I need a second car badly.
An acquaintance has a 95 taurus , 3.8l with 130k miles on it. Asking is $800, I can get it for $600. Test drive found solid suspension, perfect alignment and handling, smooth engine, no rust, no noise, no clunks, interior in nice shape, power windows/doors/seats/mirrors good, defroster and defogger ok.
The only problem (besides a marker light lens and a dent) I noticed was when I brought it up to speed on the highway. I got up to 60 and then let off the gas pedal. The car coasted fine and didn't drag or decelerate radically. When I hit the gas again, I noticed a lag before i felt the engine engage the tranny. It wasn't a THUNK, but i felt it engage.
I had a '94 taurus from 96 thru 01. I did all my own work other than tranny work and junked it when it the friggin thing killed the trans I had put into it in '99. (No way I was gonna put a 3rd trans in) The dreaded AXOD valve body problem. (Wife's lead foot contributed). NOTE: I will drive this one. Wife has a big nasty F150 to punish now. I am nice to engines an trannys.
NOTE: Owner say this happend once before. She had the radiator flushed and the problem went away. 6 months later its back. This makes no sense to me ..
QUESTION: Ive read plenty of taurus/trans/axod posts here, but am a bit unclear. Does a 95 taurus with a 3.8 have the nylon valve body/axod issue?
QUESTION: Does the above symptom sound familiar? (my guess would be torque converter, but only in 3rd gear/ at speed?)
I can afford some repairs but not a dying tranny.
Thanks , Mike