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96 Taurus trans. issue

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Old Feb 20, 2009 | 08:53 PM
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96 Taurus trans. issue

I usually post on the diesel side but now I find a need to be here. My daughter's 96 Taurus just up and quit all the forward gears. No prior slipping or issues. Drove home from class and a half hour later went to move the car for me to get out of the drive and she couldn't go anywhere. Goes into reverse fine - she could drive around backward I suppose, but when put into a forward gear, nothing. You can kind of hear something rumbling (maybe) like it wants to go into gear but it's not happening.

I'm hoping it might be something simple like a sensor or something but I'm pretty sure it's not. Any ideas??? Daddy hates to see his little girl cry!
 
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Old Feb 20, 2009 | 09:27 PM
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Most likely the forward clutch seal or piston failed. Those are not uncommon problems. The bad news is that it requires removing the trans and rebuilding it.
 
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Old Feb 21, 2009 | 03:13 PM
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Thanks Mark. We let the car sit and today, until it warmed up you could move the car but the trans. slipped. We've parked it for now.

I've come across a 96 LX with a 200hp DOHC motor but I don't know how to tell if the transmissions will swap. 30K on an Aamco rebuild so it'd be nice. I've looked up the vin but it doesn't tell me which trans. it has only that it's automatic. Is there any where I can go online to find this info??? Anybody?????
 
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Old Feb 21, 2009 | 08:06 PM
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I *think* the 3.0L 2v and 4v engines have different bolt patterns so that the transmissions will not interchange. Also, I seem to remember that the 2v used the AX4S trans. I'm certain that the 4v used the AX4N. You can't interchange those, the PCM can't control the one it was not designed for.
 
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Old Feb 21, 2009 | 10:00 PM
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Where on the transmission is it stamped what model it is? The tag on the top of the motor had oil on it and when I wiped it off all the paper came with it along with the numbers. Wonder who the braintrust was that thought it would be a good idea to put it on paper instead of stamping it on the plate??!!!

The guy that answered the phone at Aamco thought they would interchange but you'd need to change some sensors. I'm not real confident in his theory though.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2009 | 04:59 PM
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With them both being 96 models there is always the option of a complete drivetrain swap if the donor car has a good engine. Park one near the other, take pictures of all wiring and hose connections, and swap everything over.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2009 | 08:16 PM
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It costs A LOT less to print on a plastic tag than stamp it on something metal. So it's not stamped anywhere on the trans.

Once you know the difference it's easy to tell the two apart. On the rear of the trans, near the middle of the car, there is a large round servo on the AX4S. There's nothing there on the AX4N.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2009 | 08:33 PM
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You could just look on the door tag at the TR code.....


L= AX4S
X= AX4N


Steve
 
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Old Feb 22, 2009 | 08:58 PM
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Both door tags say X.

The other car has a rebuild slip from Aamco and it says AXODE in the upper right corner though. Not sure if that was a code or something else.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2009 | 10:36 PM
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AXODE is the generic name. If both door tags say X both transmissions are AX4N. Upon further reflection the 2v engine did come with either transmission. I still don't know about the bolt pattern.
 
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Old Feb 22, 2009 | 10:39 PM
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Guess the only way to find out is buy it and pull it out!!!
 
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