Ford - Taurus :: 2003 - Stalled At Light
Nov 27, 2012
I have a 2003 Ford Taurus with over 117,000 miles on it. I use the car to get home from Texas to Florida about twice a year, but otherwise hardly touch it since I'm a college student. I've noticed lately that the car has been jumping when either waiting at a light or driving at lower speeds.
However, yesterday something strange happened. I was waiting at a light and the car started bucking more than usual. It was at night, so the dashboard lights started fading and the car stopped. The air and radio worked still after the car shut off, but the car wouldn't move. I tried cranking it, but it wouldn't crank. I pulled the keys out, cranked and it started it successfully. While it waited at the light it bucked violently. Then, when the light turned green it ran no problem like it normally does at normal speeds. When I got to my car parked at my place, I let it sit in the parking lot for five minutes running and it didn't buck once.
I am about due for an oil change. I haven't reached 3,000 miles yet, but my last change was in August. I've read a few other topics with similar problems on here and people have suggested transmission flushes. I did have my transmission fluid flushed at about 70,000 miles. Is it possibly due for another one?
View 2 Replies
Advertisement
My 2003 Taurus wagon stalled and ran out of gas even though the gauge read 1/4 full. Called AAA they came and put a can of gas (less than 2 gals.) in and the car started. I went to the nearest gas station a block away and filled the tank. It took only 10 gals. That means that there was 3 or 4 gal. in the tank when it stalled. What gives?
View 6 Replies
I have a Ford Taurus 2003 wagon. We bought it used in 2010. Initially we had the car checked out and only needed a transmission fluid flush because of a shift delay. We replaced the battery and oil changes for it on a regular basis. Last year, we had an issue where the engine would suddenly turn off while driving and then turn back on. The dealership said it was the synchronizer and replaced that. We also had then check out a burning scent and they said that it was from oil leaking from the engine.
I am not sure that they fixed what they said they did since it still smells and some times there is smoke or steam coming from under the hood on the right side near the windshield. A month later the car was still turning off while driving and the dealership said they didn't know why. We ended up taking it to Advanced auto parts and having the battery tested. The alternator needed to be replaced. We wasted a ton of money at the dealership... So mad about that and never going back there again. They clearly don't to a good job. We replaced the alternator.
So now, a few days ago, the abs and fuel lights came on while driving, and the radio also made a noise like an electrical surge type. ~10 minutes later I noticed smoke or steam coming from under the hood. What is going on with the car?
I am so anxious driving it since last year when the engine would turn off while driving. I have my baby in the backseat and I have already decided what to do if the engine catches fire. I want to get rid of this car and get a new/used one but my husband wants to keep it since it should be cheaper to fix then to get a new one. I don't want to spend a ton of money either, but I also want a car that will reliably drive us to work and daycare. Oh and of course the car works fine anytime when time my husband is driving it, but that is only on the weekends occasionally.
View 1 Replies
I have a 2003 Taurus that runs fine until I stop at a traffic light and then has a misfire about every 5-10 seconds. This diminishes greatly if I put the car in neutral or park while I wait. I have had the spark plugs changed twice. It seems to be more severe in hotter weather. When I was visiting LA, I noticed my cab driver who was driving a 2003 Taurus always put his car into neutral at stop lights as well and when I asked him it turned out that he and all of the other 2003s in their fleet had the same problem. What is wrong?
View 2 Replies
I have a 2003 Nissan Murano with over 100k miles on it that's been serving me well for the past year and I've never had any problems until now. One day when I was accelerating after a stop light turned green the car stalled. I restarted it and it did it again right away. I was visiting my family at the time but managed to drive the 2.5 hours home with no problem and this has only happened once since and it has been awhile since the event. I have since started accelerating slower, but I think a problem is still present. I went to Autozone for a free code reading and received 3 possible codes: P0746, P0430, and P1700. The check engine light came on not long before the first occurrence.
View 4 Replies
2003 Taurus, 3.0 duratec flex, 30K. While driving at various speeds the theft light flashes for a split second and the car starts to stall before resuming normal operation on its own. The rpms drop off, and power is lost for a split second. This is getting more frequent and happened five times during a 30 mile drive. The original Ford key is being used. My scan tool reveals no codes. I understand that there may be anti-theft codes that my scanner cannot read.
