Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

bleibtrey · January 2000

Need help on where to locate this for my 96 Taurus. I have been told its located on the passenger side on the fire wall. I have searched but I am unable to locate anything which looks like it would hold this filter.

jc88 · January 2000

I have had this problem twice. The first time I had the dealer fix it. Cost me $130. They replaced he Air By-pass valve (IAC) on top the throttle body. 18 months later it started doing it again. This time I bought a gasket and cleaned it myself with carb cleaner. Worked like a champ. Haven't had any further problems. Gasket was $2.

gkarg · January 2000

Sorry, I guess you should do it more often, but for those that never would....I say at least do it every 50,000.

ddockter · January 2000

I bought a used 94 Taurus with a 3.0L engine and 75,000 miles last February. It ran great until the weather warmed up (above 30). Then it started pinging. The warmer the weather got, the worse it started pinging. If I put higher octane gas in the tank, it got better. I took it to a garage this past summer, and they said I had the wrong plugs in it. They swapped them out and it seemed to be better for a short time. I suspect maybe they just added some higher octane fuel. They also told me I might have carbon build-up that would require the heads to be pulled. Now that the weather is colder again, it runs great. Any ideas as to what the problem might be?

burdawg · January 2000

Possibly the ambient air temp. sensor is malfunctioning causing the ECM to set the mixture wrong. Usually problems of this sort mean a trip to the dealer or a very well equipped shop due to the test equipment involved. It may be cheaper and easier just to try replacing it.

d8893 · January 2000

I have a 96 3.0 with 62,000 moile on it. The check engine light just went on and I'm trying to figure out why. I changed the oil, plugs, and air filter. The only thing I didn't change was the PCV valve because I couldn't locate it. Could someone please let me know were it is located on the engine. I would be internally greatful.
Thanks!

huffy · February 2000

I have a 99 Taurus SE with approx. 8500 miles. This car makes several noises but the one that I am most annoyed with is this: shortly after I bought it (within the first couple hundred miles) a loud knock developed. After pressing on the accelerator, as soon as you let go, the knock happens. It seems to be coming from the passenger side front wheel. It's as if as soon as the power is cut off from the wheel, it knocks.

I had this item on my list when I took the car in for its first maintenance last summer and of course, I got the old "we couldn't duplicate it" bull. I guess it is hard to hear when the mechanic has the A/C on full blast and the stereo blaring at the threshold of human tolerance.

Anyway, please excuse my rant. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be? I am completely ignorant of auto repair. And how can avoid the "cannot duplicate" excuse that the dealers always try to hand you?

I did have another "cannot duplicate" problem by the way. After the car sat overnight or at work for eight hours, when you first put it into gear, the car would shudder and hesitate as if it was going to stall. The dealer maintenance crew said that the diagnostic computer reported no irregularities. Well I guess I was just dreaming that it was happening EVERY SINGLE DAY because the computer's report is gospel! I tried 89 octane gas on my own, by coincidence, and the problem seems to have stopped. What gives?

BTW, the reason why I bought the Taurus was because I had a 93 Taurus GL as a company car, I put 90,000 miles on it in 2 1/2 years and had absolutely no problems with it whatsoever. Not even any weird noises. But I hear more noises with this car than at a "STOMP" concert!

Thanks for your advice.

sable93 · February 2000

Here is what you should do. Leave the car over night at the dealership, and go with the mechanic when they are trying to duplicate the noise. I had a problem with my car making a loud noise. It ended up being an improperly installed shield installed when a recall was performed on the car. It wasn't dangerous, just annoying. They couldn't find it until I went with them. Low and behold, I heard it, and so did the mechanic. It took them 2 minutes to fix.

vamo · February 2000

While the Taurus is the most reliable of FORDs repitoire it also had problems. I know countless owners that had to replace a heater hose in the first 2 years. Its the same hose.
The CV joint (actually the boot) goes around 60k.
The front end goes at 80k.
The car is actually a good car & safe. Just you will pay for it in the end.

hatecars · February 2000

OK. So, we have a '93 Taurus wagon. Its a 3L 6 cylinder with 123.000 miles on it. The thing is giving us problems. The worst being the transmission. Whenever we stop, or come close to stopping, the thing slips out of gear, and we have to stop, shift to reverse and wait for two "clunks". Then we can shift back to drive and all is well until we encounter another stop light. Needless to say this is annoying to any drivers behind us and embarrassing as **** to us.

