Since we pick up so many cars to fix and flip we are at the automotive shop for state inspections quite often. So we get to overhear about other people’s car problems on a regular basis. It just so happens that another Ford Taurus was in the shop the last time I was there.
The guy said his Ford Taurus won’t go into gear. Which this got me thinking why wouldn’t his car go into gear? Was it on a hill? Was he pressing on the brake? Why is this? So I went ahead and looked into this and this is what I found.
In most cases, the reason why a transmission will not shift into gear is that there is a fault internally with the transmission and its solenoid. I know that there are more reasons why this can happen so let’s look into this a bit further and see what we can find.
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Why won’t my Ford Taurus go into gear?
So unlike the post that we did on why won’t my vehicle shift out of park. In this situation, we are having a problem with the vehicle going from 1st gear to 2nd gear and so on. When you are having this problem it is
a transmission problem and it is the solenoids that are the culprit.
When the solenoid goes out on the transmission it will prevent the vehicle from shifting from the 1st gear to any gear other than 1st. With that being the problem that sounds like a really slow ride back to the house or to the mechanic shop. When this happens do not try to go faster then the gear will take you.
That means do not go into high rpm so because that can put additional wear and tear on your vehicle, that can be prevented. We are trying to fix the problem you have at hand so do not intentionally make a bigger problem due to a lack of patience.
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What is causing my Ford Taurus from going into gear?
This is a problem got a good transmission shop should be able to repair if you cannot handle the repair yourself. You need to check the transmission solenoid and make sure that the wiring going to the solenoid is not damaged. If the wiring is damaged that can prevent the solenoid from letting the transmission shift from 1st gear to 2nd gear and so on.
Most transmission shops whether they are good or bad will jump to the most complex thing and will want to change your entire transmission but you can start with the simple matters and check the solenoid and replace your transmission fluid and filter. In most situations, these 3 things will make your transmission seem like it is a bigger problem than it really is. I remember when my wife had a Dodge Durango the gears were very jolty when shifting.
The transmission shop wanted to charge her for $4000 to rebuild the transmission but I wanted to try to replace the transmission filter and transmission fluid to see what it would do. Now, of course, I did my research on this repair as well, and it was good that we did try this because it did correct the problem. Many people forget that they have a transmission filter in the transmission fluid pan so you will have to reseal the transmission fluid pan when you are done by I would rather pay $30 for transmission fluid and a filter then $4000 for a transmission rebuild any day. Wouldn’t you?
When will my Ford Taurus not go into gear?
Your Ford Taurus is not going to go into gear while you are driving and if you try to manually shift gears with the quick shift that most new vehicles have. With older vehicles, you will still have the option to change gears with the gear shifter but the transmission will not let you due to the solenoid malfunction. Here is the step by step guide I used for all torque specs for this repair.
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How do I fix my Ford Taurus so it can go into gear?
When it comes to fixing your Ford Taurus and fixing the problem of why will your vehicle and not go into gear. You are going to need to get a little dirty to get to this
shift solenoid. This solenoid is located in the transmission so what you are going to me to do is remove the transmission fluid pan.
Then remove the transmission fluid filter as well. As soon as you do this you will see four shift solenoids In your transmission. Remember because you removed the transmission fluid pan we will have to put a new transmission pan gasket and transmission filter as well when we are done completing the repair.
This will make your vehicle run a lot smoother with the new filter and fluid in your transmission. Transmission problems are known to occur due to the high lack of maintenance that the transmission receives in the lifespan of the vehicle. To be able to test which solenoid we have that is malfunctioning we can do a resistance test.
That way we are not wasting money and replacing all four solenoids when we do not have to, by the way, that is just my opinion to stay frugal. In the case that you do want to replace all the solenoids at once to prevent any reason to open the transmission back up in the future is totally understandable. So to test your solenoid we will need a 10-ohm resistor, a headlight, and wires joining the resistor and headlight in series.
The resistor and headlight will protect the solenoid in the testing process. The solenoid will be receiving anywhere between twenty and forty ohms on the resistance test but we will not base our findings in the ohms alone. On your solenoid, you will have two spades one for power that the solenoid receives and the other for the ground.
You will need to connect both of the wires to the solenoid. Keep the wires hooked up for one minute and if the headlight is consistently dim then the resistance is too high and the solenoid will need to be replaced. While you have the wires hooked upcycle the ground on and off the solenoid and listen for a clicking noise.
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Shift solenoids are known to fail after they become hot. Reinstall your new solenoid if that failed the test, put your new transmission filter back in, reinstall your new transmission pan gasket, and refill your transmission fluid. Remember to fill the transmission fluid with the vehicle running and in the neutral position DO NOT FORGET TO SET YOUR PARKING BRAKE when taking the vehicle out of park and into neutral. You definitely do not want your vehicle rolling away or rolling onto you while you are working on the vehicle.
How do I prevent my Ford Taurus from not going into gear in the future?
A great way to prevent your Ford Taurus from not going into gear in the future is making sure that you keep up-to-date with that maintenance interval schedule we keep talking about. With the main and center role schedule, it is going to tell you when to change your transmission fluid and transmission filter so that is a great thing to keep in mind to have your vehicle running at its best at all times. All in all every vehicle breaks down every once in a while, parts are meant to break and it is best for us to know how to repair and/or replace them if needed.
