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Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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  • alexmattalexmatt Member Posts: 2
    98 ford tuarus with no heat but has A/C and cool air from vent. Car has a new Rad and the cooliant level is good. Changed the thermostat still no warm air. Any ideas ?
  • rlenz2711rlenz2711 Member Posts: 7
    3 possible problems.
    96 thru 99 models.
    Thermostat required has a small ball bearing which is a bleed valve that must be positioned at the top of the thermostat. If the system does not bleed the air out it will trap air and not allow coolant flow. My mechanic did not even put the right stat in.
    (2) Back flush the heater core and see what comes out ( common problem )
    (3) Water pump fins can actually be corroded to the point of nonexistence and the engine wont overheat but you wont have enough flow to have heat inside vehicle.
  • alexmattalexmatt Member Posts: 2
    how do you back flush the heater core. Also I have heard that it could be the damper motor ?
  • watson5watson5 Member Posts: 2
    About 4 months ago I bought a 1990 Sable wagon with the 3.8L V6, had about 123,000 miles on it, never any head gasket issues that the owner knew of, but now it is sitting in my backyard with a blown head gasket. I have yet to price out the repairs, but generally assume the estimates in the range of $500-1,000 minimum sounds like a decent benchmark. I have read that Ford has an extended warranty for the 1994 and 1995 engines for 7 years or 100,000 miles, so you should be safe for awhile with that 95, even if the head gasket does blow in the near future.
  • scrapper1scrapper1 Member Posts: 1
    speedometer erratic between 0-40 and transmission slips between 1st and 2nd gear and then will run fine. Sometime speedometer stays at 0 then when is starts working car car runs fine after that. Transmission fluid is clean and full. The problem starts when car has been driven a long time. Help do I need a new transmission. Had a diagnostic test done and the camshaft sensor and the o2 sensor came up. Have been told speed control sensor does this have any affect on the transmission slipping or just the speedometer
  • willis3willis3 Member Posts: 76
    97 Ford Taurus, Vulcan Engine. The idler pulley and belt broke this week, repaired for $250 bucks on Tuesday. Now I have coolant leaking out of the engine, is this the freeze plug where the coolant is streaming out?

    image

    This is not good."
  • rlenz2711rlenz2711 Member Posts: 7
    A quick way to check the heater core is bring the engine up to running temp and check how hot the to heater core hoses are. they should both be hot. If one is cooler than the other suspect the core is plugged.

    Locate the 2 heater hoses going into the firewall ( about 3/4" hoses).
    You can find an adaptor to connect the hose to hose connection or you can duct tape the together.
    remove from the intake or any convenient place.
    Attach a garden hose to one end and run water thru the core.
    run water thru for about 1/2 hour
    It helps to catch the water coming out of the other hose in a bucket to see what comes out.
    When you flush in the normal direction of flow probably not much sedimate will come out but when you flush the system thru the other hose it will dislodge and show up in the bucket.
    I had to back flush one of my sables 3 times over a two week period to correct this problem.
    In reference to the damper doors its possible but if your defrosters/dash vents/ and floor vents change with the switch control not very likely.
  • rmk1rmk1 Member Posts: 1
    Over the last 2 months, the climate control fan has become intermittent. Many days it does not come on at all; other days it works fine (all speeds, auto or manual). I have checked the fuse and relay - both are ok. Where to look next?
  • majormac2majormac2 Member Posts: 1
    Battery acted like it had a cell going bad. Would not start right after being driven, but would start after it cooled down for an hour or two. Acts like a dead battery, as it won't begin to turn the starter. I had the battery and alternator tested and both passed load testing. I went ahead and replaced the battery a month ago. Now have the same symptoms again. Ground is good, and cables don't appear to be corroded. Any suggestions?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Have someone do a starter draw test and see how many amps the starter is pulling.
  • jesupjesup Member Posts: 5
    Our '99 Sable had this happen once (in severe cold). It cleared up on it's own after 25 minutes. Then a month or two later on the highway it died, refused to restart for a little while, then started, went a little further, etc. Eventually it simply wouldn't restart. The mechanic found wires in a connector in the wiring harness for the ignition had come loose. The connector isn't available separately, so they epoxied the wires back into place in the connector. 7 months since then with no problems.