They tell us we need a new tranny. Do we? Could this be electrical? Could there be some SMALL part of the tranny that could be fixed? (i.e. cheap??)

If we ditch it, we need something else. We are expecting our 4th child and we need something with more seats. Everyone says go with an Accord or a Camry. Our family wont fit. Is there anything out there with more seats and a decent repair history? HELP!!

Thanks,
Sarah and Tom

sable93 · February 2000

hatecars, if you are looking for a car (not a minivan or suv), I'd suggest a '97 or newer Taurus wagon. It is much more reliable than the previous generation Taurus. Also, it has a 3rd seat in the back that can fit 2 more people for a total of 8 passangers (based on # of seatbelts.)

As for the '93, it sounds like the transmission is on it's last leg. You need to figure out what your car is worth and decide if it is worth it. Otherwise, use it as a trade-in.

floridamama · February 2000

I have a 93 Ford Taurus LX. Just like so many others with the 3.8 L engine, the heater stopped working, the head gasket blew, which warped the heads, cost $900 to fix. I hate the repair bills and the hassle, but I still love the car. We just bought a Honda Odyssey...they would only give us $1800 for the Taurus, so we kept it. I personally think you should get a mini-van. It is so easy to load and unload baby in and out of the car seat, tons of room for all the other kids. Obviously I'm partial to the Odyssey, but if money is a big concern for you, you can get a decent base model Caravan for less than $20,000. It made me feel old to get a van, but my kids thank me everyday for getting them more space (less fighting, too!) Good luck to you in your search...

lmarkham1 · March 2000

I AM LOOKING TO BUY A 99 OR 2000 MODEL. I JUST DROVE A 2000 FOR 1 WEEK AND LOVED IT. HAS ANYONE HEARD OF OR EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE LATE YEAR MODELS ?? THANKS.......

pat455 · March 2000

Hi lmarkham1,

Have you checked out our Sedans conference yet? That's probably the best place to find folks who are considering or have recently purchased a new Taurus. Try this topic: Ford Taurus. And you can also use the Topic Search feature on the left sidebar to find other conversations on the Taurus.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

jsp170 · March 2000

I have a 1992 Ford Taurus GL with only 16, 500 miles. Over the past few years the power steering fluid has had to be refilled on a twice monthly basis. However, over the the past few months the steering wheel has become harder to turn when parking the car and there is now a noticeable smell coming from the engine. The dealer does not know what the problem is and the car is scheduled for a New York State inspection next month. Any suggestions?
Is the car worth repairing and keeping? Otherwise the car has run well with few repairs (i.e., new batteries, tire, struts-last year, air conditioning) over the years. Thanks.

yukoncharlie · March 2000

I may buy a 1991 GL sedan with 74,000 miles tomorrow or Tuesday. The timing belts were replaced at 60,000+, freon (sp) system upgraded, regular maintenance done with receipts dating back to 1991. BUT the current owner hasn't had the car during summer(he bought it in Nov from original owner and is moving back to the lower 48 next week), he said he got water in the gas from the gas station(?), and recently the dome light quit working. Does this year have good repair history?

kmoon26221 · March 2000

The 1991's were a lot better than the earlier years. I had a 1986 that I was continually repairing. I bought both cars used for about half the price or less of a comparable Honda. The 91 I have put 48000 miles on it and only recently replaced the struts and shocks and one CV. Both cars had the 3.0 engine. I have gotten as high as 26 miles per gallon. I would stay away from the 3.8 engine. The air conditioners usually dont work in these older Tauruses.

lee18 · March 2000

Both front door handles are now so stiff (jamming inside somehow) that you can barely open doors.

