multiple "symptoms" maybe one problem???

I noticed this week while driving to the grocery store and on a few short (10 mile trips) that suddenly I'd look at the speedometer and it was sitting on zero. It happens intermittently, but yesterday I noticed when it did that~~was on zero and I was driving, the car acted like it didn't want to shift into higher gear and I had to accelerate very slowly to keep it from revving up . I have also just begun to hear a slight metalic scraping noise that sounds like it might be coming from the front passenger side wheel area. Nothing is leaking from any place. I haven't checked the transmission fluid yet as it was 104* yesterday and I was sick from being in that heat. I just noticed that these "symptoms" all began one right after the other this week and I need to be at a job interview next week. Any help you can give me is kindly appreciated. BTW~ I have a 97 Taurus GL with 141K miles on it. the check engine light NEVER goes off....have had many mechanics try to get it to go off, but it comes right back on with a differnt code each time. I have to spend $300 every year to get an inspection WAVIER...and YES! it IS very annoying! :banghead:All they can tell me is I have a Lemon Taurus, but the check engine light is not new.....the other things just began 2 days ago.

Go to an auto parts house and have them read the codes again. If it is a P0500 code, more thaan likely it is the vehicle speed sensor. That will cause the sprrdometer and transaxle problems. As far as the scraping noise, remove the wheel and look at the brakes to see if they are worn out. If they are OK, possible wheel bearing noise. I can't hear the noise, so I can not pinpoint it for you.

Maybe you need to try different mechanics, ones who can maybe diagnose the problem???? Not all are qualified to fix some of these issues, cars are tough today, what with all the electronics and computer-controllers.. no shame in it.. turning off the light does nothing to fix the problem, you can't pass emissions testing that way,,, 300 bucks for a waiver could have been spent towards finding the issues,,, as far as "lemons" or "possessed by evil spirits", I suppose they're out there somewhere..

I have taken it to 3 different mechanics, all with their own diagostic mechanisms....all came with different codes. The $300. is NOT for a wavier, it has to prove to the state DMV that I AGAIN tried to make repairs to fix the car and it will not pass. There are NO emissions problems with the car, that passes. I was only asking online because with so many different "opinions" aleady AND SO MANY DIFFERNT CODES, I was overwhelmed with mecanics AND their diagnostic tools. I thank you kindly for your opinion.

Do what way2old said about the brakes because if the scraping is the worn out pad on the rotor you have metal to metal contact and will need the rotors turned and possibly a new rotor(s). When was the last time the brake pads were replaced? On my 03 you can see the pad without taking the wheel off, piece of cake to check for ample brake pad before it wears out.

"I haven't checked the transmission fluid yet as it was 104* yesterday and I was sick from being in that heat." Let's hope the scraping is not coming from the tranny. Ford says flush the tranny every 30K mi. I can sympathize with you, it's been 105 to 110F heat index here with very high humidity.

CEL electronics over my head so someone else will have to help there. Listen to what the man said; ". . . . more thaan likely it is the vehicle speed sensor. That will cause the speedometer and transaxle problems." There you go and certainly worth a shot to replace it.

If your rims won't let you see the brake pads most any tire shop will take the front wheels off and show you the pads. I believe yours has front 'pads' and rear wheel brake 'linings', two entirely different things. Pads are flat, linings are circular. I re'cd the PM and replied.

So every mechanic came back with different codes??? I suppose it's possible, unlikely but as usual most anything is possible, if components requiring multiple keystart cycles were intermittently faulting one time only, some will set the light at the first fault, others require consecutive failures.. if they fix themselves I believe it takes a rather large number of warm-up cycles to erase them.. hopefully you have one component that's creating multiple issues, just find a qualified shop.. the 300 dollars for a waiver was what you posted.. I don't understand what you're spending money to fix, if the car won't pass, it's emissions related.. all the components work together to make your car run cleanly, if the light is on something is wrong,, if your brakes were bad, car wouldn't pass, you fix them it passes,, you don't get a waiver for bad brakes.. go to www.nysdmv.com and read about our testing

