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Taurus/Sable Maintenance & Repair

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  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Somebody answered you already over on the Taurus and Sable Sedan discussion. Check there.
  • 99taurus199taurus1 Member Posts: 7
    ok heres one. 99 taurus. when i turn the wheel when not moving or moving real slow i hear a sort of ratcheting sound. probably makes this noise about 3 or 4 times in a full turn in either direction. Its almost like something is catching. any ideas? I dont feel anything in the steering wheel.
  • tnmajortnmajor Member Posts: 14
    Just bought a used Taurus SES for a new driver. Car runs great so far. It seems to want to really go when put into reverse when cold. Settles down a bit after getting warm. Ready to hit 100K mostly highway miles driven and wondering what kind of maintenance I should consider having done. Regular maintenance has been done such as oil changes etc up to now. Don't want to ruin a good running car.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    When you have the steering wheel full left or full right, the pump is under maximum load as the steering system at that point is dumping the steering fluid over a relief valve.

    My guess is the belt driving your power steering pump is getting old and slipping, when under full loads at low engine speed, or the tensioner is shot so the belt is slipping some.

    Also I suppose could be a problem in the power steering pump, but I would replace the belt first and check the tensioner.
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    If spark plugs haven't been changed, I would do that soon, as I believe the change interval is 100K. Also, if you have no record of transmission service, I would have transmission fluid/filter changed. No need for a flush, just a standard change, which should be done every 30K miles on this vehicle.

    Maybe change air filter and fuel filter too. Also, there is a cabin air filter under the front cowl below the wipers which is fairly easy to change yourself. On my 2000 Taurus there is a good diagram in the operators manual for changing it. This one gets overlooked a lot.

    Engine idle speed is higher when engine is cold, which is likely why it seems to run faster in reverse. Watch your Tachometer and you will see idle speed gradually drop off to about 700 rpm after a few minutes of driving.
  • 1go2guy1go2guy Member Posts: 1
    My wife's 99 Taurus just had 'engine oil' light go on, about 5 miles into 1st trip of the day. She stopped, added oil(it had been 2 weeks since I last checked it, it was 2/3 up the hash marks between add and full. Shortly after adding oil, SES light came on. She turned around and headed for home, but soon the engine started making noises, kinda like a valve tap. Pulled codes P1309 and p0340. I'm confused! Any thoughts?
  • tnmajortnmajor Member Posts: 14
    Thanks for the advice.
  • coldbustacapcoldbustacap Member Posts: 1
    today my 94 taurus stalled on me . it started hesitating and losing power. i stopped to turn on my street and it died and wouldn't start back up. well it would turn over grumble for a minute and than die. needless to say after many attempts to start it just wouldn't run. ended up pushing it home. waited about a half hour or so than went out tried it and it started right up. it sounded like it backfired a little than ran and idled fine. it was pretty hot here where i live(like 102 today. my car is in bad need of a tune up- could this be the problem. my dad said probably but that it sounded like a little hot weather vapor lock- just want to hear some other opinions
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    What would cause the brakes to squeak sometimes and not other times? I have a car that brakes squeal about 50% of the time and hasn't done it when I had the car in for service and wanted them to find the cause. They say they inspected the brakes and saw no obvious visible problem and the pads have plenty of wear left since they were replaced less than a year ago (partly due to brake noise back then).

    Sometimes when it squeals, I can release and reapply the brakes and it won't squeal on the next brake application. Other times they will squeal several times in a row.
  • star1298star1298 Member Posts: 1
    I have a used 1999 Ford Taurus and it has been making jingling sounds on and off when going uphill mostly and on at times driving on flat roads. I got it at 23,000 miles, now it's about 32,000 miles and it does the same thing. I didn't think much of it before, but now I am. It sounds like a rattling or jingling of bells sound when on the accelerator. I thought it might be bad gas, since my previous car was a carb , much older and did the same thing. Also, the brakes get real sqeeky after rain or snow. I got for regular maintence checks,oil changes etc. I was told to look at the jingling noise, they would have to put the car up on the ramp and can be anywhere from 10 min to an hr, to after an hr. I want to make sure I don't get ripped off. It's hard enough to find a really good mechanic.I also want to know if other Ford Taurus owners experience this? Any helpful suggestions would really help. Thank You!
  • jasmith52jasmith52 Member Posts: 462
    Noises are hard to describe in words - so it's kind of hard to really know what is going on.

