Transmission RPMs will go up but the car won’t go?

1999 FORD TAURUS
98,000 MILES • 3.0L • V6 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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CHELLENJEFF
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Sometimes, not all the time when I go to accelerate my rpm’s will go up but the car won’t go but then it will surge and nothing. And the speedometer stops working. When it does this the oil light will flash. It doesn’t do this all the time. I can drive to work in the morning and be completely fine and the car runs great. It happens on my way home from work around 3 in the afternoon. There are some days I could go all the way home and be fine but sometimes it will not accelerate. Some people say it’s the transmission or it could be the transmission filter or vehicle speed sensor. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Sep 17, 2025 at 1:43 PM
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STRAILER
  • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 54,178 POSTS
I would check the transmission fluid first and add if needed, if the fluid smells burnt I would change it and add a new filter as well, here are two guides to help us fix it:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-and-add-transmission-fluid

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-service-an-automatic-transmission

Motorcraft MERCON V Automatic Transmission Fluid .................... MERCON V

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Sep 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
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