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stumbling and vibrating brakes on my ford taurus

I have a 2000 Ford Taurus, with 67K miles that is having two separate mechanical problems that I have been unable to resolve. I am feeling very, very frustrated at this point. This problem involves a braking vibration while going downhill primarily at speeds of 50 mph or greater. Over the last year, I have purchased new tires, had a wheel alignment, tires balanced, a complete brake job, including ceramic brake pads, master cylinders, and calipers, and replaced or turned the rotors four times. I currently have new rotors with less than 1000 miles and the problem is recurring. When I take it back in, the diagnosis once again is warped rotors. I don?t do any abnormal driving, some freeway, and some local. What would be causing the rotors to warp repeatedly?

The second problem I am having what was described by a mechanic to be a ?stumbling? problem. When you travel uphill at speeds greater than 50 mph and attempt to accelerate to pass another vehicle the car seems to ?stumble? as if it is not getting enough fuel, or acts like it is going to ?cut out? or die. I took it to an aftermarket shop for my 60K mile service and less than 4000 miles later it started stumbling. I returned to the original shop, they changed the fuel filter and put in a fuel additive, checked all the plugs and wires, ran a diagnostic which showed Code # p340, Camshaft Position Sensor, and recommended I take it to the dealer. When I took it to the dealer they told me the diagnostic code didn?t come up on their scope. Subsequently, the dealer has recommended I do several things, including plugs regapped, a fuel injection kit put in, the fuel injection system flushed, a throttle body service performed, and T/P cleaner put in and was assured this would solve the problem, unfortunately it didn?t. They then suggested I replace all the wires and plugs with Motorcraft Parts stating my car would run better with those parts. So I did that. I have done everything the dealer has recommended and $1200 later I still have the same problem. The dealer has told me that unless their machine comes up with a diagnostic it is almost impossible to find out what is causing it. It has been suggested that it may be a fuel pump but we have to wait until it goes out for my warranty to cover it. Is that true, and what would you suggest I do at this point? I don?t feel safe driving it the way it is, and if the Ford Technicians at the dealer can?t figure it out, what else can I do? I am extremely frustrated!! I feel I am getting the run-around and being ?nickel and dimed? to death, can you please help me?

Lori from Milwaukie

Reply to
da49ermom
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"da49ermom" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@localhost.talkaboutautos.com:

Keep your foot off the brake until you actually want to stop. Do not drive with your left foot on the brake.

If you want more control of speed while going downhill, move shifter from OD to D

- - - - I'm not familiar with the Taurus wheels of that year but if they are the optional wheels make sure they are mounted properly if they are directional.

I approached a guy driving a 94 TBird in a parking lot and asked him: "Your Brake rotors warp a lot dont they?" "How did you know?"

"Because your wheels are mounted on the wrong side and the vanes are not helping airflow"

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As far as the stumbling, you need to do a little more sleuthing yourself.

Does this always happen on a certain hill? Does it happen with a full tank?

Can you reproduce it JUST as you get on that incline... or do you have to be on it a while?

Is the stumbling immediate or does it take a second or two to falter?

At a time of light traffic see if you can reproduce it by acelerating fast from about 35 or 40 to about 70 mph while on a level stretch.

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

If you wash your car when the rotors are hot, this can cause the rotors to warp if you get water on them.

They don't have a problem. They have your money!

You're not being nickel and dimed to death. You are being twentied to death.

If you have a warranty on the car, what kind do you have? And, why did you have to pay for the previous repair at the dealer? If it is the Ford ESP, I would complain to the manager of the shop and to Ford, if necessary.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

See:

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Reply to
Sharon K.Cooke

trade it in ,,if you cant find the problem ,or the shop cant find the problem,,let it be someone elses problem,,too much of a headache if you ask me....

Reply to
mobilemechanic76

"Sharon K.Cooke" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@cox.net:

Brilliant!

quote: It gets worse. Cast iron is an alloy of iron and silicon in solution interspersed with particles of carbon. At elevated temperatures, inclusions of carbides begin to form in the matrix. In the case of the brake disk, any uneven deposits - standing proud of the disc surface - become hotter than the surrounding metal. Every time that the leading edge of one of the deposits rotates into contact with the pad, the local temperature increases. When this local temperature reaches around 1200 or 1300 degrees F. the cast iron under the deposit begins to transform into cementite (an iron carbide in which three atoms of iron combine with one atom of carbon). Cementite is very hard, very abrasive and is a poor heat sink. If severe use continues the system will enter a self-defeating spiral - the amount and depth of the cementite increases with increasing temperature and so does the brake roughness. Drat!

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EXACTLY what i saw when the brakes on my Aerostar kept getting worse... the rotor was NOT warped... it had a 'high spot' with a markedly different surface texture

Good stuff, SC!

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Backyard Mechanic wrote in news:Xns96A7579D44E6Bpettyfogery@207.115.63.158:

And which is WHY turning these does NO good! The alloy has changed composition, under that spot, and the problem quickly returns because of the different wear characteristics.

And PROBABLY explains why the MFRS put out the product with no apparent tolerance for refacing.

Since it does no good, why bother!

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

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