I saw a TSB with a title alluding to this problem so it must be a common problem. Unfortunately didn't see the TSB contents.

Does anyone know how expensive this is to repair? Does it require replacement parts? Can it be fixed at home? Does Ford have a secret warranty for this?

Thanks in advance.

cstahl1 · April 2000

I have a 94 Taurus and am having significant problems. I should have learned with my 89 Taurus, which had many problems also.

Besides many small things we've had done on the car I have replaced the air conditioning, just replaced the radiator and now my most immediate problem is starting last summer my car would shut down in warm weather (humid, 80 degrees or above after driving for about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Once the car cools down and the weather does slightly the car will work again. Of course I have had this into several dealerships with no resolve.

I have suggested the head gasket (because of the recent recall) but they have insisted that this is not the problem.

My engine light goes on when this happens but leaves no codes in the computer. Of course because this is intermittent they can not give me any answer except, they can start replacing parts and wait to see if I know longer have the problem, which would be very expensive.

I no longer consider this car reliable and we are looking to get a Toyota Sienna, but plan on still keeping the car for around town driving as I know we will not get much for it.

Does anyone out there have this or have had this problem with their Taurus. I would love some feedback. Thanks

sable93 · April 2000

I've never heard of that problem before. My '93 Sable drives the same in all types of weather and temperatures.

lotusman · April 2000

My 1987 Taurus had this problem as did my brother-in-law with his Taurus and my 1978 Volvo. In warm weather, I now live in Louisiana, and standing at a light, the engine would stall. Wait for a few minutes and the engine would restart until you got to the next long traffic light. The Problem was the ignition coil shorting out. Don't ask how. Changed it out and no problems again. Now my brother-in-law had the same thing happening. But when his went it took the ECU out with it! This sounds familiar to the many who believe the ECU is going out.

Now my Volvo problem was that in Ohio when the outside temperature reached 80 degrees, which doesn't happen often there, the car would stall even if it were moving. Again, the longer you let it cool down, the longer it would be until the next stall out. After one year of this, I dumped the car for a loss and found out a neighbor down the street bought it. Knowing more than I at that time in my life he explained that was what he did to fix the problem. And went on to about 250,000 miles.

Now the reason why the dealerships couldn't find the problem. Note, they always put the hood up to check the engine. This prevents the coil from overheating and shorting out. The coil of the Taurus is above everything in the engine compartment. Of course, when I told the Ford customer hot line, they told me what I could do with my solution.

One last part of the story is that when I went to my other brother-in-law's NAPA store to get my new ignition coil, a guy came in with the disassembled parts of a Taurus distributor in his hand. He said his problem was the engine kept stalling as he would wait at a stop light. I told him the Good news was that his distributor was not his problem. The Bad news was that I had just bought the last ignition coil that my brother-in-law had.

burdawg · April 2000

I didn't have your exact problem with my 88, but I would look closely in the ignition coil area as others have suggested. The coil in the older Taurus and Sable is the open frame type.
I had a problem once where the upper radiator hose had a very small crack right where it turns to enter the intake manifold. When the engine would torque, such as pulling away from a stop, a small stream of coolant would shoot out on the coil, stalling the engine for about 10 minutes until it dried out. It stalled several times with me standing there scratching my head until I finally figured it out.
Also, with the open frame coil, if you hit a large puddle hard enough, water would splash up on the coil and stall the engine.
I can't figure out Ford's decision in placement and type of coil in the older cars. It's a long way from the distributer, and it has no shielding from moisture.