    The failures felt like fuel problems. While the description said "ignition system", the wires that were loose might have caused it to turn off the fuel pump.
  • cali2tecali2te Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I am actually going through this right now. It seems like we have the same similar problem. My car is actually getting fixed this morning as we speak. It seemed at first there was something wrong with my temperature light and I went to one mechanic that I usually don't go to and he told me it was the water pump. My regular mechanic that I usually go to came back from vacation and he told me that my battery is no good and they need to replace the fuel pump. He hasn't given me a price yet on how much this is going to all cost but, I researched how much a new fuel pump is and it's around $210.95.

    My car was doing the same exact thing as your car. It just died out of now where. All the lights came on and when I went to try to turn on the car it would just crank and not turn on. I didn't see any leaks on the bottom of the car and I didn't think it was the battery. I had someone try to jump the car and that didn't even work. You should check to see how long you've had your battery and how long does it last. I waited for about 1 1/2hr - 2hr for my car to cool down and start it back up but, when I did all I heard was a click.

    Hopefully, you find a good mechanic and figure out if maybe that's the problem or something else.
    Good Luck! :(
  • bigdan1bigdan1 Member Posts: 23
    I had my starter on my 2002 Ford Taurus replaced about 6 weeks ago. Now, car is giving me the same starting problems. I am taking car back to shop tomorow. I am assuming mechanic will tell me starter is defective and will replace with a new one. However, I wonder if something else could be casuing the problem. Do you know of any history of starter problems with 2002 Taurus? I owned a 1993 Taurus (210,000 miles). I owned a 1995 Taurus (240,000) miles. I own a 2000 Taurus (150,000 miles). There are only 48,000 miles on the 2002 Taurus. I like the Taurus a lot. Outside of routine maintenance, I have nothing but good luck with all of them. This starter problem is the only odd ball problem I have had. Any help or advice is appreciated. Thanks.
  • deaddead Member Posts: 1
    blown heater core 500bucks .mabey ez just a bad a .c. charge
  • vppcvppc Member Posts: 58
    Hello, everyone!

    I have a 2001 SES w/Vulcan engine and 81,000 miles. It's been a wonderful car. My question is, what struts do y'all recommend? My current factory ones are in good shape still and was wondering when it come time to replace (if ever).

    NOTE: Prices below are for front.

    1. Gabriel Ultra from Auto Zone for $56.99 and LIFETIME warranty.
    2. Monroe Regal Ride from Napa for $58.99 and 1-Year warranty.
    3. Monroe Sensa Trac from Napa for $83.99 and LIFETIME warranty.

    Or, are their other good choices?

    Thanks for your help!
    - Alex
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Your best choice is just drive it. Likely you will go another 30-50K miles and your originals struts will still be OK, and by then the prices you have now will be meainingless. My guess is there is much more cost involved in labor to replace them than in the strut itself, and strut replacement is generally not a do-it-yourself job.

