My sis's Taurus that quit running!!

joew623

Registered User
I posted this on the Taurus car club but they didnt come up with any ideas for me. my sister has a 90 taurus 3.0. Heres a little history...she got it from an auction 3 years ago, 450 bucks, 130k miles. OK, when she first got it...i noticed when it would idle it would vary in rpm a little and in rythem. like vroom, vroom, vroom, about with my pulse of my heart at rest. maybe 300 rpm surges...anyways, it ran perfect while u drove it though, this was only at idle... driving along at constant speed, it would not surge at all. well, she said about 2 weeks ago that it wasnt running right, so i went to drive it and just to keep it running you would have to hold the pedal floored and it would major surge, like from almost die (350 rpms) to like 4000 and back, not like rev limiter or something it would rev up then just die... now it wont even really run...u hit the key and it sputters and dies...even if you pump and hold the gas it dies imediately after starting. I pulled the codes off the computer and they said 21, 22, 24, 41. 21 is Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor out of range - ECT. I dont think that would cause it not to run at all though. 22 MAP (vacuum) or BARO signal out of range - MAP. Now...my dad is a Heavy Machinery mechanic on like bulldozers and crap and he thinks that the MAP woudld cause it not to run. is this true?? 41 ® System lean - Fuel control (M) System was lean for 15 seconds or more (no HO2S switching) - Fuel control. thats the other code. not real sure how to fix that...24 Intake Air Temperature (IAT) or Vane Air Temperature (VAT) sensor out of range - IAT VAT. not sure what that is...I traced all the vacuum lines and the rubber hose that comes right out of the PVC valve had a huge hole in it...so i got a new PVC and cut the bad spot off the hose (the hole was right by the pvc and the hole was short enough i could cut it and it still reached the pvc easy...) The rest are ok. now... i posted all this on the taurus car club and one guy responded by saying that it was that idle air control thing on top the motor... now...i dont agree because it surged so bad even at high rpm...i thought when those go bad that the idle would just be stuck really high or inbetween not varying with the throttle. nobody else responded. the car has 160k miles on it now. my thoughts were maybe the fuel pump, like it has enough to start it, but not enough to keep it running, and maybe that weird idle for the last 3 years was the hole in the vacuum line by the pvc. my dad thinks its the MAP, but woudld that cause the car to not run at all like this? I dont think that oxygen sensor error would be enough to not even allow the car to run...?? I drove my supercoupe to the exhaust shop with them laying on my workbench and it drove fine...Anyways, What do u guys think?? MAP? Idle air control? fuel pump?? anything else? my sister pays for her own college and really doesnt have the money to pay 40 towing and who knows how much to get it fixed...keep in mind its a 450 dollar car 3 years ago...Thanks
 
Before getting all worried about the electronics, when you've got a no-start always start with the basics, fire-fuel-compression.

So check for spark at the plugs.

Check fuel pressure. Must be in the 35-45 psi range and none of this "I think it's ok because...", Get a guage on it.

Yank a couple of plugs, one on each bank and get some compression readings. Needs to be above 130psi and more like 160. For all we know the thing overheated and the heads are warped like bananas.

Check it out and get back with us.
 
Like Parker said, start with the basics. Also, you can always double check all of your vacuum lines. When you say it can't be this because it would do that, and it can't be that because it would do this; it can be a combonation of things (like sensors) that are adding up on each other making it act funny. On my taurus, it did something similar. After about a week in the garage and half the engine apart, I realized I had a bad wire going to my ingnition coil, and after a quick trip to the junkyard it was all better. But don't forget to start with the basics.
 
Your problem is a little hard to read to fish out the info so that might explain the limited responses.

As has been said. Start with the basics checking for Fuel Pressure and check for spark. Get a cheap spark checker at the auto parts store and check for consistant spark.

A bad map shouldn't cause the system to not start. But if it's giving crazing readings it might. Disconnected it and the EEC-IV will throw default values into the system which can be better than bad values.

The Idle Air control can cause a surging like problem if it is trying to adapt but due to carbon build up can't respond fast enough.

But it shouldn't be impacting your starting unless it's not letting any air in. But if that's the case you should hear the car trying to start and simply crack the throttle to give it some air. Then if it won't idle and won't stay running when you release the throttle, you know the Idle Air motor isn't working.

Do those basics, then report your findings in a easy to read way over on your Tarus board. I'm sure they'll be able to help you better from there.
 
A whacked out ECT can absolutly cause all kinds of problems, BTW. If the computer thinks the engine is at 220 degrees because the ECT is telling it that, but the engine is actually stone cold, weird stuff will happen. If the engine was cold when you ran the tests, though, that can also cause an ECT code, so.....

Try disconnecting your ECT sensor some time, though, and then try to start your car.

Dale

P.S. An ECT sensor should be less than $20, if that's the problem.
 
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Well guys, it was the MAP, I cant believe that would cause the car not to run....I unpluged it totally and the car would idle. I bought a new one and it ran like a new car. thanks for the help!
 
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