taurus like to die when you keep the gas at a steady pace. The engine light comes on and sometimes it wont start back up. does anyone know what the problem maybe? :confuse:
  • bzawbzaw Member Posts: 2
    I have a 96 sable that recently started losing the radio, window power and power steering (only things that are noticable) while in reverse only. All other gears everything works fine. In reverse, the headlights, dash lights, and everything else appears to be fine. When shifting from park into drive, it will lose the above things and then the seatbelt light comes and goes off (no other warning lights on the dash only the seatbelt) on once you get it into drive or back into park.

    The battery was recently replaced as was the cam sensor and idler pulley.

    Ideas?
  • jasfer1127jasfer1127 Member Posts: 3
    i to have this same issue now for 3 years. the car has been to the dealer numerus times with no fix, many parts just trown at it. last summer i put a new battery in and the problem went away till this winter when i used the heater, was there ever a fix for you?
  • bzawbzaw Member Posts: 2
    For me it was a transmission range sensor or neutral safety switch (it's a sensor that sits on top of the transmission that regulates how the car goes into gear and has the gear arm attached to it). A fairly easy fix (took bf and I about a half hour). It is listed as a service bulletin by Ford for '96 Taurus/Sables I don't know if the newer ones have the same issues.
  • jasfer1127jasfer1127 Member Posts: 3
    this would cause my car to act like it was shuting off cause dash lights to come on for a split second, then goes on its way. only happens when the blower is on high.

    While driving on the highway and running either A/C or heater at max fan with Radio on, the car engine will die or stall violently jerking the car with all warning lights on and then continue OK. This happens at random but semi-frequent intervals. The more electronics I turn off, the less it happens but it happens all the same. No error codes or engine lights are displayed after the fact. (In one instance, it also seemed to make the AC over heat.) The radio will also turn on and off and automatically change volume as a forewarning to the sudden stall on the highway. (It has also stalled and died under similar conditions at slow speeds.) (Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.)
  • jasfer1127jasfer1127 Member Posts: 3
    the gremlins are gone. it was the transmission range sensor. i have been with out any problems for 5 days. this rocks
  • ronc59ronc59 Member Posts: 6
    I'm working on an 02 Taurus, the problem is, when it's cold, the first start of the day, turn the key and I get no warning lights on the dash and it will not crank. If I leave the key in on position for one or two minutes all the lights come on, I hear a clicking noise, and the car starts and runs fine till it sets overnight again. Temp has to be 30 or lower. I've already changed the trans selector switch and the electrical ignition switch.
  • carl323carl323 Member Posts: 2
    had this problem a couple of months ago,inside lights are comeing on when car is shut off,, Ill sit in the car and wait a minute and ill hear a click in the back left rear and the interior light come on ,,,Then wait a minute and they shut off ..another they come back on ..I thought it was in the steering columm or ignition,, I replaced ignition to no avail ,,,replaced the whole steering columm,,was good till tonite..went to go for ride in another car looked over and saw the lights on the problems back..I beleive its some sensor but where do I look ?The clicking sounds like its back by the wheel well..Can anybody help me?
  • stryker3stryker3 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1996 Taurus 24 valve V-6 4-door sedan with approx. 112,000 miles. Lately, when the ignition is turned off the air pump, located below the battery tray, remains on until the battery is completely drained. The car runs fine and there are no warning lights. Any idea what the cause could be and how to fix it? The part number on the pump is F5DE-9A486-DB.
    Thanks - MJB315
  • phjohnsophjohnso Member Posts: 1
    short story. 1999 sable had a battery drain caused by fuse 22 and the battery saver relay. Power drivers mirror was sideswiped and ripped off the car and was replaced by a cheap imitation. There was a bent pin in the mirror connection shorting out the circuit and cause the battery saver relay to never work causeing the battery to drain down over a week. After that the battery would be charged with a charger and the car would work for another week.

    Prior to this I bought a new battery at wmart and things seemed fine until the battery died for the first time. Well it has been about a month and the battery drain was fixed this weekend and this morning the car was dead and would not start click, or anything (no light in the car either. The batter was charged up fully 24 hours ago.

    If I jump the car the car starts right up but when I remove the jumper cables the car shuts off. Tried this 3 times with the same result. While the car was running the battery light in the dash was flickering. I am surmising 2 things at this point. Defective battery or bad altenator or both. I was going to pull the altenator this weekend ans have it tested but id did not have a long enough handled wrench to release the belt tensioner so I could get the altenator off.

    What sort of wrench do you use for this belt tensioner, i know it is 15 MM but you can not fit a socket on it because there is no clearance.

    I am thinking bad battery at this point because of the number of full drains and charges I have had to give it.

    Thoughts??? AIM tbirdpj
  • dew188dew188 Member Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problem. Did you ever figure out what was wrong?
    Thanks
  • shopdog97shopdog97 Member Posts: 160
    A friend of mine recently asked me to take a look at his wife's 2001 Taurus. All I know is that when they try to start it, it cranks but just won't start. Then maybe the next day it will(I should have asked him if it KEEPS running). The way he talks it sounds like there may be a loose connection somewhere. I asked him if the engine light is on of if it has been, but he said no. He said it is a 6 cyl engine, I don't know what size it is. Reading some of the replies here, I'm wondering if that "mega-fuse" is what might be causing his problem or if he just may need a good tune-up. When I do get to take a look at it, I'll check all connections from the battery, alt and starter, things like that. He said the trans went out about 3 or 4 years ago, but that was the only real trouble they had with the car until now. I will appreciate all suggestions anyone might have on this. Thanks!
  • avneetavneet Member Posts: 3
    I am having a strange problem with my car. It smetimes starts ad sometimes doesnot. When i turn the key 3/4(dont crank) the lights come on and a noise come (i guess the fuel pump), the car starts.If this fuel pump noise doesnot come, the car starts momentarily and the then shuts off. After 4-5 attempts its just cranks and doesnot start. It doesnot give any problems after it has started. No other problems at all. I got the fuel pressure from the fuel pump checked by attaching the pressure meter and it was fine. Can anybody please help
  • tandersontxtandersontx Member Posts: 1
    I recently installed a new starter. Car ran fine for about 2 weeks then stopped. Checked all wire connections and one wire came loose. Re-connected and ran fine for about another week. Now won't start. When turning over it just clicks. Checked all connections again and they seem solid. Any help in some troubleshooting ideas would be greatly appreciated.
  • lildavidjaxlildavidjax Member Posts: 68
    Enough said above, trying to help a friend. Hazard lights don't work, neither do the turn signals. but can't seem to locate the flasher/hazard relay. :shades:
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