Hello,

I've got a problem with my Taurus transmission (likely a AX4N, but not sure) slipping, but only when I start moving from a stop. It's not consistent, sometimes it's not noticable, others it's very jerky, and a I have to feather the gas to get it to smoothly engage.

I took it to a GoodYear place and they wanted $3800 = $3000 for reman tranny and $800 labor. I know I can get one myself for under a $1000, so this seems suspect.

My question is whether the GoodYear folks are correct, or can I simply replace the torque converter (or something like that) and be fine.

While I paid a lot of money for this comfy ride, it's blue book is rather low. I'm wondering whether it might be better to cut my losses. I really like the car and only complain about it's gas mileage, 18mpg (partly due to the leadfoot driver...), but I'm at the crossroads. It's fully loaded, and the body and frame are straight, and everything works.

I have replaced transmissions and done other higher difficulty projects, though have not worked with FWD vehicles. I need to get ready for winter, so while it's getting me to work and back, it's got to be resolved soon.

Your guidance appreciated, what would you recommend?

Thanks,

NW

Interesting. My 97 Sable started doing that yesterday 250 miles from home. It has 99,000 miles on it andhas been trouble free. I stopped into the Goodyear shop, as they were close in an unfamiliar city.

I asked them if they could change the fluid.

The mechanic said changing the fluid wouldn't help and may make it worse.

The 96, 97, and early 98s are known for transmission problems he said. He has had 3 similar situations over the summer and all three of the transmissions went out very quickly after they started to have these problems. He said that I could probably make it home if I could get out on the interstate as once it was in the higher gear it would not fail. Just affected the lower gear.

It worked good if I shifted it manually by starting out in low etc.

I drove it home 250 miles and it worked well.

He said a rebuilt transmission is about $2,400. He had searched the junk yards and found used guaranteed ones for $800 and one without a guarantee for $250.

He also said he has seen them go out in these year cars anywhere from 53,000 to 170,000 miles. Same symptons. He also said it may be OK for a while. When it startes shuddering in first gear it is ready to go out.

Good luck with yours. I need to decide what I am going to do also.

Thanks for the reply, it's kind of quiet in here.

I've been just using the car for work, and what's weird is that some days, it almost doesn't slip at all. others it seems like the end is near.
I'll probably just buy one from a junkyard. Did see some advertised on ebay, and there's a place in Texas that has them for around $1200, includes shipping costs ($125 x 2 - core). It's more than I want to pay, but still considering it. Advance Auto want around $2000 (I forget exactly).

Or maybe I'll buy a crashed one (rear damage) and use it for a parts car. I'm sure I could eventually use the parts, though it would take a long time to bury in the front yard, and the neighbors might complain...
Mebby make a swingset for the kiddies, they've been wanting one.

Oh well, one day before reality returns. East coast beach was 80 degrees, the water was warm, and the waves were 6 foot at one point.
I wish I had bought a gallon of the pumpkin ice cream.

I drove mine for a week to work and it never failed.

I decided to cut my potential losses and traded it off on a 2004 Taurus wagon.

Got $2,500 for it on the new one. I could have sold it for more than that but with the trans problem I didn't want to take the chance.

We love the new Taurus. Has the 24 valve engine and is much quieter and powerful than the old Sable.

I have had my 96 Taurus for a year and a half now. I have noticed similar issues with the transmission for about six months. I have just regularly checked my fluid and never manually shifted ( low and up etc ). It is still a little rocky from the get go but once it gets going it does ok ( except it takes a while to finally get into OD ). These transmissions are just a little suspect. They just do not shift very smoothly. I would not worry about it! I would just make sure the fluid is where it needs to be and run it until it doesn't shift at all. So far mine has been going for 6 months since I noticed the problem. Good Luck

I have a 96 Taurus with similar problem. After driving it for 20 minutes or so it starts to slightly jerk when moving from a stop and then drives fine. About another 15 - 20 minutes it really starts to jerk or lunge into first when you push on the gas.

I called around and got the word that it's some aluminum valve that needs to be replaced, $2,000 (mostly labor) or buy a rebuilt trans for about the same. We liked to get if fixed and drive it for another 2 years before buying a new car.

On another note, there is a "anti lock brake" light on the dash that seems to stay on. Sometimes it goes off. Last time I had the brakes serviced the guy told me the brakes are fine and I should take it to the dealer to get them to fix the light.

Any ideas or suggestions?

I have a 96 Taurus with similar problem. After driving it for 20 minutes or so it starts to slightly jerk when moving from a stop and then drives fine. About another 15 - 20 minutes it really starts to jerk or lunge into first when you push on the gas.

I called around and got the word that it's some aluminum valve that needs to be replaced, $2,000 (mostly labor) or buy a rebuilt trans for about the same. We liked to get if fixed and drive it for another 2 years before buying a new car.

On another note, there is a "anti lock brake" light on the dash that seems to stay on. Sometimes it goes off. Last time I had the brakes serviced the guy told me the brakes are fine and I should take it to the dealer to get them to fix the light.

Any ideas or suggestions?

I have a 97 LX that developed similar problems about 2 years ago.
It would occcasionally slip and miss shift into 2 and 3 gears from time to time back when it had 120,000 miles on it. It was most noticable making a left hand turn from a stop.
It got worst so I took it to 3 different transmission places ,including a Ford dealer, and they all said it would need a new transmission installed for about $2700. None of them did any diagonostics on it. None recommended changing fluid and filter.

So seeing how I hadn't replaced the filter/fluid ever at 120,000 miles ,I decided to do this myself for about $20 and an hour of work. It has worked fine without that problem for about a year. The gas milage even went back up to 24 MPG from 22 MPG.

It started the problem again about 4 months ago so I repaced the fluid and its virtually gone. Just a rare hesitation shift once a week or so.

I had also heard on a radio mechanic talk show that this transmission needs an additional 4 ounzes of fluid above the top 'full' mark on the dip stick. So I cautiously did this and don't have any leaks from the seals by doing this.

I have a 97 LX that developed similar problems about 2 years ago.
It would occcasionally slip and miss shift into 2 and 3 gears from time to time back when it had 120,000 miles on it. It was most noticable making a left hand turn from a stop.
It got worst so I took it to 3 different transmission places ,including a Ford dealer, and they all said it would need a new transmission installed for about $2700. None of them did any diagonostics on it. None recommended changing fluid and filter.

So seeing how I hadn't replaced the filter/fluid ever at 120,000 miles ,I decided to do this myself for about $20 and an hour of work. It has worked fine without that problem for about a year. The gas milage even went back up to 24 MPG from 22 MPG.

It started the problem again about 4 months ago so I repaced the fluid and its virtually gone. Just a rare hesitation shift once a week or so.

I had also heard on a radio mechanic talk show that this transmission needs an additional 4 ounzes of fluid above the top 'full' mark on the dip stick. So I cautiously did this and don't have any leaks from the seals by doing this.

Where is the filter located? I'll try adding slightly more fluid too.

You must remove the oil pan from the tranny to change the filter. So the filter is under the tranny. These cars require tranny oil services every year, otherwise they commit Harakiri. The replacement trannys are not any better, many people pay $3000 to replace them just to have the same problem a year later. It's a design issue.

i agree with sexy beast, axod trannys and the like need to have the filter, fluid change every year. the main problem with these trannys is that the piston in them is made of aluminum not steel. so buy a reman tranny will wind up working the same way in time. i think that the best way is to buy the tranny rebuild kit the comes with a steel piston. also if you tranny is working when you shift it, it is because your torque converter is lock by the computer when you shift it into low. it's not getting the fluid thus the slipping. try a filter change