View 5 Replies
Ok, my 2003 Ex Limited with 109,000 started doing the same thing today that it has done many times before. It started shuttering and then stalled. It comes out of nowhere and then the overdrive light flashes at the same time. I have had the coil packs replaced in the past, but not all of them at once. I also had the torque converter replaced last year as well. I am pretty sure that it's more coil packs that need to be replaced again. I'm sick and tired of replacing coil packs on this truck, it seems like they go bad very quickly. It's so bad I'm thinking about getting rid of this truck and getting something different.
View 14 Replies
I changed my plugs a few days ago on my 96' Taurus GL 3.0LI checked under my hood to check the recommended gap size and it said .42 to .46.. I went with .46. after putting them in i started the car up just fine, but later in the day i noticed when I came to a stop at a red light my car would sputter and my check engine light would start blinking. When I'd accelerate and drive it again everything would clear up and the light would stop blinking. I didn't change the wires, just the plugs in case you were wondering but I am unsure of how much that would influence my problem. Today after work i had a little trouble starting my car. After a few tries it started and my exhaust smelt rich in gasoline. Did i gap them too much? Should i get new plugs again and regap them? should i buy new wires also?Is my ignition coil going bad?
View 19 Replies
The other day while at a stop sign in my e99 F450, I went to take off and stalled. I am not sure if the stall was my fault or not; however, it would not start. I turned the key on and the wait to start light did not come on.
The first thing I checked was the mini 30 amp fuse under the dash that controls the GRP and the fuel bowl heater. The fuse was good, and my heater has been unplugged for a while anyway. Recently my SES light came on with codes that said the glow plugs had low voltage for both banks. I have cleaned the wires a couple times and the light goes out but then comes back on after a minute or so.
I figured that maybe if it was a bad wire it finally went bad so I got jumper cables and started to try and jump wires. I moved them around and found that when I hooked one side to the positive battery terminal and the other to the small key hot wire on the glow plug relay, the light would come on and it would start. I left the cables hooked up and drove the couple miles back home.
After messing with it I figured I could run a new wire. I got a fuse tap, and went from the 30 amp mini fuse that controls this system anyway, and ran it up to the post on the GPR for my new keyed hot wire. The WTS light would cycle and it would crank, but no start. After some more messing around I decided to put both the original wire back onto the post with the new wire that I had just put on; after doing this it started right up. I took it for a test drive and a couple times the engine would act like it stalled, only for a split second. When looking down at the dash immediately after the tach would be at normal RPM and the WTS light would be on, as if I shut the key off and tried to start it again.
I suspect it is the original key hot wire that goes to the GPR. It appears that this wire also has a purpose, other then serving as only a keyed hot wire for the GPR. It has about 6 inches off of the GPR, then it goes into the harness. Where that wire goes? I will just run a new wire instead of having to dig through that harness... that doesn't look like something I would wish upon my worst enemy.
View 13 Replies
Did my starter yesterday. Today now several times, truck ran rough and stalled. Turned over, tach not bumping, no codes. Would go after a couple tries. Stuffed a new CPS into it. Drive 30 miles, now has a noticable miss, no codes, no smoke and quit again, but started right up.
No codes. Does not feel like another truck and under valve cover gaskets.
1999 7.3 Super duty!
View 14 Replies
My wife was driving this morning and the car stalled when she was accelerating from a stop light. Battery light came on and she could not restart the car no power. When I got there she was able to start the car again. I drove 10 feet when the car stalled again. Noticed that the EPC came on smelled rotten eggs or sulfur from the exhaust.
Used jump cables and car started, battery light gone but EPC light came on and stays on, no blinking. I drove back home about 13 miles and no problem. Took battery to test and did not hold charge, I will replace battery. Car was at the dealer for two weeks to get the CAM, cam follower and high p fuel pump replace. Is just a battery issue or another issue for the EPC light?
View 3 Replies
So I was driving home today, I had some issues a couple of weeks ago with it stalling in the rain, it was raining today. As I was driving, the truck dies and won't restart. It wasn't like it stalled, it was almost like someone shut it off. Then it wouldn't restart, and there is a clicking sound under the dash. I tried the battery pull and nothing. Ended up having it towed home.
View 7 Replies
My 1999 Ford Taurus (140,000 miles) is giving me trouble. This usually happens when I have just driven off the freeway and now am driving in stop and go street traffic. The O/D light indicates it is off. The odometer stops working. The needle on the tachometer slowly accelerates. The speedometer remains stuck at zero. The engine sounds like it it straining to work.I fear that this is going to be an expensive repair; I hesitate taking it to my Ford dealership. My family's trusted auto repair shop technicians seem perplexed by this problem. They hint that this might have something to do with my turbo engine.