shimmer · April 2000

I have a big problem,when I purchased my 1997 ford taurus I was told by the dealer it had transmission problems but they fixed it they said when it was in drive and you give it gas it acted like it was in nuetral luckily I contacted the previous owner and they said that it did do what the dealership said and they liked the car otherwise so I purched it thinking it was fixed it had 41,000 when I bought it I made one payment put about 1,000 miles on it and guess what the transmission went out it would not go forward or backward they said it was the clutch that went out at that time I'm not sure I wan't this car anymore but what could I do well now they have it tore apart and it turns out it was the pump that went out so since it was not pumping oil or whatever to the transmission it caused the clutch to go out so now there is two things wrong and it will easily cost 1,000 or more to pay for it I had it 2 months put 1,000 miles on it made one payment and now I have a piece of junk sitting at the dealer ship. Please if anyone knows who I can complain to about this or if you think I have the right to complain please let me know I want out from under this car if at all possible any advice would help me I am a female you know

sable93 · April 2000

shimmer,
That sounds a little fishy. If I were you, I would call the dealership and find out what went wrong with the transmission the first time. Or, call another dealership. They should be able to bring up the service history on the car. If the problem is the same, you absolutely have the right to complain. Otherwise, if the problem is not in any way connected, I'd say that "stuff" happens, and you shouldn't complain. Pay to get it fixed, and drive it home.

garyws · April 2000

My 93 Taurus had a hot weather stalling problem. It turned out to be the fuel pump. The mechanic at a Ford garage in Burlington, Colorado explained that under certain high temperature situations the fuel can be "churned" by the fuel pump blades and vaporized before it gets to the engine. I do not know if the explanation was right, but a new fuel pump solved the stalling problem.

garyws · April 2000

I have a 93 Taurus with 212,000 miles on the car. It still has the original engine and transmission without an overhaul. I was given fortunate advice shortly after I purchased the car new. Change the transmission fluid and filter every 30,000 miles or more often AND add an auxilliary transmission cooler. It still shifts smoothly and has not caused any problems. Further, I live in a hilly area where the transmission gets a continual workout. Keeping the fluid cooler seems to be very important for a long life transmission.

mpw430 · April 2000

I have a '95 SE with 87000 miles and it runs great. Replaced the water pump at 60k and that is it. oil change every 3000 and she continues running strong and quiet. Have never had a problem with any of the power accessories. Would buy another taurus in a minute.

bowmanjh1 · April 2000

I had the rear brakes and rotors replaced on my 97 GL last December at Just Brakes.
Then about two months ago, I started to get a squealing shrieking sound whenever I applied the brakes at slow speeds (i.e. when I am in reverse or slowly creeping along in bumper to bumper traffic). The sound is most certainly coming from the rear wheels. I took it back to Just Brakes and they took a look at it and told me they couldn't find anything wrong. But the problem is still there. Any suggestions?????

Should I take it to the dealer or back to the chain?

Any help would be most most welcome

njkim · April 2000

I have '87 Taurus and my a/c is not working. How much is it gonna cost?

burdawg · May 2000

njkim, if my experience is any measure, a lot. My 88 needed all new hoses, receiver dryer, and of course complete pump down and refill with R12. The estimate was $1200. I had repairs done several years ago (new clutch on compressor, some hoses repaired). Late 80's/early 90's Ford and Mercury products were known for AC hose trouble, mostly with the spring clamps on the couplers. I can't complain, it had 160,000 on it.

craneti1 · May 2000

I have a '93 Taurus (3.8L). Smoke is coming from the tail pipe. The smoke appears to be mostly steam. I can smell the antifreeze cooking. The car is not burning oil. The problem was a result of overheating. The head gaskets were blown and the heads were warped. I had the heads shaved and replaced the head gaskets. I also replaced the head bolts to proper torque specs. The Taurus still blows large amounts of steam from the tail pipe and the temp gauge goes toward hot relatively quick. What is my next step (besides selling it).

avfan · May 2000

I have a 92 taurus sedan with the 3.8 engine. I
have always had a gas smell in the passenger
compartment in the summer time. I brought to the
dealer before the warranty was up and he said he
could not duplicate the smell. It happens after I
have been driving the car for 1/2 hour (highway),
less time in stop and go traffic. If the windows
are closed and the AC is on, it comes in through
the vents. When I get out of the car to check any
loose connections I can't smell it anywhere. Every
year it gets worse. Has anyone else experienced
this? Please help!

tl565 · May 2000

I've been looking at the Accord but am concerned
that a lot of owners of the 2000 Accord are having a lot of mechanical problems. They are complaining on the Accord Problems board here on Edmunds. There seems to be common problems with the transmission, some fuel 'boiling' problems, engine hesitation, rattles, and other problems like oil leaks etc. These problems are all on nearly-new 2000 Accords.

