My 1992 Taurus has started dying while I am driving it. Sometimes it starts back up right away, sometimes I have to wait 5-10 minutes. The engine cranks but does not turn over. It happens everydaynow, in the morning when I try to go to work. I have taken it to one mechanic who replaced the R&R control module. It still died and they did not know what caused it. I took it to another place and they gave it a complete tune-up, including a new battery (it was very old) and alternator (it was draining the battery, they said) and ignition module.

It continues to die and it is at the shop right now. They now say the newignition modules they installedwere defective (they have replaced it twice) and put in another one from a different source.They will start it up in the morning to see if it dies again.

I'm not very confident this is the solution.I'm wondering if it may be related in some way to the A/C gradually going out too. Probably coincidental, I don't know. It's too old for OBD, only has the blinking light self diagnostic which I have heard of, but don't know how to useand would be glad to learn. I have owned this car since it was new and never had this happen before.I should mention that two years ago,my daughter lost control of it on the freeway and crashed it into a wall. Ever since, I have been piecing it together and it has been one problem after another.

My apologies for the long post. And thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

Welcome Breeze..

Anyone check the fuel pressure/volume during a stall? Is it the original pump?

 

Has the TFI (thick film ignition) module been replaced? This is a major cause in engine stalls when the engine is at operating temps and even more prone to breakdown in citiy driving.

 

Wow, good ideas! The fuel pump is original but they tell me it is good.

I don't know what the TFI moduleis, but I hardly ever had work done on the car prior to the accident, so I doubt that it was ever replaced.

The service people gave it back to me today. It didn't stall on the way home, but it is idling very rough, and feels like it could stall. I have to wait and see now. If it does, I will take your suggestions to them. I'm also wondering if a hose or vacuum leak somewhere could cause this.

Thanks!

 

I wanted to add to this post; I had the a/c charged because it was not cooling and the car seems to run better. I read in other posts where their Tauruses ran better when they ran the a/c, something I have noticed with mine.

Also a question; Would a blocked catalytic converter cause the car to not run well? or would it stall completely? How can I be sure that there really is a problem with the converter? Thanks.

 

To diagnose a plugged catalytic converter, you can check intake vacuum or exhaust backpressure. To check intake vacuum, connect a vacuum gauge to a vacuum port on the intake manifold. Start the engine and note the vacuum reading at idle. Then increase engine speed to about 2,500 rpm and hold steady. Normal vacuum at idle for most engines should be 18 to 22 inches Hg. When the engine speed is increased there should be a momentary drop in vacuum before it returns to within a couple of inches of the idle reading. If the vacuum reading is lower than normal and/or continues to drop as the engine runs, it probably indicates a buildup of backpressure in the exhaust. Remember, though, that intake vacuum can also be affected by retarded ignition timing and valve timing. What's more, some engines are much more sensitive to small changes in intake vacuum than others, so checking backpressure rather than intake vacuum may give you a better indication of what's going on.