I haven't had a Taurus trans fail me yet, but usually when an auto begins to fail it may do several or all of these things.... "bang" into gear, hesitate, then bang between shifts, slip (you give it gas, the engine revs, and you don't go anywhere for a moment), or loss of gears... ie only 1st and reverse work... any or all may fail.

 

My 05 tec seemed to unlock the torwue converter the instant the ac compressor engaged then lock it right up again, possibly to mask the surge from the ac compressor engaging. Haven't noticed this on my 04 but every once in a while I will look down to the tach dropping for no reason, possibly from this.

If the fluctuations are small (around 200 rpms) then it's more than likely the tc unlocking and locking. I think it would be obvious if your trans was failing.

 

The whole "hesitation then bang into gear" scares me...my car will hesitate between 1st and 2nd as if it's waiting for me to floor it. I wouldn't say my car bangs into gear, but it is more aggressive than my gf's '05 Cavalier. My car has 144k miles on it so I'm just waiting lol.

 

I think my tranny is about to go. Its all good when I WOT it down shifts good and everything but when your doing 1/4 throttle from a stop you can feel it shift cuz the whole car moves like your shifting a manual. Also when I launch from a stop sign for example and I hit about 3500 rpms and let off because there is someone in front of me driving slow and then give it normal throttle to get up to speed it feels like im in neutral for a few seconds then it finds a gear.

 

I haven't had a Taurus trans fail me yet, but usually when an auto begins to fail it may do several or all of these things.... "bang" into gear, hesitate, then bang between shifts, slip (you give it gas, the engine revs, and you don't go anywhere for a moment), or loss of gears... ie only 1st and reverse work... any or all may fail.
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Well I have had three previous Taurus' and at one time or another the transmissions in each one all had those symtoms but it was just an occaisional thing. They did not keep repeating the same hard shift, slow shift, neutral drop.... etc over and over.

I never had to replace a Taurus tranny yet( knock on wood). I plan on changing the filter and flushing the fluid in the 01 Se within the next two weeks or so cause this trans feels like every other one did.

I think thats about all you can do. Keep everything clean and fresh and not abuse them. I know people will differ with me.

B

 

Also when I launch from a stop sign for example and I hit about 3500 rpms and let off because there is someone in front of me driving slow and then give it normal throttle to get up to speed it feels like im in neutral for a few seconds then it finds a gear.
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This is somewhat normal, I hit 3.8-4k in my old Taurus every now and then, then just let off the accelerator almost all the way, sits a second them slams into gear hard.

Wouldn't recommend doing that though.

Edit: If your paranoid, search around here for flush directions, change the filter, and use some full synthetic fluid. I'm about to toss Mobil 1 Synthetic Mercon V in mine when I flush it Wednesday. I've been told the stuff is pretty good, just rather expensive at $7.48 a quart.

 

The only time I had an ATX transmission fail on me was in an old '90 Regal, and it would slip out of gear anytime a load was placed ont he drivetrain; ie, when going up a hill or hitting the gas too hard. Eventually it wouldn't go into any forward or reverse gear. I assume it was the TC that failed, but I don't know (never got it fixed).

 

car stops moving.

Just neutrals.

 

Good to know. The car seems to shift fine, its just those fluxuations in top gear that bother me. Sounds like its normal though.

 

My 98 does some weird ****, like random not so smooth shifts, coming out of gear around a tight corner (FIXED, lol low fluid) and 1 other quirk. In the winter/cool weather, if the transmission hasn't warmed up it will slip out of 2nd if there is a moderate-low load on the tranny.

 

I have never had one jump out of gear on me yet. Just about everything else but no gear jumpers. You say the low fuild light is on too? Is it low on fluid? When is the last time you changed the filter & Fluid?

B