I have a 2003 Taurus, with about 120,000 miles. For the most part, it runs pretty well, getting the same gas mileage it did 3 years and 80,000 miles ago, when I bought it. However, recently, I have noticed that when I’m stuck in a traffic jam for an extended period of time, with the engine just idli…

I suspect there’s more to this, some things you haven’t mentioned. Does the check engine light come on? Does the temperature creep up into the red zone? Anything else you’ve noticed?

You may be experiencing pre-ignition. This can happen when hot spots develop inside the cylinder. Hot spots can be areas where carbon has built up, hot valves, or the like that get so hot they can ignite the gas mixture before the sparkplug does. The mixture explodes at the wrong time, as if the …

No, there are no other noticeable signs. I made a point of ensuring the temperature gauge was OK (assuming it works, of course!), there is sufficient gasoline, the check engine light is not on (or any other “idiot” lights, for that matter."

The knock, when sitting in traffic, could be the engine getting hot, and the fuel/air mixture getting lean. When the engine is cool, open the radiator cap and make sure the coolant is to the top. Do you hear the radiator fan(s) kick on when in traffic? If they don’t, the engine may not be hot enoug…

Traffic Jam Malfunctions

Power/Fuel

hercher July 30, 2008, 12:36am 5

So what, if anything, can I do about that? Does it suggest a larger underlying, or future problem?

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Traffic Jam Malfunctions

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