2000 Ford Taurus WONT START & gives bad MPG

[enyce2k9]

Hello folks!

Alright I got 2 problems with my 2000 Taurus.
Owned for a year, well maintained, engine strong, transmission smooth.
NO engine check light issue, NO odd noises. 85K Miles.


1st-
The damn car is averaging 12 MPG City & some highway. I know its not a new car but cmon.
I'm an economical driver, smooth on the accel, tires 32 PSI.
Maybe its related to problem #2 but I know this car can give nearly double the efficiency.
Please give me your input on this problem, I'm even more concerned on it than problem #2 .


2nd-
A week ago in a cold morning car would crank but not start, full tank of gas, was working perfectly before this... hmm, nearby mechanic unplugs a spark plug wire and I think he grounded it with a tool or something (I was inside the car and didn't notice exactly) gave me the go to turn the key and walla car starts up immediately. He tries not to give me much info and says he can fix the problem with a new part for $120.

I think riight, too much cash, heres 10 thanks for the boost.
And so I thought whatever its in time for a tuneup probably just that...
So I get an oil change + tuneup (spark plugs & wires, hcv valve, fuel filter) and I thought that was the end of it.

The car is working perfect so far, 1WEEKLATER today another cold morning, I turn the key and bam... damn car just cranks, perfect... I get the mechanic again, he smirks and tells me I need to get this fixed, does his magic and car is perfect again.



Alright, I should just pay the man and get it fixed, BUT 120 is still too much in my opinion.
Folks help me out here, I don't know much about cars, I don't know if its a coil, or a coil module problem or whatever! just let me know what ya guys think, THANK YOU FOR READING!

 

[Ronstang]

If you think $120 is too much to have your car reliable again maybe you should not be driving. That is pretty cheap considering you know nothing about cars. The bad gas mileage COULD be a faulty Engine Temperature Sensor. If it is faulty you computer may think the car has not warmed up and thus has it running rich in "choke mode". I have seen this before. It may not be your mileage problem but it is worth investigating. If you do some research you can find what kind of resistance the sensor should have at operating temperature and translate that into the voltage that the sensor should be sending back to the computer. It may not be your problem but it is where I would start if it was mine.

I have no idea what your mechanic is doing to let the car start when it doesn't want to but you may be surprised his $120 fix may also solve your mileage issue, who knows? At least get it so it starts reliably again and go from there.

 

[CrackRabbit]

First off you need a new mechanic. If he won't tell you what part needs replacing he not worth going to again.

Not sure what the issue is though, maybe a grounding issue? The ground wire going from the block to the firewall/body may of corroded through.

 

[LTC8K6]

http://taurusclub.com/forum/index.php?act=idx

 

[kalrith]

Did you get your coil wire replaced along with your spark plug wires? I had a similar problem on my '92 Mercury Cougar, and it turned out to be a faulty coil wire.

 

[NutBucket]

Bad coil wire wouldn't cause poor mileage.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Bad coil wire wouldn't cause poor mileage.

Ok, if it wouldn't cause poor mileage, what exactly are you implying it would cause then? no mileage? A bad coil doesn't necessarily mean a coil that doesn't fire at all and also if the OP has two coils, then the car could theoretically run but not very well.

 

[NutBucket]

Most likely a bad/dirty sensor. I'd check the MAF, coolant temp and O2 as a first step.

 

[LTC8K6]

Misfires should trigger the CEL though. Bad coil pack should cause a misfire now and then.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
Most likely a bad/dirty sensor. I'd check the MAF, coolant temp and O2 as a first step.

Well technically this guy could check like 90% of the parts if he had a multimeter, problem is, I don't think this guy knows ANYTHING about cars and so our advice I think is falling on deaf ears.

 

[boomerang]

He's making the fuel pump run I believe. Once the car is running and there's oil pressure, the pump stays running on it's own.

Here's something to think about. By diagnosing the problem yourself, you've most likely already spent as much or more on parts you didn't actually need. $120 sounds very reasonable to me. You're now going to spend that to fix it on top of what you've already spent. Just something to think about.

Scrape up the dough and let him have at it.

Edit: IMO, you've got two problems that are not related. When he goes to work on it, tell him about the mileage. Tell him to fix the no start condition and diagnose the bad mileage and give you an estimate for that work.

 

[NutBucket]

OP. Next time your car doesn't start see if you can smell gas from the tailpipe. That should at least tell you if the fuel pump is working correctly.

 

[thomsbrain]

If you can get out of a mechanic's shop after only spending $120, consider yourself very lucky, regardless of what your problem is. Many shops charge more than that for just one hour of labor. Cars are just expensive.