    No cost whatsoever to do nothing!
  • aap_proaap_pro Member Posts: 2
    I just replaced my Neural Safety Switch b/c it was making a weird sound and when your driving if you come to a stop the car will go into neutral. Someone told me that it could be the problem. Well I just test drove it and the sound is gone but the switch didn't fix the going into neutral problem. The weird thing is, that if you have overdrive off,(Green Light On) then it will stay in gear and not go into neutral. I have been turning the Overdrive off just before I come to every stop and it will stay in drive, but I need to get this fixed. Any responses would be greatly welcomed. Thanks
  • aap_proaap_pro Member Posts: 2
    The first of your two problems is probably your Ignition Coil, it is what you plug your six plug wires into. When the computer throws out random/multiple misfire or multiple cylinders, it is usually the coil. The second problems sounds like either the Trans Solinode or maybe the Neutral Safety switch, or the worst problems the Trans itself
  • rabodzeyrabodzey Member Posts: 4
    alcan already gave all directions :-)
    You got that done? It would be interesting to know if it helped?
  • rlenz2711rlenz2711 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2001 sable
    3.0 72000 miles, new fuel filter/ injector cleaner
    At random wont idle. after about 3 stops it corrects itself.
    To keep it running at idle you have to feather the gas peddle.
    No lights come on/ but you can hear a spark knock/ and even at 40 mph
    if you let off the gas the rpm drops dramatically like the engine is choking.
    Runs fine for a couple of weeks at a time.
    I was going to clean out the throttle body but there is a sticker on the body that states do not clean throttle body?
  • wgreenwgreen Member Posts: 17
    Had pads and rotors replaced,that fixed the vibration problem.Still wondering about the rattling/clunking noise in the suspension.
  • captbill2captbill2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 Ford Taurus wagon, 63000mi, well maintained, 3.0 engine. It has speed sensitive steering which has been excellent driving. About 300 miles ago the steering started to react funny in a sustained turn. It was like it had excessive play in a steering rack or ball joint, requiring finess to keep a constant turn. It got somewhat worse, and now it will jerk the steering wheel back & forth when you turn either way. It even does it when the car is at a standstill. A local garage says they replaced the steering rack, but they only amplified the problem threefold. He now says he has to replace the control valve. I thought the control valve was part of the steering rack.
    Does anyone have a solution to this problem or what is causing the steering to jerk back & forth when it is turned either way?capt bill2
  • momofviolinistmomofviolinist Member Posts: 1
    Very new at this. Mom of college kid with 2001 Ford Taurus. Car in wonderful condition, low miles. Someone popped out his passenger mirror. Mirror missing and it looks like they broke one of the clips that actually held the mirror. Ford dealerships wants 250.00 to replace the entire mirror and repaint the mirror.

    My question - can just the motor and mirror be replaced. Could I buy a replacement mirror on ebay about 48.00 - but the otherside is plastic - and use the inside parts to replace the motor and mirror.

    If so can someone explain how to do that, so perhaps my son can replace his passenger mirror himself.
  • taurus1234taurus1234 Member Posts: 7
    Can anyone offer a suggestion why my front passenger side power window gets stuck in the down position. I know that the motor and switches work because when I take the motor and regulator out of the car and hook the motor to the electrical connector it runs. I had this problem several weeks ago and I replaced the motor. It work fine for a week or so and then one day the window would go down and would not go up. It makes a clicking sound when the switch is operated.
  • dorificedorifice Member Posts: 1
    I have the same issue with my '01 SEL. On another board, I was given the suggestion that the blower motor was going. It is located under dash on passenger side. Remove plastic cover behind glove box and on the left (right if you're lying on your back), is the motor. I have pretty much confirmed that this is the problem. To replace with a new motorcraft part will cost ~$80 - $90 to buy the part, and then replace it yourself. Haven't doen it yet myself so can't help with the procedure.

