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Question: 1999 Ford Taurus, mileage: 107,700 miles.  After all four struts were replaced, the rear of the car was high and the ride was very bumpy (non-cushioned). The car went up very slightly (normally) on bumps, but would land very hard with a jolt when it came down. This happened even when going over very slight irregularities in the road. When going over highway dividers, the car would bounce very hard. The rear struts were replaced a second time and the ride was okay (not good), but the rear was still raised. In about three months the ride became very bumpy, as it previously had been. My mechanic loosened the bushings and then put the car on the ground and bounced it to let the struts "settle" in, but it did not help. The car was still raised (but maybe an inch less) and the ride was still very bumpy as before. The struts could be defective. It seems that the car is supported too much by the struts and not enough by the springs. Also, the struts could have been damaged if they were supporting the car too much. 1) Do you have the "Ride Height Spec" ? I tried to get it from Ford but they do not have it. 2) What do you think my problems (very bumpy, non-cushioned ride & raised rear) are, and how can they be solved?

Answer: You could have faulty struts or they may have been improperly installed. It is very important to use struts from a major distributor like eautopartstore.com There are some very poor quality struts on the market which could account for the problems you are having.

Question: 1998 Ford Taurus, mileage: 94,000.  Frequently (As in three times so far this week) this car will not start. All the electrical works, but no crank at all. New battery, two new starters, new alternator, a one year-old air conditioning system. I have had it towed four times recently and every time it starts right up at the service station. The last time they kept it for a week trying to get it to not start. Yesterday I couldn't get it to start. I turned the key to on position, let it sit a minute, then turned to start and it fired up. I got to my destination, and it did this again. My fear is that whatever is happening will get worse, and I am deluding myself that the key has anything to do with it. The Ford garage said I should not have to let the key sit in the on position to start. I am terrified of getting stuck some place. What could be causing this! Ford garage can't figure it out and the problem is that every time it has been towed it starts!

Answer: Intermittent electrical problems are difficult to trace. We would suggest first checking the ignition switch and next the neutral safety switch (assuming your car is an automatic).

Question: 1999 Ford Taurus, mileage: 38,000.  I bought the car in November with 35,000 miles. It's cold here up north and although car shifts smartly from Park into Drive, it will not shift from first gear to second, and from second to third, unless I keep a steady pressure on the gas pedal and drive for about a mile. If I push too hard on the gas the transmission jumps out of gear and engine revs up. After driving a mile or so, everything shifts okay. If I park car for a few hours the whole process starts over again. Had transmission filter and fluid changed, no help.  Any suggestions?

Answer: Your transmission is controlled by a computer. If you scan it, you may find some fault codes that will pinpoint your problem. You may have a sticky valve or solenoid in the valve body.

Question: 1997 Ford Taurus, mileage: 69,000.  The heater is not working. A few weeks ago, it was working fine. Now when I turn the temperature dial from cold to hot it remains cold. I can feel the air change directions as I change from defrost to defrost and heat. Nothing is wrong with the heater core, no leaks of any kind. Heater hose gets hot to the touch. I believe this is a vacuum or elec. problem. Could it be a damper is not closing or opening to force the fan to blow over the heater core vs. A/C? Not sure (can't see) where the vacuum lines are on these newer vehicles. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: The air-conditioning/heating controls are not vacuum controlled but are controlled by electric motors. You may be experiencing problems with the motor that controls the blend door.

Question: 1999 Ford Taurus mileage: 100,000.  The automatic transmission shifts are not very smooth and it's worse when it's cold. Second gearshift feels hard. I have had several dealers check it they all say everything is fine no trouble codes. Even when driving slow trans has abrupt shift feel. Any ideas?

Answer: Rescan the drive train computer. If any codes are present, they will need to be cleared. There is a possibility that a solenoid in the valve body is hanging up.

Question: 2002 Ford Taurus, mileage: 58,000.  I have an overheating problem caused by the coolant overflowing the top of the coolant expansion tank.  I have replaced the radiator cap, the thermostat, the temperature sensing switch and the water pump.  The radiator fan is electric and runs when the coolant temperature gets to 215 degrees and switches off at 210 degrees.  The running time of the fan is very short (about twenty seconds).  When the car is parked, the cooling system seems to be operating properly.  I can see the coolant level in the expansion tank go back into the system when the fan comes on.  But after about fifteen to twenty minutes of driving the coolant starts overflowing the expansion tank. This problem seems to have started after the water pump went out and the car overheated. The problem occurs mostly in cold weather because when we run the A/C the radiator fan runs constantly.  It seems to me that the radiator fan is not running long enough.

Answer: A partially plugged radiator may be causing your problem. We recommend purchasing a new radiator rather than servicing the old one. They are so reasonably priced you can't go wrong.

Question: 1997 Ford Taurus, mileage: 78,000.  The transmission is repeatedly low on fluid, about a quart every five hundred miles. No evidence of a leak anywhere under the car.  I had my mechanic check it thoroughly and cannot seem to find leak.

Answer: Assuming your transmission was checked for leaks with the engine running and your transmission has a vacuum modulator, your may be losing the fluid through the modulator. There is a slight chance the fluid is leaking from the transmission cooler into the cooling system inside the radiator. 

Question: 1998 Ford Tauru,s  mileage: 83,000.  My car will not start, the engines did not crank at all.  My suspicion is the ignition coil, but the tests that I follow using the Haynes guide seems to indicate that the coil is still within specifications.  I also suspect maybe the ignition module is bad, but the book told me only authorized repair could fix the ignition module.  If you have any suggestion, I will be very grateful. Thank you.

Answer: Here are some things to have checked:  1. Check to see if the timing belt has failed, 2. Check for ignition spark at spark plugs, 3. Check for fuel pressure, 4. Scan P.C.M. (computer) for fault or error codes.  The information should pinpoint the malfunctioning components.

Question: 2000 Ford Taurus,  mileage: 90,000.  I have a rough idling problem.  Checking things over I have discovered that there is a vacuum being supplied to the EGR at an idle. Knowing that there should not be. The EGR Valve Sensor and the vacuum valve that it controls have been replaced. With no improvement, I bought an Actron 3 code scanner.  The first part of the KOEO test showed 111, that it passed.  The second part showed 326 (continuous memory), saying the EGR sensor has a low voltage signal. There is no "check engine" warning light. All of the vacuum lines have been checked to the best of my ability.  There also seems to be a slight overheating problem that seems to get warmer after idling for a while, but it does not overheat.  The engine temperature. Sensor has also been replaced.  I did not continue on with the code scanner test.  I did not know how to check the timing?  I could not see the stationary pointer on the engine. This all started a month after the head gaskets were replaced.  If you have any questions or need further in formation let me know.  Thank you for your time in my problem.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:  Recheck the recently replaced head gaskets to make sure they are not leaking.  In addition, check the catalytic converter to see that it is not plugged or restricted.  Worse case scenario would be a cracked head.  When head gaskets fail, coolant usually enters the combustion chamber and in turn exits out the exhaust system.  The catalytic converters cannot tolerate the coolant and will plug up.

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