You sound like you're probably a teenager. If so, I'm going to guess that most of your trips are pretty short (like to school, friend's house, that kind of thing). If that's the case you're mostly driving on a cold engine, and 12 MPG in the city on a cold engine in a Ford Taurus is about the best you're ever going to get. They barely crack 25 MPG on the highway when warm.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
If you can get out of a mechanic's shop after only spending $120, consider yourself very lucky, regardless of what your problem is. Many shops charge more than that for just one hour of labor. Cars are just expensive.

You sound like you're probably a teenager. If so, I'm going to guess that most of your trips are pretty short (like to school, friend's house, that kind of thing). If that's the case you're mostly driving on a cold engine, and 12 MPG in the city on a cold engine in a Ford Taurus is about the best you're ever going to get. They barely crack 25 MPG on the highway when warm.

Eh, the engines these days can warm up pretty quickly, so I disagree. 12mpg is terrible mileage even if you're stuck in traffic like in Los Angeles.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
If you can get out of a mechanic's shop after only spending $120, consider yourself very lucky, regardless of what your problem is. Many shops charge more than that for just one hour of labor. Cars are just expensive.

You sound like you're probably a teenager. If so, I'm going to guess that most of your trips are pretty short (like to school, friend's house, that kind of thing). If that's the case you're mostly driving on a cold engine, and 12 MPG in the city on a cold engine in a Ford Taurus is about the best you're ever going to get. They barely crack 25 MPG on the highway when warm.

Eh, the engines these days can warm up pretty quickly, so I disagree. 12mpg is terrible mileage even if you're stuck in traffic like in Los Angeles.

On the 2 mile drive to school in the cold (low 50s) my cobalt got 17 mpg and was not at operating temp by the time I reached school. If hes got the V6 it would make sense.

 

[desy]

What Thom said

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: PhoKingGuy

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
If you can get out of a mechanic's shop after only spending $120, consider yourself very lucky, regardless of what your problem is. Many shops charge more than that for just one hour of labor. Cars are just expensive.

You sound like you're probably a teenager. If so, I'm going to guess that most of your trips are pretty short (like to school, friend's house, that kind of thing). If that's the case you're mostly driving on a cold engine, and 12 MPG in the city on a cold engine in a Ford Taurus is about the best you're ever going to get. They barely crack 25 MPG on the highway when warm.

Eh, the engines these days can warm up pretty quickly, so I disagree. 12mpg is terrible mileage even if you're stuck in traffic like in Los Angeles.

On the 2 mile drive to school in the cold (low 50s) my cobalt got 17 mpg and was not at operating temp by the time I reached school. If hes got the V6 it would make sense.

NO IT WOULD NOT. 12mpg is really really low! The taurus is suppose to average 20mpg anyways and I've driven vehicles that are suppose to average 16mpg yet I never had the issue of them average 12mpg! The kid would have to be a serious lead foot for that to happen! There is obviously something wrong with the car and it needs to be checked out. Could you really imagine this person's commute as being 1-2 miles per trip? The way you describe it, this person doesn't drive more than 1000 miles in a year and I find that extremely hard to believe.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: fleabag
I find that extremely hard to believe.

There are many things you find hard to believe. It doesn't mean that it it's not true.

The bad mileage could always be a bad O2 sensor. I've had them go bad without throwing a check engine light.

As for the problems starting, it sounds like it's something small and stupid that you could fix yourself. Otherwise, the mechanic would have told you. I think he's trying to charge you for something that will take him 15 minutes. The problem is though that you left without finding out.

In the future refuse to deal with any mechanic that won't explain what's wrong. If not he'll start trying to replace your muffler bearings and top off your blinker fluid.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: fleabag
I find that extremely hard to believe.

There are many things you find hard to believe. It doesn't mean that it it's not true.

The bad mileage could always be a bad O2 sensor. I've had them go bad without throwing a check engine light.

As for the problems starting, it sounds like it's something small and stupid that you could fix yourself. Otherwise, the mechanic would have told you. I think he's trying to charge you for something that will take him 15 minutes. The problem is though that you left without finding out.

In the future refuse to deal with any mechanic that won't explain what's wrong. If not he'll start trying to replace your muffler bearings and top off your blinker fluid.

First you start off disagreeing with me and then you give a list of reasons why you agree with me?

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: fleabag
I find that extremely hard to believe.

There are many things you find hard to believe. It doesn't mean that it it's not true.

The bad mileage could always be a bad O2 sensor. I've had them go bad without throwing a check engine light.