For those of you who have purchased a 2000 Taurus,
have you had any mechanical problems? I'm not concerned with older Taurus', just trying to get a feel of how the new 2000 Taurus's holding up.

Thanks in advance for the info!

pat455 · May 2000

Have you checked in our Sedans conference for a Taurus topic? That would be the best place to find owners of the 2000 Taurus. You can key Taurus in to the Topic Search feature on the left side of the page to get a list of topics that may help.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

wrench2 · May 2000

I own a 1995 Taurus SE. Have had problems with the speedo, it pegs at 85 mph, a slight tap can return it for a short period of time, however problem continues. Have replaced both cables from the tranny up. Did not fix problem. Checked both worm gears (plastic) seem fine. Any ideas? Have been told by local dealerships they are replacing quite a few of these. Part cost is $500.00 does not include labor.

lbuchs · May 2000

I have a '96 Taurus with 28K miles - transmission just broke, dealer says it needs to be replaced. Repair will cost me $495, Ford to absorb remainder of cost. Does '96 Taurus have transmission problem? Should I pay anything? Will the fix work? Please advise! Thanks

jstamp · May 2000

I have a '94 Taurus GL with the AXOD transaxle. When I come to a stop and then press the accelerator to go again, the car acts as if its in neutral for up to five seconds, then it kicks into gear and jumps forward. The transmission performs perfectly except for this. Also, this doesn't happen when driving with the gearshift in drive instead of overdrive. The fluid color, smell, and level is good.

I have a friend who used to work at Ford as a mechanic. He said that the transaxle control module needs to be reprogramed at a Ford dealership. When I took it to the dealership, they told me the transaxle has internal damage and that the motor mounts are shot. My friend says they're full of it.

Has anyone heard of this?

slara · May 2000

If I drive my Taurus 95 Stationwagon for about 2 hrs or if I drive w/ the a/c on, it shuts off like if it ran out of gas. I have to wait 1 hr so it could cool down and then it runs fine. I've changed the fuel filter, thermostat, oil change, transmission serviced...I heard it could be the starter getting hot and shutting off the car??? Any comments/suggestions as to what this could be?

jimgreen · June 2000

98 T, Duratec, ABS, 28,000 miles, driven like a baby pram...at 27,000 discovered brake situation: three of the front pads had little to no wear, the fourth was about worn out (inside right), although the car seems to handle fine (given what it is. any ideas? anyone seen this?

opinions on the car: too much wind noise; the upgrade sound system isn't worth the money; looks better without the spoiler.

gtaurus · June 2000

i have a new 2000 taurus sel and when i shut it off there is a high pitched, rapid pinging noise that slows and stops coming from under the hood. i thought it was the automatic climate control winding down but was told it may be the exhaust system cooling and stressing in the wrong places. anyone else hearing this?

bowmanjh1 · June 2000

In regard to wrench2 speedometer problem. Why not slow down. 85 is to fast. The life you save might be mine.

mokus · June 2000

Has anyone has success suing Ford for head gasket repairs? I found that for the 94 & 95 taurus with the 3.8L motor, Ford had extended the waranty to 60,000 miles & then again to 100,000 miles. I have a 93 with the 3.8L motor and had the head gasket fail at 63,000. I am planning on going to small claims court and would like any advise that you may have.

