1996 Ford Taurus Shifting randomly

Tiny
ROSIE1TODAY
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 150,000 MILES
My car drives beautifully on the highway, but on the side roads it has a hard time shifting. When I was reading the previous articles I was wondering if it was the speed sensor or possibly something else. There are time when I start the car it shift with a clunk before I even shift the car into a gear. There is also a problem when the speed is between 30-40 mph, it wants to shift up and down and I noticed yesterday that even in low gear it is doing this. I hope you can help me out.
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 AT 9:21 AM

6 Replies

Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,123 POSTS
Can you re-phrase this? Describe what you are doing and what is happening as you are doing.

How often has the transmission filter and fluid been changed?

How old is the transmission?

Has the transmission been run while low on fluid, from a leak perhaps.

What is the current condition of the fluid in terms of level and color?

HAs the computer been checked for transmission codes yet?
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 AT 6:09 PM
Tiny
ROSIE1TODAY
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It is not an everyday occurance but, there are times that I start the car and it tries to surge forward with a clunk. It seems like it rev's up unusually high around 4000 on the tac and then it drops down. The other shifting issue around 30-40 mph is that it keeps on trying to down shift. This also tops out at about 4000 on the tac. You asked about the transmission fluid and that has never been run low and it just have a total flush and refill.
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 AT 6:28 PM
Tiny
ROSIE1TODAY
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I missed some of your questions: the transmission is original to the car. We have always maintained the vehicle with oil changes and fluid changes. The car does not leak any fluids and has always been very dependable. I don;t know the color of the fluid, but it was just changed 1 month ago. I have not had the computer checked for codes yet and the check engine light has been on for about a week. I was hoping to get an idea of what the problem could be before I go in and have it looked at.
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 AT 6:32 PM
Tiny
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Prior to this most current fluid change, how often was it done. A transmission flush can bring on a problem to the surface that was not present at the time.

Go check you fluid, perhaps the fluid was not adequetly filled. Thus the problems and CEL being lit. IF it is low, do not add anything, but contact the servicing garage about it.

Original transmission at 160,000 miles may very well be ready to be rebuilt. Maybe a shift solenoid is bad. TCM. Wiring. Speed sensor.

Need the codes to better understand what the computer is seeing.
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 AT 7:11 PM
Tiny
ROSIE1TODAY
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Just so we are talking the same language what is a TCM?
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 AT 7:37 PM
Tiny
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  • MECHANIC
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Sorry. Transmission control module. Transmission's computer.

This is not to say the tranmission or it's control system is necessarily at fault. Need the codes.
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Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 AT 4:48 AM

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