This check engine light issue has 3 different mechanic shop totally befuddled. I have this same problem every year with inspections. Last year had 9 different inspections at 3 different places and finally had the cat coverter replaced....and they STILL couldn['t get the light to go off....I let them keep my car for a MONTH...to go thru the recycling and drive it to see how the light comes right back on...and they all hide now when I bring it in.....a BIG repair shop, too. Now their diag reads it as a #3valve problem, my old & reg mechanic's diag read it as a different sensor than this speed sensor....the speed sensor has happened in the past 3 days....I have already looked up the NAPA prices of the sensor, brake pads etc and I will go to my old reg mechanic to get those two problems fixed then we are back to the #3 valve problem to pass it....IF it comes up again and some other code doesn't show up. I really have had enough of this car! I even called the place I got it 4 yrs ago, to see what it's history was and it was electorcuted by high power wires when another car hit a pole and brought down the lines on my Taurus and several other cars. That was all I could find out. But the multiple diag codes happens to me yearly and with the NC DMV I must spend a $300 min in repairs to try to make that light go off in order to get the wavier....I know I have spent approx $2000 in four yrs to do repairs that come from codes that show up....you can't get me to believe that many different code are REAL....reason for my shop hopping....reason for them telling me I prob have a "lemon". For now I am stuck. Thanks for all the comments and help.

Hey redhotzz. SInce you stated the vehicle was zapped by high power lines, there is a good possibility the PCM is the culprit. Or it is possible a couple of wires got melted together and is causint the problems. If you would please get the codes read and post the EXACT code numbers so we might have a diagnostic trail to follow. We want to help all we can, but a check engine light that is on without us being able to read the codes ourselves is hard to diagnose. Thanks.

". . . . . it was electorcuted by high power wires when another car hit a pole and brought down the lines on my Taurus and several other cars." runaround ". . . . and they all hide now when I bring it in." WHOA! Like Way2Old said, high voltage could have melted/welded circuits or wires together and that would be hard to find UNLESS you have the right code(s) to trace the problem to it's source. Sure hate to hear that and I hope Way2Old can get you squared away because all this is way over my head.

yes! that was what the car salesman at the lot told me when I finally tracked him down last year...my 3rd yr of going thru all this mess....He neglected to inform me that the car was listed as SALVAGE on the title and I did not know it until I received the new title months after I got it. I should have been wondering then, but has no problems til i noticed the dashboard separating from the faceplate over all the gauges etc...where they evidently had taken that apart and then glued it back togther...and I got the car in winter...so until heat of summer came round and the closed car got the glue soft and the dash began to separate, I never knew anything had been done like that to the car.....I finally located papers to get to the original owner who sold it to me as there is a law that says he has to tell me about accidents etc. I think I may have found a replacement vehicle in mint condition that I will go look at and then SALVAGE this car....out of its miseries. It's a 84 Buick LeSabre with only 52K miles on it and fully loaded....a lady at my church has owned it the whole time and died last week. The family wants $1000 for it as is or $1300 for it with a new water pump on it. I just looked up the water pump for it and it's approx $45. and my mechanic will be fair in putting it on for me. I'll at least go and look at it. I am tired of the yearly mess and have some bad health problems at this time and can't be stressed out or will lose my right eye.
You all have been a wonderful group of guys and I certainly appreciate your help!

Don't want to give up on it now. You have my curiosity piqued and hate to leave now. But it is your decision and we will follow your lead. Good luck with what you do. WOuld you please post me the codes?? Will ya huh???

That's a shame redhotzz and henceforth ALWAYS get a carfax report for used cars and in all probability it would have shown it as salvage. Carfax only $20. and can save you a whole lot of grief. Here in SC we have a real estate disclosure law requres you to LIST any and everything adverse on a dislosure form which you sign saying you are not witholding any adverse information about the house or property. If they later find out you knew undisclosed bad stuff the judge can order you to buy back the property or pay to have it fixed.

As for cars, a carfax will show flooded, wrecked, lemon buy-back by dealer, etc. "I finally located papers to get to the original owner who sold it to me as there is a law that says he has to tell me about accidents etc." I'd be on the phone to the county solicitors office or clerk of court and find out if they can be sued and hopefuly you recover the money you've spent on repairs. It really galls me when people take advantage of a lady and one day they will have to give account for their actions.

a carfax will show flooded, wrecked, lemon buy-back by dealer, etc.
That's what I used to always think, then I learned that there's a 'loophole' with carfaq. It has to do with cars that are purchased out of state. There's a way that they can do something and get a clean bill of health on the car. I'll have to see if I can find the article that talked about it. It had to do with a lot of hurricane Katrina cars that were sent up north and they were listed by carfaq as being perfectly good cars :eek:

Regarding the car being hit by high power lines; that's a definite red flag. You could have the melted wires as mentioned above, which could cause an intermittent problem. You could also have problems with the chips on the main computer, which I'd be surprised if you didn't have at least one bad chip. I would have someone temporarily replace the computer and THEN take your codes. If insurance is paying for it just outright replace the computer. I'm surprised you don't have blown fusible links.

I found ALL of this AFTER THE FACT...when multiple codes from different mechanics started my brain a thinkin....and I have done a car facq...somehow I am shown as the FIRST AND ONLY OWNER...which is NOT true...and that is also when I looked back at my title and it has in big black letters...SALVAGE VEHICLE written on it...and began my hunt backwards for the guy who sold it to me...and, thank God...an old keychain he gave me which I'd tossed into my files on my car in the envelope. That is when I asked him to just be honest with me and tell me what kind of mess I had on my hands....and he told me about the electrocution of the car and even where to look for the marks of it. I just have to put it down as a lesson learned and try to do something for now...I am recovering from a broken leg and arm and detached retina all in the same year....I believe a different car is in order and death to this Taurus is emminent. Thanks for ALL of the help, tho! I KNEW my gut feelings were correct all along and all of you have helped verify that!

I'll go back and see if they havce the codes on the inspections I have had....I may even still have them....I usually keep every paper, but with my accidents etc this year, I haven't been able to keep up with things as good as I normally do. I just know that I'll never sell that car to anyone but for parts! I wouldn't do to others what has been done to me.

We certainly appreciate your apprehehsions about continuing the saga of your vehicle. But, think about it, . . . I believe you have gained a lot of knowledge and in three days found out more about the car than you knew for a long time, so don't jump ship without giving Way2Old the codes. Seems like he has an idea he'd like to check out but he needs the codes to work with doing diagnoses. Could be there's not all that much wrong but just need to find out exactly what it is. My DDUUHH.

So, purty, purty puulleezzee . . . :smooch: See it through and dig out those codes because you have our undivided attention and we would like to know whats wrong as much as you. :grinyes:

"I am recovering from a broken leg and arm and detached retina all in the same year." Please accept our wishes for a speedy recovery from the Taurus forum gang and we certainly have enjoyed your being with us, so ain't no use in rushing off, . . . hang here with us and have a Coke and a smile. :)

Well, gentlemen, guess you WILL get to see what new codes pop up as the car that I was gonna buy is gone so I am stuck with my Taurus a bit longer. I will go in the morning to see when my "old faithful" mechanic can put on the new speed sensor and tell me if it's the breaks or some other piece making the scraping noise. I'll go from there back to the trying to pass inspection but need to keep looking for a new job to pay for all this with. I'm just sure that something good is coming down the road for me....soon, I hope! I'll be sure to post the codes as they come. Thanks for the support! You all are wonderful!

We will be here waiting for you. Good luck.

If I remember correctly sppedo for these have a platic gear that always takes a crap. As far as your reoccuring CEL light I hate to say this but why don't you take it to a FORD dealership I'm not saying that your mechanic's not competent enough, but dealerships have mechanics, who in some cases have spent their whole lives just dealing with FORD vehicles. You've spent all this money at getting waivers and trying to get it fixed somewhere else by now I'm sure a good FORD tech would've found the problem, if given the vehicles history.

Ya know....you are probably correct about there possibly being a Ford dealership mechanic that might know the CEL issue, but I have had such BAD experiences being a woman taking cars to the dealerships that I'd rather not give them one cent of mine. It's like that see you arrive and start rubbing their hands together thinking of what kind of LONG Green they can con you out of. I've had many such dealership excursions, one I finally resolved by putting 2 sheets of plywood on either side of my old Escort when they lied and told me I needed an $800. gas tank on a brand spaknin new Escort....and come to find out, after my Dad towed my car home from the dealership, all I needed was a 2nd new fuel filter (I'd gotten a lemon one the first time, when my car started and stopped and left me stranded). 20 yrs later, I was searching the web and find out that that year of Escort 99% of them had bad filters and they were all stopping when they got heated up....just like mine. I did get $1000. to stop going round and round the Ford Dealership in Coral Gables, FL.....for me being lied to and that taught me a big lesson about dealerships. I lived in Hendersonville, NC and HAD to use the dealership on an Intrepid and they tried the same stuff...."I would not let MY wife drive another mile with it like this." and it turned out to be a $17. part I needed AND that had been recalled so I got if FREE, but they were working on a big bill for the "dumb redhead". Well this one isn't so dumb.....she had an idea that the speedometer had something to do with the tranny slippin AND figured that the grinding sound was either the brakes or a wheel bearing or similar. She knew to find a bunch of great men on a forum online and ask their opinions and I bet it will save her at least some money.......next on the agenda is a different and foreign car! Thanks for all of your inputs....you ALL have made me feel much better and showed a 15yr old son how to troubleshoot things on line when you need help. You are ALL the gems of society!!!!

RedHotzz, again my sympathies for what you have been through owning American made cars. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see people buy only American cars but the way it is the big three auto makers are outsourcing while foreign car plants are coming to the USA and Hyundai has a new ultra-modern, non-union plant in Louisiana. GM and Ford turned in record losses for 2006 and has continued the downward spiral every quarter in 2007 while Toyota, Honda and Hyundai turned record profits and Toyota is the second largest vehicle manufacturer in the world. Why is that? I don't know exactly and a lot better minds than mine are trying to explain why foreign car sales are so much better in the US than our homie American made cars.

Honda has the engines and trannys made in Japan then shipped here and the rest of the car is made in America by American Honda. OK, that proves a good body can be made here so why don't they make the engines and tranys here? Because the union demands wages are so high and union workers benefits packages so outrageous they can't make a profit, or, the profit margin isn't that big so they mark our vehicles WAY up.

Then you have a problem with American made vehicle and take it to the dealer and you are mechanically ignorant you are very apt to get a run around from the service dept BECAUSE they are paid to make a profit from the dealership. Do some of them do work that doesn't need doing? You bet your sweet pippy they do and for a single lady to go into some dealerships is like a lamb walking into a den of hungry wolves. DUH? Notice I said SOME, not ALL. Yes, there are ethical, trustworthy service depts and garages out there, and there are also rip-offs both foreign and domestic vehicles.

I could go on but we have to go shopping before it gets to hot. Bottom line. My wife has an 05 Marquis that has given perfect performance for 15K miles and shes going to drive it until the wheels fall off. However, I told her if I'm taking the dirt nap and she needs a new car, for goodness sake, get a new Honda and have done with it.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. If you decide to dispose of the lowly Ford, (I personally am a Chevrolet guy but have worked on Fords over 40 years) the best car for you is what ever kind you like. I hope all works well for you and stop in once in a while just to say hi.

Well, gentlemen....I took the Taurus to the mechanic yesterday for the insprction issue and they did the compression test on it for the "misfiring" of #3 spark plug....It has a blown head gasket and that alone will be approx $1500 and that doesn't count the speed sensor and I was so "ILL FEELING" by then I didn't even go for the breaks or rack & pinion possibility....I just came home and have been bummed since. It will not get fixed....but you are correct in the absolute fine bunch of men who have helped me online....and I have learned a bit more.
I do understand the comments about outsourcing of our jobs...not a week goes by that I don't call some place and get a person whose name I can't understand nor can I understand what they are telling me. I also know that many parts are sent to us and put together in our country and have Honda or BMW names on them...one in SC I know of. I've just not had a good US car since my old Maverick and the only thing ever went bad on it was the AC...the day I left FL. I only wish I still had that car for my son to begin his driving career on! It was a toughie!! Because of my current health problems I have a feeling I am going to inherit a car that is my Mom',s and I don't even know what it is....but she is dying and my dad is my teacher of car stuff, so I know whatever it is he's taken good care of it. At this point in time I have no other choice....no car, no job...no job, no car....catch 22. I promise to find those codes....I'm just too overwhelmed at the moment to fish thru the file cabinet and today my house was struck by lightening in an evening thunderstorm with hail and it took out my phone, fax machine/printer that my son needs for his honors classes beginning Monday~~when will this streak of bad luck end???? But... the speed sensor being gone was 100%, and it was either brakes or rack & pinion problem that caused the grinding....it was 101* and I was trying not to cry in front of a bunch of men. Forgive me. You men have been the BEST! I promise when I get another car, and catch my breath, I will pull out the codes for you all. What a great site!

Alright gentlemen who asked for the codes....out of 13 inspections since 2004 here is what was replaced: synchronizer, cam sensor, DPFE sensor, O2 sensor, rack & pinion steering was already replaced in 2005, so the grind may be the breaks, and cat. converter....PLUS a tune up with new spark plug wires and regular oil changes every 5000 miles....this year with a broken leg & arm I haven't put 5000 miles on it. codes I see are: 265.4, 211.6, p0508 0r 00508 (can't see its too light printed), OBDII failed, and p0303is the #3cylinder misfiring. Now there are not 13 codes but there are 13 pages of inspections...as they had the car for a month last year trying to make the light go off and I wasn't there to write the codes down and ask questions. Hope that helps you help another nice lady! I still haven't heard what we are doing with my Taurus but I am not putting any more $$$ into it...I"M DONE>>>FINISHED>>>>FINIITO!!! Thanks all of you! I promise to pay it forward to 3 others.
Just for fun I went to the auto trader site to see what my car is worth and it says $1500-3400. depending. I also stuck my VIN# in to see what came up and it says that there are 54 reports on my car....like I'm not surprised. I WISH I had the $30 to take a good look at the records but I'm afraid I'd end up in jail when I took a ride back to the NC mtns where I got the car and skinned me a rabbit! Holly

Statistically only 5% of the populus is bad and that's why we need law enforcement. In other words, 5% of our population falls under the Buzzard category. Likewise, there are Buzzards in the auto repair and sales industry and unfortunately you met a Buzzard face to face and it got in your wallet. Without a dout you got took to the cleaners and were not told of the lightning strike and subsequent salvage and in my opinion that makes for a good lawsuit so here's what you do. First write a leter to the Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce explaining what happened and they'll send a copy to the dealer giving them a chance for rebuttal. (I'd sure like to see their reply). Send a copy of your letter to your state Attorney Generals Office asking if they can help you and if the state has a disclosure law. You have a Senator for your district so ask for an appointment to speak with them and take all your papers. Ask around about a good, mean attorney who would take the case, (I forget the leagal term, but it means they get paid from the settlement money the court awards you).

Don't laugh at this. Go to the court house and get a permit to pickett and go stand in front of the dealership on public property with a sign saying, "(Dealership name) unfair to single widows sold me a salvage vehicle." Yes, it will take some time but you can believe they will be out there negotiating with you QUICK. You have a legal picket permit and are on public land and what the sign says is true there is not a thing they can do to get you moved unless you want to. I believe the Constitution grants you the right to pickett, but check me on that.

Some years ago there was a guy here who bought a Chev van and the paint started peeling off and Chevy wouldn't do anything about it. He took a can of spray paint and put, "GM Lemon (Dealers Name) Chevy won't fix."
He parked it right in the middle of downtown and fed the parking meter quarters all day. Next day he got there early and parked in front of shopping center malls. Get this. He is a veteran member of VFW and applied for permit to appear in a parade as VFW member. He had a VFW sign on his van but the GM Lemon sign was clearly visible. Thing is, he didn't have anything valuable, so if they sued him they'd get nothing. Besides, you know the papers would be on top of it and what dealership wants that much adverse publicity on TV and in the newspapers? Needless to say, they painted his van for him just to shut him up. You take the time and energy you CAN fight back and get satisfaction because public picketting by an unhappy customer turns a lot of people away from any business. Nothing says you can't talk to people going by, tell them you're a single Mom and they took advantage of that and KNOWINGLY sold you a savlage lemon vehicle. You'll have people standing around talking with you and if you can manage a few tears that would be excellent! You better believe, the dealership will be watching everything that goes on and you will be the star of the show. Heck, they will probably GIVE you a good vehicle just so you'll back of.

If I can figure out how to get the gas to get to the dealership, it's in the NC mtns maybe 2hrs away, I will certainly do this. I have the time, the gumpsion, and the inclination to do it. I am not working and wont be without any car, so I , too, have nothing more to lose.
BTW~ I did this before with an Escort that had some kind of bad part that years later they found ALL escorts had the same issue....the stopped in the middle of driving when they heated up....soon as they cooled down they would start again. The Ford Dealership in Miami told me I needed an $800 gas tank on a brand new off the showroom floor Escort....and when my Dad took it off and found out it was clean as a whistle I took my Dad's station wagon with plywood on both sides and cirlced the dealership all day til they offered me $1000 to go away.....which I polietly took for all the lies they told me. Thanks for the inspiration! What goes around always comes back around!
holly

The Ford Dealership in Miami told me I needed an $800 gas tank on a brand new off the showroom floor Escort
Say what? :p

And of course you did ask them why didn't you? :smooch:

They old me the car and it had already been there several times for the same problem....getting stuck in traffic when the car "heated up" or got running. Later~~YEARS later~~I found out on one of these forums a several year span of the Escorts ALL had this same problem and they finally found out the cause and it was made a recall....I'm think 1981 was mine. I had already replace fuel filter, rebuilt carburetor, and was going on down the fuel line...and they saw FEMALE, YOUNG (AGE 28), MUST BE STUPID.....but I immediately called my Dad and he drove with a truck and pulled my escort to his house where he removced the gas tank himself to see if it was "rusted out". It wasn't....and that is how I got the $1000 for driving round and round the dealership with signs on my car telling all of Miami how they ripped me off.

the exact same thing happened to my 94 Taurus, might want to check the transmission oil and the transmission itself ASAP, I slacked and didn't do anything and my transmission quit on me within 3 weeks after it happened. And it was about $1600 to get a rebuilt transmission put in from Ford, by now that is probably a lot more than what the car is worth he he

Thanks Celly! I promise to do that this weekend! I have to find a level place nearby to check the fluid, but unless it's secretly leaking out, I checked it out about 6 mos ago. I only have the "kinda slippage" when the speedometer stops working, and now I see that it gives me a little warning before it's going to happen..the CEL, which is always ON, starts to blink...then when that stops the speedometer does...but only for a few miles, then it starts again. Nice of it to do that for me, huh? J/K....I will make sure I have tranny fluid this weekend. Thanks!

If the speedometer stops working, I'd suspect that your vehicle speed sensor is acting up. The vehicle speed sensor helps determine shift points of the transmission, etc.

You may want to consider replacing the VSS and see if that remedies a few of your car's issues.

-Rod

way2old says that I am being moved to another forum....but really with my situation in life, you are welcome to just DELETE ME and my questions and answers if you want. I don't think I'll be online much longer unless a miracle happens.....and I haven't had any of those in years! Thanks for all the great help and friendship!
Holly (redhotzz)

You will not be moved. If you have a different vehicle, you will probably be using another sub-forum on the site to find answers to your automobile questions. You are welcome to come to any forum on the site and we will always be here for you. We will be here and if we know the next vehicle you have, some of us may follow you there to continue trying to help you as much as we can. Good luck with all you do. See ya.