View 4 Replies
have 2002 Explorer with 4.6l that stalled at a stop light and upon restart, there was noticeable ticking and a sucking sound. The exhaust regularly sucks your hand against the pipe. Ticking is from all around the engine. Exhaust smells like rotten eggs.
Son was driving and we just got it back to house so I do not know much more than that. Where to start to diagnose.
View 9 Replies
I was sitting at a red light and accidentally let out on clutch and stalled truck. The clutch petal hit the floor and I had to pull out of gear. Petal will come back up if you get it started up with foot but cannot change gears when running. Changes thru gears easy when not running.
View 4 Replies
My 2003 Ford Taurus vibrates when I am going between 60-80. Before and after those speeds it is fine. I read an article from Tom and Ray in my local paper that instructed to do a couple things to see what it could be. I cut out the article and have never seen it again! One step was to drive on the freeway and take your foot off the gas to see if the vibration stopped. If it did, such and such was the problem, etc. I think another thing to try was put it in N.
View 4 Replies
The manually-controlled air conditioning in my 2003 Ford Taurus can't take the heat (literally). If the outside air temperature is under 85 degrees, it works like a champ, but as the day gets hotter, the cold air disappears. This happens regardless of whether I've driven the car previously that day. My mechanic checked the coolant level, compressor, and sensors and all were fine and the AC was cold. He left the car sit outside in the sun for a few hours and voila - no AC! (BTW, it can happen when the car is parked in my garage too if it's a hot day). He says something is triggering a false temperature message telling the system to shut down. He wants to dig into the wiring in the system to look for a problem.
View 2 Replies
My 2003 shakes/jerks back and forth at 55 mph. Took to a mechanic, they found nothing...car did not jerk. Check engine light on (although it has been on for years)... Checked transmission codes and found nothing...could be oxygen sensor?
View 3 Replies
So I went out this morning to start the truck up like I do every morning. It cranked once, and didn't start, which is somewhat normal. second crank it started right up, which is normal, then after about 2 minutes, it seemed like the rpms were bouncing and the engine got a little more slower and louder, then it dipped below 500, then stalled. After that moment nothing. It just cranks. Now it was VERY low on fuel, I've been this low on fuel and never had anything like this happen, so my neighbor took me up to the station and I bought 2 gallons. came back, still nada. I went out after letting it sit on the block heater for about an hour and noticed a small puddle of fuel under the truck on the passenger side. I went to start it and the fuel gauge went up to a half tank. cranked, no start. then again and it went up again but slowly started creeping back down.
Now the kicker, I have very limited knowledge of diesel engines, or gas for that matter. So if my intuition is right, this is probably going to be a learning experience for me... what should I check first guys? Its plugged in right now but I am sure that's not gonna fix it.. I am gonna change the oil first since it needs it, I bought shell rotella triple t 15w40 which im assuming is ok. last winter It was leaking fuel when it was really cold out but that was it, just leaking a bit and then after spring it went away. I know I should have fixed it when it started but I have an extreme anxiety to letting any mechanic near my vehicles and just about as much anxiety trying to fix it myself. I'm at a loss for what to do, I'm a pro with computers but this truck scares the crap out of me, I'm terrified I'll do something worse.
2002 Ford F250 Powerstroke 7.3 4x4, 218,000 Miles....
View 14 Replies
Just today I noticed an indicator showing up on my dashboard. The indicator shows the passenger side of the car, and a little screw coming out of it. I grabbed the giant book of boredom (Car manual) and the indicator is one for checking the gas cap and says once the gas cap is seated properly the light will go out.
I reseated the gas cap making sure it clicked when I turned it, and drove the car for about 45 minutes (My drive back home), and the light has continued to stay lit. What seems strange is that the check engine light is not showing up, which I know typically happens if the gas cap is not on properly.
Is there a sensor somewhere in the car that will cause that 'check gas cap' light to come on, and if so is it something I could find and replace myself, or am I better off going to a shop?
View 7 Replies
I have a 99 Taurus with the airbag lite on. has 110,000 miles. had it in the shop and they said there is power up to the fuse box, but there is an "open" somewhere in the wiring. I have heard that the steering wheel is the most likely culprit.
View 4 Replies