    My first guess is that your car is pinging. This is caused by carbon build-up in the cylinder head. The quick fix for that is to use a higher octane (premium) gasoline. There are also chemicals that you can buy at an auto parts store that you add to the gas or spray into the throttle body that can help remove carbon build up.

    If something is loose or a bearing (water pump, alternator, smog pump etc) is failing then that could also make somewhat similar noises. For that you need a pro to diagnose what is wrong.
  • 1234432112344321 Member Posts: 1
    The windshield wiper of my 2001 Taurus did not work now, and the car stereo lost power. There is also a problem with the power window, because it worked only after 1 minute after I started the engine. There might be some switch in the electric circuit. All the fuses are good. I do not know why. Any ideas on how to fix this problem?

    My car is actually out of the recall list, so I would like to fix it myself if possible.
  • 99taurus199taurus1 Member Posts: 7
    I should clarify this. the steering isnt freezing up at all. Just when I turn the wheel i get like 3 or 4 soft clunks. I cant hear it outside the car only inside. I can sort of feel the vibration in the steering wheel and floorboards ever so slightly. I can sit in park and rock the wheel back and forth real quick and it will do it as well. Any Ideas?
  • goodshopper99goodshopper99 Member Posts: 19
    Hi folks,

    I'm looking at a 2001 Taurus SEL with 99,300 miles. 2nd owner. Price is certainly very attractive, but what's the catch? It has Duratec 3.0L engine. Are 2001 SELs reliable? what items are most likely to fail soon, and what should i get checked out before buying? Thanks!
  • steavesteave Member Posts: 6
    Can anybody give me some insight on how to flush the cooling system on a 1997 Ford Taurus? I can't seem to find a valve or petcock on the radiator.
    Is there a flush kit that can be purchased from a car parts store?
    How do I make sure I get the correct mixture of anit-freeze to water back in the system?
    Thank you!

    Steev
  • 1998taurus1998taurus Member Posts: 1
    My 1998 Taurus is burping transmission fluid as well. I was told by a Ford dealership that the breather is plugged. A typical problem with this car. I purchased the two items and was told they were easy to replace. That they were on top of the trans can. Now I can't find it. The part # for the breather valve is #YF1Z-7035-AA and the rubber cap #XS4Z-7L282-AA. Anyone know exactly were this is?
  • biketom5biketom5 Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem with the heat that you described on a '93 Taurus and it turned out to be the fuel pump. A local Ford dealer replaced it for ~$400.00. I waited too long and had to have it towed in. Good luck.
  • dequavisedequavise Member Posts: 1
    I got a 2002 Sable with a V6 3.0 L engine. Sometime When I am at a light the car will idle rough which causes the RPM and the Speedometer to rise and it will stall. I can crank it back up fine. Sometimes when I am at at light or driving the engine will cut off and start back up (only while driving). I went to the dealership I got it from and they ran my computer but no codes where stored. what is the problem.
  • lovemytauruslovemytaurus Member Posts: 10
    I just flushed my 98 taurus the other day. It was tricky at first to find the valve on the radiator. To acess it, I had to take off a piece of protective panel from underneath the car. there is 3 bolts in the middle of the pannel, and 9 bolts attached the outer parts of the pannel. Once this pannel is off it should be pretty clear where the valve is, it is white but may be covered in black grease and such. It is on the drivers side of the car. Once you open it it will take awhile to drain all the coolant out of the radiator. Then there is also 2 hex head plugs in the engine block that you take out and let the coolant drain, then leave them open and and flush it with your garden hose through the overflow tank. Also before you open the drains take the cap off the overflow tank. Then close up the drains and fill with you mixture. As for the mixture most people use a 50:50 mix. I myself used a mixture of 66% Anti Freeze and 33% Water. There should be mixing ideas on the bottle that will tell you the benefits of each mix %.

    Dave
  • myfordsucksmyfordsucks Member Posts: 1
    so i had a run in with a very high curb and it tore the lower hose coming from my coolant tank...do places sell just hoses? where would i go to get one other than the overpriced dealerships? someone help i'm depsarate
  • bob_tomatobob_tomato Member Posts: 1
    Looking for advice on an electrical repair I need done on my 1998 Mercury Sable SE Wagon (100K Miles)

    Problem seems to be an intermittent short in the electrical. Newest problem indicates faulty wiring or sensors in electrical system

    Long-time issues:
    * Driver side spkrs cut in and out.
    * Auto shut off of interior lights and auto lock of doors does not happen soon after start up, sometimes delayed 15-20 minutes, sometimes doesn't happen at all
    * Rain seems to amplify the issues

    Most recent problem:
    After normal driving of the car around town, engine will not start until after a few hours have passed. Battery seems fine (replaced a couple years ago), fuses seem fine. It's as if the starter/ignition system sensors or wires need time to cool down before they will allow the car to start. Turn the key - nothing. wait a few hours, and the car starts normally.

    Sometimes wiggling random wires seemed to fix the problem, but that's not a helpful fix now, is it? :(

    Would love to avoid unnecessary adventures in repairs and find the heart of the matter, minimize cost of repairs. Help!?!
  • lovemytauruslovemytaurus Member Posts: 10
    You can get theese at your local auto parts store. If your in the states Autozone or NAPA Autoparts and there are many others just like them. Or if you are in Canada then Partsource or a local parts store.
  • steavesteave Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the information Dave. It is greatly appreciated!

    Steave
  • dcarr102dcarr102 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 Mecury Sable LS Wagon. It has Auto a/c & heater controls. The A/C works fine (blows cold, adjusts to temp, etc). However, when I push the OFF button, it stops blowing cold air but it continues to blow air (and seems to move from the vent outlets to the upper defrost vent outlet). The display goes away - like it should when turned off but the blower keeps blowing. Any ideas?

    P.S. The battery was recently hooked up backwards - don't ask....it blew a 175 amp fuse (yep, that's a biggin!) and fried the alternator. Both were replaced and everything seemed fine after driving away from the repair shop - no other icons or funny happenings like it was doing on the way to the shop. Later that day, the blower problem occured - nothing else seems affected. :confuse:
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    The word "jingling" is exactly what my Escort did for a couple years whenever the AC was on. I thought it was something going on the AC and figured it's gonna be expensive to fix anyway, so I figured I would run it until the AC quit (it worked fine even with the noise).

    Some time later, I was under the car changing the oil and noticed two things on the exhaust: The little collars on each end of the flex pipe (that protect the braid ends) had come loose and were free to move up and down the pipe... and *THEY JINGLED* when I bumped them. Also, the bold attaching the exhaust support to the oil pan was loose and that bracket *JINGLED* as well. I figured the collars were no longer functional and just cut them off with tin snips, and I tightened the bolt for the exhaust bracket, and the jingle has not returned since.

    The Ford Aspire I had needed regular maintenance on the heat shields to keep them from rattling; I had to climb under the car about once or twice a year and tighten up all the clamps.

    A lot of jingly, rattly, nasty sounding noises on Fords (and many other cars as well) turn out to be loose exhaust components.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    I just thought I would share my experience with tires, since I just replaced the tires on my wife's 2003 Taurus.

    We got 70,000 miles on the original factory Continentals. I guess this shows the power of regular rotating and balancing. ;)

    They still had significant tread on them, but were getting noisy on the road. In looking into replacements, I had my eye on a set of Michelins from Costco, but I decided to look at Sears as well to make sure it was a good price.

    Sears was not very competitive on the Michies, but the salesman suggested Falken Ziex ZE512s. These are performance tires recommended as good replacements for Elantras (my other car is an Elantra and I know of a couple active boards). So I decided to try them out. In the P215/60R16 size (same as the stock Continentals), I got a full set of tires with full roadhazard warranty and lifetime rotate and balance for about $400.

    With the Continentals, it seemed the Taurus was really feeling its miles; I figured after getting the tires paid off, struts would be next. But after putting the Falkens on, the car feels much tighter and quieter than it was even when it was new. There is an enhanced road feel, but with very little loss of comfort; these tires don't beat you up but you really feel glued to the road.

    After a couple hundred miles, I would heartily endorse this tire as a way to give new life to your tired Taurus! :)
  • swimmer1swimmer1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2001 Sable with about 100K miles on it, and it started running rough a couple of days ago. Its symptoms are a jerking motion within the drive train, and sometimes sluggish performance, even with your foot on the gas....

    At times it goes away after it warms up, but I have recently noticed it on the highway as well after driving for a while.

    Last night on the way home from some errands, the engine light came on...

    I had a friend hook up his computer to it, and it came back with a P0401 Insufficient Flow EGR Valve code

    I am reluctant to take it to the local Mercury dealer as they have done some shotty work for me in the past, including recently quoting me work that another mechanic told me didn't need to be done.