    Goodluck
  • misfit227misfit227 Member Posts: 1
    My son recently wrecked my car and busted the lower ball joint and the control arm on the front passenger side. It seems very expensive to have repaired at the shop is this something that can be done easily or should I just go ahead and pay the money to have it done professionally?
  • scribe1of11scribe1of11 Member Posts: 18
    Funny thing, I bought this here troubled 96 Sable used last year because I was looking to treat myself with a "reliable" car and I had fond memories of an 89 Sable that ran forever without any trouble, like the everready pink rabbit on tv!...guess when they redesigned the Sable and Taurus in 1996 they threw out all the good stuff and brought in all the troubled stuff...probably same situation with your Taurus.
  • scribe1of11scribe1of11 Member Posts: 18
    Guess what! the day after my post on this problem, it would not start, and after 3 days of just cranking and no starting, I had it towed to the Subaru dealer I bought it from (never buy a Ford product from a Subaru dealer is probably a motto worth remembering). They said they ran the diagnostics ($80) and found no trouble codes except for a "weak battery". So they gave me a real good sounding story about how it cranks because the battery has enough volts but there is no spark because the battery has no amps. So, I agreed to a new battery for which they charged $95 plus $30 for installation (just to add a little more insult) and presto, problem fixed. Only problem is that the alleged "fix" only lasted about two weeks; it would'nt start again this morning, same problem: cranks real fine, no start. This time I called AAA and a boost would not start it, so it's definitely not the battery. AAA guy says he could not hear the fuel pump come on so he thinks its fuel related. My next door neighbor's cat disagrees: he thinks its the computer module...just joking but I have so many conflicting opinions, I just dont know...had it towed again, to a diffferent mechanic this time; will hear tomorrow what they plan to do to it and how many CDs I will have to cash to pay for it....tune in for more news in a few days.
  • scribe1of11scribe1of11 Member Posts: 18
    This problem sounds familiar, although not in a Taurus. I had a Dodge van that broke a motor mount; I ignored it because the "little thud" did not bother me that much. After a while the "loose canon" that is a motor with a broken mount destroyed my CV boot on one side, that sounded like "little clunks". The oil light off and on may be related if the broken mount is the one attached to the transmission (mine was) and has damaged an oil line...turned out the motor mount replacement cost me $45; the other parts damaged by my not getting it fixed asap ran up to several hundreds of $...
  • scribe1of11scribe1of11 Member Posts: 18
    It probably means that you need a new "local mechanic".
    I once had a new vehicle that "thumped a lot" up front when I first bought it. It turned out that the kid they hired to "dealer prep" their cars was having a bad day and he put 65 lbs of psi in the tires instead of 35.
  • scribe1of11scribe1of11 Member Posts: 18
    Your posting sounds interesting. My 96 Sable has the same "intermittent" problem. But mine is like yours, at *cold* starts, not *hot* starts like WBacon. Still, we might all have the same problem because I know that the my car's ignition key probably never turns the same way, it is very loosey-goosey and I wonder if there might be loose wires inside that are turning off the fuel pump...I'll talk to my mechanic about it tomorrow...
  • wgreenwgreen Member Posts: 17
    Can anyone recommend a good company or website where you can buy complete service bulletins? Edmund's site is great in that they list a summary of the problem and the bulletin number but they don't have the recommended action or the complete text of the bulletin.
    Saw one site that sells them but they had 57 listed for my 01 Taurus but Edmunds lists 109 for my model.Don't mind paying the money to whoever I go with but I'd like to be able to access all the bulletins not just some of them.
  • chunky1chunky1 Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a 1998 ford Taurus SE. It has been very well maintained and looks like new inside and out.
    After driving for a week the air conditioner just stopped after blowing very cold. The compressor is not coming on at all. The next day the Cruise control stop working on a short trip out of town.
    I replace one fuse that was blown but it didn't help(cruise control).
    all major fuses and relays seem ok.
    Can any one help me? I'm a little old lady who is tired of being ripped off by local mechanics. :blush:
  • rlenz2711rlenz2711 Member Posts: 7
    This problem used to be common years ago.
    When the starter wore out the heat from the engine causes it to expand and short out. After enough time to cool down it would act normal.
    So take the car to autozone when its hot and have the starter checked.
    Also some cars have a heat shield for the starter to avoid this problem.
    I dont know if a taurus has one.
  • tedwardstedwards Member Posts: 6
    I have a problem with my 2001 Taurus SES. My remote suddenly stopped working, i replaced the battery in it and it still wont work. What can I try next?
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Do you have another remote that works? If it does, then likely your one remote is broken, and you might have to buy a replacement.

    There is a procedure in your manual for programming the car to recognize additional or replacement remotes, but I believe you have to have one working remote in order to add another one.

    I suppose your car could have somehow lost its "memory" of your remote and you could try to go through the procedure for reprogramming it, but again, if I recall properly, you have to have at least one existing operable remote to begin the process.
  • pavipavi Member Posts: 4
    Does the rear brakes on the Taurus have slider pins? The mounting pins, on the caliper mounting bracket, on my car seem frozen, like they don't move.

    The reason I'm asking is, my car failed inspection due to the fact that the back brakes were not working as well as the front. I replaced the caliper but that didn't help.

