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'97 Taurus Tranny Issues

3K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  kbatku 
#1 ·
Tranny acting up in my girl's car. Couple of weeks ago her brother was driving it on the highway and said it was running high rpm's as if it shifted back down to third and was stuck in it. Problem cleared and didn't show its face untill yesterday when my g/f was driving it. I went over there and checked it out and it wouldn't shift out of first. I tried to manually shift it to no avail. Wasn't slipping or anything, just wouldn't shift. Then this morning her brother tries it again and it's acting fine. My thought is the MLPS but reading online I saw potentially the VSS as well. I'm still leaning towards the MLPS but I wanted to get some other opinions. I'm pretty convinced that this is an electrical problem and not mechanical. Thanks for all the input in advance.
 
#3 ·
Not too sure, but I want to say the AX4S. We drove the car again and it was working fine. That obviously convinced me that this problem is electrical in nature. Would the MLPS or VSS throw a OBD-II code if there was a malfunction? My only other guess is that the computer itself is tripping out because there have been some other strange electrical issues before in this car but none dealing with the tranny until now.
 
#8 ·
Re: '98 Taurus Tranny and speedometer problems

My son's car just recently started having problems with the speedometer jumping erratically. I drove it for a few miles and of course found no problems. Then today he said that it was hosed up. So I drove it for awhile and was just about ready to pronounce it OK, when it did start to act up. First the speedometer sarted to jump a little, then it just quit indicating speed at all. Then it would work, then stop. Then the tranny seemed like it was slipping and the motor was revving very high. But I realized that it just didn't seem to be shifting out of first. But as soon as I would let off the throttle, it seemed to shift. As soon as I gave it a little throttle, it seemed like it was stuck in first again.

Everything was fine at first with no indications of any problems (speedometer was working fine and tranny shifting smoothly the way it should. Then it just went haywire.

I think this could be an electrical problem or computer like some of the previous posters said.
Does anybody have any ideas? Also, is there a glossary for all the acronyms I see floating around on this board.

Thanks for the help and advice!
 
#10 ·
Re: '97 Taurus Tranny Issues-resolved

Thanks everybody for the advice. It does appear to have been the VSS. After getting the correct one (2nd trip to NAPA), I replaced it and I drove it all around without any issues. Thanks again. I'm becoming a firm believer in all the different internet forums. If you can find an answer on one of them, then there is no answer.:priest:
 
#11 ·
I had the same problem years ago - car (94 Taurus) would suddenly down shift in a most alarming manner at highway speeds.

It was the speed sensor - but I understand that MANY people got talked into a "rebuild" when this problem happened & I bet all the got was a new sensor and a nicely pressure washed tranny.
 
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