    Any thoughts on what the actual cause of this code is?

    Would appreciate any help you can provide.

    Swimmer1
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    Have you replaced the EGR valve? I mean, not to be a smart aleck, but that's what the code says, and if it hasn't been replaced in 100k miles, it's a good place to start.

    Aside from the code, from your symptoms I would think you need new spark plugs and wires.
  • swimmer1swimmer1 Member Posts: 2
    doohickie -

    thank you for the advice, I suspected as much, on the EGR code, but have never had this problem with a car before, and didn't know how complex these things could get, I understand there are relays, vacum systems, sensors, etc... involved....

    Looks like I'll start with the valve and go from there...

    The plugs and wires are a good advice as well, although I've had bad wires before, and it tended to cause more of a miss and backfire, but it is still worth looking into

    Thanks for the help!
  • lovemytauruslovemytaurus Member Posts: 10
    I looked around in a few other forums on the net, and it seems that alot of people who get that code either ignore it, and just keep clearing the code. Or instead of replacing the EGR Valve they clean it in carb cleaner (making sure not to get any on the electronic parts).
  • jfl330jfl330 Member Posts: 1
    I just got rid of my Continental's at 47K miles, loud, hard, terrible when wet.
    Put on a set of Turanza LS-T's, best tire I have ever ridden on.
    Can't recommend them highly enough.
    Check on snow rating if applicable, isn't here in Florida!
  • brucer2brucer2 Member Posts: 157
    The two most common causes for that code is:

    1 - A bad DPFE sensor (a description of the EGR system is here: http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/egrmonitor.htm

    2 - The channel that goes between the EGR valve and the intake is clogged. The channel is in face of the intake manifold where the throttle body mounts. The throttle body needs to be removed and the channel cleared out. A new throttle body gasket needs to be used.

    The EGR valve itself does not usually go bad.
  • jrejre Member Posts: 6
    Does anyone know how difficult it is and what all has to be removed to replace the bearing in the air conditioner clutch on a 1996 Taurus with 3.0 engine. Thanks
  • leestaurusleestaurus Member Posts: 1
    Whenever I put my car in reverse, the radio cuts out. It returns when I get out of reverse. Can anyone help?

    The car has 60,000 miles on it.
  • sph2sph2 Member Posts: 1
    My ac unit clutch is also bad and have not got one yet but I believe that the only fix is to buy a clutch or a whole new unit. The clutch is about $100.00 and the whole unit is about $180.00 at a part store. In either case the bad news is that the system has to be broken, so you will have to have someone recharge the ac system, of course I believe mine was about due for a check up, so no big deal.
    Good Luck
  • azuazu Member Posts: 84
    I have a 95 Bonny with same issue. I'll be doing the same thing soon!

    P.S.

    I have 2 vehicles and thought I was in the Pontiac Forum! Sorry! :confuse:
  • taurus3taurus3 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 1997 Ford Taurus GL, 3.0L V6, it 's check engine light is on and i had it checked and the code #P0411 came up and it states, circuit relay defective or fuse open. Check connector & wiring, Air pump defective or blocked hose, I have tried to find a clear diagram and testing procedures of this system and all parts involved with no luck. I would appreciate any help from someone that knows how to rectify this problem. Thank you very much. Mike
  • simplerichsimplerich Member Posts: 1
    I had the same symptoms and after replacing all the sensors on the thing after every mechanic said "EGR's don't just go. It's probably a bad sensor" and resetting the thing I took it to a place that said "Oh! It's dirty channels."

