94 Ford Taurus SHO automatic...engine trouble...help...pretty please.?

you should join the club http://www.shoclub.com/ they might be able to help you

My parents had a 93 and we sold it for $300 in 2003. It was still like a new car, just the engine went bad a few years after the head gaskets failed and were fixed, and the Ford dealership mechanics couldn't figure out what the problem was. For a long time we kept receiving letters from Ford saying "Your routine checkup and maintenance is just around the corner." Funny thing, one letter gave a prediction of 100,000 mile service, when the car didn't even make it to 90. Actually, since your car is an SHO it probably shouldn't have the same problems as ours aside from being a Ford.

In contrast, I have a a 34 year old Volkswagen and my mechanic can take the engine out, replace the clutch, and put the engine back in in less than 2 hours. I'm not a professional mechanic and I can tune it up, replace the exhaust system, fuel pump, clutch cables, do valve adjustment, and many other things since it's so simple. It gets 30-40 MPG.

I've had this problem and solved it, but not with that car.

It could be one of these:

1. A new brain.

2. A new brain box (get the brain with it).

3. Burnt relay(s).

4. Corroded battery cables (trace them all the way to the ends).

5. Corroded battery terminals (use baking soda/water mix to clean off the battery acid).

Hopefully it's number 5, which is the most common. I'd try that first, even if the cables look pretty good. Just make sure both the positive and negative sides are off and out of the way. Mix the baking soda into a paste and "paint" it thick onto the posts and connectors. It'll fizz for a while. When it stops, rinse it off. Drive it for a while and see if that fixes the problem.

You should take it to a dealer. They can connect to the "brain" and run detailed diagnostics that can pinpoint problems with failing sensors. Most shops just us the self diagnostics from the brain, and those are sometimes misleading, since that will indicate a sensor failure, but not indicate when a sensor is reading incorrectly.

The Yahama engine used the the SHO were notorious for blowing head gaskets.

OK first has anyone looked at the ;s; terminal going to the starter also the electric part of the ignition switch has been a big problem other concerns for you may want to have the thick film module an stater on the distributor inspected the distributor leaks oil inside an damage occurs

the local shop around the corner is not the best place to take this car. call your local dealer and see if one they will work on it and if they will you shold bring them all the info you have for the work that has been done thus far. The money you could have saved would have been more then made up by taking to the folks that work on em every single day

I would take it to another mechanic for a second opinion. Those engines are hard to kill. I had a '93 and absolutely loved it. Mine was the V-6 standard trans. I assume yours is the V-8 version since it is auto trans.

What did he say was wrong with it? And what tests did he do to reach his conclusion?

If you are seriously sick of the car, or the motor is really shot, let me know as I'd love another one. However, we are here to help you, so please post more info, and let's see if we can't get your car fixed!!!!!

I sympathize. I had a 92 SHO that was a pile of crap.

Check to make sure the starter wire is connected to the terminal on the starter...SHO's are famous for that and it causes a no start.

The brain is OK if it runs and has no MIL lit. When it runs, trade it before something else breaks.

a taurus sho is kind of an odd animal, i would recomend a ford dealer as scary as that sounds, they will be expierenced and have the proper tols to work on the sho.

I'd say get rid of it, any used car more than 10 years old unless it was meticulously taken care of has a high risk of giving problems

the taurus sho will be much faster than the jeep, but its not exactly a sports car. the wrangler would probably be more fun