shilly77 · July 2000

OK, folks, here's the deal.. I've got a 1988 Wagon with 203,000 miles on the clock, and a leaky heater core. I've bypassed the core for the time being, but now my dilemma; do I put forth the effort to R & R the core, (18 steps just to get at it in the Hayes manual) or do I just get a plug-in electric heater from Whitneys? FWIW, I live in SC and the car is the everyday beater-mobile (just bought the wife a 2K Taurus Sedan). Is it worth the effort? Has anyone done one and has secrets to pass on? Thanks in advance, if you want to contact me directly, my email is shilly77@earthlink.net . Thanks, Dave

bobs5 · July 2000

I don't have a taurus, but have a "beater-mobile" too with 144k on the odometer.
203k on your car - wow - I never had a car last that long myself. Is your transmission an automatic and is it original to the car?

A friend of mine recently picked up an '88 taurus wagon.
How has this car been for you? (repair history?)

Have done a heater core replacement on my car about 9 months ago. What a pain in the you know what! I had to literally rip the whole dashboard out of the way..... took about 6 hours total time for the entire job. I don't have a/c in this car.

It would be quicker to get a plug in heater, however, I would doubt that it would be helpful to defrost the windshield in winter. I live in NJ so a properly working defroster was necessary for me.

If your car is equipped with air conditioning, this will have to be ripped into as well because the evaporator is close to the heater core. Both come out together. It will require a mechanic to deal with the freon, etc.

If it were me, and the car does not have a/c, then I would replace the heater core.

If your winters are not too bad, then a plug in heater would probably get you by for awhile.

With 203k miles, how much life is really left with this car?

burdawg · July 2000

The receiver/dryer will have to be disconnected and replaced since it hangs on the firewall and connects directly to the evaporator. Reuse is not recommended. It's a big job, and with AC it's worse. When mine went out on my 88 I didn't fix it, and I found the electric heaters all but useless. I thought about putting an aftermarket heater core under the seat and routing the hoses to it, but then the AC gave up again and I sold the car.
BTW, an underseat heater like the one in my 55 Buick would be perfect. It's very flat with a circular core and a short squirrel cage fan, and the hose connectors go through the floorboard and connect to the hoses under the car. If you could locate one in a classic car junkyard it could be a solution.

cheetara · July 2000

Hello, everyone,
I have a '95 Taurus GL that has 94,700 miles on it. I have maintenance performed regularly on it and so far so good. However...my car has developed a front-end vibration that appears on acceleration around 40mph and disappears at approximately 45mph. The tires are in good shape and I have had my brakes worked on. (The problem appeared before the brake work.) Any ideas as to what this could be? Thanx, Anne

210delray · July 2000

Sounds like one or more tires are out of balance, if it happens at only certain speeds, and not while braking. The balance can change on tires as they wear, or maybe a wheel weight fell off. So I'd recommend getting the tire balance checked first.

robt_schilling · July 2000

My 94 Taurus Station Wagon was in a minor front impact collision (hit straight-on, going 20 mph). Immediately after the accident, it wouldn't start. A visual check revealed only a cracked radiator neck. The intertia switch appeared ok. A diagnostic scanner gave Code 556 ("Fuel Pump Primary Circuit Failure"). I replaced the fuel pump. The diagnostic scanner now gives Code 556 AND Code 624 ("Electronic Pressure Control Failure"). The Chilton manual has no detail on Code 624 -- can anyone out there explain what it means? More important, using these two codes as clues, can anyone surmise what's preventing my car from starting? Thanks!

mfemfe2 · July 2000

99 MERC SABLE 3.0l, 24 VALVE, 11k MILES PURCHASED NEW IN 10/99, ENGINE OIL PUMP RELIEF VALVE POPPED. LOSS OF ENTIRE OIL INVENTORY. NOW NEED NEW ENGINE. ANY ONE ELSE HAVE SIMILAR THING HAPPEN, SUGGESTIONS FOR GETTING ENGINE OUT OF FORD?

snugglbond · July 2000

We have a 95 SHO whose paint is peeling. I have seen where other Taurus owners had similar peeling issues but can't remember where. Can anyone here help me?
Thanks!
Tracey

Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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