    For some reason, the back brakes are not working well. The drivers side is working somewhat, but the right side is not working much at all.
  • rajsmithrajsmith Member Posts: 1
    We have a 96 Sable w/75K miles with (at least) two prevailing problems:
    1) The A/C seems to run in all settings except "vent", which causes chilly air to be blown, even at high heat. The In and Out lines to the heater core are both hot. I can see the device driving the mixer is operating, but have not opened it up to see if the flap is actually moving. What can I do to not have the AC running all the time. Oh yeah. The MPG sucks when AC runs.
    2) there's a mysterious "Groan" sound, seemingly from the back end. It usually happens only when turning, when the car is hot. Sometimes not at all. Once, after a long road trip, it started moaning loudly and continuously while going ~50MPH, but would silence if applying light pressure on the brake.
    After car cooled, noise was gone. There's no shimmy or shake, but you can sortof feel it vibrate. Repair shop was mystified, as am I. Any suggestions?
  • rodney0rodney0 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 94 taurus wagon that has morning sickness. It will take a few min to drop into
    drive then all is fine. Last week I had a loss of power but the shift problem went away.
    I have changed the air filter and am looking for the fuel filter. Have not found the fuel filter yet. Has anyone seen these kind of problems?

    Tnx

    Rodney
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Common problem is rear flex hoses collapsing internally, restricting brake fluid fow to the calipers.
  • pavipavi Member Posts: 4
    Would frozen slider pins have anything to do with this?
  • punchy1punchy1 Member Posts: 1
    my heater will not come on it blows air but it is cold air

    any suggestions

    punchy1
  • jasmith52jasmith52 Member Posts: 462
    My 2003 Sable has been very reliable but it has one very annoying issue:

    When the car is cold and I back the car out of the driveway (maybe 20 feet) after I turn the car off it will burp out a small amount (maybe a couple of spoonfuls) of transmission fluid out of the vent. Since my driveway is concrete, the transmission fluid makes a messy sight.

    The car doesn't do this when it is not cold. I have checked the transmission fluid level (when thoroughly warmed up, with the engine running parked, on level ground) and the transmission is not overfilled.

    Any suggestions as to what is going on ? And how I may fix this issue ?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Were they seized?
  • pavipavi Member Posts: 4
    how would brakes act with frozen sliders in the rear?
  • devwdevw Member Posts: 4
    i love to hear what you come up with on this topic my friends 97 just did the same today, in the past it would take a jump or wait to get it started and it had already recieved the new battery treatment. from looking around the web the ignition switch seems to be a bad problem, though i had a grand am before and the crank sensor cracked on it and it caused intermittent ignition failure.
  • wgreenwgreen Member Posts: 17
    Ended up buying a one month subscription at Motorcraft.com,it also includes service manuals,wiring diagrams etc.Just thought I'd post this in case anyone else needs this info.
  • manowarmanowar Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem. Your heating core is clogged with dirt (bad antifreeze/coolant). Flush the antifreeze, diconnect a hose where you could flush the entire antifreeze. Use pressure air to flush the clogged stuff out. Then rinse ii with pressure water let it run for a while. If it gets clear and the water circiulates, then add antifreeze/coolant. Make sure during this procedure the car is turned off and cool. Hopefully this way you will be able to get the clogged stuff out of the heating core. The heat must start blowing, otherwise you need to replace the heating core which will cost you about $450-$750 depending on mechanic. It take about 8 to 10 hours of labor. :sick:

    Good Luck
  • pavipavi Member Posts: 4
    My rear brake slider pins are frozen on my 96 wagon. How do I get them out? Do they screw in?
  • devwdevw Member Posts: 4
    if you are talking about what i think you are talking about its the hex headed bolts with just a little thread and a long shaft for caliper adjustment, my friends 97 has rear discs, same? anyways they should unscrew maybe with some wd40 if you apply heat you will melt the little rubber boots but if they are seized they are probably worn out anyways. im going off memory for this car, havent seen the brakes in a couple years. hope it help.
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