Cars.com

I have a four-cylinder 1986 Ford Taurus. It has a problem which has baffled the mechanics at my Ford dealer. When the car is partially warmed up and is restarted after having been off for a while, the engine races. And it only does this in the spring and fall when temperatures are cool. In the summer and dead of winter, it's OK. The dealer has tuned it up, replaced the computer and the idle air control, all to no avail. It acts exactly the same. Should I junk it and ride my bike?-- Bill

Ray: The bike might be a little faster going up hills, if I remember the four-cylinder Taurus correctly, Bill. But I don't think things are that desperate yet.

Tom: The dealer made two good guesses, and given that neither one did the trick, my next guess would be an out-of-specification coolant temperature sensor. A coolant temp sensor that's on the fritz could easily send a wacko signal to the computer under certain conditions, and that could cause the computer to boost the idle unnecessarily.

Ray: A new coolant temp sensor costs about 20 bucks, Bill. So see if your dealer is willing to make a trade. Tell him you'll give him that new computer you didn't need if he'll give you a new coolant temp sensor and about 380 bucks. Good luck.

It's amazing how many bad driving habits and wacko theories have been passed down from generation to generation! Tom and Ray set the record straight in their booklet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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