Questions and Answers
Taurus Not Shifting
Q. Vince, I have 1996 Ford Taurus Wagon. Engine: 3.0 liter V-6. VIN 1FALP57U8TA278762. It has an automatic transmission, fuel injection as far as I know, power steering, disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control. I have never had a problem with the transmission or shifting gears before.
This vehicle recently started failing to shift into higher gears as I drive. First time it happened a week ago, I checked the hydraulic fluid and it was very low. I topped up and the next day it was shifting normally. Now its on and off. At one time it shifts okay and the other it just won't shift into higher gears, even when the revs go beyond 3,500. The only time I had to change the hydraulic was at 33,000 Miles when the rear hydraulic seal gave away and I replaced it. It is now 37,000 Miles.
The car has hitherto been performing very well under 'severe' driving conditions and on mostly unpaved dirt African roads with lots of potholes.
Also, The ABS light won't turn off. I did replace brake pads at some point but since then the light comes on as soon as I start driving the car. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
MohammedA. I'm sorry I didn't get your first e-mail. If I had I would have certainly responded to it. Sometimes E-mail is not the most efficient way of sending correspondence. I once had an E-mail take 8 days to get to Chicago.
Anyway, the first thing I recommend you do is to drain the old transmission fluid and replace the transmission filter. A clogged transmission filter could very be the cause of the problem you're having. Do that first and if you still have a problem, you'll need a transmission shop to identify if the problem is internal or external to the transmission.
The reason the ABS light is on is the ABS computer has detected a problem You need to pull the codes from the computer to find out what they are and where to start with a diagnosis. You need a scan tool to get the codes so a dealer or a shop equipped with a scan tool will need to extract them for you.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA
