1989 Taurus with automatic transmission problem

[Mickey Mouse]

Hi !

I am a new member here and think i need some help. I have a 1989 Taurus with automatic transmission that seem to have no gears. The car will barely move forward / backward when engine is idling. When I am increasing the RPM nothing happends. This problem came rather suddenly. I just turned the engine off and 5 minutes later I started the engine and since then the car will not move. The transmission fluid is not red, rather yellow / brown. So maybee it´s time to change fluid and filter ? But the previus owner tells me that hi recently done that.

I am grateful for all help I can get.

[Bull Geek]

If the previous owner just replaced the fluid, and it got that bad that quickly, that's not a good sign.

If you check the dipstick reading cold. Fire car up, run for 15 minutes, does the fluid level change? Or if you unhook the rubber hose off of the line that runs in front of the condenser, fire car up, does fluid shoot out? That'll tell you if the pump is working.

YOu mention yellow/brown. I wonder if the trans cooler failed in the rad, mixing the coolant and the trans fluid?

http://www.automaticchoice.com/Catal...xod-e-ax4s.pdf

Probably won't help but may be worth looking at the above.

[Mickey Mouse]

Thanks your for your answers. I did get this car in a deal so I don´t know much of it.
I thought that it woludn´t be a seriuos problem because the tarnsmission with out a sound just stopped working.
The previus owner just turned the engine off and 5 minutes later he started the engine and since then the car will not move. He say that he changed the oil and filter after this happened.
When engine is cold the fluid level is way over the crosshatched area on the dipstick but when then engine is warm the level is in the crosshatched area.

If I squeeze to rubber hose I can feel the fluid pulse inside the hose.

This is hard to explain, but I will try.
I can also feel the transmission put in the gears when I move the gear selector on the floor but I have the feeling that there are either to little power in the transmission to move the car or that the transmission in some way brakes it self. Like if the transmission is in the park mode.

This morning I could move the car in both directions, dont ask me what i did. Suddenly it worked, till I did put in the park mode. Then the car wouldn´t move again.

Is it an good idea to try to change all the fluid and filter again and maybee try too flush the transmission ?

[Jeff K]

Originally Posted by Bull Geek

YOu mention yellow/brown. I wonder if the trans cooler failed in the rad, mixing the coolant and the trans fluid?

http://www.automaticchoice.com/Catal...xod-e-ax4s.pdf

Probably won't help but may be worth looking at the above.

Thats what I am thinking. If coolant gets into the trans, its time for a new trans / complete rebuild.

[soundu]

Probably forward clutch piston from its generation.
Either way, it has to come out for a donor or rebuild.

bob

[Mickey Mouse]

Hi again.

Maybe I have to rebuild the trans. I have done some more too day.

I have now unhooked the rubber hose off of the line that runs in front of the condenser, started the engine up and the fluid does shoot out.

If I have the gear selector in R and increasing the RPM rather much and fast then the transmission throw in the R gear and the car moves backwards whithout problem. After that I can shift to the forward gears and the car moves forwards. But I have to pass N fast, otherwise the transmission goes in to no go mode again.
To me it seems like there were some thing with the N or P mode that effect the transmission in a bad way.

One more question, maybe stupid. I have one trans from an 1993 Taurus that should work fine. But the trans in the 1989 Taurus have an wire to control the downshift and the 1993 trans seem to be elecronic. Is there any possibility to change the bad 1989 trans to the 1993 trans and get it to work ?

[Bull Geek]

You'll need the transmission from an 88-90 AXOD (not AXOD-E from a 1991+). Has to be from a 3.8L, as the 3.0 and 3.8L use different valve body setups.

So you'll need to get the transmission from a 1988-1990 AXOD car. Has to be a 3.8L/232ci model. You can use it from a Mercury Sable, Ford Taurus, or a Lincoln Continental of the model range listed above.

-E version won't work.

I would also suggest replacing the radiator if you find coolant contaminating the transmission fluid and vice versa. Flush both systems as well to purge them of the incorrect fluids.

Where are you located?

[Mickey Mouse]

OK, as I suspected the transmission from 1993 wouldn´t work in my car from 1989.

Do you believe there will be any use to replace or clean the old radiator and then flush both systems to purge them of the incorrect fluids and try to awake the transmission I have in my car now or is that to waste time and money ?

I live en Sweden and Taurus is not a common car here so the access to spareparts and used cars are limited.