QuestionHi,
I have a 95 Sable GS V6 3.8L station wagon, 120K miles w/ 3rd engine (at 56,839 miles) and 2nd transmission (at 60,314 miles) which has developed an intermittent starting problem: sometimes the ignition doesn't catch when starting for the first time for the day. I try again, it catches, then it goes dead. I turn it on again, at which point I can hear what sounds like an electric motor humming in the back of the car, which I've never heard before (perhaps normally drowned out by engine noise). The hum is not continuous, but sounds when the ignition is cranking. The engine might not catch immediately, but after no more than a couple of tries it does and everything is fine. Once, in August, it went dead on me when I was at a stop light, but after turning the ignition a couple of times it started. Then, a few weeks ago, right after a hard start episode, I headed off towards the freeway, and the engine simply stopped while I was driving. Luckily, I was going about 25 mph on a quiet street so, without power brakes or steering, I made a rather ungraceful coast to the curb. Luckily I wasn't on the freeway with a truck climbing up my back. A couple of cranks and I was off again (though avoiding the freeway).
Anyway, I left the car with the mechanic for a few days, who hooked it up to some devices and drove it home (about 25 miles or more), parked it outside (like mine usually is) and, of course, the car didn't do its trick the whole time, so after checking the fuel pump and starter and seeing nothing wrong, there was nothing more he could do.
We're looking at replacement cars right now (Japanese, never again US), but nothing compares to the size and comfort of our station wagon - it's a great road car with lots of front seat leg room, has more cargo space than most SUVs, gets OK mileage, has genuine seating for three behind the front seats, and adventurous seating for two more behind them, yet isn't a behemoth like the only other vehicles with leg room and hatch type backs that we've found. If only we could swap the parts under the hood with a Japanese car. But we can't, so if possible we'd like to repair the Sable's current problem - you can do a lot of repairs for the cost of a new car.
So...do you have any suggestions as to where we could direct our mechanic to look? Does the Sable/Taurus have a history with respect to the above described starting and dying problems? Any suggestions (other than junk the junker ;-) would be most appreciated. If you need more information, I'd be glad to provide you with it.
Cheers,
K. Dollard
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Went through repair history and this is what I found w/ respect to starting and dying problems:
12/05/95 at 4,568 miles, at first start in a.m. car would crank and die 95% of the time, then start with next crank. Air by-pass valve replaced.
12/06/01 at 73,573 car died on the road. Fuses wiggled, taken out and put back in, and then car started. Diagnostic unable to identify problem, possible ignition switch problem, so ignition cyl/ignition switch assembly replaced.
Sampling of complaints, defect reports, technical service bulletins for Sable (didn't have time to go through for Taurus):
Service bulletin num: 94263 While driving at 40 mph, experience intermittent sudden engine shut down, no prior warning. No-crank condition due to corrosion at the starter solenoid connector. Dealer replaced computer module.
Consumer's car from time to time can shut off no matter how fast consumer is going or how long consumer has been driving. The part is T.F.I (thick fixture ignition).
The engine would idle, run rough, stall and restart immediately…the head gasket, timing cover…and starter circuit wiring assembly have all been replaced.
Complaint Number: 710823 This problem had only occurred previously when idling at traffic lights, etc. This was the first time it happened going down the highway…at 60 mph when suddenly the engine stalled…the manufacturer knows about the problem, sent out technical service bulletins (TSBR #96-7-5) about it…the following is a list of automobiles that are involved: 89-95 Ford Taurus, 89-94 Lincoln Continental, and 89-95 Mercury Sable…
AnswerI'm sorry, I do not know of any common problem with the Tausus/Sable like you have described. The humming noise you are hearing is the electronic fuel pump in the fuel tank, it is normal. If the fuel pump is louder that usual, it may be going bad. My first guess would be a bad fuel pump, but I wouldn't spend any money on replacement parts until the vehicle is properly diagnosed, because a lot of different things could be the cause of your problem. There was a common problem when these vehicles first came out, the fuel pump would become contaminated from the sealer used in the fuel tank. The vehicle would die, mostly on a hot day, and would not restart unless the pump was replaced. A common problem for Ford vehicle is a bad Idle Air Control Valve (IAC). It looks like you have replaced this before. When starting the engine and at idle, the throttle plate is closed and the only air entering the engine is through the IAC. This is all controlled by the Powertrain Contol Module. It uses the IAC to allow a small amount of air to enter the engine for starting and to adjust idle speed. This would only cause an engine to die when at idle or when coasting to a stop with your foot off of the accelerator. To properly diagnosis this problem, it will have to be acting up during testing. In some cases, the bad part will have to fail completely before it can be found. I ran TSB's for this vehicle with a stall/quits while driving concern, and didn't find anything that would help. I would recommend taking the vehicle to a Ford Dealer for service.
I hope this help,
Dave
