Ford Taurus engine shutting off, and then some...
barfight
03-11-2011, 11:07 AM
OK, this will be long but I'm trying to get as much information in here as possible.
2006 Ford Taurus 3.0 L, V6, 57k.
I bought this car from a private dealer about a year ago. A few months after I got it, it started beeping and displaying to check the brake system when I would come to a stop. This would happen for a couple of weeks, then stop happening for a couple of weeks. (The brake system is fine.) This would happen once the tachometer dropped below 1000 rpm, light would go off and alarm would stop sounding once I gave it some gas. Check engine light came on later (not necessarily at the same time the brake alarm was coming on) it threw a code for random misfire. Check engine light comes and goes. A couple months after this started, the engine would occasionally shut off once the brake system light come on and when I was coming to a stop (below 1000 rpm) but I could put it in neutral and it would fire up again no problem. This issue has been a come and go thing for several months. Now it's getting worse. It goes in 2 to 3 week cycles of acting up, and then it will have no problems for a few weeks. After a few months, when the light would come on and beep (sometimes incessantly) when coming to a stop, all the needles on the gauges would dive to zero and vibrate for a while, then everything return to normal. Sometimes the engine would shut off at the same time, not always. Then it began doing it when I wasn't coming to a stop. Engine would shut off while driving at highway speeds, but re-engage by itself after a few seconds. Sometimes using a turn signal or rolling a window up or down would make this happen. Sometimes the engine doesn't re-engage itself, I put it in neutral, start it up again, and am on my merry way. Again, this is hit-or-miss. Sometimes happens, not always. The first time I took it to my mechanic, about 6 months ago, they said it was electrical and they could go through all of it and have to charge me alot without a guarantee that they find the problem. I've been putting up with it. Now, along with the turning off, there is a relay switch under the dash that I can sometimes hear clicking when it turns off. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. It will click for @ 30 seconds, while the gauges are all quivering at zero, then everything returns to normal. Sometimes when the "check brake system" light is flashing and beeping at me (again, below 1000rpm) it is switching between the brake message and "data system error". The final straw has been in the last week, when along with turning off at both stopping and highway speeds, the lights, wipers, hazards everything turns off too. Before nothing electrical was long when the engine shut off, but now the whole thing is losing power. I was on the highway at night in the rain earlier this week and on 3 occasions EVERYTHING turned off. Couldn't turn on hazards to alert people around me, I just disappeared and lost power. Pulled over, waited a few minutes, car started, I clutched the wheel and drove for a while before it would happen again. A couple of days ago it refused to start for 30 minutes while the relay switch clicked away. Doors lock and unlock themselves, dome lights started flashing for no reason while driving recently....is that enough information for now? It is with my mechanic right now, has been there since yesterday morning. This is no longer an inconvenience that I can deal with my giving it some gas at a stop light, and I really need help! Mechanic can't figure it out, because after I left it with them it stopped misbehaving. They've been driving it around for the past day and a half and can't replicate the problem. I'm stuck at home with nothing to do but patrol forums....so have at it! I can use any ideas anyone might have!
2006 Ford Taurus 3.0 L, V6, 57k.
I bought this car from a private dealer about a year ago. A few months after I got it, it started beeping and displaying to check the brake system when I would come to a stop. This would happen for a couple of weeks, then stop happening for a couple of weeks. (The brake system is fine.) This would happen once the tachometer dropped below 1000 rpm, light would go off and alarm would stop sounding once I gave it some gas. Check engine light came on later (not necessarily at the same time the brake alarm was coming on) it threw a code for random misfire. Check engine light comes and goes. A couple months after this started, the engine would occasionally shut off once the brake system light come on and when I was coming to a stop (below 1000 rpm) but I could put it in neutral and it would fire up again no problem. This issue has been a come and go thing for several months. Now it's getting worse. It goes in 2 to 3 week cycles of acting up, and then it will have no problems for a few weeks. After a few months, when the light would come on and beep (sometimes incessantly) when coming to a stop, all the needles on the gauges would dive to zero and vibrate for a while, then everything return to normal. Sometimes the engine would shut off at the same time, not always. Then it began doing it when I wasn't coming to a stop. Engine would shut off while driving at highway speeds, but re-engage by itself after a few seconds. Sometimes using a turn signal or rolling a window up or down would make this happen. Sometimes the engine doesn't re-engage itself, I put it in neutral, start it up again, and am on my merry way. Again, this is hit-or-miss. Sometimes happens, not always. The first time I took it to my mechanic, about 6 months ago, they said it was electrical and they could go through all of it and have to charge me alot without a guarantee that they find the problem. I've been putting up with it. Now, along with the turning off, there is a relay switch under the dash that I can sometimes hear clicking when it turns off. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. It will click for @ 30 seconds, while the gauges are all quivering at zero, then everything returns to normal. Sometimes when the "check brake system" light is flashing and beeping at me (again, below 1000rpm) it is switching between the brake message and "data system error". The final straw has been in the last week, when along with turning off at both stopping and highway speeds, the lights, wipers, hazards everything turns off too. Before nothing electrical was long when the engine shut off, but now the whole thing is losing power. I was on the highway at night in the rain earlier this week and on 3 occasions EVERYTHING turned off. Couldn't turn on hazards to alert people around me, I just disappeared and lost power. Pulled over, waited a few minutes, car started, I clutched the wheel and drove for a while before it would happen again. A couple of days ago it refused to start for 30 minutes while the relay switch clicked away. Doors lock and unlock themselves, dome lights started flashing for no reason while driving recently....is that enough information for now? It is with my mechanic right now, has been there since yesterday morning. This is no longer an inconvenience that I can deal with my giving it some gas at a stop light, and I really need help! Mechanic can't figure it out, because after I left it with them it stopped misbehaving. They've been driving it around for the past day and a half and can't replicate the problem. I'm stuck at home with nothing to do but patrol forums....so have at it! I can use any ideas anyone might have!
inafogg
03-11-2011, 12:58 PM
sounds electrical,has anyone checked the connections battery,cables,grounds
you no the basics could be a connection is loose.
you no the basics could be a connection is loose.
barfight
03-11-2011, 01:27 PM
Thanks, basics have been checked. Going to wait for it to replicate the problem for my mechanic, he'll be driving it for another day. Thinking of replacing the "smart" junction. (HA!)
shorod
03-11-2011, 08:53 PM
First thing I'd do is check the age of the battery. If it's the original battery, replace it and drive it for a couple weeks to see if the symptoms change or go away. Even if the battery load tests fine, if it is 3 or more years old, it is suspect. The electrical systems in modern cars are very sensitive to battery health. Several issues in the Lincoln LS forums have been attributed to weak batteries, and I personally experienced stalling in my wife's LS due to a 3 year old battery.
Next would be the transmission range sensor. Older Taurii had strange electrical gremlins associated with faulty TRS units. And there are reports of them again on the 2010 Taurus SHO.
-Rod
Next would be the transmission range sensor. Older Taurii had strange electrical gremlins associated with faulty TRS units. And there are reports of them again on the 2010 Taurus SHO.
-Rod
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2025