i have 2001 ford taurus the transmission went out on me -as i started from stop light the transmission sounded like it was going into gear all the way i let off the gas and it went into gear this happened a few more times until i got on interstae and when i interstate no problems at all with transmission then i pulled off to go home and mre stop lights it acted same way then after a few more lights i gave it the gas from stop light and no forward gears i do have reverse is a sensor bad -need help
Check the transmission fluid level. Not enough fluid can cause similar symptoms. Is the fluid clear, red, black, burnt smell?
" the transmission sounded like it was going into gear all the way"
I’m not really sure what that means, but it does appear that you have a significant transmission problem. The first step is to pull the trans dipstick. Then come back to this thread to report what you found regarding the level, the color, and the odor of the fluid. Ideally, it should be a reddish-pink color and should not have a burnt odor.
If the fluid is brown or black, that is essentially the black flag for the transmission.
If it has a burnt odor, that is also a very bad sign.
However, maybe you will luck-out and will find that you merely need to add fluid.
However, needing to add fluid doesn’t mean that there is no problem, as a low fluid level indicates a leak that needs to be attended to.
One way or another, I believe that a visit to a transmission specialist is in the offing. Just be sure that you go to an independent trans shop that has been in business for at least 3 years.
Do NOT go to Lee Myles, Cottman, Mr. Transmission, <<>> AAMCO, or any other chain-run shop unless you want to be sold a new transmission that you might not need. Ask friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors for the names of recommended trans shops.
Please check your dipstick and then report back with your findings.
You can go to a chain transmission shop if you know the staff is competent and honest. The problem with chain stores like the ones @VDCdriver mentioned is that they hire inexperienced mechanics. Once a mechanic gains enough experience andshows an aptitude for the job, he often changes jobs for more pay at a different shop. The advice given is reasonable if you don’t know anything about them.
I agree with jtsanders. I looked for a shop in my town, and the only one was a chain. But my mechanic recommended them, said he used them all the time.
Smaller towns, the mechanics are less likely to change jobs, (my opinion).
b
The other reasons to avoid chain-run shops are that they almost always charge higher prices, and their “nationwide” warranties are frequently as useful as used toilet paper. Their warranties have so many weasel clauses that many people find their continuing trans problems–after repair–are not covered.
I use a high priced indie near me, recommended by good friends in our neighborhood. They offer no nationwide warranty and charge dealer level prices. I’ve used them recently for my Tire Rack tires, and an AC problem on my Accord. I have no complaints beyond the price. I need their services very little and the extra cost is a mild concern.
How many miles on this car?
BTW…the Taurus and the Sable models suffered from weak transmissions back in this era. My wife’s 2003 Sable’s transmission died in 2006. The second transmission died a couple of years later. We had trouble finding a 3rd transmission because there wasn’t a good one to be found. The car was sold “as is” and was eventually parted out because it was worth far more as parts than basic transportation.
I will make a simple statement here… Almost 95% of ALL Ford Tauruses …Taurai? Whatever the plural of Taurus is…LOL Almost ALL of the ones you find in the salvage yards are in GREAT Condition… Know how they wound up in the salvage yards? Yup…the Automatic Transmission.
They have been the Achilles heel of those fine cars since their inception. Some seem to make it to crazy mileage levels…others puke tranny fluid in the street at 65K… I was talking to a Tranny Guy… NO NOT THAT Type of fellow…but a Transmission Specialist…and he once told me what the problem with Taurus Transmissions WAS… and know what? I forget what it was…I think he told me that there was a gear that was weak inside the trans? Or something made of plastic? Damnit if I can recall what the problem was… Im sorry to even mention it when I cant tell you the answer… But there is something in there and its a known weak point… Its a shame because they run so nice and are pretty good vehicles otherwise… They just die an early death due to transmission related failures. Now if they made a manual version? That would be the way to avoid the problem. But…people are lazy…and or cant shift for themselves. Shame
Blackbird
I would say the plural of Toreass is Toreasses
Makes sense to me, for what it’s worth
For what it’s worth, I had an extremely good experience with the transmission of my '86 Taurus.
While driving on Route 22 in Newark, I rode over a few “rebars” that were lying in the roadway. Heavy traffic did not allow me to swerve, and all I could do was to slow down slightly. I heard a slight impact on the underside of the car, but didn’t think too much about it as I drove along Route 22 for another 10 miles or so.
After Route 22, I got onto the Garden State Parkway, where I proceeded to drive ~60 mph for about 8 miles to my exit. As I exited from the GSP, the trans downshifted very hard. Gulp!
Since my house was only about 6 blocks away, I opted to drive all the way home.
As soon as I parked the car, I saw the tell-tale trail of trans fluid down the driveway, and w/in a couple of minutes a 6 inch puddle formed underneath the car–until the trans had been drained and no more fluid ran out.
Yes, there was a hole–maybe ~9 mm–in the transmission pan. The next day, I had the car towed to a local trans shop for pan replacement and inspection. They found nothing wrong with the trans–other than the damaged pan and no fluid–and gave me the go-ahead to keep driving it.
That car lasted me for another reliable 2 years–with no trans trouble whatsoever–until I traded it in. I think that driving the car (unknowingly) with what was eventually almost no fluid is testimony to a trans that was actually pretty durable.
The problem in these transmissions was the torque converter. The splines would sheer off and find their way throughout the entire transmission…valve body, lines, pump, etc. Along with that mess, the torque converter itself would be shot. Most of the time you have to replace the entire transaxle. My parents have a low mileage 2003 (I think) that has been sitting in their yard for about 5 years now because they can’t afford to fix it, torque converter is shot. A week after theirs bit the dust, a friend of the family had the same thing happen to her 2002. It’s an extremely common problem with this line of Ford auto transmissions. I don’t believe they ever did anything about it as far as a recall or compensation.
I need some help with the brake light switch on a 2001 Ford Taurus. The wires that go to the switch were cut and wrapped around the steering. I have no idea where to look so I can reconnect them.
@eEdjomark you will be better off if you start a separate thread on your problem. Tagging onto another disrupts the flow, such as it may be, of information and the train of thought. It also will likely cause far more people to miss your problem which in turn will provide fewer answers.
About the only advice I can offer on the cut wiring is some serious looking with a good light. The other end of the cut wires should be within that length of reach.
As to Tauri having weak transmissions there may be more to that. Consider how many of those vehicles were manufactured vs how many transmission failures happened. Odds are the percentage is low.
The trans in my 87 Sable dropped at 130k miles. I had purchased the car with 90k miles on it and it appeared to be well maintained. I changed the fluid after getting the car but odds are the trans had never been serviced until I got it. Forty thousand miles later the trans failed.
The trans I put in there was an 89 with 40k miles on it and it was still shifting like new when I got rid of the car at well over 400k miles. Doing the math, that put the mileage on the used trans at roughly 320k miles.
Several people in my 'hood also owned Tauri of this vintage and never had any trans problems at all. The glaring difference between me and them was that I serviced my trans every 30k miles. They just flogged theirs and I know when they traded the cars off the mileage was in the 250k range on one and 300k on the other.
Why do you guys strangle the names of cars, especially when it’s plural?
The plural of Toreass is Toreasses
Don’t make it more difficult than it has to be
