I have a 2002 Ford Taurus SEL 24 valve that was 100% flawless up until this morning when I started her up and she sputtered with the battery light lit.
The engine sounded like as if the choke would not release as it has been cold recently now that it's winter. It was running very rough and black smoke was spewing out the tailpipe the whole ordeal seemed so unreal and lasted 5 to 10 minutes. I went ahead and drove around the block and the car would accelerate up to 5 - 10 mph and then sputter and stall. At one point the car did stall and I put her in neutral and started her up again and everything was fine as if nothing had happened. The engine was running smooth again, all the power was back and the engine was already nearly heated up.
I called the dealership and they said the car has no choke, everything is regulated with the powertrain control module. They would check the codes but I don't think there are any codes as the check engine light has never turned on.
What is wrong with my car? What kind of trouble am I in now? The car is still under warranty as it is not anywhere near the 36,000 mile mark.
Could it be a sticking EGR valve? I have a pretty good idea about how these modern electronic engines work but I'm no expert at it. Gone are the days of distributers, points, rotors and carburetors.