As for the problems starting, it sounds like it's something small and stupid that you could fix yourself. Otherwise, the mechanic would have told you. I think he's trying to charge you for something that will take him 15 minutes. The problem is though that you left without finding out.

In the future refuse to deal with any mechanic that won't explain what's wrong. If not he'll start trying to replace your muffler bearings and top off your blinker fluid.

First you start off disagreeing with me and then you give a list of reasons why you agree with me?

You repeatedly insist that your opinions or oddball ideas are fact. I was just pointing out that your opinion does not carry much weight here.

There might be something wrong with the car causing low mileage, their might not. Very short trips in stop and go traffic can give surprisingly low mileage, especially if he's driving aggressively.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: fleabag
I find that extremely hard to believe.

There are many things you find hard to believe. It doesn't mean that it it's not true.

The bad mileage could always be a bad O2 sensor. I've had them go bad without throwing a check engine light.

As for the problems starting, it sounds like it's something small and stupid that you could fix yourself. Otherwise, the mechanic would have told you. I think he's trying to charge you for something that will take him 15 minutes. The problem is though that you left without finding out.

In the future refuse to deal with any mechanic that won't explain what's wrong. If not he'll start trying to replace your muffler bearings and top off your blinker fluid.

First you start off disagreeing with me and then you give a list of reasons why you agree with me?

You repeatedly insist that your opinions or oddball ideas are fact. I was just pointing out that your opinion does not carry much weight here.

There might be something wrong with the car causing low mileage, their might not. Very short trips in stop and go traffic can give surprisingly low mileage, especially if he's driving aggressively.

The OP hasn't responded to this thread at all so there is really no point in arguing. I plan on not replying to this thread until we get more info from the OP because at this point, it's just speculation.

 

[enyce2k9]

Thank you all for the responses, today the car as usually turned on just fine, I took the car to a mechanic a friend of mine referred me to.

The mechanic mentioned it may be a coil issue, and for the bad mileage he says may be dirty fuel injectors, so I got a $3 can of fuel injector spray, he opened the vent that holds the air filter, sprayed there, etc. made me turn on car while he sprayed, he pointed out although not much but some dirty fluid that was cleaned out from the injectors and after touchin inside the muffler says wasnt too dirty but just a bit.

I'm focusing more on the mileage problem, I drive smoothly, not jack rabbit starts on green lights, I travel alot, probably 500-750 miles a month so I'm sure its not a "cold engine" issue,
if I don't notice any improvement in the mpg I guess I would go as recommended by you guys on checking out the oxygen sensors.

I really hope its just a sensor, the car runs very smooth and strong, I never abuse it with fast speeds or high leaps on bumps.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: enyce2k9
The mechanic mentioned it may be a coil issue, and for the bad mileage he says may be dirty fuel injectors, so I got a $3 can of fuel injector spray, he opened the vent that holds the air filter, sprayed there, etc. made me turn on car while he sprayed, he pointed out although not much but some dirty fluid that was cleaned out from the injectors and after touchin inside the muffler says wasnt too dirty but just a bit.

This is turning into a train wreck. You can't clean fuel injectors with a can of spray through the air cleaner housing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to take a guess and say that this guy is a 'mechanic' because he owns a wrench. Maybe just one?

By all means continue to throw parts at the car. There are a lot of parts. Eventually you may find the right one.

I wish you all the luck in the world, I know you're going to need it.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: enyce2k9
Thank you all for the responses, today the car as usually turned on just fine, I took the car to a mechanic a friend of mine referred me to.

The mechanic mentioned it may be a coil issue, and for the bad mileage he says may be dirty fuel injectors, so I got a $3 can of fuel injector spray, he opened the vent that holds the air filter, sprayed there, etc. made me turn on car while he sprayed, he pointed out although not much but some dirty fluid that was cleaned out from the injectors and after touchin inside the muffler says wasnt too dirty but just a bit.

I'm focusing more on the mileage problem, I drive smoothly, not jack rabbit starts on green lights, I travel alot, probably 500-750 miles a month so I'm sure its not a "cold engine" issue,
if I don't notice any improvement in the mpg I guess I would go as recommended by you guys on checking out the oxygen sensors.

I really hope its just a sensor, the car runs very smooth and strong, I never abuse it with fast speeds or high leaps on bumps.

He sprayed cleaner into the air to fix the injectors? He checked to see if the muffler was dirty afterward to see if it worked?

Change mechanics FAST. This guy has no idea what he's doing.

 

[Squisher]

I'll throw this out there as food for thought. The ports for the EGR valve on my '98 F150 became completely clogged and it threw a CEL. After I cleaned them my mileage went up 30%. Long before they became completely clogged and threw that CEL they had been affecting my mileage.