1995 Ford Taurus Speedometer Fluctuates

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THEATTICUSFINCH
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  • 2 POSTS
I own a 1995 Taurus GL Sedan (3.0) V6 engine. It has 112,000 miles on it. For the past few months I've noticed the speedometer does not funtion for the first 15 to 20 minutes of vehicle operation. In this time, other than me not knowing how fast I'm going, the car performs flawlessly. But after that time, the speedometer starts to fluctuate between 0 and whatever speed I'm going, causing the gears to slip and the RPMs to shoot up. It makes driving on highways very difficult and unsafe, not to mention hurts my gas mileage. I don't think the transmission itself is broken because it works fine when the speedometer reads constant 0, so I'm left to believe that whatever is causing the gear slippage has something to do with the speedometer. Any idea of what I can do?
Feb 7, 2007 at 3:28 AM
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BOOTDOG
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 665 POSTS
i've seen this too many times, replace the speed sensor, which is on the transmission, and that should solve the problem. :D
May 5, 2021 at 5:12 AM
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THEATTICUSFINCH
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[quote:12cafc7eb6="bootdog"]i've seen this too many times, replace the speed sensor, which is on the transmission, and that should solve the problem. :D[/quote:12cafc7eb6]

thanks man! is it really a common problem?
May 5, 2021 at 5:12 AM
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BOOTDOG
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 665 POSTS
on fords yes. i own a ranger. had the same problem
May 5, 2021 at 5:12 AM

Suggested Repair

Replace the vehicle speed sensor on the transmission. This is a common Ford issue and should restore a steady speedometer reading and normal shifting.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 1995 Ford Taurus GL with a 3.0 V6 reported that the speedometer does not work for the first 15 to 20 minutes, then fluctuates between zero and actual speed. That fluctuation causes gear slip, rising RPMs, difficult highway driving, and worse fuel economy, while the transmission seems normal when the speedometer stays at zero. The expert said this is common on Fords and recommended replacing the speed sensor on the transmission.

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