99 Taurus SE problems

[GymJunkie]

Not sure if this goes here, move if need be.

My brothers 99 Taurus se is having a lot of problems with driving. Apparently a mechanic told him that it is not the trans but it feels like it to me. Put it in any gear and it doesnt want to move at times, Ill hit the gas and eventually it will launch and you feel a bump happen (like maybe the gears finally making contact). Ive had it in drive, reverse, 1 and 2 and they all do the same thing. Sometimes it will have extremely little power and while floored will reach top speed of 8 mph then finally again kick in and move. Trans fluid gets checked very often and its good.

Whats your thoughts?

[Skullz]

Trans or torque converter.

[GymJunkie]

Trans or torque converter.

Thanks, Ill let him know

[maddog8431]

yea definately sounds likes a torque converter or a clogged catalytic converter....

[GymJunkie]

yea definately sounds likes a torque converter or a clogged catalytic converter....

What would the catalytic converter have to do with gears not making contact or w/e the exact problem is?

[J00bles]

i just made the mistake of buying a 99 ford taurus se, and my tranny is bad too.

im going to school to be a mechanic, so i have had axcess to many of the expensive websites that mechanics discuss problems on.

it sounds like the torque converter is bad. you could also have a bad converter solenoid, or a bad turbine speed sensor.

i had a similar issue to what you're describing, and these were the number 1 place to being looking at.

you may also want to take off the transmission pan and check for metal shavings. there is a magnet in the bottom of the pan to collect the metal particles. be sure and have 6-10 quarts of Mercon V tranny fluid with you if you decide to check.

my solution to this mess has been replacing the tranny. i've taken pictures of the whole process so far. i have in depth pictures of cradle dropping and motor/tranny removal.

good luck!

[Slappin F150]

Had the same problem on mine on 2 seperate ocassions. I tested shit and the first time it was my vehicle speed sensor. The 2nd time my coil was bad and caused the car to buck and not accelerate.

[sqsux]

What would the catalytic converter have to do with gears not making contact or w/e the exact problem is?

My old 92 s10 wouldn't take off right, and the guy that did the work said it was the catalytic converter, idr what he did though. My truck would take off slow and would stay at a constant 30mph without the pedal being pushed.

[abaddon]

Tranny's are a common problem on this bodystyle Taurus. I've replaced a couple of them. Clogged cat could also make it act funny. You may think its the trans but a clogged cat can make the engine stutter weirdly and make it seem like the trans not wanting to go. Smell your exhaust, if it smells like sulfur(like a fart) then the cat is clogged up.

Check the tranny fluid again and tell me what the color looks like and what it smells like exactly. If it has a hint of burnt smell at all then your trans could be the culprit. It's tricky to tell what the smell is really like because most Fords use Mercon V which smells like dinosaur shit, and can sometimes smell burnt. But again, let me know.

[J00bles]

Check the tranny fluid again and tell me what the color looks like and what it smells like exactly. If it has a hint of burnt smell at all then your trans could be the culprit. It's tricky to tell what the smell is really like because most Fords use Mercon V which smells like dinosaur shit, and can sometimes smell burnt. But again, let me know.

x2.

the Mercon V smells terrible! but like said above, you'll be able to distinguish the hint of "burnt" smell if the converter has gone bad. the fluid will be more of a light brown color rather than a "blood red" if its burning up.