Taurus Transmission

i recently purchased a 96 gl. it was fine for about 2 weeks. now about 10 minutes of driving, my transmision won't shift into 2nd gear. it goes 10 mph at 3500 rpm. the car is under warranty from the dealer but he can't figure out the problem. the mechanic hooked up the car to the diagnostic computer and nothing comes up. the problem started after i changed the fluid. i had the filter replaced, the pan cleaned of any gunk and a new gasket installed. when the trany works it shifts fine, so i don't think any internal parts are borken. any suggestions would be of great help.

How many miles? What kind of Tranny? Did you buy from a big dealer or a corner lot? These transaxles are known for problems.

First off, find out what kind of Tranny you have - go to a large Ford dealer service department and ask for a "Vehicle Build" list print out (free). Hopefully, you have the AX4N transaxle (rather then the AX4S) it's the better of the two.

Get written/dated estimates from 2 or 3 certified tranny shops showing what needs to be done. If the dealer still refuses to acknowledge them you will have something in writting showing the tranny should have been replaced while the warranty was in effect.

In all honesty, it sounds like the transaxle needs a rebuild (2-4 thousand dollars)-I don't know this for sure there could be another fix (Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS), wrong tranny fluid/fluid level). Read around on this forum for ideas and solutions to fix a similar problem if you want.

The dealership will probably try to string you along untill your warranty is gone just to avoid having to pay the bill. These cars are notorious for burning up trannys, your dealer knows this for sure!

Ultimatly, you need to get the dealer, while under warrenty, to pay for a good remanufactured & updated transaxle with a warranty (such as one from jasperengines.com). Remanufactured, not just "rebuilt" and with updates - meaning that while there in there they make the updates to correct the known problems the original design had.

the car has 93,000 miles. i purchased it from a corner lot, but i have a warranty in writing. not just a verbal agreement. my brother is good friends with the mechanic who is working on it. he knows his stuff, and i asked my brother to put pressure on him to be honest and if the trany has to be replaced then have it replaced. i know the dealer will try to take the easy way out, so i've already started calling other places to get estimates. i could always get my money back but i also traded in my lumina in the deal. i didn't take good care of my chevy and "do not" want to be stuck with it again. thanks for the help dave.