    I thought he was talking voodoo but he took the lid off the engine, showed me the carbon all over the place in there, cleaned it out and it's been peachy ever since.
  • jrolfjrolf Member Posts: 24
    does anyone know how you remove the lower ball joints on a 1998 ford taurus?
  • 541541 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, Can anyone tell me what would cause a 3.0L to be hard starting, hesitate on take off and backfire through the intake? Seems to happen at a certaint throttle position. runs fine after you get going.
  • lovemytauruslovemytaurus Member Posts: 10
    About a month ago we had a very very hot day, and my car which is automatic transmission stalled about 5 times. Power would still all be there, but the engine would shut down, and I woudld have to turn it off and start up again. I figured this must of been the engine over heating, so i drained and flushed the cooling system. I thought the problem was solved until today. We had another hot day today it was over 100F. You could feal when you were starting again after a red light, you could feal the engine want to stall, and you could watch the RPM fall and then spike up again when you gave it some gas. Then it finally stalled on me, luckly I was close to home, and just came straight home. Does anyone know what could be causing this. Also on both ocasions when this happened I had the air conditioning on.
    Thanks, Dave
  • nomoreford2nomoreford2 Member Posts: 50
    2000 Ford Taurus 24V DOHC mileage: 156500. I have a starting problem in the car. After the car has been sitting for a while, it has a hard start upon turning the ignition key. Upon turning the key, it either cranks for an unusually long time before it starts, or I need to step on the throttle to make it start. This has been happening in hot weather or cold weather. Problem started happening intermittently and now I experience it every day. However, if the car is started when it has been sitting for less than 2-3 hours it starts up fine anddrives fine with no hesitations. I have taken it to the mechanic three times already and they have performed several diagnostic tests without success. They have replaced the crank sensor, coolant temp. sensor and fuel filter. Unfortunately, it has not solved the problem. Can you provide me with any new ideas what could be cauing this? I ve been told either a bad fuel pressure regulator or fuel pump.
  • itsmeddpitsmeddp Member Posts: 4
    My 96 taurus has 82k miles and its finally dead. new transmision put in 3 months back ($1600) and now more problems with front axels engine AC and more. I feel you pain buddy.
    Dave
  • timothyftimothyf Member Posts: 40
    Hi I have a 96 LX with 117k miles. When I start forward from a standstill, no problem. When I start forward from a standstill pressing down on the accelerator normally, there's a hesitation, slight rumbling, and the tires will chirp a little. There's no problem in first once the car is moving. Shifting up and down through all the gears is fine. Any one have any ideas what is wrong? Thanks, Tim
  • ohio7ohio7 Member Posts: 67
    Well, two months ago I was bragging about not having to have anything done to my car (except recalls/warranty work) in the six years that I've had it, but right after that post I started to have hesitation while driving and more so while at a stop. Took it in to a good mechanic (and honest) and the code said #3 cylinder. He went ahead and replaced all 6 plugs and a coil to #3 since he had everything off. Yeah, I was mad that I had to have a tune-up at only 34,000 miles instead of 100,000 but labor is expensive in my area and plugs are relatively inexpensive.

    Still had trouble so he sent me to another place that had the equipment to totally clean out the carbon deposits that I had (because I put less than 5000 miles in a year, mostly city). It is a system by BG 44K (or something like that recommended by Pat Goss of Motorweek). Also had the transmission fluid changed by the same companies system and antifreeze. Still had the problem. :mad:

    Back to the original mechanic - over and over again. No light came on even though it was still hesitating. Short long story. Light finally can on and it only shows that it was the 6th cylinder this time, but the plug was new and the coil produced a spark so instead of just changing everything and running up my bill he decided it must be the plug boot. To make sure that it was, he switched it to the #5 cylinder and last night code P305 came up instead of P306. He then ordered me a boot which is only $18 vs. $104 for a coil. It will be installed on Wed.

    Hope this helps some of you do-it-yourselfers which on this car I'm not.

    Last August I had Ford replace the DPFE sensor under the extended warrenty and the engine light went off till this June.

    Also decided to replace my over 6-year-old battery.
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    My mother in law just bought a 2006 Ford Taurus SEL for 12,700 on the road (ttl included honestly). When we were test driving it I noticed a rubbing sound and vibration in the steering wheel. The dealer replaced the passenger wheel bearing. We have now purchased the vehicle and I am noticing that the drivers wheel bearing is acting up now. I am not worried being that we have the factory bumper to bumper warranty still, but is there any recurrent issues that we need to watch out for in the vehicle before the warranty runs out? The vehicle only has 17,219 miles on it so we have some time? I love the car (Tungsten Metallic with the power driver with lumbar and cloth, keypad entry system, split rear seats, auto-dimming rear mirrors.) I actually enjoy the ride and the spaciousness of the car.
  • kimanijkimanij Member Posts: 2
    Did your fiend get the stalling issue resolved? And if so what did they say the problem was? I'm having the same problem.
  • kimanijkimanij Member Posts: 2
    Were you having issues with your car stalling & shutting off before they replaces the sensor and after they replaced it did the probelm stop?
  • anthonys11anthonys11 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Mike, did you ever get information on the wiring diagram? I have the same problems with my 97 Taurus. How did you rectify the problem? My local mechanic says I need to replace the air pump unit. thanks
  • larybalaryba Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever get an answer - I have exactly the same problem
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