Ford Taurus AXOD-E transmission problem

Greetings,

I am the happy owner of a 1992 3.0L Taurus now at 206,000 miles. From reading these fourms I seen that the AXOD, and AXOD-E transmissions were not the best Ford had produced :) So I changed my transmisson fluid every year. I had no transmission problems up to 200,000 miles. This car has the AXOD-E transmission.

I first had a transmission problem after a quick deceleration 70 MPH to Zero on the expressway. After this quick stop I could accelerate but, I believe, it would not upshift from 3rd to 4th gear. I did not notice there even was a problem until I seen the temp. guage creeping up. When I pulled off the road I could feel the trany was not upshifting, or completely downshifting at a stop. But it was driveable. After it was parked for awhile, cooled off?, it shifted normally again.

I changed the fluid and it seems to be better. When cool in the morning I drive 12 miles to work with no problems. After work in stop and go traffic every once in a while it seems to hesitate between 2nd to 3rd upshift, have a bumpy upshift to 3rd (I think) then hang in 3rd gear and not downshift completely at a stop. But it is drivable. If this was a Ford C6 it feels like a bad modulator, or vaccuum leak to a modulator.

If I turn off the car for a minute, the trany shifts OK again. It now acts odd about every third day. Aside from tranny shift problem car runs great.

Now I know it's time for a new car, but being in Texas it still looks like new with no rust etc. so I would like to keep it going.

From my details does this problem ring any bells with Ford Taurus owners? I would like to keep this car for driving to work. I do most of my own repair work and going inside a transmission is something I would consider doing. Last trany I had apart was a good old Ford C6 in my 73 T-Bird (but that was a few years ago).

Thanks for any help or advice.

Steve Near Austin, Texas

Reply to
Steve
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it sounds like a $35 VSS, vehicle speed sensor..... eventhough the check engine light does not come on the trouble code of 27 should come up from the computer.... its gonna be in the stored code.. if its not downshifting now when the test is done it might not show up????? or it might i dont remember. i got a 93 taurus, same car.... and when driving about 35 to 40 mph it would downshift like you pulled into first for a seconde or two.. did this for about 2 weeks and then went out one night and had to drive home about 10 mph in fist gear for about 12 miles.... had the VSS changed out and that did not do the trick.. it was the wires leading to the VSS that were stretched when i changed the motor mounts about one months before, from jacking up the engine the wires were stretched and the rubber/plastic coating on the wire held the wire in place but the copper wire inside must have snapped and was held in place sometimes by the coating..... check for continuity from the plug to the VSS and go back about 1 or 2 feet away from it and see if the wire is putting out electricity( the way i do it is push some straight pins into the rubber/plastic coating of the wire and then put a meter from the pin and the other lead back to the connector... hope this helps.

Reply to
jim

were u the owner since new...changing every year?!?!

-- christ> >

Reply to
Owner

I'll second changing the VSS, my '94 was shifting erratic only after it got fully warmed up plus the variable steering was acting flakey also so it was a easy confirm for me. No codes set. Get a quality repl. from Napa or Ford, Napa stocks them. Experience says stay away from electrical parts from the Zone or Advance type places. Put the heat shield back on afterwards, it's there for a reason. It's pain to reach in behind the motor but it can be done from the topside.

Reply to
Repairman

Steve:

My elderly mother has a 1989 Sable that had the same symptoms. The dealer kept changing the easy parts and did not fix it. I changed the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) and it fixed the problems. Mother is happy for over a year now. We found the VSS part at an Auto Zone. It was hard to get to and I had to remove the exhaust to get to it. I would definitely focus on the VSS switch. Good luck.

Reply to
b.l.

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