1995 Fort Taurus, 3.8, pressing gas pedal does not do anything, then car jerks and accelerates. Sometimes, does not do that even and in that case further pressing it, induces a squeaking noise on the passenger side of engine like an axle turning and squeaking. Gets worse going uphill when it does not pull, I retract gas pedal then press again, eventually works. Sometimes gets worse if I turn by car starting to shake and give rattling noise when I press accelerator. Withdraw it then O.K. Is this going to explode or what ?
Have you checked the level of the transmission fluid lately?
Thanks for your response.
I thought I check this regularly and I did. Now that you said it I will check it again – that’s how desperate I am.
Somebody said that it may be due to a gas (accelerator) electronic sensor. Does it make sense (excuse the pun)
How do you RETRACT the gas pedal? DO you pull it up with your foot, or hand? A dirty fuel filter will keep the car from accelerating or hill climbing. It could use fresh spark plugs for that misfiring condition.
Is the check engine light on? Sounds like it could be a bad TPS (throttle position sensor). The car might not realize you’re pushing the gas pedal down. If the throttle opens and the car doesn’t realize it it’s like having a bid vacuum leak which will make the engine shudder and run rough, and not accelerate. Just a thought. A bad TPS will usually set off a check engine light though.
See my comment re transmission fluid. The check engine in fact did come out several times and even stayed for a while. Not for the past couple of days. Your TPS clue may be worth examining as this may be a compounding of problems too.
And so you might be right and I of course feel dumb: I was a) relying on car’s manual claiming that transmission never needs adding/checking, b) Notwithstanding that advise I was checking transmission fluid when car was turned off and cold and the fluid was in cross-hatch. Well after I checked in when hot I saw that the level was below bottom hole, better yet tiny amount at the tip. I added one quart and looked. The situation improved a bit, then I added another quart and surely engine noise stopped, jerking is less and pull uphill is better. It may look as if I need to add a bit more, for now the fluid is still below the second hole from bottom and certainly below the crosshatch (when hot). So will see what happens. But certainly a good advise… Will see whether it is compuonded with the TPS problem
No pedal comes back O.K. by itself. It may be worth checking the fuel filter as well. But how do you do it without much fancy equipment?
Was the tranny serviced and the fluid level NOT checked afterwards?
If you are losing tranny fluid there has to be a leak somewhere.
Tranny fluid does not evaporate.
Oh, what’s a tranny (fluid). Is it transmission fluid?
The car actually still jerks ocasionaly but not as severely. It even got that rattle and rattling noise in usual situation when I turn and go uphill (going slowly).
So my thinking it was over was to premature…